I will never forget Morgan and Matt’s summer mansion wedding at the Branford House! First and foremost, the Branford House is one of our all-time fav venues, having hosted some of our most memorable love stories. There’s not one corner of this venue that isn’t magical. Between the confident stone structure that greets you at the top of the hill to the ornate wood and marble details carved into the walls and fireplaces within.

In addition to our picturesque setting, this day started as bright, warm, and stunning as Morgan and Matt are. Right at the end of their ceremony, a storm rolled in, and everything but the Wicked Witch of the West came pouring out of that sky. I like to think it was Morgan’s dad popping in to say hello! Thankfully, it came as soon as it went, not diminishing the celebration in any way!

Morgan and Matt are easily the two most stylish people I’ve ever met. I swear every time I met with them, I left with notes on how to improve myself. They’re also two of the loveliest souls you’ll ever get a chance to encounter, which was proven by the liveliest, most supportive, and wonderful guest list we’ve ever partied with!

The Design of a Summer Mansion Wedding: Modern Meets Glam

Now having the level of style they possess, our wedding design had to pack the same level of oohs and aahs. Morgan is a glam girl at heart and so many of our decisions were easily made as we took inspiration from our couple. For a Branford House wedding, you need to add some softness or pops of color to balance out the inherent wood of the venue. Our mixture of round and long tables were dressed in gold leather linen. Yes — leather! It was so sophisticated and sexy, I’m still not over it! Each table was then dressed with a tall candelabra statement arrangement of lush white flowers and candles. Pops of gold, acrylic, and white leather laced the rest of our details, from stationery to furniture, all the way to our chandeliers overlooking the dance floor.

Right outside the Branford House mansion was our bar (the most gorgeous bar ever!), and our dance floor. My favorite thing about the mansion is that there are so many ways to customize it and utilize the space. The only thing I could wish for was a bit more room as this group was tearing up the dance floor! Some of my favorite moments can be seen on the dance floor in the photos below.

There is nothing quite like a summer mansion wedding, and I invite you to enjoy the story below! Be sure to enjoy the video at the end from True Color Productions. It’s a tear-jerker, but so worth it!

Morgan and Matt, I wish you two a lifetime of happiness and adventure. I am confident that your date of 8.18.18 holds some type of infinite love and good fortune, and there are no two more deserving people than you!! XO

credit reel

Photography: Jennifer Sullivan Photography
Ceremony + Reception Location: The Branford House
Event Planning + Design: Diana of Jubilee Events
Flowers: Victorian Rose Florist
Entertainment: CZone Entertainment
Catering: Gourmet Galley
Stationery: Coral Pheasant Stationery
Beauty: Kiss + Makeup
Lighting + Draping: Drape Art Designs
Rentals: PEAK Event Services, Big Top Rental, *designer8, Nuage Designs
Cinema: True Color Productions

The Best Venue Perfect for Your Connecticut Summer Wedding!

You’ve started to warm up to the ideas open to your location with Part 1 of this blog series, but now it’s time to turn to the summer season for the best Connecticut summer wedding venues! Pun completely intended by the way.

As you curate your list of potential Connecticut wedding venues, keep in mind the different factors this wedding season holds. Summer weddings go hand-in-hand with warmer and brighter days so it’s one of the best times of the year to take advantage of the outdoor setting. With this, consider the higher than normal temps that may exist during the day and early evening. We’ll go into a little more detail about what you want to keep in mind when preparing for your summer wedding!

Summer Wedding Venue Must-Haves and Considerations

• Tenting Capabilities: Who doesn’t love to be outdoors during summer?! While rain is always something to plan for in any venue with outdoor elements, you also want to be sure to protect you and your guests from extreme heat. You’ll be thankful when you can enjoy being dressed up in your finest and dancing the night away without being sidelined by high temps. If you’re looking to host 100% of your event outdoors, be sure the property has room to host this many tents (reception + a rain backup plan), or one area large enough for an extended size that you can creatively split into two spaces.
• Exclusivity: With more couples looking into Summer for their big day, you may find that your venue hosts more than one wedding in a day. If being the only event onsite is important to you, be sure to ask the sales manager what their event schedule is.
• Noise ordinance: Like we mentioned under our list of Spring venues, it’s important to take note of the noise ordinance of your wedding location to coordinate the end time appropriately. You should be dancing to the very last beat as planned!
• Holiday weekends: Many of our favorite holidays fall right within the summer months (Fourth of July, Labor Day, even Memorial Day weekend which is the unofficial kick-off for summer for me!). Understand and budget for some added costs for hosting a holiday weekend event. This can be higher venue fees, rental delivery fees, or accommodations for your vendor team to avoid traveling back and forth long distances during heavy traffic weekends!

