This is the Perfect Dress for a Garden Wedding
One piece of advice I always give Brides is to NOT buy your dress until you've found your venue! Even if you loveee that mermaid style stunner, it might not fit your scene quite like you imagined. This wedding planned and designed by A Charming Fete, however, nailed the dress and venue combo—a Lela Rose number was the perfect match for this garden soiree. Don't you agree? See more from Lauren Gabrielle in the full gallery below!
From the Bride, Annaliese... The ceremony was held in an English-style garden belonging to Cleveland’s Western Reserve Historical Society. Living in New York City, with over a third of our guests traveling from outside of Ohio, it was important to us to select locations that were significant to the history of the city of Cleveland. It was also imperative to Tom and me that every design element was timeless, elegant and purposeful. Our amazing wedding planners at A Charming Fete along with our florist and caterer all understood my aesthetic perfectly and it was a very collaborative design process from start to finish, despite many of our meetings and communications done remotely.My dress was an ivory silk sheath gown by Lela Rose. I decided that I wanted my veil to be more dramatic and Miranda Park created a custom cathedral-length piece with blusher and hand-stitched lace detail throughout. My jewelry was by New York based Dannijo, as an ode to our home for the last seven years. Our bridesmaids wore soft, flowing dresses by Jenny Yoo and Amsale that matched the garden. The guys dressed in classic navy suits, Tom topping off his look with a black bow tie and Del Toro slippers.For the ceremony, the florist created a hedge of larkspur and white stock flowers situated behind where we exchanged our vows, and it turned out to be one of the most beautiful elements of the wedding. The bouquets were a mix of white peonies, garden roses, ranunculus, tulips, jasmine and dusty miller. Tom’s childhood friend, Nick Estrate, officiated our ceremony. We had a book made by Shinola with our wedding date embossed on the cover and inside it has the ceremony that I transcribed in calligraphy, alongside Nick’s personal notes and speech. It is a now the most beautiful and meaningful memento that we get to have forever.The reception took place at a former 1920s hotel and speakeasy. As a nod to the era, we greeted guests in the venue’s rotunda with a champagne tower, French 75s and Old Fashioneds, along with passed hors d’oeuvres. It was important to us that the rest of the evening be separated into two parts, an intimate dinner and then the party to follow. Dinner was held in an adjacent space, candlelit and romantic with modern floral touches. Vases were filled with clusters of white tulips, a long center table was dressed in beautifully embroidered lace tablecloths and topped with crystal stemware. We started dinner with our first dance to Lana Del Rey’s Lucky Ones. Tom being a chef, took charge of our menu selections together with the experts at Spice Catering. Custom menus by Meg Morrow—who did all invitations for us—rested on each guest’s plate with a single hellebores. We decided to introduce one pop of color on the tables through Positano-inspired bread and butter plates, which is where we were honeymooning. After dinner, we offered guests a selection of cakes and lavender sablé cookies by French-trained Kimberly Coryea of Hummingbird Bake Shop. The night concluded with Hemingway cigars on the terrace and guests dancing the night away.
Photography: Lauren Gabrielle Photography | Floral Design: Molly Taylor and Co. | Wedding Dress: Something White | cake: Hummingbird Bake Shop | Stationery : Meg Morrow Fine Paper | Ceremony Location : The Western Reserve Historical Society | Reception Venue: The Ballroom at Park Lane Villa | Bride's Shoes : Manolo Blahnik | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Amsale | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Jenny Yoo | catering : Spice Of Life Catering Co. | Hair and Makeup: Beauty Therapy | lighting : Rock the House Entertainment | DJ : Cleveland Music Group | Tuxes : Menguin | ceremony music : Cleveland Music Group | Custom Veil: Miranda's Vintage Bridal | Dinnerware Rentals : Event Source | Draping: Sitting Pretty Linens | Linens : La Tavola Fine Linen Rental | Lounge Furniture: Borrow Vintage + Eclectic Rentals | Planning and Design : A Charming Fete | Wedding Dress Designer : Lela Rose | bread and butter plates : All Occasions
