Christopher and Maura are such a fun couple and were a joy to work with on their wedding day. Their love for one another was so obvious that taking their pictures was a breeze. I adore their love story: they met as camp counselors, had a typical first date movie and dinner and were engaged in spectacular fashion, the kind that makes for a great tale for your children.
As Maura tells it, “I really wanted a good story to tell when people asked us, “How did he propose?” I certainly got it!” With the help of Maura’s friend, Chris secretly sent his soon to be fiance on an Easter hunt, gathering lettered eggs from various family members posted at strategic landmarks around Washington DC. As you can guess, the eggs spelled out MARRY ME and after following the last clue to the Jefferson Memorial, Maura found Chris down on his knee with the final golden egg containing a ring! Cheered by onlookers and family alike, of course she said yes.
Chris and Maura were married on July 3, 2010 in Essex, Vermont at the gorgeous, accommodating Essex Resort and Spa, under a simple chuppah made of birch branches and long flowing fabric. The day was perfect for a wedding, bright and sunny, and full of promise. Maura wore an ivory Marisa gown with a satin sash and added an intricately embellished silk and organza flower pin made by Sara Gabriel for a touch of elegance and whimsy. The bride carried a hand-tied bouquet of white peonies, tulips, freesia and mini-green hydrangea accented with a bright tangerine ribbon, which perfectly matched the silk shantung dresses of her attendants. The groom and groomsmen looked slick in their black tuxedos with black herringbone vests, white tuxedo shirts and black bow ties.
After the kiss, Chris and Maura showed their fun, relaxed, and really in love side which made this wedding such a joy to capture. The grounds were amazingly lush which provided a sunny green, woodsy backdrop.
An important element to this wedding was color, says Maura, “I knew I wanted something very fresh, clean, and summery. Our colors were shades of whites, creams, light yellows and light greens, with punches of tangerine.” They also wanted it to be fun, from their unique Ben and Jerry inspired Save the Date magnets to the clothespins and escort cards to colorful Chinese lanterns hung in the reception hall. Each table featured low groupings of candles and blooms on a base of woven ribbon in oranges and yellows. Tulips, hydrangea and peonies were clustered in different sized vessels, adding dimension and visual interest to the centerpieces. “I wanted really flowers that were lush and in season and that would compliment each other.”
What is your most cherished memory of your wedding celebration? Maura: Chris and I wanted to be creative with our wedding and do something people hadn’t seen before. Instead of just walking into the room like many couples do, we decided to spice up our grand entrance. We wrote a rap for our entrance summarizing how we met and the progression of our relationship to the music from the TV show, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. We worked with the DJ to make sure our entrance was just right. He did the typical introduction, “Now for the first time as husband and wife, Chris and Maura!” and the staff at The Essex open the doors from the patio. The DJ did this three times and played along, making it sound like something had gone awry. Then he did the “remix” sound and we walked in the other set of doors. Chris had on bright green slotted sunglasses with a gold money sign chain and I had on bright pink slotted sunglasses and a clock on a chain around my neck. We came in rapping and finished our routine on the dance floor. All of our guests were shocked and later told us that it was the funniest and best thing they had ever seen at a wedding. Chris and I loved this moment of our wedding. The DJ then transitioned with the Black Eyed Peas song I Gotta Feeling. Our rap energized our guests and we had everyone on the dance floor having a great time.
It was a great night indeed. Thank you for letting us share in your special day! Also, special thanks to Mellissa de Oliveira of DeLovely Affair for helping with this post.