Now on to the good stuff! Below is a list of 10 venues fit for your summer wedding, all ranging in styles, settings, guest capacity, and more!

Chatfield Hollow Inn

Words and photos cannot properly do this space and its team justice! We’ll have a special blog post coming up on this newer Killingworth venue next week as it’s the perfect space for guest counts up to 200. Also known as the Chatfield Hollow B+B, this natural oasis offers a variety of ceremony locations. Choose between their two ponds, fruit orchard, grassy meadows, or birch grove to start. Along with the clear top tent onsite, the property — including their charming inn — belongs to you the entire weekend. With fully functioning flower and food gardens, you have the opportunity to bring the freshest details to your menu or decor, found right on site. The amenities and care this location provides is unparalleled and ideal for a variety of design approaches for your summer wedding!

photos: carla ten eyck photography

Stone Acres Farm

Stonington hosts a number of the best destination venues for you and your guests, many of which you’ll see below. Set on 65 acres of family owned property, Stone Acres Farm hugs its guests in the most natural and romantic views. Imagine your ceremony in their historic formal boxed gardens set in front of their farm house, which hosts an intimate group of 30 guests, followed by dinner on the vast lawn perfect for a tented wedding up to 250. You’ll fall in love with the area, but even more the owner as soon as you visit the space!!

Saltwater Farm Vineyard

Another Stonington favorite, Saltwater Farm is the perfect location for the rustic, but perhaps even the industrial couple! Ceremonies are typically set in the middle of their wide sprawling vines — lush, peaceful, and romantic. Of course, these views don’t get lost should you host your ceremony indoors in front of the floor to ceiling windows in the winery’s hangar. Designed with an upstairs and downstairs location to comfortably accommodate dinner and dancing for up to 200 guests, as well as cocktail hour and the ceremony if needed. Plus, two bars, because a wedding on a vineyard always calls for a glass (or two!) of wine.

photos: tim correira photography

Jonathan Edwards Winery

Located in North Stonington (not to be confused with the beautiful town of Stonington), Jonathan Edwards offers all the lush, rolling greens that a vineyard should. The winery includes an on site tent for dining and dancing all night long for up to 200 of your friends and family or their rustic barrel room for a smaller affair — even that back up rain plan we mentioned! Their tasting room and wrap around porch for cocktail hour is the best way to take in the views of your entire wedding day location and helps to take advantage of the entire space.

photos: robert norman photography

Heritage Homestead

Years ago, we had the pleasure of doing the first wedding set on this family owned property, a fully functioning farm with miles of the BEST views of the Quinnipiac Valley! Located more in the center of the state in the country town of Northford, Heritage Homestead sits on acres that are perfectly set up for a tent for up to 150 guests or an outdoor ceremony. The property also houses a barn pavilion for 120 guests for a sit down meal or as a back up ceremony location, enclosed in the case of inclement weather. Good weather? The walls can come right off, giving you a front row seat to the gorgeous views surrounding you. For your event, you have the entire space for your weekend to ensure a flexible day of timeline and set up schedule for your vendors to bring your vision to life!

photos: carla ten eyck photography

Branford House

A Jubilee Event favorite, the Branford House is a part of the UConn campuses, set on acres of grass that meet the Long Island Sound. This luxuriously built, stone mansion is comprised of three rooms, each with rococo ceilings and an ornate fireplace set against the rich wood walls — the Great Room’s marble fireplace heights itself at two stories tall! Between the rooms, you can sit a total of up to 200 guests, though depending on your floor plan, you might find it a bit more comfortable at 150 – 165. On a perfect summer day, or for guest counts exceeding 200, the lawn is perfectly prepared for that sailcloth tent you’ve been dreaming about!

photos: carla ten eyck photography

Gallaher Mansion

Some of the best summer wedding venues sprawl along the Connecticut shoreline areas. The Gallaher Mansion in Norwalk is no exception as it provides a timeless, elegant setting and romantic settings indoors and out. Open to hosting 100 guests inside the gorgeous stone monument or 200+ on their tented terrace, the Gallaher offers some rentals to help develop your look and several other amenities to make it your own!

