New Hampshire Wedding at The Inns and Spa at Mill Falls by Authentic Eye Photography

Posted December 22nd, 2011 by Callie Rogers | 1 Comment - Post A Comment

We interrupt your last minute Christmas frenzy to bring you a soothingly, ever-so-lovely real wedding all the way from New Hampshire. Styled in a modern grey and yellow, yet held outside, this wedding shot by Authentic Eye Photography strikes the perfect balance between traditional and whimsy!

Was there a specific theme or style? : The theme was wedding! Seriously though, since we spent so much time as friends before we became engaged and that part of our relationship so important to our day to day, many elements of the wedding echoed the theme of friendship and the great foundation it creates for a loving marriage. From readings in the ceremony to our first dance as husband and wife to Queen’s “You’re My Best Friend,” if you had to pick a theme, I guess friendship would be it!

What inspired the theme or style?: The beauty of the venue and Lake Winnipesaukee definitely inspired us and guided the style of the event, especially in decor and floral design. The Church Landing hotel really does a great job bringing the outdoors inside, which we tried to replicate with many birch-themed decor elements, and birch branches and bark included in the floral arrangements..

Now for the proposal… details!: Joe proposed on an out-of-the-blue Tuesday night. (Or so I thought… he’d been planning a while). Just days before the biggest event of my professional year he succeeded in surprising this snoopy, nosy girlfriend. Having had the ring he and his father picked out in his possession for less than six hours, Joe caught me totally off-guard after a VERY late night at the office by dropping to his knee and offering a pick-me-up: not the usual of favorite of Chinese food & wine, but a MUCH better combo- a gorgeous ring & the promise of a lifetime of love! Of course I said yes, but as buddies we also like to bust each other, so I gave him just a LITTLE grief for giving me the whole proposal “speech” AFTER I took the ring and accepted! In truth it didn’t matter what he said– I already knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with my best friend.

What were your playful twists that made the event unique?: We tried to bring our own personalities and family backgrounds to the event. For example, instead of a sand-ceremony or unity candle, we incorporated a Celtic hand-fasting ceremony just after the vows, to signify the joining of families and our histories. We also had a little fun– we love to joke around with each other and so included a favorite fun reading in the ceremony as well as custom crossword puzzles about us and our friends and family on the back of the programs to keep our guests busy and mingling as they waited for the ceremony to begin.

We want to know about all the wedding details. Was it small and intimate or big and traditional?: The bride was envisioning home-made and intimate (think DIY chic in a barn somewhere) while the groom had dreams of big and elegant (a la “the Plaza in June”). When we saw the venue for the first time, we knew we had stumbled upon something for each of us. Church Landing is a beautifully grand, yet rustic place and situated next to the New Hampshire lakeside beauty, really fueled the creative inspiration for the wedding from that point forward.

Did you DIY any of the details?: What did we NOT DIY?! For a woman who loves arts and crafts and often is planning an event for someone else as I do, having a wedding like this for myself was a dream. From the save-the-dates, invites, table numbers, and menus, to the favors, decor, and small touches, so much of it was DIY. This all helped personalize the event, but also saved us quite a few pennies! A few of my favorite projects were the ones that got family members involved: making the fabric accented escort cards and birch log card holders (with help from my father-in-law and his saw) the coordinating table overlays (with help from my mother), and the birch-covered felt-lined greeting card box which now dons our mantle (with help from my hubby!)

Tell us about your wedding gown and what your wedding party wore.: The bridal dress was made by Alex Milano, and was purchased at Marry & Tux Bridal in Nashua, NH. Maximizing the DIY factor in the wedding, and trying to be as flexible as possible for the bridal party, we chose convertible wrap dresses in an easy jersey that each maid could wrap to suit her style and body. Loving all things etsy, we started there and found a perfect match at Erin Nicole Boitique http://www.etsy.com/people/ErinNicoleBoutique
The Groom was in charge of menswear, and they chose a traditional tux with a modern twist- black on black.

What was the most memorable moment?: There were so many, but I was so cool and calm all day that the most memorable moment for me was when I finally lost my composure and teared up. There was just something about turning the corner out of the venue to the tent and seeing everyone I love and hold dear staring back at me, with the groom all the way in the back showing the biggest smile of all, that I will hold in my heart forever.

What was the best wedding advice you received?: By far: to step back and enjoy the moments. We were told by more than one couple how quickly the day flew by, (good bad and ugly!), and that they wished they had been able to be more present and enjoy more of the moments.

Tell us about the food and desserts.: I hear it was great! :-) Just kidding. Church Landing did us a great service– designated hors d’oeuvres table for the bridal party during the cocktail hour photos! The venue works exclusively with Common Man Restaurant Group, who have multiple facilities on site. Nothing disappointed, but the Mango-Lobster crostini were one of our faves, as were their “different” takes on the traditional entrees (beef, fish, vegetarian, etc.) We found tasty, but affordable, versions of each For example, a sliced beef tenderloin with horseradish creme fraiche instead of the traditional (and pricier!) filet mignon. That allowed us to splurge on our favorite food item: a late night snack for the serious party-goers. The groom picked out his favorite calzone and served it up with some marinara for dipping. The cake by Jacques Pastries featured two different flavor profiles in the layers: Type one was chocolate buttercream, chocolate ganache and amaretto buttercream for the bride, and type two was lemon butter cream and sweet lemon curd for the groom. We also had coffee and accoutrement for our guests, but skipped the popular dessert table in favor of the late-night snacks.

What were the honeymoon plans?: The Honeymoon hotel was a wedding gift from the Groom’s parents. They gave us free reign to choose any location their timeshare points would be accepted, so we each listed our “top five” honeymoon destinations, then compared to choose THE spot! Places like Thailand and southern Spain popped up as we discussed pros and cons, but the first place on BOTH of our dream destination rolls was Hawai’i. Boy, did it live up to its reputation as a honeymooner’s paradise. We spent seven nights in Maui and six in Kaua’i, loving every minute. From sitting in the sun sipping Mai Tais to the classic Luau to the treacherous road to Hana Hawai’i struck the perfect balance between relaxation and fun.