An Intimate Backyard Wedding at a Private Residence in Mystic, Connecticut

Hannah Lacey (23 and a speech language pathologist) and Sean Lacey (29 and a biostatician) met at a campus event for their church while they were students at Boston University. Sean became Hannah’s calculus tutor, and she would make dinner or treats in exchange for him helping her get through the class. After Hannah successfully completed the course, she and Sean got to spend time together doing much more enjoyable activities. Three years later, Sean proposed in the gazebo in the center of Boston Common and flew in Hannah’s best friend from home to be there for the memorable moment and surprise party that followed. The couple got married in Hannah’s best friend’s backyard in Mystic, Connecticut. “We both lived a long ways from our families who were centered in the Midwest and South. Our friends’ backyard was close to many of our friends and the lives we had built after school, and it was comfortable and felt like home,” says Hannah. The couple wanted everything about their wedding to feel like a casual summer evening garden party. They offered lawn games such as ladder golf and croquet and invited everyone to spend time together enjoying themselves. For decor, the couple incorporated items from friends and family members married before them and kept it simple. “Having all the pieces donated by our friends and family really helped add to the feeling that we were circled by love and support on our wedding day and throughout our marriage,” says the bride. All of the wedding vendors were chosen through close personal connections to make the experience more intimate. “We had a very small wedding so that we could really spend time with everyone we loved,” says Hanah. “We wanted to incorporate bits and pieces of all the great relationship models around us, which is why we used as much as we could with friends and family.”