Smith Farm Gardens

How could we not mention this idyllic country spot in our summer collection?! If you’re looking for a home wedding without the worry of structuring an entire venue at your own home, then Smith Farm Gardens is the best location to consider. Hugged by lush gardens, there’s a noticeable sense of peace when you step onto the property. When it comes to one of the most important details of your wedding — the food — Smith Farms lets you pluck right from their own garden. It doesn’t get fresher than that! To top it off, there are stunning onsite accommodations in the house, which is perfect for getting ready and hanging with your favorite people once the last song has been played. You can certainly host up to large number of guests here as your event takes place 100% outdoors with the capacity for a tent!

South Farms

Set a little more inland in Morris, South Farms is one of our favorite family-run farm venues! This barn is iconic and once you step foot on the property, you’ll know exactly why! Not only do they offer the parlor, hayloft, bull room, and stone barn, but they are working up their brand new Garage, opening the opportunity to their couples to host just under 50 guests all the way up to 175. Whether rustic, natural, or industrial, this space offers so much to their clients and exceeds your wildest dreams!

Chamard Vineyards

Another popular vineyard, but this time located right in Clinton. Whether you’re hosting an intimate celebration of 30 guests up to a bash of 150 of your loved ones, the vineyard has several locations for your ceremony or reception, both outdoor and in. As an added bonus to the local wine you can enjoy, Chamard is responsible for your freshly prepared culinary experience. While quiet and set back, the vineyard is not far from the center of town, so some noise ordinance rules may apply!

As you follow this list, you may notice many of these summer venues include working farms and wineries that contribute you to your event day menu. One of the best parts of summer is freshly grown food. Developing your menu with local, seasonal fare elevates the experience of one of the most important elements of your day and it has a resounding affect on all of your loved ones!

Let’s face it, there’s just no way to narrow it down to only ten venues. There are a few you will see double dipping across the seasons, but they’re too perfect to leave out. Because Connecticut has a proud list of venues, there are far more outside of this top 10 here that not only offer picturesque views signature to Connecticut, but their outstanding teams are just as excited for your day as you are!

The Best Venues for Your Connecticut Spring Wedding!

It’s that time of year again… engagement season! Hundreds of thousands of couples are taking that exciting step forward in their story to make their union officially official. After the champagne has been had, the confetti tossed, and the cheeks back to normal after the palpable smiling, you get ready to dive into planning. First up: your Spring wedding venue!

The real first and most important step is mulling over the ideas in your head to determine where exactly you would like to host this monumental day. Once you’ve had the opportunity to explore options granted to you, you will have a better idea of just WHEN you should notify your friends and family to break out their dancing shoes to come to celebrate with you. Connecticut has quite a list of exceptional venues set in a variety of locations to fit your personality and needs. We are here to give you, our faithful readers, a list of the best of the best. Since many of our Spring wedding couples are gearing up for their day, we’ll start there!

Spring Wedding Venue Must-Haves and Considerations

• Tenting Capabilities: Every year, it seems like winter creeps further and further into what should be the warmer months. April showers should bring May flowers, but often times we are still seeing snow showers in April and we haven’t wrapped our minds around it yet. The reality is: a Connecticut wedding can impose unexpected weather! Even with a light drizzle, rain can put a damper on some big plans you’ve made. Make sure your space can accommodate a tent if your guest count is on the larger side and you’re aiming for any aspect of your ceremony or reception to be outdoors. This makes Plan B is just as perfect as Plan A.
• Indoor Rain Plan for Small Guest Counts: If you’re hosting a more intimate celebration, you may feel comfortable shifting part or all of your event indoors in the case of inclement weather. Consider what this plan might look like at your potential venue, and whether or not that’s something you would enjoy or be able to customize with your design team!
• Availability: Many locations have a strict season, particularly May (think Memorial Day Weekend, which is the unofficial start to summer) through November, so be sure to double-check you can host your wedding during the time frame you most desire.
• Noise ordinance: Because a portion, if not all of your event can take place outdoors, it’s important to note the noise ordinance of that town to coordinate the end of the event time appropriately. While getting shut down due to noise is a sign of a great party, we’d rather you be dancing until the very last song!

