I love brides who roll up their sleeves and get involved in the process of creating for their wedding. Nothing is more amazing than when a bride hand crafts her invitations from scratch. Ashley did just that when she created these thoughtful and amazing invitations for her wedding! I love how the story of how they came to be unfolds in the invitation. You can see how much time and thought they put into designing them and she did such a wonderful job!

Ashley decided to make her own invitations when she couldn’t find what she wanted. She researched paper and ordered samples over a series of three months. She hand folded the accordion style invitation, cut and glued the printed cardstock and pictures on each panel. The final touches were the ribbon which held it closed and the printed inner and outer envelopes. To put it in her own words: “It was a lot of work!” They ended up being her pride and joy and really started the whole theme of “home,” which you can see throughout their wedding. This led into the napkin cards which was a letter that she to their guests thanking them for their love and support. To tie it all together, she created her own favors which were a set of 4 stoneware coasters. Three of them had the images used in the invitations of their three main “homes” CT, CA, and England, and the fourth had the main line from the napkin card, “Home is the comfort, support, and love of friends & family.”

I asked Ashley to describe her wedding day decor and style. She wanted to use her favorite color, pink, but add a spin to it as they were married during the fall. She chose a warm, salmon colored pink to fit in with the season. For her tablescapes she ordered 289 class cylinder vases in varying sizes, which she and her mom covered with a beautiful coral colored tissue paper. Now that is DIY dedication! This tablescape provided a really romantic glow with all the candles lit inside and provided the exact kind of atmosphere that Ashley and Mark wanted!

The flowers in her bouquet were shades of coral, salmon, peach and pink with curly willy branches within the flowers. She also used some as centerpieces to give it an authentic, organic autumn feel.

Guests dinned on a personalized menu that the couple crafted with the Seaman’s Inne. They show stopper? A last minute addition to the menu — a seafood pot pie with Stonington scallops and shrimp in a Maine lobster cream sauce. Can you say yum? Ashley and Mark loved that they had local, fall comfort food. They also paid homage to Mark’s British upbringing with the pot pie! e guests enjoyed a sweet little snack on the dance floor as they skipped the traditional wedding cake and opted for butler passed mini cupcakes, which is so Carrie-chic (remember her fabulous book launch party? love it!)

What family traditions did you incorporate into your wedding?

We tried to pay tribute to Mark’s English culture in subtle ways- the feather fascinator in my hair, the pot pie, and lots of British 80s pop on the dance floor! I tied my grandfathers alter boy pin on my bouquet and carried my Gram’s hankie (which I did end up needing halfway through the ceremony!) Other than that, I think it was more about the people we are today, the life we have built together, and the traditions that we maybe created for future generations.

What is the secret to a successful marriage?

I’m not sure if I’m actually qualified to say after only 4 months! BUT… I think what makes mine and Mark’s marriage wonderful is that there is no one else on earth I’d rather spend my time with. We know how to make each other laugh and more importantly, we know how to laugh at ourselves. Everything about us, as a couple, is honest, true, and sincere. I think that overall, what will continue to make our marriage successful over time is our commitment to family. Whether it’s a family of 2 or 10, it’s the commitment to your family and the life you have created together, that makes it a success.

Thanks so much to Ashley and Mark for allowing us to share in their fabulous wedding! I had so much fun learning about them and putting together this wonderful series.

The Vendors

The story of their day was told in photographs by the talented Amanda Herzberger of Orchard Cove Photography. The wedding ceremony was held at Noank Baptist Church in Groton, Connecticut with a classic New England fete at the Seamen’s Inne in Mystic. Hair and makeup for the wedding was by Deanna & Danielle of the Rob Rivers Salon in Mystic. The bride wore a magnificent gown by Cymbeline Paris, purchased at Lili Bridal in Tarzana, California. The bride’s attendants wore beautiful dark champagne colored Jim Hjelm satin dresses. The groom donned a custom tuxedo by Mattucci in Redondo Beach, California with a black and white stripped tie by Brooks Brothers. The groomsmen wore suits by John Galante. Personalized cup cakes were deliciously designed by You Take the Cake in New London. Floral design was by Adams Garden of Eden in Pawcatuck, Connecticut. Guests danced the night away to music and entertainment provided by Rich Conway . The day was captured on video by Casey Moran, and the bride created the invitations and designed the wedding herself!