JESS AND NICK: A BEAUTIFUL DAY

Jess and Nick were high school sweethearts! They met in the sixth grade and have bee inseparable ever since. Yesterday they made it official in a beautiful garden setting at The Highlands in Fort Washington, Pa. We started the day with the girls getting ready and chatting about everything from how Jess's cat kept her awake to the rehearsal dinner recap, to how the day was going to unfold. Daneene worked really fast to get everyone ready to go in time and all the girls were beautiful. Jess was a nervous wreck and sure she would be late- it took all day to calm her down. And, the wedding started on time. Once we got on site, things moved like clockwork. There was so much to do! While the girls settled in to the bridal suite, I got busy setting up the centerpieces and the garden for the ceremony. The staff from Feastivities was great in getting the chairs set in the garden and putting the linens on the tables, while I dressed Jess for the "reveal".

Jess was lovely in her halter gown that skimmed her body and flowed just a bit behind her. Jess didn't wear a veil, just some silk flowers in her hair. It was hot and after being outside for photos, Jess came back to the bridal suite to "cool off" before the ceremony began. This photo is a perfect "Jessica" pose!














Jess was a primo DIY bride! From the day I met with her, she was all about projects. I did manage to convince her, though, that she could not make her own linens or do her own bouquets. I called my friend Charles, at Chantilly Floral and he saved the day with these incredible bouquets and the flower girl basket- all at the last minute! Thanks Charles! The adorable birdcage ring pillow was the brilliant collaboration of Jess and her mom. Have you ever seen anything so cute?!














We used a brown cotton table linen on all the dinner tables. Jess has a friend who does beautiful work. She made the table runners for all the tables. Nick's mother loves to work with flowers and she did all the centerpieces. She used a variety of containers and herbs and made beautiful, garden-y arrangements for all the tables. We added depth with bud vases and pitchers filled with fresh cut flowers. The look was really perfect for the garden wedding. Photos of the couple in the three cities they have lived finished off the look of the tables and the mantles in the rooms of the house.




























Another place that Jess put her own flare was the card box. Made of the same fabric as the table runners, the card box was beautiful on the gift table along with this personalized guest book full of photos of the couple. I don't have a photo, but they also made their favors- little jars of homemade rosemary infused salt. They were so cute!














The mother of one of the bridesmaids made the cake, actually cupcakes. These adorable little confections all decorated with the colors of the wedding were the perfect finish to the day. A small cake decorated with fresh hydrangea sat in the center of the tower and the marble flavor was a combination of Jess's favorite, vanilla and Nick's favorite, chocolate. Finally, Jess made "reserved" signs for the family and these lovely paper cones full of baby's breath for the ends of the rows of chairs. I have to show you how lovely the garden and ceremony site were. this is a perfect spot to say "I Do".










































Jess and Nick couldn't wait to get the party started. This sweet shot of their first dance really tells how much these two love each other. As everyone watched, Sarah Miller shot photo after photo. she was tireless all day and captured every moment. After dinner, she even made a slide show on her lap top and set it up for the guests to get a sneak peek of the photos she had already taken. I can't wait to see the photos and I will share some with you when she puts them up on her site.














I worked really hard yesterday, lots of extras that aren't usually in my realm. But, the day was amazing and Jess and Nick are off to Hawaii with memories of a perfect wedding. Thanks to Chantilly Floral for beautiful flowers and REALLY accommodating the bride with a last minute order. Thanks to Feastivities for great food, a pleasant and efficient staff and to Megan and Shannon for really helping me stay on top of all the details! Thanks to Sarah Milller for great photos and making sure not to miss a moment of the day! And, thanks to The Highlands for giving Jess and Nick a picture perfect backdrop for a wonderful day.