1. Real Weddings

Liz & Christian: A Home Wedding in Potsdam, NY

When Liz and Christian started planning their wedding, picking the place to marry proved to be a challenge. The two considered a destination wedding,

When Liz and Christian started planning their wedding, picking the place to marry proved to be a challenge. The two considered a destination wedding, and even took a trip to Lake Placid to scout locations, but “we really didn't find anything that felt right,” Liz says. Finally, the couple realized that there’s no place like home. The Bride Elizabeth Nordberg, 29, nurse The Groom Christian Skoglund, 30, U.S. Army Black Hawk pilot The Date July 2 By the time Christian proposed to Liz during a vacation in Boston, the two had done their fair share of long-distance dating. The couple met through Liz’s brother (he and Christian had been friends in college), just before Christian went to Korea for the army. They saw each other again the next summer and, even though there was definitely a strong connection, Christian was soon back in Korea. The pair spoke nearly every day, however, and their relationship grew. The key to their long distance success? “It just takes a lot of hard work and desire,” Liz says. Their next challenge: To plan a wedding while Christian spent the year of their engagement in Kuwait. “When I dropped him off at the airport, I bought several bridal magazines to start my planning, and he bought travel magazines to begin planning the honeymoon,” Liz says.

The Reception Decor
The Reception Decor
For the centerpieces, white flowers with green accents were arranged in classic silver mint julep cups. Tables topped with off-white candles and basic white china complemented the clean, light look of the space.
The Reception Decor
The Reception Decor
Liz and Christian used a piece of land adjoining Liz’s property to set up a tent for dinner and dancing. During the cocktail hour, guests enjoyed a jazz band in the garden (heavy rain before the wedding day had made the garden extra lush). The couple added to the romantic garden feel by placing 50 small trees and shrubs throughout the site.
Liz’s five bridesmaids wore A-line gowns with spaghetti straps by B2.
Liz and Christian gave their guests sparklers and monogrammed matchboxes tied with a white ribbon.
The First Dance
Liz and Christian tied white flowers, artfully placed in white cones, to the church pews with white satin ribbon.
The Reception Decor
Liz wore a satin A-line gown with a full lace overlay and crystal beading by Private Label by G. The dress was originally strapless, but Liz added simple satin straps.
“The two things that I loved about the church when we chose it were the amazing Tiffany stained-glass windows and the pipe organ,” Liz says. Unfortunately, just before the wedding, the gorgeous windows were covered with boards because of construction! When they saw the boards were still up the day before the wedding, “my wonderful fiance contacted the contractor after the rehearsal and paid to remove the boards for the day,” Liz says.
Rather than serve a traditional wedding cake, the couple wanted to offer a variety of desserts. Guests could take their pick from a station of chocolate fondue with lots of goodies to use for dipping, as well as bite-sized treats like brownies, eclairs, and mini tiramisu.
The Flower Girls
Both the bridal and bridesmaid bouquets were similar (each included white roses and lisianthus), but Liz’s bouquet was slightly larger and contained peonies and crystals.
The Reception Decor
The Reception Decor
The Reception Decor
The Reception Decor
The Reception