Colorful Dahlia Wedding At A Lakeside Home
A colorful dahlia wedding at home seems only appropriate as sunshine and warm weather approaches! And today’s love story is overflowing with these marvelous blooms thanks to LynnVale Studios. Following a secret garden theme, Allie and Mike’s wedding was originally planned for 200+ guests, but that didn’t stop them from incorporating some of their original plans into their smaller celebration they planned during the pandemic. Bellwether Events guided them through the process seamlessly, paying homage to the cathedral ceremony plans through church pews overlooking the lake – an idea we just adore! Guests enjoyed colorful decor throughout, captured magnificently by Kurstin Roe. From the vintage china place settings to the laser cut place cards, there were so many beautiful details on display. We cannot wait for you to explore A+M’s story in full below! So let’s see what this colorful dahlia wedding is all about, shall we?
From the Bride:
How we met: Dating App
How we got engaged: I jokingly asked him, and he very formally and seriously accepted (he already had the ring). Later, he proposed with the ring at the empty (because covid) restaurant where we had our first date, but he still LOVES to tell people that I was the one who proposed.
What we were inspired by for our wedding: The inspiration for our wedding was a “secret garden” theme. Since we got married in the middle of a pandemic and only had our immediate family in attendance, we wanted it to be easy and fun for everyone, while still feeling like a real wedding. Janice really came through with that vision.
Our favorite wedding day details: My favorite wedding day detail was the church pews that we had for our outdoor ceremony. We were originally (pre-covid) going to get married in a church, so it was a nice way to still get that feeling while being in our backyard. I also loved the ivy gate entrance to our reception (which was all Janice’s idea) and our flowers and wedding cake which fit the garden theme so well.
What we wore: I wore a Carolina Herrera bridal gown, and Mike wore a navy tuxedo. The original wedding we planned was going to be black-tie optional, but even when we changed our plans, we thought it would be fun to have the wedding be more casual and our guests in garden dresses/easy cocktail attire, while we were still in formal wear.
Covid-Protocols: If I was a bridezilla about anything, it was COVID. We only invited our parents/siblings, held it outdoors, and made everyone quarantine for 2 weeks and get tested before coming. We also gave our parents N95 masks just in case. For our vendors, we rented a private bathroom for them, gave them extra masks and face shields, asked that they stay 6 feet away from guests, asked our guests to stay 6 feet away from vendors, and provided tons of hand sanitizer.
Our favorite memories: I loved our ceremony, our vows, and how intimate it all was. We could be with our family the entire time and not feel like we were being rushed or missing out on anything. I would say our DJ (shout out to Les!) was also amazing. Since it was just our family, she played so many songs that we all loved growing up together. Making one of my sisters reprise her 3rd grade talent show rendition of Deana Carter’s “Did I Shave My Legs for This” was a personal highlight.
Advice for couples planning: As someone who initially imagined and planned a 200+ person formal wedding, to changing plans to a family-only backyard ceremony, I would do it 100x times over, covid notwithstanding. Although we want to have a big party in the coming year for our friends and family we weren’t able to invite, having our wedding day be just about me and Mike and our close family made it so fun and special.
I spy with my little eye… a wedding we’ll be returning to a thousand times over! This colorful dahlia wedding is a secret garden fantasy if we ever saw one, so major congrats to Allie and Mike! If you’re a lover of these blooms in particular, be sure to check out this New England wedding next.
Wedding Vendors:
Planning and Design: Bellwether Events
Photography: Kurstin Roe
Venue: Private Home
Flowers: LynnVale Studios
Catering: Well Dunn
Cake: Buttercream Bakeshop
Rentals: Something Vintage
Rentals: White Glove Rentals
Tent and Lighting: Sugarplum Tent Company
Invitations: Minted
Paper Goods: Artisan Matchmaker
DJ: Les Talusan
Hair and Makeup: Ariel Lewis
Ivy Wall: WRW Interiors
Installation: Social Supply
Dress: Carolina Herrera