1. Real Weddings

A Elegant, Mansion Wedding at Gore Place in Waltham, Massachusetts

Rachel Barber (29 and an Epidemiologist) and Ben Jarrett (29 and a doctor) met while students at Drexel University School of Public Health. What start

Rachel Barber (29 and an Epidemiologist) and Ben Jarrett (29 and a doctor) met while students at Drexel University School of Public Health. What started out as a close friendship eventually grew into a romantic relationship and the two became inseparable. After hearing endless stories of surprise engagements, Ben knew he would have to come up with a clever plan to surprise Rachel. He took her on a weekend trip to Cape Cod and was so excited, he ended up proposing while washing the dishes! The couple planned their wedding for a calm spring day on the beautiful grounds of an old 19th century mansion in Waltham, MA called Gore Place. The decor was set to match the elegance of the venue using a classy, vibrant color palette of blue and ivory. The vibrant royal blue popped against the ivory settings and neutral tones of the outdoor venue. Under the tent of the reception, floral centerpieces laced with light blue and ivory accentuated the bright jewel toned blues of the place settings and cake flowers. Rachel and Ben brought in an exciting live band to play through their traditional Jewish Hora and dancing throughout the night. Guests were treated to little gifts of M&M's at the ceremony and sent home with tasty pies in miniature mason jars

The wedding was held at a 19th century mansion called Gore Place. They loved the beautiful elegance of the mansion and carriage house and the old charm of the location.
"I chose a simple yet elegant a- line sweetheart neck line fitted dress. This dress was the 4th dress I tried on out of about 20, and I just kept coming back to it. " says Rachel.
Blue and Purple Iris Boutonniere
Rachel wanted the attire to match the elegance of the venue. The bridesmaids chose a gorgeous knee length cocktail dress with a low V-neck that had a great fit on everyone.
Tan Groomsmen Suits with Blue Patterned Ties
The Bride and Groom is Royal Blue and White Shoes
Guests Being Seated for the Ceremony
The invitation was a simple, yet elegant design using the couples wedding colors, purchased on minted.com. The programs were designed to match and continue the classic theme.
Bride Being Escorted Down the Aisle by her Mother and Father
Bride and Groom Under the Traditional Huppah
Cheering Their Way Through the Recessional
Royal Blue and Ivory Table Settings
Rachel chose to do a spring wedding in a casual, yet elegant style. She had selected blue and white hydrangeas for the bridesmaids and white roses with blue delphinium for the groomsmen. The same flowers were matched in the centerpieces.
For the cocktail, the couple chose to do a prickly pear mojito. They both love mojitos and wanted something that would marry the east and west as Ben is from Arizona, and Rachel is from Massachusetts.
First Course of the Sit Down Dinner
These bold, flavorful appetizers packed a punch during the cocktail hour. With every other aspect of the wedding being traditional and elegant, this was a tasty twist.
The simple, white 4-tier cake tied into the same clean, elegant look seen in the reception decor. An artsy topped reading 'LOVE' was accompanied by small scattered flowers in a royal blue.
During the reception, the bride and groom, along with their wedding party, danced the traditional Jewish wedding dance, the Hora. Aspects of Jewish tradition were seen throughout the entire wedding.
Bride Being Lifted During the Hora
Groom Being Lifted During the Hora
Cutting into the Blue and White 4-tier Cake
Guests were delighted with treats throughout the day beginning with a bag of M&Ms with the bride and grooms faces and names on them with their escort cards. They also gave out little blueberry and apple pies in mason jars!