Today I marry my best friend....
Tom and I got married Memorial Day Weekend 2007 in Lincoln, MA at a gorgeous historic property - Codman Estate, with a New England theme complete with a clambake buffet (no digging in Lincoln), some Asian inspired decorations to celebrate my background, some very personal touches to make it all unique, and all on a budget...
Our wedding was the wedding of my dreams, truly. We had perfect weather, sunny conditions, and the property had dried up enough from previous showers. I was really stressed up until the actual wedding day but when I woke up that morning, I felt great. At some point, you realize that you can only do some much, and whatever happens that day happens. I think that it's more important that you enjoy yourself the whole day, and really take everything in because it flies by sooo fast. Little things went wrong but in the end, I had so much fun, my guests had a blast and I think that people really loved everything that I had planned and put into the wedding to make it really about Tom and I and not just another generic wedding.
Thanks to all the fellow brides for their ideas, advice, and inspiration! Please credit myself Springbelle, and my photographer Laura beals if you use any of my pictures. And feel free to email me at springbelle6@gmail.com with any questions.
Today I marry my best friend....
Professional Pictures
Getting Ready
Seeing each other for the first time...
Formal pictures
The Ceremony
Formal pictures of Tom and I
Details Details Details....
Vendor Info
Free STLWed Bio Builder
Professional Pictures
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Getting Ready
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My gorgeous dress!!
My Ann Taylor shoes found on clearance!
Getting into my dress
Seeing my dad...
Seeing each other for the first time...
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My handsome hubby-to-be
Formal pictures
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Our adorable flower girl, Tom's neice
Tom's family
My family
The Bridal Party
The Ceremony
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Our string trio
Our readers - Tom's sister and one of my best friends
Reading our vows to each other
The Kiss!
Yah! We're finally married!
Formal pictures of Tom and I
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Group photo
First dance as husband and wife
Watching our slideshow
Time for Dessert!
Details Details Details....
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Vendor Information
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Ceremony Location -
Codman Estate
Grade: A+
I fell in love with the Codman Estate once I saw the Italian garden and pictured having our outdoor ceremony there. Obviously, weather is unpredicable in New England but it was worth taking the risk. I looked at a lot of historic properties, and other untraditional locations for the wedding, and the Codman Estate won because of location, the Italian garden, and price. I also chose it because I wanted more control over choosing various vendors - ie. the caterer, liquor for an open bar, etc. Our contact,Nancy, at Codman was wonderful and extremely accomodating. She had great suggestions for making the wedding more affordable. She also helped me out by checking in with some of the vendors the week of the wedding. My only issue was she wouldn't budge on choosing a non-Codman tent company. We lucked out and had an absolutely gorgeous day for the wedding. The guests were blown away by our location, especially the ceremony.
Officiant - Tom's Uncle Michael
We asked Tom's uncle Mike to be our officiant. We wanted someone who knew us, and someone who would be comfortable talking in front of a large group. His uncle Mike was perfect. He took care of all the paperwork to be an officiant for a day by the state. Tom and I wrote the ceremony, with help from books, but his Uncle Mike did an amazing job.
Caterers -
Tastings Caterer
Grade: A+
I picked Tastings Catering because they were the most affordable, and also had the most experience working at the Codman Estate. The references I called couldn't stop raving about how great the food was and also how great Sue (the owner) was in terms of being like a day of coordinator.
Our menu: Fresh Vegetables with Herb de Provence Dip
Warm Artichoke-Parmesan Dip served with French Bread
Grilled Flatbreads with Assorted Toppings
Vietnamese Springrolls
New England Clam Chowder with Oyster Crackers
Spring Vegetable Soup
Rolls with Butter
New England Salad
(Mixed Greens with sliced Pears, crumbled Gorgonzola, caramelized Onions and candied Pecans in Cranberry Vinaigrette) Steamed Clams with Broth and Lemon
Lobster Claws and Tails with Drawn Butter
Grilled Sirloin Steak Tips
Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Red Bliss Potatoes
Butternut Squash Raviolis with Brown Butter & Sage Sauce
Grilled Summer Vegetables
Dessert:
French Almond Cake
Sweet Stuff Cake
Homemade Cookies(warm)
Chocolate Fondue – dark chocolate
Coffee – Tea
Bar:
beer, wine, and mojitos (regular and raspberry)
The food was fantastic. Our guests wouldn't stop raving about it and there was a long line for the lobsters. The steak was a little overdone. My favorite was the butternut squash raviolis. I didn't get to try the soups because it was hot outside but people told me that they were delicious. Sue also gave us all the leftovers at the end of the night to take home (though there wasn't much). I didn't do a traditional wedding cake because I don't like cake so the chocolate fountain was the main desert but we also had 2 small cakes to serve. The fountain was a huge hit, especially with the kids. We had a small serving in the beginning to open dessert but I wish that I had gone back and had some more. I also had Sue bake cookies at the Codman so that we could serve them warm. To keep things more affordable, we served lobster tails and claws instead of whole lobsters. We also kept our cocktail hour simple and Sue also let us bring in springrolls (fresh and fried that we ordered from Chinatown. I'm not sure if we cut costs not having a wedding cake but other brides have told me that she makes really delicious wedding cakes (if you're not looking for something fancy looking).
