1. Real Weddings

Classic Navy Wedding at Eolia Mansion at Harkness State Park in Waterford, Connecticut

After a not-so-successful blind date, Paul Harding, 40, a contractor, headed to an Upper East Side for a quick drink. As fate would have it, that's wh

After a not-so-successful blind date, Paul Harding, 40, a contractor, headed to an Upper East Side for a quick drink. As fate would have it, that's where he met Claire Fabian, 30. After a snowy proposal skiing in Vermont, the couple decided on a summer wedding in coastal Connecticut. The couple wanted their Eolia Mansion at Harkness State Park wedding to be "like the best dinner party you'd ever been to." Thanks to the mansion's homey layout and a stellar menu, they pulled it off, creating an old-world dinner party that would have made the home's original owners proud. Their venue's waterfront locale made navy and easy choice for their color palette which they accented with warm shades of each and coral. The result was a classic, preppy affair that flawlessly walked the line between classic and casual.

"I wanted something with straps, and found this dress with the beautiful illusion back and classic buttons down the back," says Claire. "And it was on sale!"
Peach and Yellow Bridal Bouquet
"Navy was an obvious choice for the color palette because of the venue's location by the water," says Claire. "I thought it would be both classic, but casual." The couple used shades of peach and coral as a bright accent color.
"I really like the look of bridesmaids in different dresses," says Claire. "It's just more visually interesting to me to." She told her bridesmaids to pick any dress they wanted as long as it was navy blue.
Paul wore a navy suit from JoS. A. Bank. and a peach Vineyard Vines tie. "The tie had a subtle elephant pattern, which in some cultures is a symbol of luck and strength," says Claire. "We thought was good luck on our wedding day!"
Blue Ceremony Program with Ribbon
Claire and Paul's wedding ceremony was held at Eolia Mansion's outdoor amphitheater. "It perfectly reflected what we were going for—small and intimate," says Claire. "It's kind of sunk into the coastline so you can see and hear everyone from the altar, which made the ceremony feel very intimate and relaxed."
Monogrammed Groom Sleeve
Waterford Beach Wedding Location
Waterfront Connecticut Wedding Location
"Eolia Mansion is an interesting venue because you can dress it up to make it really formal, or keep it casual," says Claire. "We went the more casual route, wanting to create a feel of a great dinner party."
"We worked with Ryan Designs to dress up the tent a little bit with white string lights and a small seating area," says Claire. "This was an expense that I had not initially planned on, but knew that the extra lighting would set the mood more, and it looked awesome in pictures."
The reception space at Eolia Mansion is an old home, so the seating is spread throughout a few rooms. "I wanted the feel to be home-like, but a great party—that vision pretty much guided the major choices for the evening," says Claire.
"We arranged the tables in long rows rather than in rounds to help create that dinner party feel and what it would feel like to live there," says Claire. The tables were topped with white linens and navy napkins. Lanterns were a nautical final touch.
Claire and Paul First Dance
Claire and Paul served a classic, white, buttercream wedding cake accented with fresh peach garden roses.