Top 10 Locations Perfect for Your Connecticut Spring Wedding Venue!

Penfield Pavilion

Located in Fairfield and set right on the beach, this venue features a covered patio overlooking the water, creating the perfect backdrop to your event — I mean PERFECT. It’s even better for those cozy, outdoor dinners with your nearest and dearest. Set for up to 180 or 300 guests depending on event style, the venue offers some rentals and heat or AC depending on the time of year!

The Lace Factory

Centrally located between New York and Boston in the quaint, quiet town of Deep River, the Lace Factory is the most beautiful industrial location in the state. There are a few settings within the venue perfect for every moment of your wedding day, including the courtyard just outside for a ceremony. Guests can even enjoy scenes of the Connecticut River when arriving by the Essex Steam Train (oh yes!!), adding further to the charm of this venue. Ideal for up to 200 guests to celebrate all night long or the opportunity to design distinct spaces in the main space for your ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and dance floor for a small guest count!

Mine Hill Distillery

Roxbury is one of those small towns of Connecticut filled with plenty of history and the nicest people! It also has a special venue in the Mine Hill Distillery, a location boasting four different buildings and riverfront scenery ideal for small intimate dinner parties up to large weddings under a tent. Elliott, the man behind this idea will be one of your dearest friends by the end of your time with this venue. An 1872 train station that has been given some love brings the right level of history and design together in one place.

Eolia Mansion

Located right in Waterford, this may be one of our favorite mansions in Connecticut (there are a few to brag about!) because of it’s exquisite drive up. The estate is surrounded by perfectly cared for gardens and shrubbery at every turn, including its two picturesque ceremony settings. Between the venue’s stained glass and floor to ceiling windows are acres of lawn that lead to the Long Island Sound. Perfect for smaller guests, but no more than 150 and offering few tables and chairs and a covered stone patio for even more entertaining opportunities. A few of our favorite Eolia Wedding galleries are located right here, but be sure to check out the blog to see the versatility of this sweet spot!

photos: Katie Slater Photography

Wadsworth Mansion

Built in 1900 as a country summer residence, the historic mansion in Middletown has been sustained for elegant, personalized weddings. Their doors are open to intimate celebrations throughout their multiple rooms or large weddings for up to 200 guests. If all your friends and family will be joining you, their rolling green lawns and the postcard-worthy backdrop of the mansion make for the perfect tent setting. You can check out all the ways we’ve loved on the Wadsworth Mansion here!

photos: Brigham & Co. Photography

Audobon Greenwich

One of the best Fairfield County venues with 360 degrees of immaculate views. Their picturesque barn is perfect for an intimate crowd of up to 90 guests, accompanied by an idyllic lawn perfect for cocktail hour or a ceremony. As if the Audobon Greenwich in’t perfect enough, they are also exclusively catered by On the Marc, a Connecticut and New York staple for creative, flavorful food! Nothing says farm to table quite like this Connecticut wedding venue!

Mayflower Grace Hotel

Perfect for the more intimate event with your nearest and dearest, this Washington space boasts charming settings throughout their hotel. We’re thrilled to revisit this venue, and will surely include it on some lists aside from our Spring wedding selections as they’ve just added a gorgeous custom Sperry Tent to their back lawn overlooking the pond!