Florist - Whole Foods and Trader Joe's
Whole Foods, Woburn
Grade: B-
This was a hard grade to give. I had gone to Whole foods early during the planning - the prices were great, and the head florist seemed to love my visions for the bouquets. I was only going to have them do the bouquets (bride, bridesmaids, mothers), boutonnieres, flower petals for the flower girl, and flowers for my hair. I had a meeting schedule for about a month before the wedding to go over more final decisions and it turns out that she had left a week prior. Noone called me and I only found out right before because I had called to say that I was running late and they informed me that I would be meeting with someone different. The florist I met with was actually from the corporate office and was filling in but assured me that she would handle my wedding. I had to start all over and tell her about what kinds of flowers I liked and what I wanted everything to look like. We were set to meet up again 2 weeks before the wedding to finalize everything and get flowers ordered. Well she canceled my meeting and we ended up meeting 1 week prior to the wedding, along with the new head florist they hired for the Woburn store. She was super accomodating and made it sound like she was ordering all the flowers that I liked, at the price she promised. They also promised to deliver the flowers, even though they usually don't. The flowers were beautiful but they weren't at all what I expected. She put in lots of peonies which I loved, but there were traditional roses (which I had said I didn't like) including all the boutonnieres. My bouquet also started falling apart a little before the ceremony! The only thing that I was truly happy about was the gardenias that they had wired for my hair. I think that the majority of my issues had to do with the fact that I had to deal with 3 different florists, and there wasn't enough time for them to really understand what I wanted. There's a new head florist at the Woburn store now and he has tons of experience and seems really great. I love flowers but I didn't want to spend lots of money on them, given that they don't last very long and it's a small part of the wedding. I think that the prices are amazing and I doubt anyone will have to deal with my circumstances.
Trader Joes, Danvers
Grade: A-
I did a lot of research trying to find the best prices for orchids. Trader Joe's had the best prices by far and it was easy for them to order even though they don't have a regular floral department. I had originally wanted these gorgeous orchids in copper pots but they weren't able to get them for my weekend (they hadn't told me ahead of time so I was a little bit disappointed). They have less flexibility about what they get, but they can request a certain color or size but there's no guarantee. I picked out 10 white Phalaenopsis 6 inch orchids in terra cotta pots. The only other hassle was we had to pick them up and transport them over the Codman House but it was totally worth it. The tables looked amazing with the orchids in the middle - simple and beautiful. Everyone tried to snap up the orchids at the end of the night to take home.
Photographer -
Laura Beals
Grade: A+
Laura was one of my favorite vendors! I think that the pictures came out fantastic. We interviewed quite a few photographers but liked Laura immediately. I loved that she had tons of experience but was also a grad student. You could tell that she photographs weddings because she really loves it. She is affordable, especially if you're not a bride that needs a professional album. It's silly, but I also just love all the packaging and correspondance - the contract, her DVD, all the thank you cards and notes are beautiful (I noticed details like that!) She was so great to work with. We had our pictures done prior to the ceremony because there wasn't any lag time in between since it was all at the same location plus we really wanted to enjoy our cocktail hours (and mojitos). Tom and I did a "reveal" moment and then we did all the formal pictures. She was a great sport with some of the silly group pictures that I had requested. After the ceremony, for about 20 mins, we did more casual pictures of just Tom and I. She was very unintrusive and we all loved working with her.
Disc Jockey - Mike of Spintown Tunes
Grade: A
We knew we wanted a DJ who wasn't cheesy. We picked Mike because he was really laid-back, had good reviews from fellow knotties, and was affordable. We had a great time meeting with him and going through our wedding music. I also really loved that he gave us CDs of all of our wedding music at the end of the night. We had some issues doing our slideshow (I don't know if it was technical issues or what) but in the end, everything worked out.
Musicians - Syrinx Ensemble
Grade: A
tarasantiago@hotmail.com
I hired a string trio from the New England Conservatory of Music because of a recommendation from another bride. They sounded great for the ceremony. They were very professional and easy to work with plus they don't cost as much as the professional groups but I think they do just as great of a job. I definitely recommend them.
Transportation - C&W Transportation
Grade: A
781-362-4747
We decided to use a school bus as transportation for our guests between the hotel and the Codman Estate. We thought that it'd be a fun idea and it was honestly 1/3 of the price of regular shuttles. I didn't get to see the reaction of our guests when they boarded the school bus, but we had a blast going back to the hotel at the end of the night.
Invitations - DIY
I knew I wanted to make my invitations myself but I wasn't prepared for how much work it is! But it was worth it because I think that they came out beautifully and they were exactly how I pictured. I had my graphics design friend draw the flower for me but I did the rest on Microsoft word and then transferred it to Adobe.
