Shelby Rutledge and Matt Marocco would describe themselves as a pretty low key couple, which made the simple proposal everything Shelby could have wanted. “I’m personally not into big romantic gestures, so the way he proposed was perfect,” she says. “He came home after playing basketball and I was at the computer. He came into the room and asked me to turn around. When I swiveled my chair to face him, he got down on one knee, which was no easy feat considering he’d just played in a pretty physical game. He told me he’d loved me for a long time and wanted to know if I would spend the rest of my life with him. Of course I said ‘Yes!’ and then I asked him to please stand up because he looked like he was in pain!”

With plans to make it an outdoor summer wedding, Shelby knew she wanted a bright and cheery feeling to the affair, so she chose a color scheme of pink, orange and yellow. It was an appropriate pick for the fun-loving couple. The ceremony and reception were both held at the home of Michael Marocco (Matt’s uncle). “He has a beautiful home in Redding, Connecticut,” says Shelby. “It was the perfect setting.”

Shelby’s two attendants wore Lazaro chiffon halter dresses in melon, sticking with the light and airy feel of the outdoor ceremony, which was performed in Michael’s garden. One hundred guests watched as the bride’s father walked her down the aisle to the tune of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. “I liked it so much better than the traditional wedding march,” says Shelby.

Following the ceremony, a cocktail hour was held around the pool where guests sipped watermelon martinis and champagne. After enjoying drinks and a variety of appetizers like mini cheeseburgers, stuffed mushrooms and crab cakes, everyone moved into a nearby tent for the reception. The tent was adorned with hanging raspberry and orange colored Chinese lanterns, while raspberry hued linens with a sheer shimmery ivory overlay brightened the tables. The dinner menu included citrus boneless chicken with ranch drizzle, a rubbed sirloin and wood grilled vegetables, among many other choices. “We wanted to have a buffet style dinner because we wanted people to be up and moving,” says Shelby. “We had guests from all over the country at the wedding and we wanted everyone to meet each other.”

For dessert, the couple chose a cupcake tower instead of the traditional wedding cake. “We selected two different flavors for the cupcakes—lemon cake with a raspberry frosting and a red velvet cake with a traditional butter cream frosting,” notes Shelby. “The red velvet cupcakes were wrapped with a wide pale yellow ribbon with a thin orange ribbon over it and the lemon cupcakes were wrapped with a wide yellow ribbon with a thin pink ribbon over that. It was all delicious and so pretty!”

After a perfect wedding and reception, the couple honeymooned in St. Lucia at the Sandals Regency for nine days, and then returned to their home in North Providence, Rhode Island. Looking back, Shelby says the wedding was everything she could have wanted. “But I would have to say the best part of the entire day was being able to share it with all the people we love most,” she says. “We had guests from California, Colorado, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island in attendance and the fact that they were willing to travel such distances to share the day with us was truly wonderful.”

The ICA was a perfect setting for this non-traditional wedding. The space was transformed with in house lighting and the tremendous work by the team at Winstons. Long, Tuscan style tables with multiple composite style, all white arrangements decorated the space. Each item from the linens to the flatware were painstakingly selected by the bride and her mother, who is an interior designer. An unusual color palette of orange, gray and blue were carried throughout the night and the different spaces used. The ceremony was held outside on the waterfront under a chuppah.

Cocktail hour with lots of lounge furniture and bright arrangements preceded dinner in the waterfront space. Dinner and toasts took place upstairs, while the traditional first dance, horah and incredible all blue dessert buffet were saved for the downstairs space. Guests ended the night dancing away to a band from Philadelphia, sampling sweets, gelato and a very non traditional wedding cake – which mirrored the “window like” mirrors on display at the ICA (can be seen in the photo of the band) on various dessert displays. Unique from start to finish!

