Ashley and Jesse
We had the best day ever! I didn't put captions on everything because I feel like many of the photos speak for themselves. If you have any questions on anything, page me on the RI board. Enjoy! (also, feel free to use any photos, but pllleeeease credit my wonderful photographer, Lisa Berry, if you do!)
Ashley and Jesse
Our Big Day
MORE pics, Non-pro pics and Other Festivities
Honeymoon!
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Our Big Day
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These are two antique rings that have been in my family since the early 1900's. We call the pearl one "the bad luck engagement ring" because it belonged to my grandmother's aunt who was engaged for 17 years and never got married, and then the man married someone else. However! My mother wore it on her wedding day (34 years ago), my sister on hers, and I on mine, so we are convinced we broke the bad luck. :)
Not the best of everyone's faces but I love that my mom's dog is smelling the bouquet!
flowers....
flowers...
more flowers!
a neighbor walked by
bad luck begone!
My mom saw this and said "I look like a fashion model!" And she does. But prettier.
Yes, there was a groom to this wedding!
To start the ceremony, we had our families stand in a circle around us to show and voice their support
I'm in love with this
Everyone sees this picture and says "I didn't know you wore those shoes!" ... don't spend too much money OR energy on your shoes, ladies.
Yay Providence!
bluegrass cocktail hour
details...
details...
more details!
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More pictures, more pictures!! Some pics from the other activities of the weekend. Thursday we had immediate family and friends who were already in town to Julian's, where we had our first date. Great idea! Also some from our beautiful rehearsal dinner at Oceancliff's Upper Deck and our day after brunch at my mom's house.
cutting the cake is harder to do than it looks
I do NOT mess around with dessert!
I had no idea this happened!
I forgot to put this in. Groomsman boutonierre
Also, one more of my beautiful bouquet. I loved that bow!
Us at Julian's. We had buttons that said "Bride" and "Groom"... lest anyone forget.
I don't know what I was saying. But you can see our buttons in this pic
I was so happy to see them!
"You're getting maarrriiiied!!!"
There are times my sister and I don't look alike, and then there are times when we make the exact same face. Like this one.
Rehearsing. Everyone was more attentive the day of. I think.
Oceancliff!
Yay lobster!
BMs at RD
Those stinkers!
Our pup was so happy to see us! And vice versa- look at me treating my dress like a sack of laundry.
Let's be honest: one of the many reasons it's great to get married!
just married! Life is good.
Honeymoon!
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We spent 8 days in Anguilla, staying at the very beautiful Cap Juluca. After all that wedding week fun we needed to relax-- and boy did we!
The first day we could barely stay out of the water it was so beautiful
But we eventually made it out to walk down the beach to dinner
One of the on site restaurants with the resort in the background
view from our balcony
Don't be jealous of how hot I look in my snorkel
It's great to be a honeymooner!
Our beautiful beach again
Gorgeous sunset at another hotel
And sometimes we just stayed in bed in our Cap Juluca robes! What a great trip!
Vendor Information
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Ceremony Location - First Unitarian Church, Providence, RI: A+
We aren't really churchgoers at this point in our life, so we wanted a ceremony locale that was laid back and non-judgemental, but also special enough to not downplay the seriousness of the event. The First Unitarian Church is exactly what we were looking for. It is an unbelievably beautiful building with gorgeous windows, woodwork, and ceiling- amazing! Also, it's a historic church so it's sacred but it's not so church-y that you feel like you have to be a particular denomination just to step in the door. It's very welcoming to all types- christian, jewish, gay, straight, etc. Also, they were very easy to deal with- I did all my communicating through email and it went off without a hitch. Oh, and as an extra plus- Jesse said the building caretaker (who you have to pay to open the building, etc.) was very sweet to him while he was waiting before the ceremony- making sure he didn't overheat or get too nervous. So nice!
Officiant - Lee Clasper-Torch: A+
Lee is a former teacher and friend of both Jesse's and mine. He's an ordained minister with the Church of the Brethren, which I guess is similar to Quakerism, and one of the best wedding decisions we made. We had at least 4 or 5 meetings with him before the wedding, over tea or dinner or brunch at either of our houses, each a few hours long. He gave us little activities to fill out and made us really recognize the seriousness of this commitment. At the same time, he was very laid back and calming during a sometimes crazy process. He helped us design our ceremony and then built upon it himself so that it was the most beautiful, special, and personal ceremony I could have ever imagined. Everyone else said so, too! We felt so lucky to have him as part of our day!
