Four score and seven years ago… feels about the length of time since I last shared some love on the blog. There’s no better way to get back into all of the beautiful, personal weddings and events we’ve been producing, than starting with a very important element of one of our most recent – and favorite – weddings! The wedding stationery for Molly and Griffin’s September home fete brought in so much personalization. Here, we were able to feature something that no other wedding will have, and that was a grand painting of the home that everyone knew, love, and called their home that day.

We were lucky to work with the magical mind that is Karri Lee Designs, a watercolor painter and stationery artist that creates one-of-a-kind paper masterpieces. You can check out a little more of her work and why we love her here!

Molly & Griffin’s Wedding Stationery

Molly and Griffin’s wedding was held at the bride’s family’s summer home, a place that hosted many memorable celebrations throughout the years. You can feel the sentimentality of the property as soon as you step foot onsite, and it’s safe to say not a single person left that weekend without wishing they could spend more time there. A place of calm, warmth, and festivity set the stage for the aesthetic we created.

For the invitation suite, the first piece of their wedding stationery, Karri created a custom vellum wrap, depicting a landscape portrait of the family’s home, yard, and the shoreline that surrounds their property and neighborhood. This greeting image later became their escort card display backdrop, held in a custom frame by the groom himself.

Day-of Stationery

Every design and decision we make throughout the planning process is done intentionally, to ensure any idea we bring to life has purpose and value long after just the wedding day. Dressed in an array of colorful envelopes were our escort cards, carefully adhered so once removed, this piece became a keepsake hanging in the couple’s home.

The idea of using watercolor was an opportunity to evoke part of our surroundings into tangible pieces shared with guests. The beloved image of the property was used throughout the table numbers, with added intrigue in a way where guests at each table had a piece of the image instead of the full picture. A simpler square of a watercolor acted as our guests’ place cards, attached to the menu card. For a more intimate setting that provides more opportunity for a design effect, all long tables are the way to go. Be sure to check out our post on the full wedding design to see just how we curated a setting that everyone is still talking about long after the wedding day!

All images provided by Charlotte Jenks Lewis

It is love day, and there’s no better way to celebrate than by sharing one of our favorite love stories! Alex and Sam’s destination-inspired tent wedding is one that will forever hold a top spot in our hearts. There’s an endless list of reasons, starting with their impeccable style and ending with, most notably, the incredible humans they are. Their love, kindness, warmth, humor, down-to-earth sensibility, and hold of what is most important in life are unmatched. We are grateful for them and even more privileged to have brought one of our favorite tent weddings to fruition!

A & S’s Destination-Inspired Tent Wedding

When I first saw Alex and Sam’s venue, it was like driving up to a tucked-away garden in the French countryside. The Highfield Club has a tree-lined driveway that leads into an old stone house with ivy climbing up the exterior. The nature of this house is inherently historical, full of generations who belong to this club and depicting architecture that dates back decades. It provided the perfect backdrop to our Sperry Tent, which was filled with romantic long tables, some of a deep walnut and others dressed in a textural velvet linen.

Lined down the tables was a mix of arrangements, mostly smaller and delicate but filled with texture in white florals and greenery. Elisabeth from Blush Floral Design nailed it and mixed a variety of candles within for added ambiance. Our space hosted close to 200 guests, all of whom are close, longtime friends and family members, but filled the tables in a very intimate and close-knit way.

The Tea House is a treat with its floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors that sit on three sides of the house. A fireplace in the corner fills the room with all the cozy scents of cooler nights. Here we hung parasols to connect the guests to our tent set on the sprawling green lawn of the venue.

What We Remember & Love Most from this Tent Wedding

As we said, this wedding is incredibly special and will always have a grip on our hearts. There was so much to love and appreciate about the process and, of course, the wedding day. We cannot let a moment go by without calling out what we’ll remember most from this monumental celebration!