Vendor Contacts:
Wedding Consultant: Unique Weddings by Alexis
Reception & Catering: Wolfgang Puck Catering
Photographer: Dave Robbins
Flowers: Winston Flowers
Entertainment: Urban Guerilla Orchestra
Rentals: Party by Design
Ice Sculpture: Brilliant Ice Sculpture
Cake Designer: Sweet Lisa’s Exquisite Cakes
Chocolate Supplier: The Chocolate Truffle
Gelato: Firenze Gelato
Hair Stylist: Frederic Fekkai NY
Makeup Stylist: Katrina Hess Makeup Studio
Transportation: Able Limousine & Foxy Travel

The best laid plans may go awry, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good time.

For all our worries, June 12, 2010, turned out fantastic, and went by too quick. There was some last minute stress, for sure, as the weather was not cooperating, and therefore, we had to cancel the use of the outdoor space at Slater Mill. But, as it turned out, having everything in one place was great. The ceremony was short and sweet, so no time was lost transitioning from one location to another. We exchanged vows, kissed, exited down the aisle and into the “party” area of the Pawtucket Armory and started a reception line, which the guests really liked. Then the party really got started.

Jack and Deb Falvey at Jack Falvey Associates were there before noon to start lighting the massive drill hall. They did a fabulous job, and even helped set up a last-minute stage and trellis for the ceremony. The simple white “frame” of the trellis set the scene for the event, and coordinated well with our simple black, white and teal color scheme.Warm lights were set on the floor and bounced off the dramatic ceiling and a long 8′ tall divider of blue fabric was set up to divide the space for its two functions, and also to make it cozier, as the hall was much bigger than we needed. Jack and Deb set up a lounge area with couches in one corner, while the bar and DJ was set up in the other. More accent lighting was added around the perimeters and dance floor to make the space feel more like an exclusive dance club, which it quickly turned into.

Bridemaids wore black dresses of the same fabric (J. Crew) and picked their own most flattering cut (this also meant that they have a greater possibility of wearing them again). Groomsmen wore black suits and shoes – whatever they had in their closet that fit them well – and the groom got them all matching ties. Flowers were prepared by the mother of a friend and came out great. Simple again was best here, with yellow and orange roses and bits of blue and green accents.

As soon as the reception line died down, Glenn Place and his catering team over at Tom’s Market started passing hors d’oeuvres and they continued for the next two hours. We selected an assortment of recognizable favorites – like stuffed mushrooms , spanikopita, grilled pizzas and mini cheeseburgers with bourbon ketchup – to an array of more adventurous finger food, such as California rolls, seared ahi tuna, mini Indian pakoras, crab cakes and pulled pork topped with cole slaw served in phyllo pastry shells. The guests loved the selections, and we anticipated for a heavy serving of about 12 to 15 pieces per person, which filled everyone as much as a sit down dinner would have… but with more variety, and in a more social atmosphere.

Deb at The Pour People provided the bar, and we decided to do a limited one hour open cocktail hour for the guests. This worked out well and the prices were all fixed a head of time. We’ve been to other weddings with open bars all night, and not only can it get expensive, but sometimes it encourages guests to drink more than they ought to. With our scenario, we felt like everyone was having fun without drinking too heavily too quickly.

For dessert, Tom’s Market provided coffee service and The Cupcakerie provided three varieties of delicious gourmet cupcakes. We chose our flavors and provided almost twice as many cupcakes as we had guests. The folks at The Cupcakerie provided a beautiful display stand and made the dessert table really shine. towards the end of the night, Tom’s Market staff even helped pass them around the crowd to make sure everyone got one.

Our DJ was a friend of ours who plays in bands and DJs local night spots around Providence. His style is mostly 50s and 60s surf rock, “tiki” rock, Rock-a-billy and vintage classics, which made for a great party atmosphere. We didn’t have to worry about watching our grandma dancing to The Humpty Dance… instead, young and old got up and boogied to the quick beats and fun sounds of The Colonel. He was also a great personal choice for us, as when Beth and I were dating, we frequently one of his nights at a bar downtown that has since closed. It was like we re-created a moment during our courtship.

A friend of ours, Pete Reinhard, took the photos, which also worked out great. He’s a pro, and since he knew everyone in the hall, he blended in perfectly and captured some great shots. A photo booth from RI Photobooths in the corner also added to the party atmosphere, and there was a line for it all night. it was a little on the expensive side, but it was important to us, as it was also something from our dating past.