There isn’t one area of this entire property that isn’t dripping in natural beauty, especially when it comes to their gardens! The lush Shakespeare Garden is the most perfect ceremony backdrop, but this can be your backdrop should you opt to host a grander wedding with more of your loved ones. Set for a more intimate affair, treat your guests to a scrumptious and memorable menu in their Garden Room, set perfectly for up to 40 guests. For a slightly heartier guest list, their tent is the perfect location, and if I may say so, one of our favorite tents ever. You know how much we love a good tented wedding! You can see it here!

photos: carla ten eyck photography

J House

While Connecticut houses some of the most natural settings perfect for any aesthetic or vision, it also has some modern spaces up its sleeves. The J House in Greenwich is one of the newer, more contemporary locations that offer the coolest settings for your ceremony and reception for up to 150 guests. From open terraces completely untouched by any surrounding buildings or skylines to their open-air patio specked with greenery and soft lighting. With all the outdoor possibilities, J House mirrors the number of opportunities to host your event indoors in one of their upscale restaurants or dining spaces! The beauty here is the flexibility to make it your own. The different moments of your day are 10x more memorable with a venue as unique as this one here!

The Hickories

The Hickories is a gem of a venue and for many reasons one that we like to assimilate ourselves with. As a working farm growing fresh, organic vegetables, fruits, and flowers, The Hickories is dedicated to sustainability, all of which can be used in some capacity for your event. Farm to table was never so literal (or delicious)! Choose from their rustic 1800s barn, the farmhouse lawn, or their one-acre trout pond as the perfect setting for one of your life’s biggest memories!

Florence Griswold Museum

Home to a variety of Impressionist and contemporary artists, this Old Lyme museum offers many perfect choices for your event. You have the option to enjoy the indoor atmosphere surrounded by classic art and well-curated exhibits or the views of the Lieutenant River from the stone patio or Miss Florence’s charming garden — or both! It is a Spring wedding, after all, and Mother Nature can be unruly. One of our favorite weddings was set at the FloGris on Hurricane Irene back in the day. We’d love to tell you about it sometime or you can check it out here! photos: carla ten eyck photography

Though the list stops at 10 there are many, many venues throughout the state that would be perfect for a Spring wedding. You may seem them again in future seasonal posts because they lend the perfect level of personality and unique opportunity for couples to bring their story to life for their wedding day! And don’t think this is where it all ends in our beautiful New England state. Keep reading for more venues based on your season. You never know where you might fall in love!

Right before this pandemic put a halt on 2020’s celebrations, a passionate group of creatives got together to create a photoshoot inspired by things we all love: fashion, style, and, most importantly, love! Thank goodness, as the pure epicness of this modern wedding shoot has gotten us through the rest of this year so far! This really began when my best friend’s mom’s partner was looking for an edgy, female suit for her sister’s same-sex wedding. I had nowhere to turn to, and when asking my fashion guru, Beth Chapman from Beth Chapman Styling, she had one source based on the other side of the country.

That wouldn’t do, but it was like the stars aligned because Enzo from Valentino Tailors reached out to Beth, saying he was starting a new line of women’s suits. Gorgeous, well-fitting, sexy suits! Kismet!

We knew we had to create a styled design to showcase this new line! It was with this that we hit the ground running, cooking up a shoot that not only dove deep into an edgy vibe but celebrated love in its greatest form! The Goodwin Hotel is the perfect setup as it’s dripping with modern elements around every corner of this boutique hotel. A color palette of black, white, and gold not only complements the venue but creates the perfect setting for our couple to get immersed in. There was so much I cannot get enough of, still, that I’m going to note here for you to spot throughout this gorgeous collection of images:

Things I Adore About This Modern Wedding Photoshoot

• The sheer ferocity of our brides
• Sara Gabriel‘s custom “One Love” veil. Is there nothing this fashion magician can’t do?! I might be biased but I’d say this blew Hailey Bieber’s right out of the water!
• That giant bow on Ines di Santo‘s gown. You can find her line at The White Dress by the Shore!
• Our linen, which switches from black to gold with a literal swipe of a hand
• The sleek back knot on our brunette babe created by Catie Bane. This is how I style myself when I’m going for the “casual” vibe.
• The Goodwin Hotel — those blue armchairs, that wallpaper, the historical brick structure right in downtown…!
• The gorgeous black and marble wedding cake by Sugar Therapy
• Every creative involved in this shoot!!

