A Contemporary Wedding at a Boston Art Museum

The Stationery Suite

Danielle's mother, who's in the fine art business, consulted her art printer and Pantone color book to help the couple make sure they picked the perfect shades of blue and berry.

Save the dates featured the basics, calligraphed in a modern style by Anne Robin, with the pair's names done in a lower-case script. The white invitations were letterpressed with navy ink, foiled-stamped with gold accents, and finished off with berry red-painted edges. Anne Robin also created a brushstroke that was carried through day-of signage and captured the art theme of the venue in a less traditional way, and Li Ward painted envelopes with a gold brushstroke and navy brush lettering. Vintage stamps added a touch of feminine, New England flair.

The Welcome Bag

Canvas welcome bags were printed with a design of the city's skyline and contained welcome information about the weekend, mini Champagne bottles with straws, hangover kits, and an assortment of mini donuts from Blackbird Donuts (as a nod to the couple's breakfast-in-bed proposal).

The Location

The Institute of Contemporary Art was the perfect combination of industrial and intimate for Danielle and Brian's modern fête. Located in Boston's Seaport District, the ICA reflects a deep appreciation of art that the couple shares. "One of the best parts of getting married at the ICA is that it comes with a higher level of membership that provides access to special events, such as artist talks and receptions with the curators. Being able to attend these events further reminds us why we chose to get married there, as it enriches our lives and will continue to remain an important part of our relationship long after our wedding," says Danielle.

The Style

Danielle wore an ivory tulle Monique Lhuillier gown with an embellished applique overlay of silk flowers and pearls. It was the first and last dress she tried on—but with dozens of other contenders in between. She accessorized with champagne glitter peep-toe Jimmy Choo shoes and a cathedral-length veil. Brian opted for a black Burberry tuxedo and John Varvatos shoes.

The Bridal Bouquet

Petal Floral created a bridal bouquet of garden roses, astrantia, tulips, dahlias, viburnum berries, clematis, and greenery tied with silk gray and blue ribbons.

A Family Heirloom

A black onyx-and-diamond necklace carved with Danielle's father's initials and birth year was gifted to her grandmother when he was born. When Danielle was born, the necklace was passed along to her mother along with a matching set of earrings. As an homage to her family, the necklace was tied around the bridal bouquet for the ceremony.

The First Look

The couple shared their first look along the Boston HarborWalk and then took portraits before their sunset ceremony. "My nerves began to rise as I heard the clicking of Danielle's heels on the cobblestone get closer. Then she touched my shoulder and I finally turned around and saw her," Brian says. "I was speechless, she looked beautiful. Seeing her for the first time that day made all my emotions very real."

Bridal Party Gifts

Danielle gifted her bridesmaids custom jewelry trays featuring Anne Robin's calligraphy and gold bracelets from the Tusk Monogram Collection. Each bracelet was engraved with the coordinates where she had met them, with their birthstone serving as the degree symbols. The inside of each piece was engraved with their initials and Danielle and Brian's wedding date.

The guys weren't left out—they were given leather wallets from Ball and Buck, a local shop. They were customized with each groomsman's initials by Paper Birch Designs. The guys also got polka-dotted socks, which they wore with their tuxedos.

The Bridesmaids

Clad in navy-chiffon Amsale gowns from L'Elite Bridal, the bridesmaids joined Danielle for some pre-ceremony portraits by the water.

The Ceremony Location

The ceremony was held on the ICA's grandstand, which overlooks the Boston Harbor.

An Unplugged Ceremony

Lucite signs reminded guests that no phones or cameras were allowed during the ceremony. "The ceremony is the most personal part of your wedding, and not allowing anyone but our professional photographer take photos made it feel very comfortable and intimate," says Danielle. "So many guests remarked that they enjoyed the ceremony that much more because they were able to take it all in without any distractions."

The Bride's Entrance

"My dad walked me down the aisle, and it was never a question whether it would be any other way," says Danielle, who processed to Pachelbel's "Canon in D." "We've always been very close, and while I thought we would both be very emotional, he kept me so calm and composed." The two later swayed to Bob Dylan's "Forever Young" during their father-daughter dance.