All in all, we’re so glad for our family and friends… they helped make the night lots of fun. Dancing, sing-a-longs, congo lines, photo booth photos… it was really a great time and it came together well. We were lucky to be able to make all the personal choices that we wanted, and even though we went a little over our initial budget, it was all worth it. Thanks to everyone involved, and we hope these ideas might help you plan your special day.

When I asked my fiance to marry me in July, 2009, I hadn’t given much thought to how to pay for or plan a wedding. I had enough to think about with purchasing and presenting the engagement ring. For a few months we both reveled in the giddiness of engagement. It wasn’t actually until November or December – a full six months later – that we seriously started to buckle down and consider the whens, whats, wheres and most importantly, hows.

The date we set is 2 months away, and most of our planning is in place. Figuring out what we wanted to do was a little easier than we thought, only because our budget is limited. When you have less money to play with, some decisions come more naturally. We never have been ones that liked or wanted lots of favors and things that are superfluous, anyway, but how to afford some of the necessary items? And how can we make this event special and personal for us and our friends and family? Here are some things we thought about and decided to do:

Decision 1: Forgo the sit-down meal and opt for a large assortment of passed hors d’oeuvres

An example of fun passed hors d'ouevres

My fiance and I are aspiring foodies, let’s make that clear. We love food. We love variety, we love unique and interesting combination of flavors… we don’t shy away from exotic ingredients. We don’t eat at fancy, expensive places all the time, either, but we have been known to indulge. With that in mind, how do you make the food – the second most important element of a great reception, aside from, you know… love – affordable and delicious, maybe even with a little personality of the couple throw in?

We’ve been to some other weddings at a variety of places, and have always been a bit disappointed with the sit-down dinner. Since all the plates have to come out at once, they are usually prepared the day before, and the usually include heavy dairy ingredients like gobs of cheese and butter to add flavor to an otherwise overcooked piece of meat. Add to that the fact that place settings cost money to rent, that you can only give your guests three, maybe four choices for the meal, that you either have to assign people seats or let them figure it out, which in either case makes them feel like this is their seat for the evening, so they are less likely to mill around and talk to people at other tables… all these ideas attributed to our decision to opt-out of the sit-down dinner trap.

We met with Glenn Place over at Tom’s Market in Warren, RI. Tom’s Market is a neighborhood grocery store with a large section of prepared and partially-prepared (par-baked) foods. Every day they make fresh pizzas, Italian specialties, Canadian meat pies (yum!), finger foods, Asian dishes and more right on the premises. Most people grab a few portions to go and finish baking them at home. Glenn was very excited about our idea to do a large variety of what he termed “heavy hors d-oeuvres”, which he sees as a trend in wedding events right now. He prepared a menu with 14 different items, and planned to prepare enough for about 10-12 pieces per wedding guest.

What this option gives us:

Variety… everyone will find something they like and be able to have plenty of tastings to fill them up. Glenn suggested recognizable but gourmet foods like mini cheeseburgers with bourbon ketchup and an assortment of market-made grilled pizza along with more exotic options like coconut shrimp, seared ahi-tuna, Indian pakoras and eggplant caponata.

A Party Atmosphere… everyone will be free to move about and mingle. There will be tables for people to lay their stuff down, but they won’t need to sit down to eat. We’ll also be able to bring in different types of tables – small cocktail high boy tables along with medium-sized round tables – and create a lounge area with couches and love seats. All if this makes it into more of a party where people are dressed up and mingling about instead of sitting down and being passive.

We save money while gaining personality… The selection of food reflects our interest, but the lack of table-service along with a per-person charge for flatware and dishes means that we spend about half of what we would have with a sit down option.

The imposing but very cool raw space inside the Pawtucket Armory Drill Hall

Decision 2: Pick a venue that is non-traditional

A decision to use a venue that doesn’t typically hold weddings is an easy one in theory. Picking one that is right for you and your fiance is a tougher one.

