24 minute read
Weddings
PHOTO BY SIMONE PLUS PHOTOGRAPHY Weddings FALL & WINTER 2022
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46 52 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Fall & Winter 2022
40
Admire Designs
Custom Wedding Stationery and More
46
Valley View Farm
Creating an Eco-Friendly and Green Wedding Experience
52
Touch of Class
Event Designer and Balloon Artist
56
Cara Totman Photography
Honest and Nostalgic Wedding Day Moments
63
Local Couples. Real Weddings.
Local Couples Share Details on Their Special Day
Admire
DESIGN
By Carolyn Noel
special to weddings
Adrienne Craig has always been an artistic person. From photography, painting, music and theater, Adrienne loved to do it all. Wedding stationery, however, was not something that she initially considered.
After graduating from UConn with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, Adrienne was approached by some friends who asked her to create custom wedding invitations.
“Wedding stationery was something that I never really thought about at first. I didn’t even know you could do that as a job, but once I was out of school some really good friends of mine asked if I could help them create invitations for their wedding and I just jumped at the chance,” said Adrienne.
From there, she fell in love with the craft and continued designing custom wedding suites for more friends and referrals. This led to the start of her business, Admire Design in 2007. “Since then, I’ve been designing custom wedding stationery for couples all over the world,” said Adrienne.
Admire Design is located in Broad Brook, CT and offers custom save the dates, wedding invitations, ceremony cards, table numbers, thank you cards, wedding signage and more.
“Admire Design is about creating a custom and cohesive feel for your wedding paper from start to finish. Every suite I create is developed as a collaboration between myself and my clients. I look at it as my job to help them showcase their style and personality, creating something truly unique for them,” said Adrienne.
Adrienne works with each client individually and helps them through the entire process of creating their custom wedding suite.
“So many of my clients have expressed that their wedding stationery has been one of the most enjoyable parts of their wedding planning,” said Adrienne. “It’s my goal for every client to have as simple and
PHOTO BY KENNETH COOPER FILMS
According to Adrienne, wedding invitation planning usually begins about six to eight months ahead of the wedding, and save the date planning begins about a year out. She recommends even more lead time for destination weddings.
She said that having these extra months to plan allows time for more brainstorming, creativity and edits.
Since her start in the industry, Adrienne has seen many wedding stationery trends come and go. When she first started in 2007, Adrienne said she was designing invitations on shimmery and metallic papers and using bright colors, patterns, paper layering, rhinestones and buckles.
Now, she said that couples are focused on their invitations feeling more personal and organic. She uses a lot of softer, muted colors such as gray, navy and olive green, works on more traditional matte cotton paper and and even paints custom watercolors for her clients. Each invitation is one-of-a-kind and tailored to each individual couple.
As for designs that never change, Adrienne said the classic monogram is something she continues to see even after being in the industry for over 15 years.
Throughout her career, Adrienne has loved helping couples celebrate their own style.
“I don’t have one specific type of invitation or design that I offer because I really like to curate a suite based on my clients' style and inspiration. What’s really amazing is after all these years I have not created the same invitation twice. No couple is exactly alike, so why should their wedding invitations be?” she said.
Adrienne remains a dedicated artist and owner that works to guide each couple through the entire wedding suite process and ensure they feel supported each step of the way.
With Admire Design, each client is guaranteed a unique and beautiful outcome for their unique and beautiful big day.
THOSE INTERESTED IN ADMIRE DESIGN ARE ENCOURAGED TO VISIT THE WEBSITE AT ADMIREDESIGNLLC.COM TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT.
Valley View
FARM
By Carolyn Noel
special to weddings
Valley View Farm sits on the traditional and ancestral land of the Pocumtuc peoples in Haydenville, MA. In 1735, noted hunter and trapper John Miller of Northampton crossed into the area and built his home. Valley View Farm has remained a working farm, and now wedding event space, to this day.
Valley View Farm is owned by Suzy Fortgang and David Nehring who have helped it grow and expand over the years.
The farm produces maple syrup, honey, eggs, peaches, blueberries, hay, vegetables, herbs and more. They have an on-farm cider bar where they use their apples to produce hard cider and they have a full wedding event space and lodging.
According to Shannon Moineau, wedding coordinator and social media manager for Valley View Farm, anything that could be reused and repurposed during their expansion has been.
