Want to know how this colorful spring Inns of Aurora wedding came to be? Emily and Tom met on a blind date. At the time, Emily was about to start grad school and decided she wasn’t ready to jump into a relationship, so she put Tom out of her mind for the time being. As fate would have it, six weeks later she found herself thinking about that date and wondering what happened to him, so she reached back out. Consequently, Tom saved her contact information in his phone as “Emily From The Way Back When Pizza Date” and the rest is history. Tom proposed to Emily while on a date at the Natural History Museum. He hid the ring inside a bag with cookies from Levain Bakery, which was incorporated into their escort card display. 

The Rehearsal Dinner at the Rowland House 

We love how more and more couples are choosing to curate complete destination wedding weekends instead of one-day events. For Emaily and tom, the weekend started with a gorgeous welcome party (that doubled as a rehearsal dinner). Set at the Rowland House at the Inns of Aurora, the Welcome Party mimicked a relaxed afternoon in an English garden playing croquet and lawn games under the shade of a tent. Wildflowers in bud vases sat atop white runners on farm tables. Cocktail tables were dressed in floral linens with small garden arrangements. In addition to serving a picnic-inspired menu of barbecue pork shoulder, macaroni & cheese, and a cucumber and watermelon salad, guests also enjoyed Indian sweets and strawberry trifles.

 

 

A Lakeside Ceremony

On their wedding day, surrounded by 140 of their closest family and friends, Emily and Tom said “I do” by the sparkling water of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Emily’s wedding inspiration came from her love of lilacs, Jane Austen, Harry Potter, and the English countryside. We designed her ceremony aisle to mimic wildflowers growing in a field. Their altar continued the wildflowers theme and encircled the couple. Their ceremony music was performed by a cello duo and included songs from “The Hobbit” as well as “Yellow” by Coldplay, and “I Ain’t Worried” by One Republic.

A Gorgeous Spring Wedding Color Palette

Before we move one, can we have a moment for the color palette? The modern spring color palette was inspired by the early 19th century English countryside, an era when people passed their time with walks in the garden, picking wildflowers, or reading books in the shade. It was the perfect inspiration for this sweet wedding day.

Cocktail Hour

Next, cocktail hour took place a few steps away from the ceremony on the open lawn and under a tent. Emily loves to bake, so we designed their favors and escort card display based on this fact about her, and their sweet engagement story. We attached measuring cups and recipe cards with the recipe of the cookies from their engagement. A former thespian, Emily chose a quote from the play Rent for the title of the display: “Measure Your Life in Love.” 

The Reception

Next, the stunning reception space overflowed with the soft color palette. The bride paired lilac linens with artfully arranged flowers in peach, mauve, and yellow. Peach napkins rested below circular menus adorned with handpainted wildflowers and a sweet yellow ribbon. Gold-rimed crystal glassware paired with peach accent glasses. The mixture of lilac and mauve tall taper candles and votives added more texture to the table and gave it an elegant and gardenesque without feeling overly casual.

The Sweetheart Table

For their sweetheart table, we repurposed the arrangements from the ceremony and encircled the couple. On the table, the florist placed a low arrangement with seasonal blooms and foliage. The concept once again re-created the wildflower meadow look around the couple during dinner.

The Dance Party

The Inns of Aurora has quite the set-up for weddings. They have a dancing tent that is separate from the dinner tent so you have the best of both worlds. While some guests want to enjoy dessert and relax in the dinner tent, others want to dance the night away in the adjoining tent. Others opt to stroll the grounds and take selfies by the water. It's quite magical! 

Now that we've shared a little bit about the events of their spring Inns of Aurora wedding, let's dive even deeper into the details.

The Paper

The organic, floral focused invitation and day of stationery contained pops of lavender and peach and reinforced the refined 19th century English countryside aesthetic of the wedding. Handmade paper gave the suite a natural feel while a white wax seal with hand-pressed purple petals added a touch of elegance. A hand-painted floral envelope liner continued the wildflower vibe. Finally, the stationer printed the wildflower pattern onto a vellum wrap to hold all of the invitation pieces together. Simple twine closed the wrap and added an organic touch.

The Attire

The bride wore a gown by Alexandra Grecco while the groom wore a gray custom suit from Bergdorf Goodman. The bridesmaids wore lovely yellow dresses from Kennedy Blue and the groomsmen wore navy suits from the Black Tux and custom peach ties with the floral print from the wedding invitation suite. 

Dessert Table + Wedding Cake

The couple has quite the sweet tooth, so in addition to a traditional wedding cake, they served a plethora of desserts. This included vanilla cake with strawberry jam and strawberry buttercream; chocolate cake with Italian peanut butter buttercream and chopped peanuts for crunch; peach, lemon, and strawberry basil macarons, and of course double-chocolate and classic chocolate chip cookies. They also served homemade ice cream from a local vendor: Vanilla, Moose Tracks, and Mango Sorbet.

 

Spring Inns of Aurora Wedding

Got that spark of inspiration yet? Whether you want to plan a spring Inns of Aurora wedding or have something else on your mind, we love to help plan a wedding that feels both contemporary and timeless. Here at Verve, we're all about planning and designing events that are a true reflection of you. And honestly, I think we nailed it with this one. If you're dreaming of a wedding at The Inns of Aurora, I'm here for you! I'm Desiree, and you can reach out to me right here. We're excited to explore creative ways to make your wedding distinctly and wonderfully your own.

 

WEDDING VENDOR TEAM

Planning & Design: Verve Event Co.
Attire: Alexandra Grecco, Chemistry Neckties & Kennedy Blue
Beauty: Rock Paper Scissors Salon
Calligraphy: Loria Letters
Cake & Desserts: Scratch Bakeshop & Molly V Ice Cream
Catering: The Inns of Aurora
Music: The Swooners & DJ Celli
Florals: Flowerwell
Photography: Mary Dougherty
Rentals: Pretty Little Vintage, Petunia Rose China, BBJ La Tavola & Nuag Designs
Stationery:  Loria Letters
Table Settings: Petunia Rose Luxe China
Videography: Filmwell Studios
Venue: The Inns of Aurora

 

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