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Chloe and Matthew
Ask Chloe and Matthew when they began dating, and you'll get two different answers. "They fell in love because of '70s punk: the Cramps, the Clash, Iggy and the Stooges, the Ramones," says Laura McMullin, who helped plan their wedding. The couple chose to represent this music by using a bright neon pink in their palette. "Album covers from that time prominently used that kind of electric pink," explains Chloe.
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Invitations
Friend Athena Preston designed the quirky stationery, whose pear motif is a whimsical take on the name of the couple's property: Pearbrook Farm.
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Bouquet
Chloe's mother designed her daughter's colorful bouquet, which consisted of flowers and herbs plucked from Pearbrook: blue delphiniums, coral bells, artemisia, Queen Anne's lace, and pink and white roses among them.
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Walking Down the Aisle
A carefree Chloe walks down the grassy "aisle" with her parents, Mark and Pattucci Shehan.
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Vows
Phyllis Skidmore, Pearbrook's former owner and an ordained minister, officiated. "It seemed fitting, as we're starting a new life on the land she lived on for so long," said Chloe.
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Guestbook
Well-wishers could think pink while penning their congratulations.
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Cocktails
In addition to mint juleps, clever twists on classic cocktails were served, including a Ghost of Mary (a pale version of the bloody one), a Bernini (essentially a Bellini that playfully borrows from their shared last name), and a modified sea breeze that substitutes Campari for cranberry juice.
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Cocktail Hour
Guests enjoy the cocktails.
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Chatting Over Drinks
Wedding guests gather for an informal chat.
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Table Setting
"We wanted fun and quirky," says Chloe of the paper table runners she designed with Athena Preston. "The bluebirds look like something from the cover of a 1950s book, and the spiderwebs and foxes make it all a little wilder." The old chairs, collected mostly at flea markets, exude a bucolic charm.
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Reception Location
The reception was held in two connected barns, this one lit by an antique chandelier.
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The Full Reception
The second barn was illuminated by lights strung on 20-foot flowering pear trees placed between tables, which also served as a leafy canopy over the guests. The trees, a present from the bride's godfather, were planted on the farm in a ceremony the next day.
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Wedding Cake
The flowering cake created by Matthew's sister Sarah, a former pastry chef, recalls the bride's woodsy bouquet.
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Sweets
Mini ice creams take the form of strawberries and pears.
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Gift Basket
Gift baskets for hotel guests included, says Chloe, "whatever would make them feel comfortable": spring water, lip balm, insect repellent, chocolate -- and hangover remedies.
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Favors
The favors consisted of jams and jellies made from fruits grown at Pearbrook: plums, currants, grapes, peaches, raspberries, and, of course, pears.
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A Glowing Evening
Despite the threat of rain, the outdoor dance floor remained uncovered, all the better for viewing the centuries-old barn in all its rustic beauty.
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Sources
Wedding Planner: Laura McMullin, lauramcmullin@aol.com
Stationery: Athena Preston. Letterpress printing, Earl Kallemeyn of Kallemeyn Press, 718-349-8900. Engraving, Stationer's Engraving Co., 212-242-4600
Calligraphy: Elizabeth White-Pultz, elizabethdavid.nyc@att.net
Guestbook: Milkfed Press
Favors: 4-ounce canning jars, from Lehman's. Custom rubber bands (around lids), by the Print Box
Ice Cream: St. Clair
Wedding Gown: Bruno Grizzo
Bride's Accessories: Chain necklaces, by Bernbach, cbernbach@gmail.com
Wedding Bands: TenThousandThings, 212-352-1333
Band: Dexter Lake Club Band
Rentals: Dance floor, Aviator Tent Rental, 518-758-9333
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