Real Wedding: Lydia and Ben, Harrodsburg, Kentucky

Lydia Curtz and Benjamin Tuttle met their sophomore year in college. Five years later, and all grown up, the program leader of a refugee resettlement agency and medical researcher got hitched. The April 6, 2013, wedding took place at a Shaker village, not far from their Kentucky home.

The engraved stationery suite showcased calligraphy by Claudia Engle in a beautiful blue ink. A hodgepodge of postage stamps and vellum printed with the Shaker tree of life icon completed it.

The bride gave each member of her bridal party monogrammed tote bags and pashminas, both in the colors of the wedding.

Ben kept it classic in an Armani tuxedo and Cole Haan shoes. Lydia did too, in an Amsale gown she tweaked for a custom style. She accessorized her look with Salvatore Ferragamo shoes, a custom veil, the diamond ring made from her great grandmother’s stone, and a pair of sentimental earrings that had belonged to her grandmother that she’d worn to all of her graduations.

Lydia carried a clutch of peonies, stephanotis, lavender, and sweet peas, finished off with a handkerchief that she and her mother had picked up while in Belgium for Christmas. Each of her bridesmaids was given an initial hankie as well.

The three bridesmaids wore emerald J.Crew gowns and carried bouquets accented by purple blooms.

The property boasts a nature preserve to protect the countryside and its flora and fauna. There’s also a stable, with goats and horses.

Florist E. Stephen Hein went simple and natural with the décor, creating garlands, wreaths, and understated arrangements to let the setting’s innate charm take center stage.

Birch bark was used as a décor element, including as a backer to the ceremony program, which incorporated the same patterned paper used to line the invitation envelopes.

Muslin sachets stamped with the Shaker tree of life and the couple’s wedding date were filled with lavender for people to toss as the newlyweds exited the ceremony venue. “Ben and I made them all months before, then kept them in our closet, which smelled great,” Lydia recalled.

It was pure joy post ceremony, when the couple was showered by their fragrant confetti.

A horse-drawn carriage was a surprise to the couple, who rode it from the ceremony to the reception.

Cheese has always been Lydia’s favorite food, and with a family of food-lovers, it was an obvious appetizer choice. The bride’s father selected the cheeses and accompaniments from Formaggio Kitchen. They were set out with calligraphed cards displayed in small holders from BHLDN.

Custom Shaker boxes were tied with a velvet ribbon, and filled with a card that read “thank you” and bourbon balls (a soft boozy candy dunked in chocolate and topped with a pecan). They sat on round menus printed by The Lettered Olive and gold plates at each place setting. The tables were accented by colorful Mexican tiles with animals painted on them and centerpieces of ranunculus, muscari, sweet peas, and nigella.

A large piece of paper was calligraphed with the details of the day and lines for each of the 118 guests to sign.

To tie in the summerhouse in Canada the couple has gone to for years, they topped their cake with a pair of bear figurines. “We sometimes see black bears swimming across the lake,” Lydia said. “We though they were a fun way to incorporate the cottage.”

Every time Lydia and Ben visit his father and stepmother in Pittsburg they swing by a local popcorn shop that makes the airy snack in all sorts of flavors. Ben’s parents filled cellophane bags with caramel-and cheddar-flavored popcorn and sealed them with stickers stamped with the tree icon used throughout the day. Guests took them home as midnight snacks.

Photography: Lang Thomas

Location and Catering: Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill

Event Planning: Sarah Leer (859-221-9224)

Flowers: E. Stephen Hein Florist

Calligraphy: Claudia Engle

Cake: Tinkers Cakeshop

Music: Inception

Rentals: Purdon’s Rental

Hair: Megan Kirby at Voce

Makeup: Kasey Ring