PHOTO BY NOVELLA PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO BY JULIA JANE STUDIOS
PHOTO BY ALN IMAGES
Both the main barn and ceremony space are made from salvaged antique barns and the tables and benches are made from repurposed materials.
Valley View Farms offers everything needed for a wedding. They have their own catering and bar team, they offer a full wedding venue and in-house wedding planning and they offer on-farm lodging for up to 22 guests.
The farm also remains diligent in its efforts to provide the most eco-friendly and green wedding experience possible.
"Our In House catering team uses 95 Percent locally sourced ingredients from our farm and surrounding farms. Our bar program uses herbs and fruit from our farm whenever possible. We really embrace all things farm to table," said Moineau. uses green cleaning products and soaps and more.
They encourage their clients to use local florists or opt to use potted plants for decor and centerpieces.
“They’re not being wasted. You can enjoy them and use them for years to come and you can also give them away as favors,” said Moineau.
They also encourage guests to use seed and pollinator packets as wedding favors.
"We have used menus that had seeds embedded in them so you can actually plant the whole menu," said Moineau.
According to Moineau, there has been rising interest from clients wanting to have an eco-friendly wedding in recent years.
She said. I have noticed a lot of people started growing their own produce and being more mindful about their choices and the impact they make on the environment."
According to wedding website “The Knot,” green weddings are in fact on the rise. More than two-thirds of 15,000 site users said they planned to or did incorporate eco-conscious touches into their wedding.
Moineau emphasized how important taking steps to be environmentallyfriendly on the big day is.
“I think it’s really important because it helps the environment, it helps support local farmers and you’re using things that won’t just be wasted,” she said.
According to Moineau, they have a lot of people from big cities such as Boston and New York that book Valley View Farm for their wedding. table food and realizing how much better fresh local produce can taste is something really special... I think that's something most people in big cities don't get to experience," she said.
For those interested in booking or learning more information about Valley View Farm, all pricing and details are available on their website at https:// www.valleyviewfarm.info/home. There is also a link to schedule a tour to view the venue in person.
Moineau recommends each couple allots at least eight months to a year to plan their wedding. She reiterated that Valley View Farm offers in-house planning and that their experts are prepared to help guide and give tips on having a more sustainable, green wedding along the way.
“We help with every step of the process,” she said.
Touch Class Class OF
By CORI URBAN special to weddings
Carmen Mason May once created a balloon sculpture of a Cowboy’s cheerleader for a gentleman’s birthday.
She has also created many classic spiral balloon arches that can be used as an entry to welcome guests, mark the start and the finish of an event and enhance a cake table.
For May, CEO and certified event designer/ balloon artist at Touch of Class Balloons & Event Décor, creating with balloons is an art form she uses to create customized designs.
“Art was always a passion of mine; balloon design is an art form,” she said. “We can create sculptured custom designs” in the form of letters, figures, people, buildings, flowers, etc.
Balloon designs often incorporate fabric, confetti, ribbon and vinyl.
Colorful balloon arrays with balloons ranging in size from 5 to 24 inches are popular.
“Balloons make people happy, and they can fill a lot of space,” said May, who does 1,2001,600 balloon creations a year; her busiest seasons are spring and summer when some of her balloon art is displayed outdoors.
Balloon art is not only used to amuse children but also to catch the attention of adults at events or parties — or just driving by the customer’s home.
May was inspired to work with balloons 32 years ago with the arrival of her niece. “I wanted to fill her hospital room with balloons, and a lightbulb went off [in her head] and I decided that’s what I wanted to do as a career: make every special occasion a little more special with balloons,” May said. “Then I realized that there was more to it than just bouquets — there were sculptures, designs arches and so many more art forms I could create with balloons. This began my love for balloon creations.”
Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, she began Touch of Class in 2011, the successor to her Balloons Unlimited business. “It was a hobby, and I realized … that I needed to move to the next level [of business] – that’s when we became Touch of Class.”
The business offers “quality visual aid,” she said, as well as well as the latest trends. “And we offer our customers ease in knowing that when they show up, we’ve taken their (balloon) vision and brought it to life,” May
PHOTO SUBMITTED Touch of Class helps customers celebrate the beginning of life and all the things that happen in between; the business also decorates for celebrations of life.
“It is a blessing to be able to share my talent with my clients while transforming spaces into extraordinary places,” May notes.
