1. Real Weddings

A Casual, Modern Wedding at Taj Boston in Boston, Massachusetts

Nicole Dunn (29 and a project manager) and Nicolas Dunn (33 and an attorney) loved the spacious modern and traditional environment at the Taj Boston h

Nicole Dunn (29 and a project manager) and Nicolas Dunn (33 and an attorney) loved the spacious modern and traditional environment at the Taj Boston hotel. Casey Durgin Photography captured the entire wedding from the church ceremony at the Paulist Center to the dance-filled reception at the Taj Boston. "We had 100 guests at our wedding and we were having a hard time finding a space that wouldn't swallow us up," Nicole says. "This was perfect." Wanting to keep their wedding fashions reflective of their laid-back relationship, Nicole and Nicolas opted for casual attire. Nicole wore a Jenny Yoo strapless, silk dress with a sweetheart neckline. "My favorite part was that it had pockets," she says. She even wore beautiful Vera Wang flats featuring jeweled accents that added a touch of elegance to her look. Because of the hot summer wedding date, many of the flowers Nicole and Nicolas planned for were unavailable the week of the wedding. "However," Nicole says, "that certainly didn't ruin the day." The modern-styled reception featured white, round tables with high and low centerpieces of yellow roses and white hydrangeas. "I wanted things streamlined and clean," Nicole says, "a little more on the modern side." Many of Nicole and Nicolas' wedding guests had to travel for the celebration, so they wanted to make their wedding a weekend-long event. "It was really important for us to spend as much time with everyone who traveled to be a part of our weekend," Nicole says.

Nicole and Nicolas chose a yellow and gray color palette, opting for a crisp, modern style. Keeping with this look, the wedding invitations and save-the-dates featured a sleek yellow-, gray- and white-striped design with a black font.
Nicole paired her Jenny Yoo silk wedding dress with Vera Wang sparkly silver, peep-toe flats that kept with her modern and casual style. The flats, however, featured jeweled accents that added a touch of glamour to the laid back style.
Strapless Jenny Yoo Silk Wedding Dress
Unfortunately, because their wedding fell on a hot summer day, many of Nicole and Nicolas' flowers (arranged by Joanne Nikitas Creative Floral Design) wilted. Luckily, Nicole's beautiful bouquet of white and yellow roses, peonies and craspedia remained vibrant, adding pops of color to the gray wedding fashions.
Nicole's bridesmaids wore casual knee-length, gray dresses from J.Crew in various styles. They paired their dresses with yellow bouquets of roses and craspedia, arranged by Joanne Nikitas Creative Floral Design, that added pops of color and kept with the gray and yellow color palette.
Casual Gray Suits in Groomsmen
Nicole's bridesmaids wore knee-length, gray dresses in various styles while Nicolas' groomsmen wore classic black pants and casual gray sports coats with yellow-and-gray-striped ties. The yellow bouquets and boutonnieres added pops of color while keeping with the gray and yellow color palette.
Yellow Calla Lily and Curly Willow Ceremony Accessory
Classic Wedding Ceremony at Paulist Center
Calla Lily and Curly Willow Place Card Table Decor
Thank-You Note and Menu Reception Chair Decor
Nicole and Nicolas' contemporary reception at the Taj Boston featured round dining tables dressed in crisp white tablecloths and surrounded by white chiavari chairs. High and low centerpieces of yellow roses and white hydrangeas added elegant dimensions to the otherwise simple decor.
Nicolas surprised Nicole with yellow glow sticks for their energetic reception and danced along to fun techno music that he used to enjoy when he was younger. "It was a huge hit that night," Nicole says. "I had never seen his moves. I'm a lucky lady!"
Black-and-White Framed Table Number
Nicole and Nicolas' wedding reception space at the Taj Boston included wide windows that overlooked Boston Gardens, providing guests with beautiful natural scenery. They decided to keep their decor crisp and modern. "I wanted things streamlined and clean," Nicole says, "and a little more on the modern side."
Nicole and Nicolas say the best entertainment of the wedding night was dancing along with their guests at their fun and energetic reception at the Taj Boston. "Everything from beginning to end was perfect, and we reflect on the day often," Nicole says.