Mile Away Restaurant Wedding
If vintage flair brings a smile to your face (like it does ours), then you’re in for a real treat. Zac Wolf and The Garden Party are here to share an intimate New Hampshire wedding teeming with just enough quirk and romance to make us fall completely in love. How awesome are the bridesmaids’ fascinators, by the way?
From the bride, Carrie: We really wanted our wedding to be an intimate affair with our closest friends and family. Most of our guests were spread throughout the country, so knowing they were all traveling great distances to be with us, we wanted to create a cozy atmosphere. We also wanted to add a little whimsy and fun to the day, which is why we decided on a 1920’s theme. We have always felt lucky to have a romantic love story, reminiscent of great literary works, and we wanted to carry that through to our wedding day. We encouraged all of our guests to dress to match the theme and have fun with it. We were blown away by how many people really embraced our vision and knew that it was “US.”
Bouquet recipe: pink peonies, sea star fern, sweetberry rose, pink lisianthus, green hydrangea.
We both grew up in New England, so finding a venue that represented that, and felt familiar and warm to both of us was very important. We decided on The Mile Away Restaurant because of the beautiful gardens, the natural elements of the property and the warmth we felt from the staff. Needless to say, the gardens fit in perfectly with our 1920’s/Gatsby garden party idea. We originally wanted our colors to be romantic pinks and blues, but somewhere along the planning process we began to incorporate other soft pastel colors with contrasts of black, silver and gold. We really just gravitated toward what stood out to us.
Because we were focused on an intimate and welcoming party, all of the decisions we made had this idea in mind. Our best men actually officiated the ceremony. We had joked for years that they would perform the ceremony at our wedding because they had been there with us from the beginning. It made the day even more meaningful and special having the people closest to you make it official. We also incorporated a hand-fasting ceremony to symbolize the binding of our souls and lives for eternity. We asked our mothers to perform this binding of our hands to bring our families together. We DIYed our mirror seating charts by spray painting them gold and hand writing everyone’s names. We also spray painted a chalk board and I wrote out and designed a “program.” Brian hand sewed his bow tie and pocket square. We created a guest book from an old type-writer, to bring you back in time. We shopped around for inexpensive décor pieces that wouldn’t break the bank, but also evoked a timeless palette.
Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? I think the most important piece of advice we can offer to couples that are going through the planning process is to stay true to your vision as a couple. It really is a representation of the two of you and you should be happy with the outcome. We really tried to stick to this while we were going through the process. And, on our wedding day, the best feeling was everyone’s comments about how they could see us individually and as a couple throughout the wedding.
View all images from this wedding in the gallery
Wedding Music:
Bridal Party Processional: “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You,” Ingrid Michaelson
Bride’s Processional: Instrumental version of Sweet Caroline
Recessional: “1,2,3,4,” Plain White Tees
First Dance: “My Love,” Justin Timberlake
Wedding Location: Milford, NH / Photographer: Zac Wolf / Florist: The Garden Party / Venue and Caterer: Mile Away Restaurant / Wedding Dress: Liv Harris via Vows / Veil and Headpiece: BHLDN / Wedding Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Earrings and Bracelet: J. Crew / Necklace: Bride’s Grandmother / Makeup: Deanna Flanagan / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Alfred Sung / Groom’s Suit: J. Crew / Wedding Cake: Frederick’s Pastries / DJ: Ryan Durkin of White Label DJs / Photo Booth: The Danger Booth
Thanks so much for sharing my work! Such an honor to be featured!