I invite you to look through and create your own list of things you adore!! XO

For more inspiration, visit our vast collection of designs and celebrations here!

credit reel

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck
Venue: The Goodwin Hotel
Planning + Design: Jubilee Events
Fashion + Styling: Beth Chapman Styling from The White Dress by the Shore
Flowers: Persephone Floral
Beauty: Catie Bane
Suit Designer: Valentino Tailors
Veil: Sara Gabriel Designs
Dress: Ines di Santo
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jenny Yoo + Hayley Paige
Cake: Sugar Therapy
Rentals: PEAK Event Services
Linens: Nuage Designs

Ally & Zac’s Tented Wedding

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: curating a tented wedding is our jam! So much so, that I would even call it our love language. Personality and family history are infused into these events and there’s no better way to celebrate the love of two people than to be immersed in who they are. Peep more of our favorite love stories and tented wedding inspiration here!

We knew we were in the presence of greatness from the moment we first laid our eyes on this home. Rich in history and so much love, it was the perfect setting to host almost 200 of Ally and Zac’s nearest and dearest. Between incorporating inherent structures on the property to including sentimental nods to the parents of our couple, this is a wedding that will forever live on in our minds as one of the most personal we’ve had the honor to be a part of. We’re eternally grateful that we had the talented Sasithon Photography to capture every sweet detail!

The Property

The design itself is much more than just the color palette — it’s the entire experience, which we thoughtfully construct based on who you are. Our couple’s story was infused into a moment that is part of their legacy, their history. This day is a forever staple in so many memories.

To see more of our favorite designs and home weddings, check us out here!

VENDOR REEL

Design + Planning: Candice + Diana, Jubilee Events
Tent: Stamford Tent
Dress: Cristos by Amsale
Beauty: Catie + Amy
Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography
Caterer: Cleaver + Co.
Calligraphy: Tara Jones
Florist: Blush Floral Design
Lighting + Draping: Ryan Designs
Rentals: Party Rental Ltd., Taylor Creative through Jubilee Events

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We are facing strange times in our world right now. This pandemic has certainly shifted the nature of weddings and celebrations, though not all of it is negative. While it’s unclear the amount of people we might be able to hug at our gatherings in the near future, I’m adamant that that was never the only measure of how loved my couples and their families are! Still, it’s likely that we will see an influx in couples opting for a micro wedding or elopement in the months and years to come!

At Jubilee Events, the number of guests that our couples have celebrated with has ranged over the years from 8 people to 300+. No matter who’s in attendance, we’ve always created an experience — memories that will last our couples and their loved ones for eternity. When you look back, that’s what’s most important to our couples and investing in them and what is essential to their story is what’s most important to us!

What’s the Difference Between a Micro Wedding and Elopement?

There are three wedding variations that we are seeing more and more of today! Below is a better description of each:

• Elopement: Just you and your person tying the knot in a location that means something to you. This could be a courthouse, backyard, or mountainside — wherever your soul is tied to!
• Micro Wedding: A celebration with 30 or fewer people. A micro wedding kicks off with your ceremony and ends with a scaled down reception
• Mini Wedding: A ceremony and reception with 50 or fewer guests, but still holds all the traditional elements of a larger wedding

Though weddings are categorized in a new fashion these days, the purpose behind it has not changed. No matter the occasion, we believe life’s moments are worth celebrating! We strive to create parties that are not only fun, beautiful, and one-of-a-kind, but also celebrate the moments in your life that truly matter with the ones who matter most.

Alyssa & John’s Micro Wedding at Chamard Vineyards

The reason we’re here! Alyssa and John, two of the most beautiful souls I know started planning with the intentions to celebrate with over 200 dear friends and family. Unfortunately, life had other plans and threw the greatest plot twist into Alyssa and John’s story.

Prior to their wedding year, Alyssa’s father started undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. His treatments and disease were being well managed so the thought of anything drastic happening was far from everyone’s thoughts. As spring approached, nearly five months away from our original wedding date, we learned that the cancer had metastasized. He was given 3 – 4 months to live.

After confronting what was in front of us, we made the decision to pivot our plans to a micro wedding. This wedding was a moment in Alyssa and John’s history, but also in that of everyone who joined them that day. The celebration and experience would not be diminished! Surrounded by 30 of their closest friends and family, Alyssa and John tied the knot and gave us all a lifetime of memories!

