A Shelter Island Wedding Inspired by Nature

There's a certain magic that occurs at the intersection of art and science. When the two meet, wondrous things are created—architectural marvels, groundbreaking installations, even great love. Samuel Crane, a data scientist and self-professed "insect obsessive," met Catherine "Katie" Covington, then a jewelry designer and now the senior style editor at Martha Stewart Weddings, on a winter day in 2011. The pair had a drink at his favorite Brooklyn cocktail bar; she charmed him with her creativity and wit, and he impressed her with his logical nature, his sense of humor . . . and his special access to the Morgan Memorial Hall of Gems at the American Museum of Natural History, where he was doing Ph.D. studies. Drinks led to dinner, and "I promptly set up the next date," says Samuel.

Four years later, after asking Katie's father for his blessing, Samuel proposed during a romantic trip to New Orleans. They decided on a destination wedding to Shelter Island, nestled between the two forks of Long Island, New York, where they rented out the Ram's Head Inn—a quaint family-owned-and-operated property on the island's east side. "We love how wild the island is and wanted a botanical theme for the wedding," says Katie. No stranger to research, Samuel uncovered a book on the local flora and fauna and then scoured the online Biodiversity Heritage Library for images of native animals and plants that would be in season in late summer. Katie then used them to design elements that appeared throughout the celebration, beginning with the save-the-dates. "Everything featured was actually on the island, with the exception of the blue cranes, a nod to Samuel's last name," she says. The pair also created a local field guide, which was tucked into welcome bags along with binoculars "so everyone could be their own naturalist," says Katie.

All those details set the scene for their outdoor ceremony, held on September 10, 2016, overlooking Coecles Harbor. During cocktail hour, guests found their seats for the alfresco dinner via another collaborative creation: a table of escort cards featuring colorful preserved insects, which also doubled as favors. Samuel had spent months gathering them from collectors, and they were a huge hit—inspiring guests to think creatively about nature-as-décor, too. "They all have them displayed in clever ways in their homes," says Katie. "Now, whenever we go over, they're like, 'Want to see my bug?'"