Boston Wedding Coordination: Julie and Gabriel's Mandarin Oriental Hotel Wedding Photos by Nystedt Photography

It's time for another beautiful winter wedding on the blog!  Julie and Gabriel's wedding was held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Boston, and featured a theme of hand folded paper cranes.  A full recap written right after the wedding can be read here.  Daniel Nystedt of Nystedt Photography was kind enough to share some of his professional photos from the wedding.  Enjoy!

Photos by Nystedt Photography

{the vendor team}

• Wedding Coordination & Stationery: Pink Orchid Weddings
• Ceremony Venue:  Park Street Church
• Reception Venue:  Mandarin Oriental Hotel
• Photography: Nystedt Photography
• Florist:  Orchids N' Blooms
• Hair & Makeup:  Blushing Brides
• Trolley:  Boston Bridal Bus
• Steinway Piano Rental:  M. Steinert & Sons
• Cinematography:  Boston Wedding Films
• DJ:  DJ by Jake

Grier and Drew's Trinity Church & Courageous Sailing Center Wedding!

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of coordinating Grier and Drew's wedding at the Trinity Church and the Courageous Sailing Center.  It was definitely one of those mornings where I woke up extra early just so I could take a look at the hourly weather forecast...  30-40% chance of thunderstorms throughout the entire afternoon into the evening.  Despite the little lighting bolts on my iphone app, the skies were completely sunny and gorgeous in the early afternoon, and it looked like the weather would hold out, at least for a little bit :)

The bridal party got their hair and makeup done at Aria Salon, and groomsmen got ready at the Westin Waterfront Hotel.  The bridesmaids wore short navy dresses and carried bright pink and tangerine bouquets.  The bride wore a stunning crystal embellished Priscilla of Boston gown, paired with sparkly pink Kate Spade heels.

The wedding day started off with a blessing ceremony at the Trinity Church in Copley Square.  This beautiful church was built in 1877 and was where the bride and groom first saw each other on the wedding day.  The short and sweet ceremony was followed by some portraits of the wedding party and family around the Copley area.  At around this time, the skies were still blue and sunny, so I was thinking, "did I worry for nothing??"  Their Jewish ceremony at the Courageous Sailing Center was set to be outside, with the stunning skyline of Boston and harbor in the background and I just wanted the weather to hold out a little bit longer.

A couple of hours later... close family and witnesses took part in a Ketubah signing within a draped off section of the tent and this is when the clouds rolled in and everyone knew that the storm was about to hit.  Keep in mind, the sailing center is right next door and we were able to get updates from the staff with their weather radar monitors on how large of a storm was coming, how long it would last, and if it would break in time for the ceremony.  Once they said...  a big one is coming through and it's red...  I knew there was no way around it.  Then, all of a sudden, heavy rain on the tent drowned out any voices, the wind picked up, and it was a mad dash to tie up all entrances to the tent, secure tables, and hold up sections of draping that were not meant to withstand a huge storm!

Although the worst of the storm didn't last long, more water than I could ever imagine made its way into the tent, so much so that the only dry spots were a few feet wide right in the very center where the ground was slightly raised.  Because it was still raining, we ended up having the ceremony inside the tent by moving some tables around to make as much room as possible in the driest areas.  They definitely had a beautiful and intimate ceremony, that was full of emotion and love.  After the ceremony was over, I couldn't believe it, but the sun came out, and guests were able to enjoy drinks and hors d'oeuvres outside on the dock and witness one of the most beautiful rainbows I've ever seen in Boston. It was a complete rainbow that really had guests in awe after such a crazy storm.

The wedding reception was a cocktail-style reception with stylish white lounge furniture and different sized tables for seating vs. a traditional seated dinner.  Blue Guava designed all of the decor, and used navy blue pintuck linens, bright florals and large blue pillar candles on the tables, paired with pearl Chiavari chairs.  Gourmet Caterers provided all of the food and guests really enjoyed it all.  For hors d'oeuvres, there were truffle fries, watermelon with feta mousse, beef tenderloin crostini, spiced hamachi spring roll cones, lump crab cakes, and BLT stuffed tomatoes.  Stationery displays included a slider station with pulled pork sliders, hamburger sliders, and petite mac & cheese.  There was also a Caribbean station with jerk chicken skewers, jasmine rice, jicama salad, bass ceviche, and grilled calamari salad.  The wedding cake was provided by Sweet Tooth, and include three different flavors:  lemon curd and raspberry, buttercream with fresh strawberries, and chocolate with coconut.  