• Our bride and groom, Alex and Sam! Not only are these two stunning humans, but they are the easiest duo to celebrate. It’s no wonder how so many equally amazing people surround them. They attract the best because they are the best!
• Our Mother of the Bride, Joanne. Boy, is she #momgoals !! We worked closely with her from start to finish, and the love she has for her kids is something I’ll remember when I have kids of my own. She also leaves such an impact on everyone she meets because she is as joyful and gracious as she is thoughtful!
• Alex and Sam’s family! You see how we feel about Joanne, so it’s not difficult to discern how the rest of this family became an extended part of our own. I belong to their fan club because they are SO much fun!
• Dancing on stage with the band at the close of the wedding. You read that right – this crowd never faltered from a lively party atmosphere, and joining the band on stage to close out the night might have been better than the last time I saw Earth, Wind, and Fire live!
• The design! This tent wedding is one we often reference, and we cannot thank the creative team we partnered with to bring it to life!

A Thank You

Toward the close of dinner, our Mother of the Bride requested every vendor to join her on the dance floor. Naturally, we were all nervous because we are used to being behind the scenes. Our magic happens undercover. It’s widely felt and experienced, but we don’t take center stage to show how it’s done.

We all obliged and filed out onto the dance floor, unsure of what was next. My body is nervously shaking just a bit, thinking back to this, but the outcome was one of the most phenomenal events we’ve ever been a part of as a creative team. She thanked us each by name (both company name and by individuals) for bringing this event together. For allowing her, the couple, their family, and all friends present to be present and enjoy this experience. We all received a standing ovation, and since then, my cheeks have always been bright red when thinking about this.

Alex, Sam, Joanne, George, and family, we cannot thank you enough. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your history, and thank you for opening your doors to such a memorable and positive planning process. We all look forward to continuing to celebrate you every day!

Care to check out other tent weddings we love so much?! Follow the link and treat your eyes!

The Crew We’re Most Grateful For:

Photography: Madison Abbey Photography
Reception Location: The Highfield Club
Event Planning + Design: Diana of Jubilee Events
Flowers: Blush Floral Design
Entertainment: Silver Arrow Band
Catering: Marketplace Catering
Cake: Cutie Pies
Libations: Citrus and Rye Events
Cinema: Light Mill Film Studios
Beauty: Lyndsay Simon Beauty
Tent: Greenwich Tent Co.
Tent Decor: EZ Occasions
Rentals: PEAK Event Services, Nuage Designs
Stationery: Coral Pheasant
Styling: Beth Chapman Styling
Dress: Monique Lhullier

There is a long list of things to consider as you begin wedding planning. You start with the time of year, a general location, and a type of venue. Among the first of those major decisions is the guest list! Determining what type of wedding you would like – a small wedding or a large wedding – will guide a number of decisions you make as you kick off planning and along the process. Once you tackle this most daunting of tasks is when you truly determine what size wedding is right for you.

Over our near decade-and-a-half of weddings, we’ve celebrated events with eight guests, all the way up to 422 guests and every number in between. As trends, the economy, and priorities progress across generations, we see the same as far as guest counts. As a couple, you’ll find the answer to this question is necessary as you consider a long list of factors.

Let’s Talk About the Wedding Guest Count…

Besides the date and location, the guest list is the next piece of information vendors and venues request. As you get started, you’ll see this is really deciding factor No. 1 as it drives where you look and how your budget takes shape. This is important to keep in mind throughout planning, too.

Though there are several helpful budget tools available online, there are also just as many factors to consider when building your own, and one size does not fit all. We’ll share more tips on crafting your budget soon, but there are two sentiments to keep in mind. There will be aspects of your budget that are based on time, while the rest is based on your guest count. Things that are influenced by your guest count include food and beverage, rentals, flower costs, transportation, stationery, favors, and hotel welcome bags to start. More guests equal higher costs.

If you’re on Instagram, one of the newest platforms I’ve been closely following is Maroo Wedding. They’ve been featuring real wedding budgets from several different states, guest counts, venues, and more. It’s important to remember that no two weddings or budgets are the same, as these are dependent on a variety of details discussed above.

What’s the Difference Between a Small Wedding & a Large Wedding?

Where do we draw the line between a small wedding and a large wedding? For us, small weddings are around 50 guests are less. The large weddings are about 175 and above. As you can see, there is a large gap here, and we like to label those the more “average” weddings. As you initiate planning, you’ll commonly find 150 guests set as the minimum or as the venue’s recommended capacity.

Photos by Melissa Stimpson Photography

We’ve compiled a list of considerations for your guest count to help you determine what would be the best fit for your wedding weekend!

