Emerald & Brian’s Berkshires wedding at the Mount in Lenox was featured on Over the Moon today (Vogue Editor’s wedding and fashion blog), and needless to say we over the moon about it!! Planning and designing Emerald and Brian’s wedding truly took us back in time and was an enchanting story we would tell over and over again!
The Venue
The venue, the Mount, was designed and built by novelist Edith Wharton in 1902. Emerald and Brian wanted to honor and preserve the spirit of the author throughout their wedding day, and came to us with a vision: to host a elegant “backyard” wedding that Edith would have thrown at her property.
The Vision
Of course, they wanted it to be contemporary enough to reflect their personal story as a couple and host their guests without any overbearing “themes.” We worked with the couple to design a feel for the day that melded together vintage elements from the Gilded age with contemporary traditions, – pulling inspiration from the properties – beautiful natural landscaping and the interior design in the home (modeled as a work of art by French, Italian and English traditions.)
Welcome Cocktails & the Ceremony
Now, let’s be clear. What we adore about Emerald and Brian is while they wanted an elegant and inspired affair, they also wanted a damn good PARTY! Their motto “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody!” was a common theme throughout the weekend! We kicked off the festivities by welcoming guests to the property with pre-ceremony sparkling rose in the Forecourt, before they headed to the ceremony in the French Flower Garden amongst the fountain and flowers. Visually, we designed the ceremony to be simple due the beauty of the garden itself, and utilized the color scheme of blush, gold, and rich burgundy in the florals to create just enough 19th century drama.
A Private Moment
After the ceremony, we wanted Emmie & Brian to have a special moment alone as newlyweds, so we whisked them to the Sunken Garden, bubbly in hand. We created a cozy setting for the two to relax for a moment, in a dusty rose-colored loveseat and our floral team surprised Emmie with a backpack filled with her favorite flowers, because we joked with her often that she was truly a flower child at heart.
Cocktail Hour
During cocktail hour, guests enjoyed views from the stone terrace, high above the gardens. Guests dined on Mezze Catering’s local cuisine, sourced from farms in the Berkshires and nearby Hudson Valley. They chatted to the tunes of Brian’s friends’ guitar and sipped wine, beer and craft cocktails: His: The Gold Rush (bourbon, local honey and fresh lemon) and Hers: a French 75.
Dinner & Dancing
After cocktails, guests moved to a tented garden party on the front lawn for dinner and dancing. Emerald and Brian really wanted the entire vibe to feel natural and organic, yet vintage and elegant. We designed the tent space with two things in mind: to allow guests to still feel as if they were in Edith’s home, but with a modern twist. For the tablescape, we mixed natural wood tables with gold flecked linen, vintage goblets, gold rimmed glassware, large brass candelabras, vintage mirrored table numbers created by Antea Amoroso and more. And we worked with Ryan Designs to create three chandelier trellises overhead, which our floral team filled with greens. Under the trellises, we added vintage lounge seating in all shades of blush, gold and burgundy, as if brought in from Edith’s home. (Thank you Kadeema Rentals!) Guests dined on a family-style meal amongst the candle light, and danced every chance they got to NYC band the Broadway Project. Emmie even crowd surfed!!!
The After Party
Following all the beauty and elegance, guests moved to the Carriage House across the path for the after party. Brian’s friend DJ’d the party, and we got amazing glow sticks with their hashtag #therealBEdavis. We lit the carriage house with crazy colored lights and created a platform dance floor (Brian’s idea!) with glow lights, so guests could party hard. Everyone drank Tito’s and Bud Lites, party’d to 90’s hits, at late night pizza and hung out by the fire pit until 1 am! The couple changed and gave everyone crazy wigs to wear. It was much more of a “late night” experience than the wedding, and we loved that Emerald and Brian weren’t afraid to do that – the cool club vibes made everyone continue to party their hearts out!
Venue: The Mount / New England Wedding Planner: Whim Events / Catering + Beverage: Mezze Catering / Photos: Christina Bernales / Video: Stop Go Love/ Tent & Rentals: Classical Tent / Table Top Rentals: Peak Event Services / Lounge: Kadeema Rentals / Hair & Make Up: Tina Sullivan & Tamar / Lighting: Ryan Designs / Stationery: Cousin of the Bride / Band: The Broadway Project / Strings: Atlantic Strings / Cocktail Music: Friend of the Groom.
Enjoy these stunning photos by Christina Bernales and video from Stop Go Love.
Emerald+Brian | The Mount | Lenox, MA | Wedding Film from StopGoLove on Vimeo.