The band, Ripcord, really were such troopers because they had to completely dry off everything and set up again after the storm hit.  Once they were able to start playing again, everyone hit the dance floor and had a great time.  Boston Wedding Films was the cinematographer for the day, and Maureen Ford of Maureen Ford Photography was the photographer.  For now, here are a few shots that I was able to take on the day!

It was quite an eventful wedding day, and even though it wasn't the most ideal weather, I feel like it somehow brought everyone closer together and made each moment that happened even more meaningful.

Grier and Drew, thank you so much for allowing me to be part of your big day!  I hope you enjoyed your mini-moon after the wedding, and best wishes for the future!

~Emilie

Boston Wedding Coordination: Laura & Eric's Gorgeous Four Seasons Boston Hotel Wedding

Last Saturday, I had the honor of coordinating Laura and Eric's wedding. Both of them got ready in the Four Seasons Boston Hotel, and they had the most perfect weather imaginable on their wedding weekend. The bridal party got their hair done at Salon Marc Harris, and makeup done by Katrina Hess. The bride and mothers also got their makeup done by Katrina, but had their hair done in the bridal suite by Demiche Beaute'. The bridesmaids all wore short champagne colored Jenny Yoo dresses in various styles with a black flower sash accent, and carried bouquets of roses, stephanotis, and sweet peas wrapped in champagne satin and a band of dress fabric.  The bride wore gold peep toe Jimmy Choo heels, and a stunning Vera Wang bridal gown.  The Vera Wang "Eliza" style was altered to be a sweetheart neckline, and contained layers of Chantilly lace appliqué and a swirling pleated organza skirt.  An ivory sash was worn for the ceremony, and the bride changed into a wide champagne sash for the reception.  The white bridal bouquet was made of cymbidium orchids and lily of the valley, and was accented on the handle by a crystal pin.

The ceremony for 190 guests was held at St. John the Baptist, and limos from JB Livery Service took the wedding party and parents, while guests rode in trolleys from City View Trolleys.  The ornate Greek orthodox church had white rose petals covering the aisle and two large white floral arrangements that flanked the altar in silver urns.  Eric and Laura saw each other for the first time as Laura walked down the aisle with her father to "Mediation" from Thais performed by a string quartet.  Following the ceremony, guests lined the stairs of the church and threw white rose petals and rice at the newlyweds as they made their way to their getaway car:  a turquoise 1969 mustang, complete with white balloons and tin cans tied to the bumper!

The cocktail hour was held in Aujourd'hui at the Four Seasons Boston Hotel, where guests enjoyed an open bar, a shrimp and pasta table, traveling dumpling carts, hors d'oeuvres such as baby lamb chops and saganaki skewers, and a very impressive prosecco bar.  Hydrangeas topped each cocktail table and an arrangement of French tulips and white phalaenopsis orchids was centered on the escort card table.  A birdcage held guest envelopes, and next to the photo guestbook, there were six wedding photos of the newlywed's parents and grandparents.

The reception in the Grand Ballroom was truly spectacular.  Large floral centerpieces from William Mizuta Private Florist consisted of dendrobium orchids, roses, peonies, hydrangeas, and spirea.  Swirled champagne linens from Table Toppers of Newton gave all of the tables a hint of shimmer, along with pearl Chiavari chairs.  Favors of beautifully wrapped jordan almonds were set at each place setting, and the team from Suzanne B. Lowell Lighting and Design really outdid themselves to make the ballroom feel warm and inviting.

For dinner, guests enjoyed an appetizer of Maine crab cakes, an entrée of grilled filet mignon, and lots of dessert!  First, there was a wedding cake from Party Favors in two flavors:  white cake with strawberries & cream, and chocolate cake with chocolate mousse.  Then, there was a fantastic dessert bar with a variety of shortcakes and pastries next to a cappuccino bar.  Finally, there was a colorful candy bar filled with everything from gummy worms to chocolate covered pretzels.  Besides all of the desserts, guests were also surprised with an amazing belly dancing performance from Melina of Daughters of Rhea, and then afterwards, everyone packed the dance floor with music from the band, Night Shift.

After the reception was over, an after party with even more dancing was held in the Blaxton Room in the Four Seasons until 1:30am with DJ Salonica Boys.  For the late night crowd, more food was brought out like mac & cheese, flatbread pizzas, and sliders.  It was so much fun for all of the guests, and the wedding day was photographed by Bryce Vickmark, with cinematography by Boston Wedding Films.  Before the professional photos are ready, here are some that I took of the details on the wedding day!

Laura and Eric, congratulations again on such a beautiful wedding day.  Everyone could see how incredibly happy you were to be getting married, and it was so special to be able to take part in your wedding and get to know your families.  I wish you both the very best in the future, and enjoy your honeymoon in Anguilla!!

~Emilie