A Classic & Sophisticated Hildene Wedding with a Touch of Whimsy & English Garden Charm

Suzanne met Garrett in 2008 at her friend’s wedding. He was the brother of the groom and the best man. During Garrett’s best man speech, Suzanne became smitten and immediately introduced herself. Their first weekend getaway as a couple was in Vermont and they continued to return throughout the years. On one of those Vermont trips over Memorial Day Weekend 2011, they visited Hildene, the home of Abraham Lincoln’s son. During a tour of the museum and grounds, Suzanne fell in love all over again. And even though she and Garrett weren’t engaged yet, she knew it would be the perfect place for their wedding.

A few months later, on Garrett’s 30th birthday, he surprised Suzanne by getting down on one knee in their apartment with a proposal by saying she was the best birthday present ever. How sweet!

Photographed by Orchard Cove Photography, their Hildene wedding was classic and sophisticated, with a touch of whimsy and English garden charm.

When asked what was the most unexpected thing that happened on your wedding, here’s what Suzanne had to say.

We were in Vermont all week before the wedding enjoying the most gorgeous weather. Saturday (the day of the wedding) was forecasted to be beautiful (sunny and high 70s) so I stopped checking the weather for our outdoor ceremony on Wednesday – no need to worry, right?

On the day of the wedding just as guest started to arrive to the venue, clouds started to form. Fifteen minutes prior to me walking down the aisle, the sky unleashed monsoon like downpour! Everyone was able to stay inside the museum. The guests wandered around the beautiful summer home of Todd Lincoln (Abraham Lincoln’s son) while the ceremony was delayed for about thirty minutes. Fortunately, the rain stopped for a brief time, just long enough to have the wedding ceremony outside. We were blessed to have such gorgeous clouds hovering near the overlook which created a breath taking backdrop for our wedding pictures. Not a bad trade-off!

In addition to their beautiful wedding style, Suzanne and Garrett tried to incorporate as much of their personalities and family traditions into their as they could. Here are some of the special things they did, in Suzanne’s own words.

Embroidery in wedding dress (In honor of my late grandparents, I had an
embroidery created and sewn into my gown. It was my way to remember them on
this special day.)
Nana’s wedding band (Again, I was very close with my grandparents and before she passed away, I asked if I could have her wedding band which was engraved with “RDP to CV April 11, 1942”. Garrett and I were married 70 years later and it was the first time I wore it.)

We displayed old Family photos of our grandparents inside the house.

Green shutters(Garrett’s brother Jason created this piece using shutters from the home they grew up in in Connecticut. We used them to hold the place cards as it matched Hildene’s shutters. Now, we have them hanging in our home)

Homemade Family Cookie Bar (I grew up in an Italian family that loved desserts and I wanted to incorporate a little piece of home for both of us. For example, my aunt baked “Nana’s Italian White Cookies and Garrett’s Mom made her famous toffee!)

The dog candle (this candle has been a part of my family celebrations for as long as I can remember so I had to have it on our wedding cake!)

Wedding Sign (My Dad and I handmade this sign)

Instead of a guestbook, we had our guests sign the mat, and now it hangs in our dining room!

Gift Welcome Bags (“Love, Laughter, Happily Ever After” – I tried to incorporate that into as many pieces as possible – wedding sign, wedding programs etc.)

Flip Flops displayed in a vintage suitcase (I spray painted the suitcase emerald green to match the decor and added little shoe bags for the women to put their heels into.)

Photography: Orchard Cove Photography

Venue: Hildene

Caterer: Pangea

Florist: Nancy Bishop Floral

Band: Search Party

Suzanne’s Dress: Amsale via Equisite Bride

Hair: Rebekah Sattler email to rebcor2@gmail.com

Makeup: Suzanne Della Pella

Suzanne’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo

Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Amsale

Ring Bearer’s Bowl: Paloma’s Nest

Wedding Stationary Dancing Pen and Press

Wedding Dress Emboridery: Inspired Stitches (Steve and Nancy Jensen)