1. Real Weddings

A Charming, Rustic New England Wedding at Winvian Farm in Morris, Connecticut

Arianne Babina (26 and a PhD candidate) and Adam Kirsch (27 and a business development specialist) pulled off a laid-back summer soiree with cheerful

Arianne Babina (26 and a PhD candidate) and Adam Kirsch (27 and a business development specialist) pulled off a laid-back summer soiree with cheerful shades of lime green, pink, orange, fuchsia and coral and plenty of lighthearted personal touches. “We wanted our wedding to be reminiscent of our childhood summers in Connecticut, with a casual but slightly upscale cocktail garden-party vibe,” Arianne says. The New England estate Winvian Farm in Morris, Connecticut, proved to be the perfect fit, providing the charming and romantic feel the couple were after. Expansive pastures and lush gardens were practically made for lively lawn games and cozy bonfires, while the historic farmhouse provided an intimate, elegant setting for dinner and dancing. The ceremony was held under a sailcloth tent on the Seth Bird House lawn overlooking the Winvian gardens and grounds, where Arianne and Adam shared vows they’d written themselves. “We wanted to keep the ceremony decor relatively simple and natural so we could take advantage of the stunning views of the Winvian property,” Arianne says. “In keeping with our love of summertime foliage, we lined the aisle with small potted ficus trees. They were actually inspired by Kate Middleton and Prince William’s wedding ceremony decor.” A cocktail hour followed on the Seth Bird House stone patio. Guests sipped on signature drinks like the China Rose and a jalapeno agave margarita while a local jazz trio pumped out jazz, swing and blues classics. For the reception, Arianne and Adam brought the beauty of the outdoors in, topping the reception tables’ Swiss-dot linens with eye-catching bunches of bright roses, dahlias, stock and hypericum. The escort cards were tucked gently into patches of fresh grass and the chandeliers dripped with Southern smilax. The menu went over big with guests, with its fresh, local and organic eats—as did the outdoor patio, where roaring bonfires and s’mores offered an enticing spot to lounge, chat and grab a snack when they needed a break from the dance floor. A tip from Arianne: “Choose your vendors based on their portfolio and their personality. Take time to sit down and meet with vendors in person, and make sure your personalities click. A vendor who knows you on a personal level will give you the best suggestions based on your wedding style and preferences, and will also be available to help make the planning process as painless as possible.” —Libby MacCarthy

“Adam and I share an appreciation of fine stationery and paper goods—I’m a big fan of writing letters and snail mail—so we splurged a little to have something special made, opting for a custom letterpress invitation suite on luxurious bamboo paper,” Arianne says. To tie in with their casual yet elegant vision, the invitations featured light gray ink, a custom dot-scallop motif and green polka-dot liners. Within each suite, the couple included custom illustrated maps and Connecticut-shaped tags with a heart over the town of Morris, where the wedding took place, at Winvian Farm.
When choosing the right gown for her walk down the aisle, Arianne’s main concern was comfort. “I am a self-described lab rat, so I don’t have many opportunities to dress up and I often feel awkward or out of my element when I do,” Arianne says. “I wanted a simple lace sheath-style dress that was lightweight and easy to wear, had no excess embellishments and above all made me feel like me.” She found the perfect fit in Nicole Miller’s Marie dress. The effortless cut and elegant lace perfectly embodied Arianne’s vision, while tying in seamlessly with the setting.
“We wanted our wedding to be reminiscent of our childhood summers in Connecticut, with a casual but slightly upscale cocktail garden-party vibe,” Arianne says. Winvian Farm in Morris, Connecticut, proved to be the perfect backdrop for the laid-back affair, with its New England charm, expansive pastures and lush gardens. The venue’s emphasis on organic, farm-to-table cooking didn’t hurt either.
Choosing a dress for her three bridesmaids proved to be an easy task for Arianne. “I was lucky that all my bridesmaids have similar tastes,” she says. Wanting something light and summery that would be comfortable and cool to wear in the July heat, the group decided on Jenny Yoo’s strapless tulle Wren dress in a soft shade of mink gray. “The shorter length helped keep the style a bit less formal and a bit more cocktail party,” Arianne says.
Adam had Alton Lane create a custom three-piece suit in charcoal gray wool for his walk down the aisle, along with a custom-made button-down shirt. “There’s always so much hype surrounding the bride’s dress, so we thought it would be fun to do something special for the groom,” Arianne says. “He never had a suit custom-made for him before, and the design process was quite fun.”
The ceremony was held under a sailcloth tent on the Seth Bird House lawn, overlooking the Winvian gardens and grounds. To let the beauty of the sentiments and the setting shine, Arianne and Adam chose simple yet strong decorative touches to bring the ceremony space to life. where Arianne and Adam shared vows they’d written themselves. “In keeping with our love of summertime foliage, we lined the aisle with small potted ficus trees. They were inspired by Kate Middleton and Prince William’s wedding ceremony decor,” Arianne says.
“Because all the food prepared at Winvian is locally sourced or grown on the property, everything was fresh, seasonal and phenomenal,” Arianne says. During cocktail hour the catering staff served up canapes such as lamb samosas, tuna ceviche on plantain chips, Vietnamese marinated shrimp and yuzu-glazed beef skewers with black sesame seeds.
After cocktail hour guests moved inside to Winvian Gordon Brown House, a with a rustic wooden interior, for the reception. Bringing the beauty of the natural setting in, Arianne and Adam displayed their friends and family members’ hand-lettered escort cards in a bed of fresh green grass that gave the charming, indoor space a note of vibrancy.
For the reception at Winvian Farm in Morris, Connecticut, Arianne and Adam paid tribute to the striking scenery and the venue’s innate charm, topping the rustic farm tables’ Swiss-dot linens with eye-catching arrangements of bright roses, dahlias, stock and hypericum. Bistro lights and chandeliers dripping with Southern smilax instilled the expansive space with a sense of romance and ambiance.
Arianne’s affinity for Swiss dots was reflected in the couple’s decadent four-tier cake. Layers of almond cake with dulce de leche over apricot preserves and French vanilla mousseline were wrapped in a thin layer of fondant decked out in the sweet and delicate detail. While the cake itself was unadorned, a base of smilax vines, blush blooms and hypericum berries brought a note of freshness and garden-party elegance to the display.