She can create custom foam props, balloon sculptures, balloon bouquets, balloon arches and balloon walls for any occasion like weddings, birthday parties, Bar Mitzvahs, Bat Mitzvahs, Quinceañeras, Sweet 16 parties, baby shower, baby gender reveals, galas and grand openings.
As for the most popular event that Touch of Class provides balloons for, May said it is hard to choose just one: “Helping create designs for all occasions is what’s popular to me.”
Balloons add a touch of class to an event by providing “a touch of amazing quality displayed with the clients’ vision in mind,” May said, adding that what she likes best about her work are “the pleased clients, happy smiles and gratefulness.”
She pointed out that there are safety precautions customers need to be aware of: Never suck helium out of a balloon and keep balloons out of the mouth of babies and small children.
During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Touch of Class decorated for drive-by events and virtual events.
A look at the business’ Facebook page shows a variety of balloon displays including a “popcorn” arch for which yellow balloons rise out of red and white “popcorn boxes,” a bearthemed baby shower, a colorful Toy Story display, balloon décor for a LEGO-themed birthday party, unicorn balloon yard art and a Halloween “Hocus Pocus” fence display.
Pricing for balloon decor depends on the design’s complexity.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT MAY AT CARMEN@TOCEVENTDECOR.COM OR 413-657-1680. FIND LINKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA AT FLOWCODE.COM/PAGE/TOCBALLOONS.
Cara Totman PHOTOGRAPHY
By Cori Urban
special to weddings
Film and digital photographer Cara Totman shoots to document honest and nostalgic moments to help couples remember how they felt during their wedding.
“I think documenting honesty can be really hard within the wedding industry because you are capturing a highly curated event where people have put a lot of time and effort into creating the environment,” she said. “You also want to present the client with images that make them feel good and represent their best selves.”
Totman, of Holyoke, wants to make people feel comfortable during the formal portraits and hopes to create a space where they can experience real and honest emotion. “Sometimes that means yelling an embarrassing story about myself or asking them questions that I know will trigger an emotional reaction,” she explained. “Being present at the event and trying not to force any particular feeling or moment is important for capturing a candid portrait. When you’re paying attention and tuned in, you’re able to know when a laugh is coming or when someone is hugging a little longer than normal and there may be an emotional glance right after. There is a certain rhythm to people connecting, and being open to that is my job.” She tries to operate out of pure instinct with her images, and she knows what she likes when she sees it. For her, a great photo is one that elicits feeling.
Totman’s parents took a lot of photos in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and she enjoyed looking through family albums and her father’s film shots of hikes and plants; she wanted to create such an archive for herself.
In high school, she took many photos with her Polaroid camera and liked her blurry landscape photos taken out the car window and portraits of her sisters and friends.
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Instagram has been a source of inspiration; she likes to see how other people shoot weddings and portraits.
Totman, a self-trained photographer, enjoys photographing objects and landscapes and does some commercial and lifestyle work “which is always a treat and a nice change of pace from events,” she said.
As a wedding photographer, she is seeing a “huge preference” for film as well as for Super 8 films and more classic and editorial styles.
But there are trends and then there are traditions. Most of her clients still value the ceremony, the coming together of their community; her typical client is looking for a balance of candid event photos and emotional, styled portraits.
“It’s so important to remember that your wedding day is an event. When we over-plan a shots list or try to control the day too much, we don’t leave room for those magic little moments of people genuinely connecting,” Totman said.
She does make recommendations to her clients to improve a photo, like tidying a space such as the room where the bride gets ready. “There are times where I may encourage someone to move a little or turn a certain way. But other than the formal portraits and family portraits, I try to document things as they are happening,” she said. “When
One of the most unique weddings she has photographed was a recent destination wedding in Melres, Portugal, where the venue provided incredible views, and the villa had some beautiful design from the ‘70s and ‘80s.
The most unique wedding photo she has taken was at a post-elopement swim the couple took in their wedding undies in her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. “I drove them in my minivan rental down to the quarry with some prosecco and cheese” and took the photos, Totman recalled.
She had an increase in requests to photograph elopements during the coronavirus pandemic, but now she is busier than ever with full weddings. “I find that right now, people are really wanting to be around their
communities and to celebrate and party,” she said. “I think a lot of people ditched irrelevant or unnecessary traditions and are having more non-traditional weddings like destination weddings or smaller events.”