Considerations for a Small Wedding

Venue Options – Having a smaller guest count allows more flexibility with your venue options and gives couples the opportunity to take advantage of more unique spaces. While not new, small weddings aren’t as expected as larger weddings, so many locations are best suited for larger counts. To avoid dead space within a venue, couples can have more fun with their decor team creating distinct spaces for the various moments of their day.

Create an Intentional Budget – Fewer guests certainly allow for a smaller overall budget; however, what it truly allows for is allotting funds towards decor and the overall experience. In other words, you can more freely spend money on the items you would like to invest in.

When it comes to budget, minimizing doesn’t equate in an apples-to-apples way. Remember: there are areas that are determined by your guest count and then those that are set by the amount of time a vendor is onsite. These elements consider the venue, photography, videography, entertainment, and even transportation again.

Spend More on the Experience – As we alluded to above, a smaller wedding means costs are dedicated less to areas controlled by the guest count. This allows costs to go to the overall experience, which plays a large role in the impact guests receive. We accomplish this in a few ways with our couples.

First, we allot more to the design – flowers, unique stationery, and customized rentals that allow your day to stand out. You are able to personalize everything, from monogrammed napkins to your own fashion, which lasts far past the wedding day. My favorite area to invest in are the amenities. We love building welcome gifts for our guests, full of all the necessities needed for a long week. These can include emergency kits after a night of partying, local snacks, and even gifts at your welcome party or wedding day that guests can have fit just for them.

One of our favorite and most memorable small weddings allowed us to build a space almost entirely out of flowers, transitioning the dining room into a garden oasis. Flowers spilled over the edges of seats and blanketed the entryways of the room. Guests were in awe and are still talking to this day about what a beautiful celebration it was – very reflective of the couple!

As is the case with many venues, there is a food and beverage minimum to spend based on your overall guest count or the date itself. A small wedding creates an opportunity to creatively meet the minimum by way of customized entrees, cocktail hour offerings (everyone’s favorite!), or an enhanced bar selection.

More time to spend with guests – This aspect is one of the most significant for me when I consider a small wedding! Fewer guests means more time to spend with everyone in attendance. Instead of being pulled into a million directions, there’s room to spend time intentionally with each of your loved ones. As a result, this becomes more impactful for you and your guests.

Some logistics of wedding planning are more seamless – There are several factors in wedding planning that require more focus the more you add to your overall guest list. More guests = more opinions. While we’re of the firm belief that the plethora of questions and ideas you receive as a couple are a sign of support and excitement from your loved ones, we understand just as easily how overwhelming these can become. In many cases, having a more intimate guest count allows for you to protect your ideas, your vision, and even more the experience you face as you plan your celebration!

Some of our Favorite Small Weddings

See more of Alyssa and John’s wedding here! After receiving some sad news about her father, Alyssa and her now-hubby, John, opted to pivot their wedding and push it up about three months sooner. With that adjustment, they chose to reevaluate their guest list and condense it to 32 people. Four years later, there hasn’t been a day gone by that Alyssa and John ever questioned this being the right decision. For so many reasons we included above, it allowed them to create a day that will last in their hearts forever. For all the right ways, too!

Photos by Robert Norman Photography

Hosting a Large Wedding

Everyone attends – Hosting a large wedding means everyone gets to celebrate this monumental moment with you and your partner! Everyone who has been a part of your life in some way, every member of your family and every friend, is a witness to your wedding. Being able to host everyone means a lesser chance of having to cut your guest list so dramatically to accommodate a small wedding.

Your day has room for more impact and grandeur – As your guest list grows, so does the space you need to host everyone. The space isn’t the only detail, as the number of tables and the potential for creative layouts increases, all lending to more memorable moments to all in attendance. Being able to expand upon your design allows your aesthetic and venue to hold more impact on everyone in attendance. Imagine an abundance of flowers draped across the room or chandeliers spread throughout the ceiling of your venue. Envision the 12-piece band that fills the space with their sound, causing everyone’s heart to skip a quick beat of excitement.

The Energy Scale is High – With more people and a fuller space, the energy is arguably higher than with a smaller-scale wedding. Arguably is the key word here, but it’s hard not to reach a certain momentum when you celebrate with 175+ people, thrilled to be in your presence and full of support, love, and joy.

