I asked Laura some questions about her rustic Spring wedding last year at QuonQuont Farms, below are her responses including her advice for other couples who are int he mist of wedding planning. We hope that some of it is helpful to you if you're working on your own wedding and that you enjoy checking out the photos from Laura and Evan's beautiful wedding day!
What were your top three favorite or most memorable moments from your wedding day?
1. The first look. Even though we had seen each other just a few hours beforehand, I was still nervous and excited for the moment!
2. My brother playing us a song on his guitar during the ceremony.
3. Dancing with all of our family and friends at the reception!
Did anything go wrong or not as expected?
Definitely! It was raining all morning, a box of essentials didn't make it to the bridal suite when it was supposed to, the pre-wedding picture time for my family got messed up somehow (sorry Michelle!), but none of these things were insurmountable, and I honestly didn't even stress about them. I knew that we'd figure out how to fix what could be fixed, and what couldn't be fixed (like the weather) would not ruin the wedding.
Knowing what you do now, would you have done anything differently?
Yes. I would not have worried so much about hotels and transportation leading up to the wedding. This was one of our biggest headaches, since our wedding day fell the day after Mass graduation and on Northampton Pride Parade day... hotels were sold out in the area 6 months ahead of time, and we struggled to find accommodations near our venue. We then felt compelled to offer transportation. It turns out that lots of our gets went the airBnB route to find rooms nearby, and few ended up using the transportation we had setup between a couple hotels and the venue.
What were your favorite details?
Some of the small, personal touches were my favorites. We had hops entwined in my bouquet and Evan's boutonniere, since we both enjoy craft beer. Most people didn't notice them since they blended in well with the flowers. It felt like almost a secret symbol just for us, which was really nice. Other favorites: each of our siblings having a special role in the ceremony, using my grandmother's etched wine glasses for our dinner, using flowers that had some family significance on both sides, and obviously having donuts from the Donut Dip at the end!
Did any of your vendors go above and beyond for you?
We had such an awesome team, we feel like everyone was invested in making sure we had an amazing day and didn't worry about a thing! I will say that on top of having delicious food, Seth Mias Catering made absolutely sure we were taken care of the whole reception. They brought us a platter of food and drinks while we did the receiving line, and continually checked in on us to make sure we had what we needed. I've heard stories of people not eating at their own weddings - Seth Mias staff made sure that didn't happen to us.
What was the biggest surprise on your wedding day?
The biggest surprise was how carefree I actually was on the day. I thought I would be more nervous or stressed, but I was in a cloud of happy the whole day!
Do you have any tips for couples currently planning their wedding?
If you and your partner don't enjoy planning events, it is SO worth it to make room in your budget for a wedding planner. Our planner was a lifesaver, not as expensive as we had anticipated, and definitely worth every penny.
Why did you choose Michelle to be your wedding photographer?
One of the best pieces of advice that I got from a friend - who knows that I don't like getting my picture taken - was to find a wedding photographer that we felt comfortable with. We were drawn to Michelle's photography style, and when we met her in person, it felt like we were hanging out with a friend! It was the perfect combination & definitely paid off - the shoots were fun and our photos are amazing!
What is the best advice that you feel you could give to another couple getting married?
Make the wedding you want as a couple, and expect that not everyone will be happy with the decisions you make. We wanted to have a small, immediate family-only ceremony with a larger reception, but were worried that some family and friends would feel 'excluded' from the ceremony. The best advice we got on this issue was to enlist our parents and siblings to help spread the word well ahead of time, so that by the time the wedding invitations went out, no one (hopefully) was surprised at only being invited to the reception. I'm so happy we did our tiny ceremony/large reception.
Getting to know Laura and Evan throughout their whole wedding planning process was nothing short of fun. Laura and I immediately bonded over a mutual love of a particular shoe brand (Teeks are so comfortable and so cute!). We've all met up for drinks and talked beer. Jeff even joined us, he is quite a beer lover. The energy from the start was like picking up a conversation with friends you saw just last month. So after getting to know these two and photographing their wedding, I felt so honored by the review that Laura recently left for me and I wanted to share it with you here as well. Thank you Laura and Evan!
"My husband and I were initially drawn to Michelle’s work because of the artistry and uniquely personal quality of her photos, but it was her warm, fun and outgoing personality that completely sealed the deal for us. Neither of us is very comfortable in front of the camera, so it was important to find a photographer who we really clicked with to help us relax and drop our guards – and from the first minute with Michelle, we were at ease. We met in person several times to plan both the engagement session and the wedding day. During the actual shoots, we were relaxed and laughing and felt like we were just hanging around with a good friend… who also happened to be taking pictures of us. Don’t get me wrong, Michelle is a professional and was continuously directing us in order to stage the photos, change our positions or movements, and change locations, while laughing along with us and enjoying the time. And the pictures are absolutely gorgeous!
The wedding photos especially are beyond what I had hoped for – there are so many amazing shots that evoke the feeling of the day, from getting ready to the ceremony and the reception. On our wedding day, Michelle and her team were all a pleasure to work with. My husband was a little nervous for his getting-ready pictures with the second photographer whom we had not met previously, but we shouldn’t have worried – Michelle’s ‘second shooter’ and her assistant were a great fit for us. Michelle and her team moved discreetly throughout the reception to capture pictures of the festivities. When we got to the cake cutting and realized that we didn’t actually know what to do, Michelle saved us by whispering instructions while she captured the moment! Since the pictures became available for guests to view, I have received so many compliments on how beautiful they are. Michelle was absolutely worth the investment, both for the quality of her work AND for the joy she brought to our wedding experience!"
Wedding Venue: Quonquont Farms in Whately MA
Wedding Planner: Events by Jackie M
Floral Arrangements by Forget Me Not Florist
Cake by Henion Bakery
DJ: Thom Sliney of TJ Productions
Catering by Seth Mias
Hair by Barbara Paulo of Shear XTreme
Makeup by Crystal Vazquez & Company
Wedding Gown by Morilee from Marry & Tux Bridal
Wedding Shoes: Tieks
Groom's Suit by Joseph Abboud from Men's Wearhouse
Bridesmaid dresses from David's Bridal
Wedding Rings from Leber Jeweler
Donuts (for dessert) from Donut Dip!