A Traditional Pale-Blue-and Pink Wedding at Home in California

July 28, 2011

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Lily and John

It's hard to find quality time with your man when he's on a Navy destroyer in the middle of the ocean. Fortunately for the officer in question, John Harrington IV, and his now-wife Lily Fink, Cupid had wings. The two were wed in the backyard of Lily's childhood home in Santa Barbara, and perhaps the most sentimental moment of all came near day's end, as the two happy newlyweds danced together in the twilight.

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Bouquet

Krause, Johansen

The bridal bouquet features garden roses, dahlias, orchids, lily of the valley, jasmine, sweetpeas, and scented geranium.

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Bridesmaid Bouquets

Lily gave each one of her bridesmaids a vintage handkerchief to hold with her dahlia-filled bouquet.

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Boutonnieres

The groom's grandfather grows cornflowers, his signature boutonniere, in his garden. In homage, the couple offered ribbon-tied ones to male guests.

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Ceremony

A block from his home, John Fink walks his daughter down the aisle.

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Rice Packets

Glassine bags stamped in blue with the couple's names and their wedding date hold rice for tossing.

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Stationery

The challenge for Lily and John: creating invitations both unusual and classically formal. The solution: engraving on thick, creamy card stock and handwriting each guest's name (classic) while mixing traditional type and fonts with ornate calligraphy, by Nancy Howell, and using offbeat ink color and paper combinations (unusual).

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Bride's Hair

Lily sent artist Jude Miller a photo of a "Sally Holmes" rose -- a wild climbing bloom that she loves but that dies quickly -- and Miller created a botanically accurate, and lasting, version for her from crepe paper.

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Bridal Party

Krause, Johansen

"They all wanted to wear the same dress!" says Lily of her bridesmaids; they did, however, pair their pink Simple Silhouettes numbers with gold shoes in various styles.

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Bridesmaid Gifts

Krause, Johansen

For one of the gifts she gave her attendants, Lily ordered custom-made clutches and had them monogrammed by designer Lauren Merkin; "I matched the fabric to the personality of the girl," says the bride (both floral prints are made by Liberty).

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Groomsmen

In a twist on the trend of having bridesmaids wear variations on a theme, John told his groomsmen (including brothers Kent and Christian, who flank him in the photo) to wear their own gray suits -- most of them own a few for work -- with matching pink ties from Turnbull & Asser.

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Bride and Mother

Lily and Sharkey Fink take a moment to pose for a mother-daughter picture.

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Guests

Guests pen a note.

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Photo Booth

BFFs and couples can never resist a photo booth, so Lily and John had guests snap themselves for the wedding guest book; the couple opted for a vintage booth from PhotoBooth Scrapbooks.

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Guestbook

A few of the old-school photo strips.

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Monograms

The monogram LJH in pink and light blue adorns cocktail napkins by For Your Party; swizzle sticks displaying LJ in navy are from Mazel Tov Favors (both were printed from monograms calligraphed by Nancy Howell).

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Reception

EARL CARTER

The bride and groom enjoy a toast together.

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Centerpieces

The reception-table centerpieces star garden roses tucked among fat, frilly hydrangeas, sweetpeas, dahlias, and pink jasmine buds.

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Table Settings

Krause, Johansen

Each dining table, covered with the Finks' Madeira linens, is set with plates in a different pattern from Sharkey's large china collection.

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Bride's Family

The couple poses for a portrait with Lily's parents, Sharkey and John Fink, and her brother, Andy, and his wife, Kelly.

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Groom's Family

John stands with his parents, Marta and John Harrington III, and his younger brothers.

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Favors

Covered with a striped design inspired by a vintage clothing tag, a notebook disguised as a chic matchbook is a favor guests can actually use; its gold-monogrammed band makes it a memento, too.

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Dancing

Lily's aunt and uncle, Mary and Robert Smart, move to the music.

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The Cake

Krause, Johansen

A cake topper derives its super-sweet charm from two wedding bells made with quilling paper and framed by vintage millinery lily-of-the-valley buds and a gauzy vintage linen ribbon, tied into a bow; festooned with rose-budded swags of royal icing, the raspberry-lemon cake rests with ladylike poise on a pedestal.

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Sources

Florist: Livia Cetti for The Green Vase 

Photographer: Thayer Gowdy

Gown and veil: Carolina Herrera 

Suit: Marc by Marc Jacobs, from Zappos.com 

Vintage millinery flowers: Tinsel Trading Co. 

Calligraphy: Nancy Howell Calligraphy

Invitations: Grosvenor Stationery Co. 

Custom "Sally Holmes" Paper Rose: Jude Miller 

Bridesmaid Dresses: "Tulip" dresses in azalea with peony sash, from Simple Silhouettes 

Custom bridesmaids handbags: Lauren Merkin 

Photobooth rental: Photobooth Scrapbooks 

Cake: Christine Dahl Pastries 

Cake topper: Livia Cetti for The Green Vase 

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