Sweet Unique - Sarah Porter Memorial

A while back I posted about our love affair with unique venues. Staging/decorating . . . working . . . planning . . . . oh they are oodles of fun! Unfortunately, however, in the state of Connecticut there seems to be somewhat of a limited supply as even some of the once most discreet and unheard of places have gained so much popularity that they seem less and less unique. As such, I was delighted to be introduced to the Sarah Porter Memorial at First Church today (truly a hidden gem) by Tara Coakley of Emily's Catering, who has just signed an agreement to be their exclusive caterer. We've worked with Emily's many times and they always do a bang up job in terms of food, presentation, staff and service.

The Sarah Porter Memorial is the quintessential New England venue located across the street from the picturesque Miss Porter's School in Farmington. Honestly, what could be better than having one's reception across the street from Jackie O's alma mater??? The venue is indeed in an ideal location as it is near great restuarants such as Piccolo Arancio and The Grist Mill Restaurant as well as the Farmington Inn for out of town guests.

View from Main Street

View from the side

What I love most about this venue is that the ballroom is graceful and a sweet blank slate in which to make it your own for a guest list of 100 or so. The windows have gorgeous arches and shed off fabulous light.

As you can see, there is a stage for a band.

The room boasts a fireplace nook that would make a nice lounge area or even an alternative indoor ceremony site.


There is also veranda at the side of ballroom perfect for cocktail hour, but as I was checking the venue out for a winter client I did not take a photo, shame on me!

The rental fee begins at $1650 for 6 hours and includes tables and chairs, which certainly makes it more affordable than some of the other spaces nearby.

As you can see, I am totally smitten. I hope to have the opportunity to work there soon!

Cheers,

Lindsay

L.O.V.E.

What's better than a purse for a centerpiece??? Courtesy of House Beautiful.

Not necessarily the look for a wedding, but every last detail of this table is purr-fect.

Swoon.

Lindsey and Doug

When Rachel and I first met with Lindsey and Doug last January, it was very easy to see how much they adored one another. Doug, in particular, had a very clear vision of what he wanted for his wedding: good food, a great party for family and college friends, and unique personal touches to make the day memorable. As you will see, the results were magnificant from start to finish. All photos courtesy of the highly talented and adorable duo none other than Shari and Jason Weaver of Dreamscape Studio.

We began our day checking in with Lindsay and her gals at Peter Coppola Salon in Westport. What a posh and fun salon that place is! Following hair and make-up, we followed the bridal party to the Inn at Longshore in Westport, where the ceremony and reception were held.

Lindsey wore the absolutely stunning Melissa Sweet Mila gown, purchased at Saks in Short Hills, NJ. She had a total of 6 fittings and it showed, my gawd she took our breath away. With her hair in a simple yet elegant pony tail, she looked trendy yet timeless, literally like she walked off the pages of Vogue in any given year. Once she was dressed, her mother said (and I'll never forget this statement), "Lindsay, my darling, you are exquisite." She was.

The bridal party and family members participated in photos before the ceremony, something we are seeing more and more of these days. Doug and Lindsey really pulled the bridal party look together seamlessly with the J. Crew Sophia dresses for the girl and khakis, blazers and vineyard vines ties for the guys. The girls carried bouquets of roses, peonies and stock and the guy's berry bouts were the perfect off-set for the seaside soiree.



The couple was married at 7:00 pm on the lawn overlooking the sound under a breathtaking arch, lush with peonies. The entrance of the ceremony site was also flanked by topiaries, a look of which I am particularly fond. Elegant Effects, a Longshore favorite, lived up to their superb reputation as all the flowers were fabulous and they were so nice to work with. A classic trio via Faze 4 Orchestras accompanied the ceremony and played beautifully.



With the breaking of the glass, followed by kiss, the ceremony ended and cocktail hour was in full swing with a blender bar, sushi station and . . . a serious Corona table. Now that's a party!




Following cocktail hour, guests were invited into the ballroom for dinner and dancing and were greeted by this amazing branchy/peony/orchid entrance arrangement with hanging votive candles.



The tables were turned smartly, with custom chartreuse table linens (a brillilant contrast against the pink and green florals and porcelain blue ballroom), raffia chargers, linen napkins and tall place card holders from Party Rental. Lindsey and Doug made the wedding menus and they complimented the folded napkins just so.


The centerpieces were filled with peonies, roses and alchemilla and were oh so pretty!


Cake Suite Specialty Cakes in Stamford provided the cake, and it was divine inside and out. The banquet manager proclaimed it to be the best he had ever tasted of all of his weddings. WOW!!!

Sound Image of Faze 4 Orhestras provided the music for both cocktail hour and reception. They were a huge hit with the crowd and even assisted one of Doug's college friends in belting out a few tunes. If you like a little Timberlake now and then as well as the good old rock and roll, this is the band for you.



Lindsey and Doug, thanks so much for choosing us to help you plan and execute this amazing day. We loved working with you and wish you all the best.


xoxo,
Lindsay and Rachel

Exciting News!

Lindsay and I were invited to participate in a photo shoot for the fabulous La Bella Bride Magazine which took place just this week at the gorgeous The Winvian Resort. If anyone is interested in a truly posh little get-away, check this incredible place out!

While you are going to have to wait to see the details of our shoot in the next issue, which comes out around New Years, I will say that we had an absolute blast pulling ideas together and working with the uber-talented Tony at Datura, A Modern Garden. If you are the creative type, and looking for an out-of-the-box florist, he is definitely your guy!

So stayed tuned, we will be back to share pics in December!