Alyssa & John <3

I’m a firm believer that there is always a silver lining bred out of the more disappointing situations in life, and this one is no different. Like I said, Alyssa and John are two of the most amazing humans I know! They opened up their hearts to all of us, becoming part of our families and us their own. I can’t think of two more deserving people to have all the love in the world showered upon them, as that is exactly what they do to everyone they meet!

The Big Day

Setting the foundation of our day was our venue — a rustic, natural vibe and design, and a clean palette of white and green with modern pops of gold. One of the elements I find myself so drawn to is the draping and chandeliers that frame the barn doorways. Not overly stated, but certainly transformative!

Some of my most beloved elements include the organic moments, captured by Robert Norman. I find myself looking at each, laughing along or reminiscing about the thoughtful words being shared by siblings and parents. I can hear Dad’s reaction to a story about Alyssa sneaking out of the house with her friends as a teenager or the comedic wit possessed by a groomsman that had the whole crowd in tears! Lucky doesn’t even begin to cover how we felt being in the presence of so much joy and admiration!

Find a few of my favorites below:

1. Alyssa’s first look with her Dad — have your tissues at the ready!
2. The bridesmaids reaction to Alyssa opening their champagne — I cannot stop giggling!
3. The Dads exchanging a candid high five just after the ceremony
4. Alyssa and John celebrating just after they’ve officially become husband and wife, laughing so joyously
5. Alyssa and John sharing their Milk Bar wedding cake together. John’s reaction gives us ALL the vibes!

Alyssa and John: thank you for sharing these moments with all of us and for allowing us the opportunity to experience all the celebration of your day with you! Though this first year of marriage looks unlike what we all may have supposed, I am confident your love and bond will be on your side! Love you both!!! XOXO

To see more of our large celebrations, micro weddings, and elopements, check out our galleries here!

credit reel

Photography: Robert Norman Photography
Reception Location: Chamard Vineyards
Event Planning + Design: Diana of Jubilee Events
Ceremony Location: private beach – Madison, CT
Flowers: Hana Floral Design
Catering: Chamard Vineyards
Ceremony + Reception Entertainment: ETA Music
Stationery: Coral Pheasant Stationery
Beauty: Erica Martell + J. Kinford Beauty Group
Lighting + Draping: Ryan Designs
Cake: Milk Bar
Rentals: PEAK Event Services
Cinema: DMO Films

Nicole and Mark’s Summer Tented Home Wedding

The very first moment I met Nicole, she welcomed me with the biggest ear-to-ear smile, lavender hair, and a 50s style hoop skirt with cartoon kittens decked all over. Surrounded by their nearest and dearest from all stages of life and family, we celebrated a love that was ten years in the making and there was no better place than Nicole’s childhood home. And that day? Just as unique and memorable as this out-of-this-world duo! This summer tented home wedding holds a special place in my heart and this couple and family sits directly beside it!

Though Nicole and Mark had been a part of each other’s adventure for ten years, their friendship began many many years beforehand, so much so that their siblings are friends and had been with one another since childhood. You can only imagine how celebrated this day was, as it marked a significant moment in so many lives and stories that were present!

They and their family are a group of people that make you feel exceptional. You’re welcomed with open, gracious arms, and the most infectious smiles and playful banter. Their day was just as incredible!

The Design…

When asking how they would describe their day, Nicole confidently replied, “like Princess Peach’s magic kingdom. A celebration of color!” Nicole and Mark’s design made me declare the season to come the year for color! The wedding gods must have heard me because I’ve seen an explosion of color through decor.

I LOVE that couples are infusing their energy into their aesthetic! In the coming days, you’ll see a series of posts that further share the elements of their day and how it boasted their story together. A tented home wedding affords us a blank canvas, which allows us to flex our creative muscles even more and add more personality to this custom day. See more of our tented weddings here!