Budget – Compared to a small wedding, large weddings require more diligence when preparing your budget. Because of the factors that adjust with your guest count, decisions should be periodically and carefully visited to maintain the budget you’ve set. With even an increase of 10 guests on your guest list, you can see your overall budget grow an additional $10,000. It’s that easy!

More guests = more opinions + dynamics to manage – One of our points above remains that with less guests, you can often avoid the overwhelming ideas and opinions that come with everyone who will be in attendance. More guests often invites more opinions, questions, and unsolicited advice. While the majority comes from a good place, it can land roughly and increase the stress that can be uncovered throughout planning.

With that, there are often certain dynamics that exist across family and friend groups. Let’s face it: weddings invite emotions, and mixed with alcohol, things commonly escalate.

Get a Load of our Large Weddings in our Galleries!

Lauren and Timmy’s wedding was one of our favorites. Our groom, Tim, is one of eleven children. His parents? One of eight each! Naturally, we had quite a celebration!

Photos by Melissa Stimpson Photography

The final thought we will leave you with is that we know configuring your guest list is no easy task. We know sometimes the decision is made for you by the size of your family alone. We know that splitting guests into an A, B, and even C list is just as daunting as building the overall guest list. We even understand that there are planning partners contributing to your overall budget, therefore guaranteeing their input to the guest list. Deciding on a small wedding or a large wedding sounds easier than it is. We hope the process is made easier with the considerations within this post!

There is something to love about each season in New England. Even if you hate the cold, you have to admit the magic found in the way the snow falls. It’s so peacefully quiet. And clean!! I don’t enjoy the Summer humidity one bit but being able to enjoy the warm sunlight hitting your skin or dipping your toes in the ocean can’t really be beaten. In the end, though, I am a Fall girl. I cannot get enough of the vibrantly colored leaves or the smell of wood stoves turning on to heat up the house. Needless to say, finding inspiration for Fall is a hobby! Designing Fall wedding color palettes sends our hearts soaring!

Lucky for us, Connecticut boasts a number of gorgeous venues to host your celebration, and, boy, do we adore a good Fall wedding! As we’ve been busy preparing for the rest of our 2020 (and 2021!) weddings, I want to give you all some ideas for building the perfect Fall color palette for your Connecticut wedding!

The Fall is the time for deep, romantic, saturated shades that you’ll find in that favorite sweater or Fall dish you’d prepare. If you would like to prepare the ultimate Fall fete, check out some of our fav autumn dishes here!

Fall Wedding Color Palettes: Earthy and Organic

beige // mustard // sage // evergreen // lipstick // deep plum // bronze

photographer: carla ten eyck // floral: sweet talk floral // beauty: catie bane // fashion: made with love, valentino tailors from the white dress by the shore

Fall Wedding Color Palettes: Wine Tones

taupe // ivory // blush // vintage pink // wine // chestnut

   photographer: robert norman photography // floral: blush floral design // rentals: peak event services

Fall Wedding Color Palettes: Moody and Dramatic

vintage ivory // gold // blush // wine // marsala // forest green

  photography: katie slater photography // floral: jakkelyn iris

Fall Wedding Color Palettes: Color Soaked and Whimsical

ivory // gold // vintage pink // magenta // lipstick red // thistle blue // plum

photography: laura dee // floral: just for you floral design // bridesmaids dresses: bella bridesmaids

Fall Wedding Color Palettes: Autumn Harvest

ivory // sunshine // peach // pumpkin // serenity // periwinkle // rattan

photography: robert & kathleen photography // floral: blush floral design // rentals: party rental ltd. // linens: la tavola linen

When it comes to your color palette and design, don’t hesitate to include the tones that speak to you. You can fit your beloved shades into any season and venue!

**all designs created by Jubilee Events

We’ve produced an eclectic variety of weddings, but our favorite might just be tented weddings! Starting with a blank canvas allows us to create a venue from scratch, creating a unique design. We often times see tented weddings take place at private residences or home properties, which tend to carry a very special sentiment behind them. Tent decor, furniture rentals, and a thoughtful spatial layout add to the personal setting of an outdoor wedding and allow us to embellish the personality of the couple in a location that already holds so much meaning!

The tent design is where we spend much of our time. It equates to designing your home, which is something we all love to pour ourselves into one way or another! Tents don’t speak to just one or two styles of weddings — they can quite literally be dressed up to evoke whatever vibe you’re drawn to.

