Lakeside Summer Tent Wedding in the Berkshires :: Family Home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts :: Emily and Peter

Emily and Peter are great people. They’re the people that you meet that you immediately want to be best friends with. They smile easily, deal with problems in stride, are there for the people they care about, inspire beautiful toasts, and can rock a dance floor! On their wedding day and the rehearsal the day before, I saw how well they handled obstacles without letting it get them down or detract from the day. The day before their wedding, Peter was out golfing and was hit in the face with a golf ball. I can only imagine how much that hurt! But after a trip to the doctor for some stitches, they arrived at their rehearsal dinner ready for a great night. And on their wedding day a late bus pushed back their ceremony start time. I didn’t hear these two complain once! In fact, there was even a custom golf ball made that sat at their sweetheart table at their reception. How’s that for a sense of humor?

Aside from how much I like Emily and Peter as people, their wedding was also so beautiful with so many mentionable details that really added to the bright and fun feel of the day. There was a little fire truck that their ring bearer rode into their reception on, the 'Berkshires' book used as a guestbook, the vintage doors setup at the beginning of the ceremony aisle, lanterns hung from trees, farm tables and chairs decked out with floral arrangements, toys and games for the kids, an array of flip flops for dancing, and the most decadent ‘naked’ berry wedding cake! Of all of the details though, my favorite aspect of their wedding day was the history of the place where they actually said 'I do'. Their wedding was on a lake in the Berkshires at a family home that has seen a number of celebrations, including the start of Emily's brother's marriages, and that connection made it all that much more meaningful.

It was a gorgeous day and below is more about it all from Emily!

What were your top three favorite or most memorable moments from your wedding day?
Our one-year-old nephew was our ring bearer. After months of wondering whether or not we could get him down the aisle, he made it half way before being distracted by flower petals. My sister ended up carrying him the rest of the way, which gave us some amazing pictures to remember.

Our band, Uptown Swing, was top notch. People were on the dance floor from start to finish. Some of my favorite shots are the dancing pictures!

At the end of the reception, our guests formed an aisle with sparklers and we ran through underneath. We have some amazing pictures that really capture the joy and love we were both feeling.

Did anything go wrong or not as expected?
Pete got hit in the face with a golf ball the day before the wedding, so things definitely did not go as planned! Luckily, there was no significant damage, just a swollen lip and some stitches. We both still got to fully enjoy our wedding weekend. Plus, now we have a great story to tell!

What was special about your wedding venue?
We decided to get married at my family's lake house. The backyard had been the home to three successful family weddings prior to ours, so we knew it was going to be perfect!

What details from your wedding really stood out to you?
There were so many details that we had at our wedding that we loved. Our favorites were the door setup at the beginning of our aisle and the lanterns hanging in the trees. The flowers above the doorway were stunning, and the lanterns glowing in the nighttime were breathtaking. I felt like the backyard was turned into the set of a fairytale.

What is the best advice that you feel you could give to another couple getting married?
Don't sweat the small stuff! It will never go exactly as you planned, but it will still end up being perfect.

Would you recommend any of your wedding vendors to another couple?
Our vendors were all so amazing. I was blown away by the work of our florist, Garden Blossoms.

Maryanne Gillooly was absolutely phenomenal at putting together all of the decor elements, as well as the lighting for the tent.

Michael, Rebecca, Joan and all of the other amazing people at Savory Harvest Catering are truly wedding experts, and we would not have been able to put our wedding together without them. Everyone is still talking about how good the food was!

Our videographer, Ben Pliss, was so stress-free and relaxed. He did a wonderful job documenting the day for us and we will be watching that video for the rest of our lives.

And last, but certainly not least, Michelle was so much more than I could have hoped for in a wedding photographer. She is so gifted in her craft and skilled at organizing large groups, which was a true asset considering the size of our wedding party. We got all of the shots we wanted and more. I think every guest at our wedding was photographed multiple times. We will cherish these photos forever.

Wedding Ceremony and Reception at Family's Private Residence in the Berkshires
Caterer: Savory Harvest Catering
Florist: Garden Blossoms Florist in Pittsfield, Ma
Cake Artist (Baker): A.W. Confections
Music for Ceremony and Reception by the Band Uptown Swing
Furniture and Table Setting Rentals from Mahaiwe Tent & Party Rentals
Ceremony Decorations and Lighting Rentals from Maryanne Gillooly at Gilllooly Design
Videography by Ben Pliss Media
Ceremony Officiant: Ann ONeil
Wedding Gown by Romona Keveza from Wedding Salon of Manhasset in New York
Hair and Makeup by Christy & Co
Bridesmaid Dresses by Bill Levkoff
Groom and Groomsmen's Attire by Calvin Klein from Men's Wearhouse

Wedding Rehearsal Dinner at the Lenox Club in the Berkshires :: Emily and Peter

With so many of their wedding guests coming from out of town, Emily and Peter welcomed them the night before their wedding with a Rehearsal Dinner in Lenox, Massachusetts. The Lenox Club in the Berkshires already has so much history and character, the building and grounds are just beautiful. And adding in simple, bright floral arrangements, a candy bar, and games for kids and adults augmented that space. Out on the lawn there was tic-tac-toe, frisbees, bubbles, oversized Jenga, corn hole, and croquet. Inside, live acoustic guitar music played by the bar while people caught up with each other over drinks.

Emily wanted to do something special for Peter at the party. Peter is a New York City Fireman. So, Emily orchestrated having a vintage fire truck arrive at the party. Completely surprising him! It was so fun to see both of their faces as the fire truck came around the bend! And it made for such a fun backdrop for photos too. After the sun set and the fire truck rolled out, a buffet of barbecue was set out for everyone with dessert, a 'Pi Bar', following later. There was a slideshow, prepared by Emily's sister, that had everyone laughing and crying after dinner. And the evening ended in the study where Emily and Peter gave each member of their wedding party personalized gifts.