“Lisa & Brian are two of the sweetest people you will ever meet and it was a pleasure to work with them right from the very beginning. I was absolutely thrilled when their wedding day arrived and the weather was absolute perfection. There was not a single cloud in the sky that Friday and Saltwater Farm Vineyard was dripping with ripened grapes on the vines. The leaves were just starting to change from green to gold and red… so when the sun set the entire field was radiant. They planned an amazing wedding that was so perfectly them, my cheeks hurt from smiling on my way home that night. From the vintage cameras they hunted for together, to the monogram that Brain designed himself to the desserts at the end of the night… it was a true reflection of the love that they share for one another and the way that they celebrate life. I owe a huge thank you to Gourmet Galley, who held dinner for ten extra minutes so we could capture the beauty of sunset among the vines. Saltwater Farm Vineyard is one of my favorite places to shoot in Connecticut, not only because it’s gorgeous, but because everyone I have ever worked with there, always puts the couple first. Thank you to everyone who helped make Lisa & Brian’s day shine.” – Julia Jane Studios

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

My favorite wedding day memory was walking down the aisle. Our wedding day was literally one of the 10 best weather days during the year of 2014. The sky was completely blue and the vines were so beautiful and the grass was so green. I loved being able to share that time with my mom who then gave me away. I also enjoyed seeing my groom on the altar among the vines waiting patiently for us to get to him. It was as great moment that only I was truly able to see.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

My husband designed most of our wedding day! He started by making the save the dates and the wedding invitations but it didn’t end there. He then went on to make our menus, seating cards and centerpieces. The centerpieces on the 8 guest tables consisted of clear glass votive candles, painted wine bottles, old cameras we purchased off of various websites and old books that we also bought off of various websites. The books were tied together with colored twine. All of the candles were used electric candles, so no fire hazard! Each centerpiece was placed on wooden plaques which is basically a thin piece of wood with the bark still on it. Our wedding motif was definitely more rustic chic. We also had picture frames (2×3 and 4×6) tied onto the book bundles or freely standing. These were mainly pictures from our engagement shoot. Our seating cards were on a large, wood framed, magnet board. The magnets were made out of personalized corks with our initials and wedding date on them, they were also sort of a favor. My husband glued magnets to the back of each cork making it possible to bring home and use on the refrigerator, we have several left over that we use. The decorations on the food tables consisted of mason jars with corks and candles in them that were tied on the outside with twine. We didn’t have many flowers in our centerpieces in fact we didn’t have one living flower in the whole wedding, they were all paper! Each centerpiece had three, long stem, paper roses in the wine bottles. The numbers for our tables and the Mr. & Mrs. signs were made by a friend of mine in PA that does not yet have a site to sell her beautiful artwork on but I hope that someday she will.

Something old, new, borrowed and blue?

My something old was a piece of jewelry my 90 year old grand aunt gave me a few weeks before the wedding. It belonged to her sister, my grandmother, it was a necklace she received for her confirmation. The stone, when in natural light is purple, and it was perfect because our colors were purple and grey. My something borrowed was my bridesmaids chain on a necklace her husband gave her. When I put my dress on the day of the wedding my necklace was too long, so we swapped for the wedding day in order for me to have the perfect length necklace. My something new was my underwear which also happened to be white and blue, it was from Victoria Secret and it is part of their wedding collection.

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

My advice for brides currently planning their wedding is to let your husband have input and then end it there. There were so many opinions coming from everyone we knew while we were planning our wedding, but we knew what we wanted and it ended up being wonderful. Also, try not to disagree. We surprisingly, had many of the same views about our wedding but we know that isn’t everyone. And HAVE FUN! You will never get more free tastings in your life! – Lisa, the bride

Event Credits

Photographer: Julia Jane Studios // Venue: Saltwater Farm Vineyard // Catering: Gourmet Galley // Cupcakes: Nora Cupcake Company // Officiant: Reverend Mario Nunez (family friend) // DJ: Michael Simonetta // Engagement Ring: Baribault Jewelers // Dress: Maggie Sottero // Jewelry: Alex & Andi // Shoes: RSVP // Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Sung // Hair: Giabonnis // Guest Book: DIY Frame // Paper Flowers: Flowers From The Garden // Cake Topper: The Glittered Barn // Decorative Books: Huckster Haven // Monogram Tie Bars: Spiffing Jewelry // Wood Easels: AtticJoys1