Reception Location - Agawam Hunt Club, Rumford, RI: A+
Okay, if I did believe in more pluses, I'd definitely give the Agawam as many as possible. I simply can't say enough. The level of customer service is unlike any I have seen. Granted, my parents have been members at the club forever so we have a personal connection, but they certainly went above and beyond all my expectations. They don't do many weddings- mostly only members and members' children- but rather than seeming inexperienced, it just adds to the level of personal attention. We felt like we were the most important people in the world, not like we were one cog in a huge wedding factory. At first I really wanted to get married by the water but the high prices compared with our large guest list just didn't pan out so I "settled" for the Agawam, with some disappointment. Looking back, I wouldn't have done it any other way even if I had all the money in the world. The food was amazing, the building spectacular, the service the best I have ever recieved. I could go on and on. I'm not sure what the protocol is for non members, but I'd reccomend it with my whole heart.
Cake Creator - Phyllis Brown, Greggs, and the Agawam: all A+
Seeing wedding cake prices was so infuriating it practically made steam come out of my ears. I LOVE dessert, but to charge $1200 or more for any cake is just extortion. So we decided to go with a little, pretty cake to cut, and then a dessert buffet. My mom's friend Phyllis Brown has just started a cake business, so she made our pretty cake-- which was not only pretty but DELICIOUS! We chose a simple lemon cake with butter cream frosting (at this point I was rather burned out with wedding decisions- she has many more choices!). Then we got Greggs chocolate cake, and cheesecake, chocolate covered strawberries, and mini strawberry shortcakes from the Agawam. It was such a hit! We thought we'd have a ton of cake left over but we were too busy/happy/drunk to remember to take it home at the end of the night. When my parents went back the next day to pick it up, all that was left was our cake top- which probably would have been gone, too, if we had not requested to save it. Yum!!
Florist - Nancy Birch, Grandiflora Design: A+
I was in love with the flowers!! Nancy is so talented and such a sweet person, too. I was particular about flowers, especially colors- I wanted red but not valentines red, pink but not sorority girl pink- and size- I didn't want a 90 lb bouquet to carry around, and I wanted my guests to be able to see each other over the centerpieces. Oh and we had a somewhat modest flower budget (my dad didn't understand why flowers have to cost more than $49 total- oh dads!) about which she was very accomodating. Nancy took my semi-bossiness in stride and the flowers took my breath away. My bridesmaid and best friend Angie said "I can't imagine them being any more beautiful. I mean, even in my imagination!" and she's got quite the imagination. IMO, Nancy is not reccommended on the knot as much as she should be. She gets my vote 100%!
Photographer - Lisa Berry Photography: A+
We just loved Lisa! Of course her grade is pending because we haven't seen the pictures yet, but so far she was exactly what we hoped for. She and her assistant Stephanie were unbelievably sweet and low maintenance. I felt like they were everywhere but somehow still unobtrusive. They would take whatever posed pictures you asked but would never direct you into an awkward pose (None of the "Okay, you tilt your chin down, you pretend to kiss her cheek- no not that cheek!" crapola). We couldn't have asked for a more relaxed presence on our very busy and crazy day. We would have invited her as a guest! I'll write more when we get our pics but I can already tell they'll be fabulous.
Musicians - The Rockin' Soul Horns: A
The Rockin' Soul Horns are seriously phenomenal! We struggled finding a band that was reasonably priced but still good, and boy did we choose right. They are a 7 piece band, all terrific musicians, and they were the most inexpensive we found. Bob, the band leader, was so nice and easy to contact. And our guests had a GREAT time!! The only reason i dont give them an A+ is actually partially my fault. I waited until a few days before the wedding to ask them about first dance and father/daughter dance songs, and then I was disappointed when I realized the songs I had hoped for weren't in their repertoire. I know that if there were songs I really had my heart set on I should have asked well in advance so they could learn them. However, I assumed they were pretty standard- "Our Love is Here to Stay" and "The Way You Look Tonight" (in fact, they are actually CALLED standards!) so I didn't think it was an issue. I got over it immediately, though, because they were so awesome. One of the things on my to-do list that I never got to do was my "must play" and "please don't play" list and I'm actually happy I never wrote one. We just let them do their thing and we had the best time. I'd still reccommend them completely- I just reccomend that if there are specific songs you want, tell them ahead of time instead of assuming that they know them.