Totman’s favorite part of wedding photography is the connection with her clients. “I’ve had the honor of photographing multiple family members’ weddings and their children when they are born. You are tied to your clients’ memory of the day forever, and I revere those relationships and connections,” she said.
The cost for wedding photo packages starts at $3,500.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, EMAIL CARA@CARATOTMAN.COM OR GO ONLINE TO CARATOTMAN.COM.
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Shannen & Paul
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS DECEMBER 31, 2020
ALL PHOTOS FEATURED FROM THE SHANNEN AND PAUL WEDDING BY LINDSEY TOPHAM PHOTOGRAPHY
Names: Shannen Corrigan & Paul Brand
Ages: 27, 28
Occupations: Registered Nurse, Director of IPM
Ceremony: The Greenhouse at La Cucina di Hampden House, Hampden, MA
Invitations: Minted
Flowers: Many Graces, Hadley, MA
Bride’s Dress: Lulu’s
Bride’s Shoes: Betsey Johnson
Groom’s Suit: The Black Tux
Cake: Creative Fondant Cakes
Engagement Ring: Blue Nile
Wedding Bands: Keegan’s Jewelers, Norwood, MA
Hair/Makeup: DaVinci Salon, Ludlow, MA
First Dance Song: “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” by Nancy Wilson
Memorable Moment: Sparkler send-off
Theme: New Year’s Eve/Greenery
Best wedding advice: Enjoy every moment, even the stressful ones.
Honeymoon: Wyndhurst Manor & Club, Lenox, MA
Holly & Eric
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS DECEMBER 18, 2021
ALL PHOTOS FEATURED FROM THE HOLLY & ERIC WEDDING BY SIMONE PLUS PHOTOGRAPHY
Names: Eric & Holly Torres Ages: Eric: 30 years old, Holly: 26 years old Occupations: Eric: IT Systems Analyst at Brown Emergency Medicine, Holly: Optometry Student at MCPHS Reception: Glen Manor House Invitations: Gorgeous Invites & Stationery Flowers: Floral Fixation Bride’s Dress: Essence of Australia Style D3183 in Ivory from Kleinfeld Bridal Bride’s Shoes: Blossom Embroidered D’Orsay Luxe from Pashion Footwear Caterer: Glorious Affairs Music: B-Sharp Entertainment Cake: Wright’s Dairy Farm & Bakery Bridesmaid Dresses: Emily in Butterscotch by Azazie Rings: Providence Diamond Hair: Coco Salon Makeup: Calma Salon First Dance Song: “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith Memorable Moment: One moment I find incredibly special from our wedding day would be the first look I had with our dog, Shilo. As he was originally my dog that I brought into the relationship (though now he is definitely his dad’s boy), having a special moment between him and I before the ceremony was so special. His presence has gotten me through so many tough times in the last 13 years and to have him there during the happiest day of my life was truly everything to me. The moment from our wedding day that my husband and I both find the most special would be our private last dance. Theme: Beauty and the Beast Christmas Wedding Honeymoon: 1 week at Animal Kingdom Lodge in Walt Disney World, FL
Nicole & Corey
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS FEBRUARY 7, 2021
ALL PHOTOS FEATURED FROM THE NICOLE & COREY WEDDING BY PINE AND BIRCH PHOTOGRAPHY
Names: Corey Lynch & Nicole Cheever Ages: 31 Ceremony: Camp Aya Po, Somers, CT Reception: To be celebrated at a later date Flowers: The Tangled Grapevine, Palmer, MA
Bride’s Dress: Baltic Born
Bride’s Shoes: Franco Sarto
Photographer: Olivia Hall @Pine and Birch Photography Groom’s Suit: Tommy Hilfiger Cake: Bride’s Mom (Lori Cheever @Simple Delights Bakery) Rings: Bride: Engagement ring- Bluboho, Wedding band- Furnari Jewelers Groom: Malo from Furnari Jewelers Hair: Cut & Color: Nicole O’Hare , Styling: Kiki Kelly Makeup: Kiki Kelly First Dance Song: “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Memorable Moment: Our favorite moment was standing on the frozen lake, laughing as the snow fell around us. Engagement location: Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos
Best wedding advice: Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Honeymoon: Hawaii Note from photographer: these two decided they wanted to elope. I became ordained to marry them to ensure it was kept as intimate as possible. They are a very laid back and nontraditional couple, so this was right up their alley.
