Our New England Wedding

Today marks 3 years married to my partner in crime, Ryan. The last few years have been filled with the purchase of our first home (The Judkins House) and subsequent renovations, job changes and successes, and a few furry additions to the family with another (slightly less hairy) addition coming next year. Being the sentimental person I am, I thought it might be fun to take a walk down memory lane and share some of our wedding details with you all.

Ryan and I both love fall here in New England, so when selecting a wedding date we fell firmly in the middle of October. Our venue, a Massachusetts Audubon property in Belmont, MA, brought all the seasonal charm we had hoped for. I had my heart set on an outdoor wedding and reception, which did get a few quizzical looks. I specifically remember discussing our plans with our florist Marisa, of Love and Thistle, and her immediately asking about our backup plan should the weather not cooperate. As luck would have it, we ended up with a stunning, sunny 70-degree day for our festivities.

My grandfather, a Methodist minister, performed the ceremony for us. It added such a sweet, personal touch to the day, and as he always does, he kept us all laughing with his wry sense of humor. In keeping with our laid-back vibes, we hired an acoustic guitarist to serenade us all in and out of the ceremony. The ceremony was short and sweet and just perfect.

I loved the idea of celebrating the local harvest, so Marisa worked to ensure the majority of our blooms and pumpkins, which we used in abundance, were sourced from farmers in the area. We opted for one long table to accommodate our small gathering of 40 people. Down the center ran a green garland adorned with seasonal squash and flowers. Inexpensive cotton throw blankets donned the backs of every other chair just in case the October chill set in.

Our caterer, Forklift Catering, did a wonderful job serving up local flavors. I wanted to keep the passed appetizers casual, so we did grilled cheese with apple, maple kettle corn, and mini lobster rolls. I didn't hear any complaints! For dinner, we had a seated first course of butternut squash soup followed by a comfort food buffet of braised short rib and a goat cheese and arugula salad, among other dishes. To complement the meal, we offered a signature drink, which we dubbed an "Autumn Cocktail," containing Cardamaro, Asbach brandy, and black walnut bitters. For those who preferred an alternative, we had a selection of red and white wine and prosecco. For dessert, well, apple pie of course! We also set out chocolates from the amazing Spindler Confections because we couldn't throw this shindig without any chocolate.

The day was one I'll never forget, and I especially treasure these photos from the ever-talented Jess Desforges. It's fun to look back at this stunning day, but I'm also incredibly excited for what the future holds.