Paper from Paperandmore.com
grade: A
You can order samples of the paper and envelopes. I spent some time trying to find the best prices and paperandmore.com seemed to meet all of my requirements. They have great customer service to answer your questions and they get it shipped out really quickly. I absolutely loved the white linen paper!b
Staples in North Andover for printing
Grade: A-
You have to make sure you put the documents in a pdf file especially if you're using different fonts. They did a great job printing everything. My only problem with them was that they didn't charge me consistently for the print jobs. Sometimes they'd charge me for uploading my files from my USB drive, sometimes they'd charge me for printing on the heavier cardstock, and sometimes they'd just charge me like it was a regular copy but in the end, I probably saved money. They can get really busy so make sure you give yourself enough time to get everything done. I mistakenly assumed that I'd get stuff printed while I waited but most of the time, I had to come back later.
Rental Company - Peterson Party Center
Grade: B
We used them to rent a tent and a dance floor. The Codman Estate will only deal with 2 different tent companies. Peterson's is the cheaper of the two and had better reviews. I booked memorial day weekend because it was more likely that another bride would pick the same weekend and we could share the tent. I actually wrote a letter to them, asking if there was any way to lower the price because it was a lot more than Codman had led me to believe. They didn't get back to me until much later after me calling them several times when I hadn't heard back. Apparently there was some miscommunication over there about who was supposed to contact me. Anyhow, I was lucky that another bride got married the next day at Codman but she didn't even up booking until 6 months before the wedding. She had some problems dealing with them as well. In the end, the tent looked great, it did its job but I didn't enjoy dealing with the company.
Jeweler - Barmakian
Grade: A
Barmakian in Nashua, NH
They have an amazing selection, the salespeople don't work on commission, and there's no tax... We got our bands during their annual wedding band event in March so that was an extra 10%.
Tuxedos - Filene's Basement
Tom bought his suit at the Filene's Basement suit sale. He got a fantastic deal, a gorgeous silk Italian black suit for $450 (original price over $1000).
My Dress - A fellow knottie
I bought my beautiful Pronovias dress from a fellow bride. I knew that I couldn't afford buying it from a bridal shop and I lucked out when I found it for sale on the knot's dress board. It needed some alterations because her dry cleaner had messed up the dress which is why I got it for a fantastic deal but it fixed up perfectly.
Bridesmaid Dresses - Various
My girls bought dresses of their own choosing. My only criteria were that it was pink, tea length, flattering for their own individual bodies, and that they really loved it (and could picture wearing it again).
Hair Stylist - Susan Francesconi
401-323-2262
Grade: A+
I loved my hair!! I went to Susan's home in RI for my trial. I didn't have a specific style in mind, but I knew that I didn't want my hair to be super curly and tight looking. We tried a few different styles, including half up/half down dos and then some updos. I also knew that I was wearing a gardenia in my hair. She totally created my updo from scratch. We had a blast getting our hair done in the hotel with Susan. I really loved my hair and she was one of my favorite vendors. It stayed up the whole night and she taught my maid of honor how to switch out the flower when it started to brown. She also charged the bridesmaid and my mom depending on how complicated the style was.
Makeup Artist -
Helen Fong
Grade: B
I think that Helen did an amazing job with my makeup. I was torn about whether I should do my own makeup or have it done. I went to Sephora and did a makeup consultation there. I also had a consultation with a lady who works for Bobbi Brown. I just wasn't completely happy. I picked Helen because she's asian and works with a lot of Asian brides. She also had a special running on craigslist. My trial with her went well, she was able to get the natural look I was aiming for. But other than the actual final product, working with her was interesting... she has an annoying personality and I felt like she wasn't always so professional especially with dealing with my mother (who I admit can be difficult) and all of my bridesmaids (who didn't get their makeup done) commented on how annoying she was. If you can tolerate her, I think that she does a great job.
Other Vendor - Gordon's Liquors
Grade: A
For our venue, we had to buy the liquor ourselves and the caterer would man the bar. We saved soo much money doing it this way especially given the drinking habits of our guests. I had previously gotten a quote from another liquor store and Gordon's prices were much better for the exact same products. They deliver and pick up from the Codman and they don't charge you until they receive whatever is left over. For about 100 people, serving beer, wine and mojitos, we spent less than $700.
Other Vendor - Westin, Waltham
Grade: A
We blocked rooms at the Westin for our guests. They made the whole process very easy. And we booked the president's suite for the wedding day and night. It was fabulous! We had sooo much room to get ready and relax before the ceremony and pictures.
Other Vendor - Biagio's, Waltham
Rehearsal Dinner
Grade: B+
Biagio's has only been open for a few months but it's a lovely restaurant. They have a private room on the 2nd floor, which fit our 25 guests perfectly. The food was fantastic and the service was great as well. The only issue I had with them was trying to get a hold of them when I had questions or even when I needed to tell them how many people were coming and what they wanted to eat. There were times when they never returned my messages. Right now one of the main owners is in charge of special events, but they're hoping his wife can take over that role because he is obviously too busy to be handling that aspect.
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