1. Real Weddings

Elizabeth & Jeffrey: A Beach Wedding in Mashpee, MA

When Jeffrey shook Elizabeth’s hand, he knew right away that he was going to marry her. What started out as a working relationship for these photograp

When Jeffrey shook Elizabeth’s hand, he knew right away that he was going to marry her. What started out as a working relationship for these photography industry professionals quickly developed into more. The Bride Elizabeth Hockmeyer, 25, photography office manager The Groom Jeffrey Williams, 32, photography lab manager The Date July 8 On an unseasonably warm Thanksgiving day, Elizabeth and Jeff were the only two on the beach, watching the sun break through a light fog. Before Elizabeth knew it, Jeff was on one knee asking her to marry him. The two then set out to plan a wedding on Cape Cod that exuded beach-chic and comfortable sophistication, anchored by two signature colors: hot pink and lime green.

Elizabeth embodied the waves of the ocean in a silk, white ball gown by Ines Di Santo with pick-ups adorning the entire skirt. A small, hand-sewn crystal accentuated each pick-up, and, when paired with the ornate, hand-beaded bodice, the entire gown sparkled. Elizabeth completed her look with a two-tiered, beaded veil and diamond and sapphire jewelry.
The newlyweds took their first spin on the dance floor to “When You Say You Love Me,” by Josh Groban. “The song has been very special to Jeff and me and expresses just how important we are to one another,” Elizabeth says. In a sort of musical pun, they capped off the night with Michael Buble’s “Save the Last Dance for Me.”
“The invitations elicited a great response from our families, who all agreed they were the most beautiful they had ever seen,” Elizabeth says. The invites were a tri-fold style, with the outside made from heavy, natural, sand-colored card stock, and tied off with a pink and green silk ribbon. A green paper seal printed with pink ink adorned the front, with the couple’s names and an illustration of two Adirondack chairs to set the tone for their beach wedding.
Elizabeth’s four bridesmaids were the pictures of preppy chic in hot pink, linen wrap dresses by Lily Pulitzer. Each maid carried a blossoming bouquet in the signature wedding colors, comprised of hydrangeas, roses, and cymbidium orchids.
After the ceremony, Elizabeth removed her veil to reveal a sophisticated but fun, curled updo that she accented with white orchids.
To make the centerpiece blooms even more striking, the couple’s florist created pink and green arrangements in square glass vases and filled them with white pearls so the stems weren’t visible. White votive candles were also scattered around each table to set the romantic mood, and the brightly colored flowers popped against the all-white linens.
The creative groom designed the cake himself, mixing different shapes for a whimsical look. It was iced in white buttercream and decorated with brown sugar “sand” and white chocolate shells, starfish, and other sea creatures. To bring their theme of comfortable sophistication full circle, the bride and groom added small white Adirondack chairs as a cake topper, personalized with their names in silver pen.
With the waves crashing on the shore only 100 feet away, the couple recited two sets of vows -- ones they had written themselves and a more traditional set -- while under a tent overlooking the sand dunes and ocean below. “We didn’t need a lot of decoration, because the scenery was more than enough,” Elizabeth says. To make the moment even more memorable, the sun began to set just as Elizabeth walked down the aisle with her father.
Jeff looked crisp and dapper in a white linen suit, white shirt, and tie by Hugo Boss. His miniature cymbidium orchid and stephanotis boutonniere gave just a hint of color.
The couple chose not to use any greenery in the wedding day flowers and opted for arrangements consisting of hydrangeas, cymbidium orchids, roses, and stephanotis.