Tent Decor: The Ceremony

For Nicole and Mark’s wedding day, we wanted to design a space that embodied the rest of their aesthetic: colorful, vibrant, and whimsical. Two frame tents were constructed on the property, one for the ceremony and one for the reception. It’s essential to have a rain backup plan with an outdoor wedding, so why not use what we had reserved, even in perfect weather?

Our ceremony took place in the front of Nicole’s childhood home, which is the perfect shade of yellow!! We enlisted the talents of Drape Art Designs to execute the cheerful setting of our dreams! Bunches of colorful ribbon swags created a slight canopy of shade around our guest seating. Lavender fabric draped around the side poles, softening the space a bit further! As the first space that greeted our guests, this gave a perfect introduction to the rest of our home for the evening.

photos: emily kirke photography // tent decor: drape art designs // tent: greenwich tent co.

Tent Decor: Dinner & Dancing

One of the reasons why I absolutely love clear top tents is it allows you to really immerse yourself in your surroundings. It creates an open air feeling while still protecting you from the elements. With that, you don’t need too much tent decor, but a bit of something to tie into the design creates a memorable experience for you and your guests.

Together, Drape Art Designs and I carried the ribbon design over to the reception tent, creating a focal point over our dance floor. That floral chandelier by Botanique pushed our heart eyes over the edge and dropped our jaws to the ground!

It’s always an absolute pleasure collaborating with Drape Art Designs! Complete with a wide range of lighting styles to accentuate your tent decor and vision, their inventory completes our design perfectly. Not to mention, we love their bar selection, too!!

There’s something about a modern, black and white, with a side of fierce design aesthetic that we love! It seems like Love Inc. felt the same way because they have featured our photo shoot that took place at The Goodwin Hotel in Hartford, Connecticut!

Designing this shoot was a treat — a slight departure from our usual approach to creating wedding specific content. While our inspiration normally begins with the venue — our surroundings and natural aesthetic, this shoot began with the couple. We wanted to focus more on their story and dynamic as that’s what the wedding day is really all about: the two people we are there to celebrate. From there, the other pieces would come together.

Check us out!!

Take a peek here and get soaked up in all the sexy, sequin goodness! Thank you to the team at Love Inc. for sharing such an inspiring day and collection of ideas and stay tuned to the blog for the full spread!

the A-team

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck
Venue: The Goodwin Hotel, Hartford
Planning + Design: Diana of Jubilee Events
Flowers: Persephone Floral
Beauty: Catie Bane for Willow Salon
Suits: Valentino Tailors
Styling: Beth Chapman Styling
Cake: Sugar Therapy
Gowns: Ines de Santo and Theia via The White Dress by the Shore
Maid’s Dresses: Hayley Paige, Jenny Yoo via The White Dress by the Shore
Accessories: Sara Gabriel
Rentals: PEAK Event Services
Linen: Nuage Designs

Home weddings are.our.JAM! We know the ins and outs, we love planning in such sacred locations, and we adore that it strongly requires a design, which means we get to know our couples even better! I was first introduced to Alicia and Corey through Mae, our dear mother of the bride who, we are certain, we could not adore any more! Alicia and Corey lived out of state and while Mae was holding it down in Connecticut, she opened her home for us to design and plan her only daughter’s outdoor wedding, a day we will never forget.

A tented, outdoor wedding allows us to build a home, for our couple and guests. A place where they create memories with one another and share moments of laughter that they won’t soon forget! The best part? Our backyard wedding can truly be anything we want it to be! The story in that tent reflects our couple, and every piece of this classic, beautiful, and inviting aesthetic mirrored Alicia, Corey, and their family!

We are beyond grateful that Mae brought us together because we were treated to the warmest, most hospitable and appreciative group of people! By the end of this wedding, we were looking for any excuse to hang out with this family. Our interest in Bridgewater Chocolate, the hometown delight certainly increased, but you won’t hear any soreness over this out of us!

The Outdoor Wedding Experience

Alicia knew she wanted their day to be memorable… to deliver an experience to their nearest friends and family. This is what we are all about at Jubilee Events, so we knew it was a match made in heaven! An outdoor wedding requires you to plan for a variety of pivotal moments, all that the guests and couple will form a memory around. Beyond the space, you have to consider all the elements that can contribute to everyone’s comfort, like temperature and terrain. Above that, it’s the seamless moments we don’t consciously take note of, but truly impact the moment.

