A Modern, Colorful Red and White DIY Wedding in Boston

For Katie and Thomas, a blind date was all they needed to kick-start a romance. Five years later, the New York City-based couple made it official, on September 2, 2012, in Boston, at the church in which the groom's parents tied the knot (and on the grounds of his alma mater). The art historian and budding museum professional bride put her love of visual arts to use, crafting the modern, colorful wedding day, complete with whimsical touches, traditional details, and plenty of personality.

Invites were DIYed by the bride and revealed information as they were pulled out from cellophane bags meticulously covered in lines of white vinyl tape. The card was a red heart with lines of text that matched the spacing of the stripes. The text itself was a quote from the pair's favorite movie, The Princess Bride. Once fully removed from the sleeve, the folded card opened to reveal enclosure cards with the full details of the day.

The actual invitation and the formal wording inviting guests to the wedding were the first thing seen when the outer card was opened. Edged in red paint (another big but impactful task the bride took on), they were backed with a timeline outlining the important moments in Katie and Thomas's five-year relationship, including the first time they met, their first exchange of "I love you's," and the proposal—all listed with short stories about each event. Another card featured a black and white engagement photo cropped into a circle, a link to the couple's website, and an RSVP deadline. The back of that card boasted a map of the ceremony location and markings pointing out Katie and Thomas's favorite stores and restaurants.

Katie chose a Legends by Romona Keveza dress at Kleinfeld Bridal, where she also found her cathedral-length veil. For the ceremony, she accessorized her sweetheart neckline with an antique pearl necklace borrowed from her mother and vintage pearl studs bought back when Katie was studying abroad in Italy. During the reception, she changed into a dangly pair of round crystal earrings that Thomas gave her for her birthday that year.

Thomas sported a Brooks Brothers tuxedo, silver Tiffany & Co. cufflinks (a law school graduation gift from his bride), and Peal & Co. shoes.

As a little girl, Katie was an avid embroiderer. She used her skills with a needle and thread to stitch the phrase used on the save-the-dates and a heart into the lining of her dress to make her "something blue."

Winston Flowers created this bouquet of red garden roses.

The bridal party wore a mix of J.Crew dresses in a silvery taupe tone. Fire-engine red shoes and bright crimson bouquets jazzed up the neutral frocks.

Thomas' guys wore Brooks Brothers tuxedos accented with calla lily boutonnieres. They accessorized with aviator sunglasses from the groom, as the shades are a signature item of his.

Programs outlining the ceremony and introducing the bridal party were set out in red hinged-lid boxes from The Container Store. Along with the programs, mini tissue packs were wrapped with paper bands that said "For Your Happy Tears" with a stylized teardrop. They were set out on melamine trays along with a sign reading, "It's our party and we'll cry if we want to."

Since the bride was already designing and printing all of the stationery herself, she took on the task of display text, too, for the buses that transported guests from the ceremony to the reception that read, "The Magic School Bus. Hitch a ride to Thomas and Katie's Big Bash."

The newlyweds stayed behind following the ceremony to snap a few photos in the church.

The festivities took place at the Institute of Contemporary Art. The modern steel-and-glass building built in 2006 and set right on Boston's harbor was the perfect venue for an art-loving museum professional like Katie.

The couple served the "Ever After," a strawberry mint mojito finished with a red and white paper straw with a gray pennant flag that read "Cheers!" or "Bottoms Up!"

Katie designed a poster in the wedding's color palette in a geometric pattern of triangles that guests signed in lieu of a traditional book. It was printed on archival paper with UV-resistant inks and hangs in the couple's apartment as a reminder of the special day and the loved ones who were able to share it.

Dinner was set up in stations, each with a sign outlining the offerings propped up in floral frogs the bride spray painted silver. The Wolfgang Puck-catered menu included bistro offerings, Italian fare, and assorted tapas.

For their first dance, these lighthearted dance-lovers chose a two-song mash-up of Ellie Golding's rendition of Elton John's "Your Song" that led into Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" to which the duo performed a comically choreographed routine to the upbeat song.

Bite-sized ice cream cones were a crowd favorite. "I may have eaten a dozen of them," Katie said. "They were one of the things I specifically made time to eat during the day!"

Instead of cake, and in addition to these frozen treats, cupcakes from Mike's Pastry (a favorite spot of the couple's), mini mason jars of strawberry rhubarb pie, and warm chocolate truffle cakes with whipped cream were served.

Katie shared her love of stationery supplies with her 98 guests, giving out mini Moleskine notebooks embossed with the newlyweds' logo on the front cover as wedding favors. Working with her mom, red elastic bands were sewn together, with a loop to stow personalized pencils that read "Thomas and Katie Got Hitched, September 2, 2012" in white lettering. The pencils were cut down to 5 inches to line up perfectly with the height of the notebooks.

The notebook and pencil favors were packaged in muslin bags (with red contrast stitching, of course) with a two-inch button sporting the wedding logo pinned on the front. A comic book display rack from the 1950s that the bride picked up on her annual pilgrimage to the Brimfield Antiques Fair with her mother was finished off with a sign on top that read, "You've been so kind, let us return the favor. Grab a goodie bag."

Having put so much work into the invitation suite, Katie wanted to do something for the thank-you cards that would prove equally creative and visually impactful. After some due diligence on Pinterest, she discovered the idea for a "tie the knot" card and adapted it to a thank-you note, utilizing the wedding fonts and colors. Printed on a 4" x 9" folding card and finished with a thin red elastic cord, Thomas then wrote the messages on the cards, taking care to write on an angle below the printed text.

Since the whole point was to have the recipient "tie" the knot by opening the card, Thomas carefully closed each one so the knot was only partially tied. The finished products were stuffed into long envelopes, hand addressed by Katie, sealed and stamped with a heart, and sent using a colorful collection of vintage stamps.

Photography: Charlie Juliet Photography

Locations: The Memorial Church at Harvard University; The Institute of Contemporary Art

Day-of Event Coordination: Compass Rose Weddings & Events

Catering: Wolfgang Puck

Flowers: Winston Flowers

Stationery: The Wright Hand

Photobooth: Pattison Photography

Desserts: Mike's Pastry

Music: Airtight

Hair and Makeup: Charlotte & Company

Engagement Ring and Wedding Bands: Fred Leighton

Transportation: Local Motion of Boston; Excelsior Limousine Service LTD.