Real Weddings – A Perfect Summer Wedding
Photography by emilie inc. www.emilieinc.com
Journeys by boat and trolley, a rustic island ceremony and a vibrant and elegant reception, all set against a stunning sun-filled day on Squam Lake.
It seems that fate and the universe — or at least the whims of New England weather — were smiling down upon Megan Murphy and Josh Barnard on their picturesque wedding day. It was one of those absolutely perfect and rare New Hampshire summer days — warm, but not sweltering, sunny with only a few clouds dotting the sky, no threatening thunderheads looming on the horizon and, maybe most importantly, the waters of Squam Lake remained calm.
The ceremony itself took place on Church Island, which is only accessible by boat. Guests and family gathered at Megan’s parents’ home for what Megan calls “the launch party.” Everyone then hopped into two boats (purple and blue tickets notified guests which of the two boats to take) for the watery journey to Church Island.
As the island is protected land (meaning no food could be served and there are definitely no bathrooms) everyone returned to the boats, met once more at her parents’ home, and then took trolleys provided by Wolfeboro Trolley Co. to the reception at Church Landing at The Inns and Spa at Mill Falls.
Squam Lake was more than just a scenic setting for the Seattle couple. The newlyweds, who met at Yale, decided to return to Megan’s favorite childhood spot for their wedding. Add to that the fact that Josh proposed to Megan on Squam Lake, and you have a location that is steeped in both family and happy memories.
And, of course, there’s the lake’s natural splendor.
“It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been,” says Megan. “It’s the kind of place that feeds your soul.”
In addition to planning the multi-location and modes of transportation logistics, Megan and Josh also had guests arriving from as far away as Hong Kong and Nigeria, and planned the incorporation of both Jewish and Christian elements into the wedding — complete with two officiants, Rabbi Lev Ba’esh and Rev. Tanya Rasmussen, a family friend.
“It required a lot of thought and effort,” says Megan of how they wove their religions together. “We had to really plan it, but we had two absolutely fabulous officiants.”
One very special element was the chuppah — a traditional canopy that stands over the bride and groom in a Jewish wedding ceremony. Added onto the chuppah were Megan’s mother’s wedding veil and Josh’s great grandfather’s prayer shawl.
Taking the reins of this massive coordination effort was wedding planner Kate Parker of Kate Parker Weddings. Though it was hectic, says Parker, it was unique and fun. Plus, everything went according to plan — especially the weather.
“It was definitely one of the best weekends of the summer,” says Parker.
Besides the literal journey taken by boat and trolley, Parker planned a journey of color, ending in a spectacular display of vibrant blue and purple with accents of yellow and pink at the reception — not your average wedding color palette.
“I love vibrant color,” says Megan. “That’s just who I am.”
“It was nuts,” says Parker of the color scheme, “but nuts in a good way — I loved it. I was so excited — someone finally wanted to do vibrant colors.”
Since Megan admires the fashion designs of Emilio Pucci, the inspiration for her wedding colors came from one of his cloth prints. Megan describes his prints as “a riot of color all flowing together,” which became the color theme.
There were hints of what was to come color-wise throughout the day, says Parker, but the “riot of color” wasn’t revealed to guests until the reception.
At the cocktail party there were white linens with blue flowers, Megan’s bouquet featured dark blue irises with yellow throats — as did Josh’s boutonniere, the boat tickets were purple and blue, the boats themselves sported purple and blue ribbons, the back of the save-the-dates was the chosen Pucci print and the inside of the invitation envelopes was in the same print. While the bridesmaids’ dresses were a bright blue, their bouquets were all white — and so were the groomsmen’s boutonnieres.
There was another reason to keep things somewhat muted until the reception — Parker didn’t want to overwhelm the picturesque and rustic feel of Church Island.
“There’s always the fear of over-designing a rustic setting,” says Parker. Plus, she adds, they didn’t want to give away the final concept until the reception.
When guests finally walked into the ballroom they were greeted with tables draped in bright blue linens with custom-made cloth in the pink, blue and purple Pucci style on top. Yellow flowers on each place setting and in the centerpieces completed the color scheme. Megan and Josh’s chairs were also accented with the Pucci cloth.
Even the cake received the Pucci treatment. The bakery, Something Sweet by Michelle, was sent a piece of the cloth, and the result were shapes “cut out” from the cloth (and in the same colors) and placed onto a white cake.
From a multi-location wedding day and a ceremony of blended religions, to a reception that exploded in color, Megan and Josh created a unique wedding that reflected their personalities and their faiths, and was ultimately everything they dreamed of.
– by Erica Thoits
Megan and Josh's wedding was held on Squam Lake in Holderness, N.H. Photo by emilie inc
Photo by emilie inc
Photo by emilie inc
Photo by emilie inc
Photo by emilie inc
Photo by emilie inc
Photo by emilie inc