Kaitlyn & Zachary
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS JUNE 10, 2022
ALL PHOTOS FEATURED FROM THE KAITLYN & ZACHARY WEDDING BY STACEY COLTON PHOTOGRAPHY
Names: Kaitlyn & Zach Ages: 29, 32 Occupations: Special Education Teacher, Construction Worker
Ceremony: Valley View Farm Reception: Valley View Farm Invitations: Etsy Flowers: Floral Concepts by Tom Bride’s Dress: The Wedding Embassy Bride’s Shoes: Amazon
Caterer: Wheelhouse Farm
Music: Darik and the Funbags Wedding Planner: Teri from Valley View Cake: Bride's Grandmother
Bridesmaid Dresses: Birdy Grey Rings: Stephen Allen Jewelers Hair: Brianne from Salon Breeze & Shannon from Blown Away by Shannon Makeup: Amber Romano & Ally Brown First Dance Song: Forever & Ever Amen Memorable Moment: Our dream for our wedding was for our guests to just have such a great time from start to finish. Looking out on the dance floor and seeing almost all of our guests (and a lot we would have never expected!!) on the dance floor, letting loose and having the time of their lives just made our night. Best wedding advice: Don’t worry about the small details that don’t turn out how you wanted them to..you won’t even think about them on the day of! The best advice I received and can give is take a moment amidst all the chaos and sit with your significant other and just look at all of the people who came to celebrate with you..it is really the greatest and most loving feeling! Honeymoon: Small getaway to the Cape & Maine
Jason & Keith
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS OCTOBER 9, 2021
ALL PHOTOS FEATURED FROM THE JASON & KEITH WEDDING BY STACEY COLTON PHOTOGRAPHY
Names: Jason Hayes & Keith Claffey
Ages: 50 & 60
Occupations: Celebrity Hair, Wig & Makeup Artist & Nurse Practitioner – Spinal Cord Injury
Ceremony: Home
Reception: Home
Invitations: VistaPrint
Flowers: Snelgroves of Enfield
Music: Milestone Entertainment of New England
Wedding Planner: Kristie Gonzalvo & Jason Hayes
Cake: Giuseppinas Italian Bakery of South Windsor
Rings: EXUMA -Provincetown, MA
First Dance Song: After All These Years by: Jim Brickman & Anne Cochran
Memorable Moment: my husband dancing the Mother & Son dance with my mom since we lost him mom decades ago.
Theme: Love is Love
Other/notes: Surround yourself with people who give as much joy to you as you give to them. Life is a blessing when you smile.
Best wedding advice: Enjoy the process of creating your day. Accept that not everything will be perfect but it will be exactly as it was meant to be.
Honeymoon: Our home with friends and family.
Elena & George
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS JUNE 6, 2022
ALL PHOTOS FEATURED FROM THE ELENA & GEORGE WEDDING BY LINDSEY TOPHAM PHOTOGRAPHY
Names: Elena Huisman & George Bissias Ages: 31 & 44 respectively Occupations: Philanthropic Project Manager & Research Professor, respectively Ceremony: Mill 1 at Open Square Reception: Mill 1 at Open Square Invitations: Self designed, printed by Canva Flowers: Passalongs Flower Farm, Florence, MA Bride’s Dress: Bhldn
Bride’s Shoes: Steve Madden
Caterer: Seth Mias, Leeds, MA Music: DJ Dee Kimble Rings: Rebekah Brooks Jewelry, Northampton, MA Hair: Serene Salon & Spa First Dance Song: Unintentionally, Empire State of Mind
Memorable Moment: Too many to count! The last song of the night we convinced everyone to get on the dance floor. It was a moment we didn’t want to end.
Theme: Intimate and industrial with a touch of wildflowers.
Other/notes: We had a small wedding with about 45 of our closest friends and family. It was special to be able to spend meaningful time with everyone. Our vendors were spectacular – I couldn’t recommend everyone more. Best wedding advice: At the end of the day, it is just a party with all your favorite people. Don’t let the details ruin it for you – no one will remember the center pieces; they’ll remember the connections and memories of being with friends and family. Honeymoon: Patagonia, Chile
