Tag Archive for: venue

Wedding Party Looks We’re Inspired By

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If you’re in the early stages of wedding planning, you might be at that uncomfortable or exciting (depending on how you look at it) phase where everyone starts asking you what you and your wedding party are going to wear. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite wedding party looks that we’re inspired by this year.

Bring back the veil

Photo Credit: Kate Donovan Photography

As with most wedding traditions and trends, if you look into the origin of it, you’ll find a story that often feels like a disappointing and distant truth for a modern bride. The veil, being one of the oldest pieces of a bridal ensemble, was originally designed to represent the “delivery of a modest and untouched maiden.” Source

For that reason, a lot of brides in the last decade have chosen not to wear a veil on their wedding days. That said, we’re seeing that change. More and more, modern women are saying “screw it!” to the patriarchal origins of bridal traditions and choosing to take ownership of the tradition in a new way. No one can argue with how elegant and chic a bride looks with a long (or short!) veil, and it’s obvious that we don’t need it for the purpose of looking like untouched maidens. Bring back the veil and own it!

Include a personal touch

Photo Credit: Kate Donovan Photography

Infusing your wedding day with personal touches is what ultimately makes the memories of it shine for years and years to come. Whether it’s wearing a special piece of jewelry that was passed down to you from older generations or giving your bridesmaids personalized robes to wear while getting ready, it’s the thought and intention that makes it not only feel so good, but deepens the experience for everyone involved.

Keep it comfortable

Photo Credit: Kate Donovan Photography

Throughout the wedding planning process, you’ll hear a lot of people talk about how quickly the day goes by. While this is absolutely true, the speed of the day doesn’t change the fact that it’s pretty much a 19 hour day of nonstop stimulation. Yup, 19 hours. You’ll most likely wake up around 7 or 8am to start getting ready, do your first look, ride to the venue, take photos, get married and then party the night away – not hitting your pillow again until 2am the next day.

I think we can all agree that whether we’re having a 19 hour day at a music festival or at our own wedding, the wisest decision we can make is to be comfortable! And prioritizing comfort does not mean you have to sacrifice elegance or class. Break out some comfy, well-worn shoes and make sure your dress fits just right. The last thing you want to worry about are blisters or constant adjustments on your big day.

Carry a simple bouquet

Photo Credit: Kate Donovan Photography

Outfitting for every(body)

Photo Credit: Kate Donovan Photography

Gone are the days where every member of the wedding party is required to squeeze into the same dress style, despite the fact that everyone’s bodies and personal styles are vastly different. And good riddance! Giving the wedding party autonomy in what they wear is probably the most reasonable wedding trend we’ve seen in years.

This one is simple: we are all unique individuals with unique experiences and bodies. Giving your friends and loved ones the opportunity to choose their own outfit (within a carefully selected color palette of course) will not only make the planning process easier, but it will allow them to feel comfortable and enjoy the big day even more!

Get more wedding planning tips from Bryony & Birch

We loveeeee a good wedding convo. That’s why we write about it a lot! If you’re looking for more wedding planning tips and resources, tap into some of the articles below.

Wedding season is coming! Here are our favorite North Shore Wedding Venues

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Can you smell it? Spring is in the air, and according to the calendar, officially here! (Although we native New Englanders know that can be taken with a grain of salt.) Spring is when a new season of life unfolds on the earth, and we think that’s why so many choose to get married in the spring and join in that terrestrial celebration. We here at Bryony love to celebrate love and are here to support you in all of your wedding planning needs. Whether it be helping you feel healthier and stay centered so you can relax and shed those pre-wedding jitters, look your best on that most important of days, or capture every moment of your ceremony, Bryony can put together the perfect package for you with the Bryony Bridal Experience.

Perhaps you’re stuck on deciding on a wedding venue? Take a look at some of our favorite wedding venues on the North Shore. Whether you’re looking for small and intimate, rustic and historic, or epic and windswept, the North Shore has something to offer you.

A Manor Wedding

Wedding Venue: Stevens Estate at Osgood Hill
Location: North Andover, MA

Photo credit: @DanAguirrePhoto

The Stevens Estate in North Andover is perfect for those wishing for a stately manor wedding. The mansion was inspired by Oscar Wilde’s lectures on the Aesthetic Movement, and the opulence reflected at Osgood Hill definitely embodies this quote by the famous author – “Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden where the flowers are dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life like nothing else could bring.” The estate features lavish options for indoor and outdoor ceremonies, with elegant period furnished rooms inside, and verdant gardens outside. Plus, all proceeds from event rentals are put towards the upkeep of the estate, so your ceremony would help keep the estate preserved for many years to come.