You know the feeling you get when you intend to go out for a cozy dinner with your loved one? You enjoy your time, you soak in the ambiance, and you eat every last morsel of a carefully prepared menu. A well thought out cocktail and glass of wine certainly helps, too, but at the end of the evening, you leave feeling happy and full — in more than one way, as it should be! While it may just be the two of you, this experience can easily be transformed into a larger celebration and that’s exactly what we did.

Our home property was inherently blessed with a natural view that still, to this day, cannot be beat. It set the scene for guests to take in and be present in their surroundings. Yumiko and the girl power team at Hana Floral Design only added to the beauty. Just you wait and see!

From cocktail hour with freshly prepared and local fare (thanks, Gourmet Galley!) to the reception with an equally exciting menu and a band that flat out knocked our socks off! We made sure our couple and all guests were on the dance floor until the very last song. A big shout out to The Party Shop for ALWAYS bringing some serious heat. We love you and your musical stylings from the bottom of our hearts!

We hope everyone enjoys these photos as much as we did living through it! To Alicia, Corey, Mae, and your amazing family, thank you for giving us the opportunity to create magic for you and to see you experience it all! Cheers to many more decades of celebration and happiness! XOXOXO

To learn a little more about our love for home weddings, check us out here and here!

Designing a blush wedding? Go for it — it’s a color we all love and know well! It’s playful and sweet and can be dressed up in a black tie, elegant affair or provide the perfect touch to a more natural, rustic barn soiree. Not to mention there are many stops on the road between these two ideas where this tone can be used and shown well. While we love the classic blush-cream-green palette and can dress it up any which way, you might be looking for ways to bring a little more personality or a signature touch to the color.

Below are five combinations that we adore and can get you started on your wedding color palette! These can be tailored to a rustic vineyard wedding to a more traditional mansion wedding. Whatever your fancy, blush can make it happen!

Blush Wedding Palette: The Vibrant Vineyard Wedding

taupe // ivory // blush // magenta // burgundy // rattan

photos: robert norman photography // floral: blush floral design // venue: jonathan edwards winery

Blush Wedding Palette: The Romantic Home Wedding

ivory // cream // blush // rose // marsala // slate blue

photos: carla ten eyck photography // floral: blush floral design

Blush Wedding Palette: The Elegant Mansion Wedding

ivory // champagne // blush // pink // lavender // royal purple

photos: carla ten eyck photography // floral: hana floral design // stationery: coral pheasant // venue: branford house

Blush Wedding Palette: The Charming Shoreline Wedding

ivory // champagne // blush // silver // charcoal

photos: robert + kathleen // floral: blush floral design // stationery: coral pheasant // venue: old saybrook point inn + spa

Blush Wedding Palette: The Organic Tented Wedding

ivory // cream // peach // blush // sage // gray

photos: carla ten eyck photography // floral: blush floral design

For more ideas for your blush wedding color palette, visit our last post here.

One of the first questions people will ask you about your wedding, after the way you were asked, when is the date, and what will you be wearing: your color palette! If you don’t have an idea where to begin for your summer wedding, we have a few ideas to inspire you no matter the locale of your day or the style you envision for it. Beyond your table linen, stationery, and floral pieces, there are many other places sneak in your wedding colors, including your menu, lighting, and celebratory decor!

These are a collection of just the start of our favorites — after all there are thousands of ideas to choose from and each one is like an ingredient in a masterful cake! 

periwinkle pink // magenta // clementine // peach // tanzanite // green

photos: Robert Norman Photography // floral: Just for You Floral Design

blush // ivory // champagne // lush green // navy

photos: Armor + Martel // floral: sayles livingston design // paper: coral pheasant stationery // linens: la tavola linen

magenta // petal pink // pink sand // peach // turquoise water // gray

photos: Ali + Julie // floral: Hana Floral Design // paper: We’re Into It

peach // blush // petal pink // mauve // violet // navy // chrome

photos: Carla Ten Eyck // floral: Stoneblossom // rentals: Peak Event Services

cream // petal pink // peach // tangerine // gray

photos: Lisa Berry // floral: Blush Floral Design // linen: La Tavola Linen