We decided to keep it local and choose venues in our adopted town of Pawtucket, RI. For the ceremony, we choose the lovely outdoor location along the Blackstone River at Slater Mill. The Mill was built at the turn of the 19th century and was the nexus of the Industrial Revolution during the beginning of the 20th. Up the street and around the corner, we choose the Pawtucket Armory Drill Hall for our reception. This old Armory resembles a red brick castle and up until the late nineties was used by the National Guard. Since then, it has undergone a transformation as an arts venue, housing a local theater company, an arts-magnet high school and various concerts and art events in its huge hall.

What this option gives us:

Personality... again, we were trying to do something different to make us happy and to make us feel like our event was unique. These two venues certainly do that. It is also a happy coincidence that by picking these two places – places that have so much history and personality attached to them – that we started to create a theme for our wedding, one that we have since brought into the fashion and invitations: Turn of the Century (the previous one!).

More bang for our bucks… Since both of these venues are not your typical wedding event location, both of them are more affordable than places that do nothing but weddings. This comes with some challenges as well – for instance we need to rent things like tables since the venue does not have a stock of their own – but, all in all, it is still more affordable to do it this way.

One of the unintended challenges of using a large space – we are talking 100 feet by 200 feet – like the Armory Drill Hall for an event with about 150 guests is decorating it and making it feel intimate. That could be a lot of expensive floral arrangements to make the space feel “full”. Our friends at Jack Falvey Associates had better ideas, though.

A full-scale example of what JFA can do with light in a space

Decision 3: Decorate with light

My fiance and I met with Deb and Jack Falvey, lighting specialists over at Jack Falvey Associates to discuss what to do with the space. We had met Deb previously at LaBella’s Newport Wedding Showcase event in January where she gave a seminar on how to use light effectively to transform a space. A designer can use light to change the color and atmosphere of a space, but also to highlight some areas and let other areas go dark and unnoticed. With relatively inexpensive light cans around the perimeter of the space pointing up to wash the dramatic ceiling with light, some spot light here and there on tables, the desert table, the bar and other areas we can really transform the space into something greater. With warm tones we can make the space feel cozy and inviting. We also decided to chop the space basically in half in order to make it seem cozier and more like a party instead of a big empty hall.

What this option gives us:

Piece of mind… Having an expert like Jack and Deb consult with us on our event has really given us piece of mind. It is a risk to take on a space that isn’t geared for weddings and make it work. They helped us with our ideas and expectations, made realistic suggestions, and helped craft a plan to transform what could be an imposing space into a warm party atmosphere. Meanwhile, with them taking care of the big picture, we can funnel our efforts towards decorating the smaller things like the tabletops and bar. They can help take a non-traditional space and turn it into the type of party that you really want to have.

And now…

Time to finish up the little things and get moving on the rest of our plans. I’ll return with another installment and even let you know how everything went after the dust settles. Thanks for reading, and I hope you found something inspiring here to help you with your wedding plans.

By Table of Contents. Photography by Dan Doke Photography

Spring pea soup with lemon aioli and pea tendrils.

By Table of Contents. Photography by Dan Doke Photography

Contemporary deconstructed apple Waldorf salad.

By Table of Contents. Photography by Dan Doke Photography

Creme brulee flight – creme de banana, mixed berry and chocolate espresso.

Designed by Events by Sharon’s Daughter at the Omni Parker House. Photography by Dan Doke Photography. Rentals by Rentals Unlimited. Floral by Orchids ‘n’ Blooms.

Luxe French blue bengaline linen covers this 8′ banquet table and is topped with lush floral arrangements of hydrangea, roses, cymbidium orchids in ivory. Crystal teardrop lamps, silver beaded charges, and silver grandeur glassware. Priced at $1200.

Designed by Chestnuts In The Tuileries. Photographed by Main Event Weddings. Rentals by Broadway Party Rentals. Linens by Wildflower Linen’s.

The essence of romanticism is captured through the elegant tones and delicate details. A whimsical tree growing from a mound of lush and abundant blooms sitting atop a beaded jade linen and accessorized with crystal cut glasses and silver mercury candle sticks create a fresh and enchanted look. Scattered silk butterflies and soft pink lisianthus blossoms hanging from the tree add a natural, yet playful accent to the overall table design. Priced at $1750

All images shot at Wave Hill.