The Photos…

If ever there were a summer tented home wedding that captured our hearts, this one will forever be it and we cannot thank Emily Kirke enough for capturing its true essence! Nicole and Mark, thank you so much for giving us the incredible opportunity to be a part of such a historic day for you and your family! We look forward to celebrating you for years to come!!

credit reel

Photography: Emily Kirke Photography
Ceremony + Reception Location: private home in Newtown, CT
Event Planning + Design: Diana of Jubilee Events
Flowers: Botanique NYC
Cake: Sarah + Simon Cake Design
Catering: Riverhouse Catering
Reception Entertainment: DJ Eko
Stationery: Coral Pheasant Stationery
Beauty: Erica Martell
Ribbon + Draping: Drape Art Designs
Love Cat Illustrations: Salvador Vega Jr
Rentals: La Tavola Linen, PEAK Event Services, Gather + Lounge
Tent: Greenwich Tent Co

It’s no secret that wedding insurance is a hot topic with us at Jubilee Events! We discuss a policy — rather insist on one — with every single one of our couples! You can track the evidence here and here. Your wedding day is a moment in your history that you invest so much in, both financially and emotionally! The best gift you can give yourselves is protection for you and your day.

What is Wedding Insurance and Do I Need It?

Merely suggesting a policy was a thing of the past, especially after we celebrated a wedding smack dab in the middle of Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy! As years went on, we’ve experienced just about every type of scenario that could cause a wedding to be cancelled or postponed. Now, it’s the first step we manage with our clients once their date and venue are booked! Think about it: you insure the things you invest in, not just financially, but also with your time. Your home, your cars, your jewelry! These things carry sentimental value and your wedding day falls under the same category.

In light of what’s currently happening in our world with COVID-19, we are seeing many couples forced to postpone their wedding and modify their plans entirely. As overwhelming, stressful, and heartbreaking as it is, this serves as a wonderful example for how insurance — especially a cancellation policy — has your back!

To answer our own question: YES! You do need wedding insurance, specifically a liability policy and a cancellation policy.

What’s the Difference Between Policies?

• Liability Insurance: Generally required from your venue, this pays for damages that may occur at your location during the event in which you or your guests are responsible. It can even cover medical costs should a guest be injured or fall ill at your event. We always see this coverage include liquor liability and if it’s not automatically included, ask your provider about adding it on. Your caterer or bar provider will carry the same policy, but this will further protect you in the case an unfortunate situation arises due to a drunken guest during or following the event.

• Cancellation Policy: This protects you in case you have to cancel or postpone your wedding for any reason outside of your control. Some of these examples include illness, military deployment, weather, strike, injury, and more. It protects your investments you’ve made and covers those nonperishables, like food and flowers! If even goes beyond that cancelled or postponed date by aiding in costs towards a new venue.

Both cover you in different ways, but provide the same sense of protection you will need. All of those worst case scenarios, unexpected blunders, and mishaps that somehow happen, insurance is there for you.

What Does a Cancellation Policy Cover?

Great question — I’m so glad you asked!

A CANCELLATION POLICY COVERS:

• severe weather – this would render it impossible for venues to operate or guests and professionals to travel to your event
• sudden illness of an immediate family member
• lost/ nonrefundable deposits – this covers you in the event that a venue or vendor goes out of business. It also protects you in the event any part of your wedding weekend is cancelled or postponed due to matters outside of your control
• damaged wedding attire
• damage to wedding photos or videos
• damaged or stolen gifts
• extra expenses – for example, a last minute rental of emergency backup generators for a venue that’s lost power

A CANCELLATION POLICY DOES NOT COVER:

• loss or theft of wedding rings – many wedding insurance policies cover special jewelry, but your wedding bands do not fall under this category! These should be covered under a homeowner’s policy.
• inclement weather – while rain during during an outdoor wedding is nowhere on the list of ideals, this would not be covered
• recovering a deposit after switching to a different vendor by own choice

Where Should I Get Wedding Insurance?

We always recommend WedSafe, though we see many who add a policy under their home or auto insurance. The best thing we can advise is to get a quote from both and ensure you’re comparing apples to apples. A platform such as WedSafe specializes in the finer nuances of events, so their policies are a bit more robust for what you’ll need.

We know thinking about the not-so-fun things of planning can be, well, not-so-fun, but the best gift you can give yourself and your guests is the sense of protection, especially with a day that holds so much emotion and value already!

As always, if you have any questions, please reach out and ask!! We’re here to help!