The Ceremony

The couple had a sunset ceremony along the water of the Boston Harbor where they shared handwritten vows and exchanged rings. Their officiant, Beverly Cook, also read an old English blessing, "May your joys be as bright as the morning, your years of happiness as numerous as the stars in the heavens, and your troubles but shadows that fade in the sunlight of love."

"This is my favorite photo from the wedding," Danielle says. "It sums up the ceremony so perfectly—the beautiful pink and blue sunset, the light illuminating us as a couple, and all of our guests so focused on the present."

The Cocktail Hour

Guests floated between the Water Café (the museum's restaurant) and the outdoor plaza during cocktail hour as Unity, a jazz trio, played live music. Appetizers included spicy tuna tartare in a sesame miso cone, baby lobster roll on a toasted bun with celery remoulade, and roasted lamb loin on olive bread crostini. The signature cocktails were two of the newlyweds' favorites—a Paloma and a Moscow mule.

The Escort Cards

Small, bright floral arrangements doubled as escort cards and favors and were set out in front of a large piece of plexiglass that read "find your seat." Each petite vase had a card hand-painted with the signature brushstroke and calligraphy by Anne Robin. On the back was a note that said each flower represented a donation made in the guest's honor to Boston Children's Hospital and The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi, Kenya—where the couple fosters two elephants.

The Reception

Held in ICA's theatre, the reception space had walls of windows with views of the Boston Harbor. Ghost chairs added a contemporary touch to the traditional wooden farm tables, while the wire chandeliers that hung from above flowed seamlessly with the avant-garde aesthetic of the museum.

The Centerpieces

The small, round tables were topped with navy linens, gold metal 3-D table numbers, and bold, vibrant floral arrangements of tulips, roses, amaranthus, and a mix of greenery.

The Place Settings

Long, wooden farm tables were given more of a woodsy design with moss, ferns, and clematis. Lucite menus were designed to let custom napkins screen-printed with a gold brush stroke show through. Place cards featuring a gold brushstroke and calligraphed names in pink ink were tucked into gold forks. For dinner, guests chose between filet mignon with spring onions, asparagus, horseradish mashed potatoes, and a madeira demi-glaze; roasted salmon with a basil crust, tomato, leek, artichoke, olives, crispy potato, and preserved lemon; and truffled goat cheese tortellini with butternut squash, wild mushroom, and sage.

The First Dance

Twinkle lights cast a warm glow over the newlyweds as they danced to Elton John's "Your Song."

The Photo Booth Backdrop

Fresh flowers left over from the floral arrangements and bouquets were taped to a white wall using graphic washi tape, creating an organic and fun backdrop for everyone to pose in front of. "We're always looking for innovative backdrop ideas," event planner mStarr Design says. "In this case we were able to create something that looked great in pictures and added to the reception environment." Printouts of the photo booth served as a take-home treat.

The Cake

Covered with almond-buttercream frosting and fresh flowers, this textured three-tier almond cake by Mayflour Confections was filled with raspberry preserves and served with raspberry coulis.

Sources

Photography, Erin McGinn Photography
Location, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
Event planning, mStarr Design
Catering, Wolfgang Puck Catering
Flowers, Petal Floral Design
Videography, readyset[film]
Officiant, Beverly Cook
Calligraphy, Stationery, and Day-of Signage, Anne Robin Calligraphy
Envelope Calligraphy and gold brushstroke, LiWardian
Cake, Mayflour Confections
Music, Infinity Strings (ceremony); Unity (cocktail hour)
Rentals, Rentals Unlimited
Bride's gown, Monique Lhuillier
Bride's accessories, L'Elite Bridal (veil); Jimmy Choo (shoes)
Hair, Kent Newton Salon
Makeup, Danielle Noel
Bridesmaids' dresses, Amsale
Groom's suit, Burberry
Menswear, The Black Tux
Groom's shoes, John Varvatos
Transportation, Best of Boston Events
Bridesmaids' bracelets, Tusk Monogram Collection
Donuts, Blackbird Donuts
Linens, Nuage Designs