Designed by Raina Dawn Events. Photographed by Main Event Weddings Rentals by Broadway Party Rentals Co designer  Castle & Pierpoint Linens by Ruth Fischl.  Table number cards and menu cards by  Haute Papier.

Eight foot modern white lacquered table covered  with mirror tiles through the center and finished with mercury glass vases and blown glass apothecary jars filled with roses, dahlias, orchids, anthurium, hydrangea, ferns and other foliage candles. Price available upon request.

All images shot at Wave Hill.

Designed by Dana Markos Events at the Omni Parker House. Photography by Dan Doke Photography. Rentals by Rentals Unlimited

Inspired by Bouguereau’s Return of Spring: steel gray linens represent the stillness of winter while the crystal represents the thaw of winter. The flowers become lighter in color as the eye cast upwards to mark Spring rising and at the pinnacle, branches begin to bud. Pink peonies, white hydrangeas, curly willow, tulips, French tulips, blue majesty hydrangeas, cymbidium orchids, dendrobium orchid, lavender lilacs and lavender roses. Price available upon request.

Photography by BKB Photography. Kane and Chrissy had known each other for ages. Their parents were good friends and the two practically grew up together, participating in family vacations and get-togethers since childhood. But because Kane was four years older, the friendship had never turned romantic. “We were just at different stages in life,” says Chrissy. “He was in college when I was in high school and then he was working when I was in college.”

But one day that all changed. Kane was living in Florida but had come to St. Louis to visit Chrissy’s brother, who was in the hospital. Afterward, Chrissy and Kane went out for lunch—which ultimately turned into spending the entire day together. “It was actually a little weird for us to realize we had feelings for each other after we’d been friends our whole life,” she laughs. “But it was just so comfortable. It was so easy to hang out and we got along so well.”

After almost two years of a long-distance relationship, Kane proposed. “I was finishing up nursing school at the time and had just gotten back from a long day at the hospital,” says Chrissy. “Kane had filled my apartment with rose petals and candles and had the ring sitting out. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.”

And just a short six months later the couple made it official. The outdoor ceremony was held at Forest Park in St. Louis. While the temperature was in the 90s, Chrissy says she was too happy to worry about the heat. “I was thankful that the guys had picked out tan suits instead of black, so it was a little less hot for them,” she says. “But I was so excited that I wasn’t thinking much about the weather.”

In addition to special touches such as Chrissy’s best friend singing at the wedding, and a fantastic string quartet, the ceremony also included a meaningful tribute to Chrissy’s brother, who had passed away. “We released doves in honor of him, and in honor of other relatives that had passed away and couldn’t be there with us,” she says.

Following the ceremony, guests headed to the nearby Chase Park Plaza Hotel, where the reception was held in the Starlight Room which is on the top floor of this luxury, downtown St. Louis hotel. Instead of a traditional sit-down dinner or buffet, the pair had food stations arranged all over the room. “We even had a guy outside barbequing,” says Chrissy. “I wanted to give guests an opportunity to mingle more so there was no assigned seating either. It was more of a party than a formal dinner.”

That party also included a fabulous martini station with an ice luge sculpture. The signature green martinis were nickname “Kaltinis” after the couple’s new, shared last name. Another fun touch was allowing the bridal party to select their own songs, which they’d be introduced with. As the bridal attendants were announced into the party with their song, they each had made up a little dance to perform for guests. And of course the bride and groom were not to be outdone! While they started their first dance off to a traditional slow song, that music came to a screeching halt and a fun, faster song piped over the speakers while Chrissy and Kane performed a pre-choreographed dance!

Fun was most definitely the theme of this reception and the couple didn’t stop smiling all night. And it’s pretty certain the guests had a blast too. After all the excitement from their big day, the couple took a relaxing honeymoon in Hawaii. “It was beautiful,” says Chrissy. “We surfed, mountain biked, went horseback riding and spent a lot of time on the beach.”