An Elegant, Traditional Wedding at the Belle Haven Club in Greenwich, Connecticut

Kate Woodruff (26 and a teacher) and Patrick Nelli (27 and an analyst) met during their undergraduate studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. After several years of dating long distance, they moved to Chicago. There, on one cold February day, Patrick proposed by Lincoln Park’s North Pond. When it came to planning their wedding, the couple were all about creating a day steeped in timeless elegance with a natural, garden-inspired twist. Kate and Patrick exchanged vows in a traditional ceremony at First Presbyterian Church of Greenwich, Connecticut, where Kate grew up?attending church, before heading to Belle Haven Club for an evening of celebrating. Kate spent her childhood summers swimming and playing by the pool at?Belle Haven, so the waterfront venue was the perfect place to host the monumental occasion. The evening kicked off with a cocktail hour on the venue’s expansive law, where guests sipped signature drinks like Dark and Stormies, while taking in the breathtaking ocean views. The reception was held only a few steps away under an open-air tent. The couple kept the decor on the subtle side to avoid detracting from Belle Haven’s stunning scenery, opting for a soft color palette of classic neutrals and earthy shades of green. Florist Elegant Effects created beautiful garden-inspired arrangements of full ivory blooms and lots of textured green accents, and tables were draped in natural linen fabric, a play on coast’s sandy beaches. Birch and moss details like a handcrafted birch box used to display the garden-marker-inspired escort cards and the bird’s nest cake topper, infused the decor with a whimsical, organic vibe.