Pricing: $$-$$$
Catering: In house with Fireside Catering
Indoor and outdoor options

A Barn Wedding

Wedding Venue: Barn at the Crane Estate
Location: Ipswich, MA

Photo credit: Sarah Bastille Photography

If the Crane Estate looks familiar to you, it’s with good reason. The estate and its grounds have been featured in several movies such as The Witches of Eastwick, Flowers in the Attic, and Little Women. The estate itself was designed with a Renaissance villa and Roman statuary in the gardens, giving it a classic Italian feel. The estate’s extravagant gardens were also well known as an outdoor conference venue in the 50s and 60s featuring jazz legends Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. But the estate’s barn is what we love the best! With rustic wooden beams overhead and warm terra cotta walls surrounding you, the windows open onto a view of salt marshes and tidal rivers, the ultimate background for your special day.

Pricing: $$-$$$
Catering: In house with Fireside Catering
Indoor and outdoor options

A Seaside Wedding

Venue: Yankee Clipper Inn
Location: Rockport, MA

As born and bred New Englanders, there’s nothing more familiar and lovely than a seaside wedding. That’s why we couldn’t leave out one of our favorite oceanside venues, the Yankee Clipper Inn. A terrific spot for a destination wedding (accommodations on site and only 40 miles from Boston!), the Inn is a full-service bed and breakfast and has hosted such famous names as John Lennon, Paul Newman, and John F Kennedy. An Art Deco Mansion straight out of The Great Gatsby, the Inn can host your ceremony inside or outside. No matter which you choose, you’ll be surrounded by the romance of the waterfront views and the quaintness of historic downtown Rockport.

Pricing: $-$$
Catering: In house
Indoor and outdoor options
On-site accommodation
Elopement packages
Good for small celebrations

A Historical Wedding

Wedding Venue: House of Seven Gables
Location: Salem, MA

Photo credit: @saltyravenstudio

Give your wedding the warmth of historical charm at the House of Seven Gables in Salem. Immortalized in the book by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the 350-year-old House is now a museum open to the public and features many items of interest mentioned in the book, including “Maule’s Well” and even a secret passageway hidden in a closet! Your intimate ceremony could be held in the garden, where you will be embraced by the smell of the flowers and herbs or inside the Holyoke-Plumsock rooms, surrounded by portraits of former House inhabitants hanging on the walls, providing a rich and dignified backdrop for your event. Whichever you choose, the Cooper Hathaway House can host you before and after your ceremony, and its smooth pine floors, warm hearth, and leaded glass windows will make you feel as though you’ve stepped back in time.

Pricing: $-$$
Catering: not included
Indoor and outdoor options
Elopement packages
Good for small celebrations

A Museum Wedding

Wedding Venue: Peabody Essex Museum
Location: Salem, MA

Photo credit: @saltyravenstudio

Give your wedding a colorful and eclectic art backdrop at the Peabody Essex Museum. The Peabody Essex Museum is one of the oldest operating museums in the United States, and houses one of the major collections of Asian art in the United States, as well as art from Japan, Africa, Korea, and India, all giving your wedding an exotic flair. You and your guests can spend some time enjoying some of the elegant galleries and fascinating foreign artifacts. The Main Atrium features a three-story high event space with an arched glass roof, while the East India Marine Hall is a ballroom with floor to ceiling Palladium windows to bathe your ceremony in natural light. The Museum also has a variety of gardens and galleries for your cocktail hour or reception.

Pricing: $$-$$$
Catering: In House, Gourmet Caterers
Indoors

A Castle Wedding

Wedding Venue: Hammond Castle Museum
Location: Gloucester, MA

Photo credit: Black Thumb Studio

We love dreaming of weddings that take place “once upon a time”, so we had to include the North Shore’s real-life fairy tale, Hammond Castle! Located on the bluffs by the sea in Gloucester, Hammond Castle is an accurate (down to the turrets and drawbridge!) reproduction of a medieval castle, complete with an elaborate collection of medieval and Renaissance art. Indoor and outdoor options are available, although we’re a little partial to the massive Great Hall, where you can celebrate and dine like true royalty under the vaulted ceiling and hanging heraldic banners.

Pricing: $
Catering: not included
Indoor and outdoor options
Elopement packages
Good for small celebrations

Plan your big day with Bryony & Birch

Booking the venue is just the beginning. The Bryony Bridal Experience gets you and your bridal party healthy, grounded, and glowing starting a full year before the big day. Whatever vision you have in mind for your perfect day, we look forward to sharing, celebrating and supporting you through the planning process. Email us at bookings@bryonyandbirchstudio.com to learn more about how you can get our full suite bridal services at Bryony & Birch.