Matt and I were married on October 15th, 2022.

If we press rewind, Matt and I decided quickly after our engagement that our wedding would be at my parents’ house in our hometown in Connecticut. Matt and I live up the street from my parents. So, we wanted a wedding close to home that would alleviate stress and provide us with the independence to design a ceremony and reception space from scratch. You all know how much I love a design project!

Another reason why I liked the idea of a wedding at home is the comfort of getting ready in a space I know. Fast forward to the morning of my wedding: my sisters, Sarah and Tessa, my college friend, Jennifer, my Mom, and my now Mother-In-Law, Karen, all joined my in getting ready in the historic section of the home.

It was exactly what I envisioned: peaceful, easy, and relaxing.

We ordered bacon, egg, and cheeses from Harpos my favorite local bakery. And leisurely got ready thanks to Rebecca & Megan from Upstyle in Manchester, CT.

On my end, I felt extremely calm, not rushed – simply settled.

I think part of that calmness came from the decision to forgo bridal parties. Early on in the wedding planning process, Matt and I were divided on whether to do bridal parties or not. As the one planning the wedding I associated more people with more planning, especially come the day of the wedding. I strongly wanted our wedding day to be a focus on us, while being a peaceful experience for all our loved ones.

Even though it was an unpopular decision, it helped me to stay present on the big day. It also helped that we were having the ceremony, wedding, and reception all in one place! Allowing me to know I had everything I needed.

In terms of weather, Matt and I could not have gotten luckier.

It was a gorgeous 68 degrees and sunny. I wanted clouds over sunshine for photos sake. But, the sun was a blessing as it helped to keep our guests warm and dried up the grass from three days of heavy rain prior.

Our wedding was at 3PM. So, by 2PM I was ready to get in my dress and do final touch-ups. As for Matt, he was getting ready with his family and friends in the family room.

At 3PM, we were ready to start the wedding, but got word that there was an accident down the road from my parent’s house that had shut down Main Street. Our wedding planning team from Madden Made Events really stepped up. They took a head count of guests and waited until about 90% of guests arrived which was around 3:30PM – which is when we kicked things off!

Matt and I were lucky enough to have our childhood friend, Matt Dekoyer, marry us. It was a decision I was so happy Matt and I made. He did the best job crafting the ceremony, was extremely supportive leading up to the wedding, and knocked it out of the park! Matt and I are both thankful to have such a good friend and be a part of a day we will never forget.

Looking back on the day, the ceremony, and my overall experience: three things come to mind.

The first thing that comes to mind is this overwhelming feeling of collectedness. I kept relating the feeling to that of a semester-long group project. Knowing you’ve done the work and now all that’s left is to present. Matt, myself, and everyone that supported us through our relationship put in the time and love into making our wedding special. All that was left was for us to enjoy the day!

The second thing that come to mind is a wedding is absolutely a celebration of family – and what that word means to you. Maybe family means just a party of two, an officiant, and a witness. Or maybe family means everyone you’re related to; those that have watched you grow up; or who have grown alongside you. Either way, your wedding is a celebration with and for your family. Matt and I love that we kept our wedding as intimate as possible with 151 guests. We had the time, energy, and excitement to enjoy everyone’s company.

The third thing that comes to mind is how secure I was in my decision to marry Matt. And how ready I am for the next phase of life. I love a project, especially one as challenging as planning a wedding from scratch. But, at the end of the day – I feel like I did the work, presented the project, and passed the class. I’m ready to move on. While it happened just two months ago, getting married feels like an eternity ago.

A lot of questions have come my way about post-wedding blues and if there was anything I’d change.

Honestly, I’ve never thought twice about my wedding or how it unfolded. I do think about the delicious food now and then. But overall, I’d say I’m just really happy to be back to doing the status-quo things of life with Matt. And I am very excited to celebrate our first holiday season together as a married couple!

I’ll be sharing another blog post tomorrow detailing the design, local vendors, and reception details. So, I’ll see you back here then!

Photography: Lindsay Shorter Weddings