Transportation - Limo: Touch of Class: B-
These guys were very nice, and arrived on time. The cars were good looking and very clean and they got us where we needed to go. However, a few complaints. First of all, they were pretty bossy and thought they had more input into our day than they did. For example, we were all excited to get going to the church, and all started to pile in the limo and the driver was like "Wait! You go in first, then you, then the bride last." I guess understandably they have done this many times and think they know what's up, but you're not the boss of my day. Let me sit in the middle if I want to! Also, apparently our limo service came with a champagne toast, which is very nice. However, I didn't know this beforehand and nearly as soon as we stepped out of the church, the driver comes up and he says "When do you want the champagne toast? Where do you want it? When? Where?" I had been married for literally 5 minutes and I had 160 people to kiss and I had NO idea what he was talking about!! They were plenty nice but they thought they were running the show. And they weren't. AND I don't know where they got their directions but they took the most roundabout routes ever. After the ceremony, they took the bridal party (Jess and I were in the Rolls Royce. In which the AC was broken) from the church to the reception. They took 25 minutes for a 15 minute trip and, when they almost missed the turn into the Agawam and my whole bridal party said "Turn here!!!" He stepped on the breaks so hard that everyone went flying out of their seats and knocking into each other. Literally. My brother-in-law was apparently spread eagle on the floor and my sister actually had to say "Oh I'm sorry, I think I hit your chin with my shoulder." Anyway, it made for an adventure and I definitely wouldn't say it ruined my day (because NOTHING could have ruined my day!) but it wasn't perfect.
Invitations - Copy World, East Providence: A-
I'm tempted to give two grades. My invitations came out beautifully and they were very reasonably priced. This was another one of the decisions I just wanted to get DONE and it turned out great. The programs eventually were fine, except I had to have them make me 3 proofs because they kept forgetting to fix stuff. And then the girl there tried to sass me and I had to sass her right back. But the products are nice. I'd reccommend them. Just don't let that girl sass you.
Rental Company - Quality Rental: A- (I guess)
Oh, I barely paid attention to this. The Agawam set it up and we just paid them. Everything was lovely and high "Quality" (get it?) albeit a ridiculous amount of money for something we don't even get to keep. But this isn't Quality's fault. The prices were comparable to other companies- it's just another injustice we suffer as victims of weddinflation.
Tuxedos - Classic Tux: A-
Honestly I barely noticed the tuxes (except that my husband looked very handsome in his) and totally forgot what we picked out so I would have no idea if they were wrong or right. Classic Tux- on South Main St- was very easy to deal with. The guys went in and got measured individually and then we chose the tux and the boys picked it up a few days before the wedding (don't guys have it so easy?). Jesse had to have them re-hem the sleeves of his jacket because he thought they were too bunchy, and he also had to request different shoes because the ones they gave him were cracked, but other than that, no problems!
My Dress - Paloma Blanca from Weddingbelle NYC, Warren RI: A+
I've said this before, but I found dress shopping to be somewhat annoying. Erica at Weddingbelle NYC was the only shop owner who listened to me, who was laid back, who actually had some things I wanted! Originally my dress was champagne colored with a mocha sash and she helped me custom order it in white with a champagne sash. When it came in she said "your dress is so beautiful! If I had to do my wedding over, I'd wear your gown." I LOVED my dress. She was so sweet and I was so happy to buy from her and support a local business!
