Sarah and Walt's Madison Beach Hotel Wedding
At The White Dress by the shore, our passion is helping brides find the perfect look for their wedding day. When the bride is your own sister, that passion reaches a whole new level! I am thrilled to share Sarah and Walt's beautiful Madison Beach Hotel Wedding that took place this Fall. Sarah and Walt were engaged on New Year's Eve. They were both busy with their careers, so wedding planning was put to the back burner. That is, until Memorial Day weekend when Sarah came to me and asked if she thought that we could plan a wedding in time for Labor Day Weekend- in other words, plan a wedding in 93 days! Walt had a personal connection to The Madison Beach Hotel and it was a dream of theirs to host the wedding there. They went to visit the venue and it just so happened that there was an opening on the Sunday of Labor Day- that same year! The timing was perfect for Sarah and Walt's schedule and also aligned perfectly with our sister Katie's chemotherapy treatments. It was important to Sarah that Katie, her Matron of Honor, was well enough to enjoy the festivities (because after all, Katie LOVES a good party!) So, the date was set and the planning began!
Sarah's dream was to have a simple and elegant wedding and she wanted that same aesthetic reflected in her gown. We enlisted the assistance of my friend, Katherine, designer of Kate McDonald Bridal to create the perfect gown! Katherine sent in a few samples for Sarah to try on and in one weekend we had created the vision for a custom gown, selected the bridesmaid dresses from Jenny Yoo, and found the perfect mother of the occasion dress! Talk about focus!
Sarah was so trusting in the gown process. Katherine created a muslin of the gown that we fit to Sarah. But because of the tight timing, the final product did not arrive until 2 weeks prior to the wedding! But, not to panic!....Because of the muslin fitting process and the talent of our genius in-house seamstress Penny, the gown was fit to perfection in plenty of time for the big day!
Sarah and Walt's vision was to have a wedding that was simple, but one that was filled with personal touches and that created lasting memories. We come from a large and diverse family, so it was important to Sarah and Walt that everyone felt involved in their day. Sarah had a large bridal party which included myself, our sister Katie and her sweet daughter (my niece) Tilly, Walt's sister Lindsay, and several friends. In order to recognize her teenage nieces (including my daughter Lindsay), Sarah had the younger girls wear the same Jenny Yoo dress as the maids in a different length and color and hand out the programs. It was important to Sarah that they felt included in the day. Our brother Bill is 17 years Sarah's senior and has always been a father figure to her. To recognize him, she had him escort her down the steps of the hotel to the aisle where our father was waiting. He handed Sarah off to him, and he escorted her down the aisle to Walt.
Sarah and Walt hired a justice of peace to ensure that the wedding was legal, but asked our step-father Kevin to perform the part of the ceremony where Sarah and Walt exchanged their vows.
In lieu of favors, Sarah and Walt made donations to two charities that were near and dear to their hearts.
If Sarah and Walt had YEARS to plan their wedding (vs days), they could not have planned a more thoughtful, meaningful wedding. After a morning of rain and hurricane force winds, we were ultimately blessed with a gorgeous sunny day- one that reflected Sarah and Waltâ™s love for each other and the love that we all have for them.
Congrats Sarah and Walt!
Photography: Studio Ten 9 Ten
Venue: Madison Beach Hotel
Beauty: Jennie Fresa, Posh Salon & Catie Bane
Suits: Valentino Tailors
Maids Dresses: Jenny Yoo
Gown: Kate McDonald
Bride's Earrings and Comb: Sara Gabriel
Veil: Custom, The White Dress by the shore
Floral Design: Flowers by Justine
F*uck Cancer Bracelet and Necklaces: Aquinnah Jewelry