Bridesmaid Dresses - JCrew: A+
This was the easiest thing ever! Around Christmas time my BM Lauren noticed that some dresses on JCrew were on sale. I looked, found a color and fabric I liked and had the girls pick whatever style they wanted. They all ordered them in their regular street size (regular or petite) and they came within 6 days. I'd definitely reccomend going with a normal store like JCrew- so low maintenance! If it doesn't fit, just return it to the store, order a different size and get it in another 6 days! Also, the dresses were BEAUTIFUL. I had the prettiest bridesmaids in the history of bridesmaids. And I'm not biased. :)
Hair Stylist - Kymm Devlen with Especially for You: A+
Kymm is so sweet and so talented! I had (big surprise) particular ideas about my hair, and she really listened and worked with me at my trial until we got it right. I don't have any great pictures of my hairstyle yet but it was really beautiful and stayed put all day. She did my hair at 8:30 in the morning and it was still looking great at 1 AM at our mini-after party. Also, I have a very sensitive head- headbands give me a headache, one uncomfortable barrette can ruin my day. When I took out my hair out at the end of the night, I was surprised to find that she had used 52 bobby pins (!!) and I hadn't felt one!! She's awesome!
Other Vendor - Photo Booth: FuntasticFoto.com: Spelling: D, Pricing and "Foto" quality: C, Fun: A+
The spelling thing is a joke- it just bugs me when companies spell things wrong for the sake of cuteness. Gross. Anyway, I would 100% recommend renting a photobooth for your wedding, or for any event! It was the MOST fun and all of our guests had a ball! We rented the booth for 4 hours and guests were able to take unlimited pictures during that time. Then the booth would print out one copy for them and one copy for us (the happy couple) to keep. We have LOVED looking through them over and over- it's hysterical to see what people do when they get in there. So, that's why the photobooth gets an A+ for fun! While I'd recommend a photobooth wholeheartedly, I can't wholeheartedly recommend this company. The guys who ran it were very nice, but spelling errors aside, I just can't give them a super high grade. I really wanted RI Photobooths (Kristin Spencer's company), but they were booked for our date- the only 7-7-07 glitch we hit! SO, we ended up going with these guys and paying $700 more, plus gratuity!!! And the quality of pictures wasn't great, especially in the beginning of the night when they were still working out kinks. Bottom line, I'd say go with the photobooth but if you have a choice, go with RI Photobooths.
Other Vendor - Guest Transportation: Laidlaw Education: A-
We got school buses for our guests for the day of the wedding and the night of the rehearsal dinner. They were prompt and reliable and the cheapest we found. We were going to go with two companies so as to avoid paying the hours we wouldn't need them in between. However, we basically said "Look, you can either have our business for just the beginning of the day and then we'll cut you loose and use another company, or you can have our business for both portions of the day and not charge us for the hours in between" and they agreed. Our driver wasn't overly cheerful and nearly left people some places (including the bride and groom at the rehearsal dinner). AND she took strange, slow routes places, but it didn't bother us too much. We had too much fun to notice.
Other Vendor - Ceremony/Cocktail Hour Music: Cathy Clasper-Torch: A+
Again, if I could go against my own principles and give more plusses I would. Cathy is our minister's wife and she is an AMAZING musician! She plays violin, fiddle, mandolin, and a whole bunch of other instruments. For our ceremony, we had her on violin and her friend Mike Fischman on guitar, playing traditional pieces. They sat up in the balcony of the church and the sound was just incredible. Then the two of them followed to the reception and joined up with their bassist friend (whose name I can't remember) and played some bluegrass music for our cocktail hour. They were just fabulous!!! We sat with Cathy and her violin for about 30 minutes one day while she played and we chose processional, recessional, etc. music. We chose a few songs for the service and then let them do their thing for the prelude and cocktail hour (which was more like 2 hours). They were exactly what we hoped for and then some. We couldn't have been happier!
About the vendor reviews...
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Let me say that, for the most part, all of our vendors were phenomenal and well exceeded our expectations! I was such a Bitter Betty prior to the wedding day- i.e. "We're paying them so much money, they're going to have to work hard to impress me!" but I was blown away by the quality and level of customer service. I've had a lot of fun in my life but never this much, and I've got a lot of people to thank for it.Oh, also, I don't believe in AAAAA+++++++++, etc. What does that mean? Does that mean if you get a regular A+ you're not as good? It doesn't make sense. Anyway, A+ is the highest we give and it means a lot because, like I said, I'm rather picky and had high expectations. If you have questions, page me on the RI board!
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