This timeless Oak Hill Country Club wedding for Claire and Alec was a dream to plan. It took place at one of the most prestigious country clubs in Rochester: Oak Hill Country Club. I have to say, this venue is stunning. It's secluded and quite private. With two golf courses on the property, the views of the lush green grounds are breathtaking. It's very peaceful. Planning and designing a timeless wedding at a venue like this was magical. Especially for one beautiful couple. I can't wait to share the details on the blog here today!
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New York Wedding Planner Review
Before I share all of my favorite design details and moments of their country club wedding, I have to gush over this sweet review from Claire. If I don't say it enough, I really do love what I do. These two were incredible to work with. I was so grateful to play a role as their Rochester wedding planner.
“Before we hired Desirée, we felt anxious about the unknown tasks that we weren't aware of and concerned about pulling together a wedding while working full-time jobs. We hired her because we loved how all the weddings she planned are unique and clearly represent the couple's vision. We trusted Desirée because she kept calm the whole way through the planning. Alec and I knew how highly experienced she was and put our full faith in her and her team's ability to make our vision come to life. We would never have been able to pull the vision together or convey it to the vendors in a cohesive way.
Desirée has great relationships with vendors across Rochester, which proved to be invaluable. She took on tasks that neither of us would have known how to handle, kept us on track with our to-do lists, and made our wedding day so special and stress-free. We couldn't have asked for a better day!”
Stationery
For Claire and Alec's stationery, we worked with Loria Letters to design a custom six-piece invitation suite. The pairing of a rich deep blue and a crisp soft white made for a classic yet unique design. The envelope liner was a beautiful touch. It added a fun element to the formal feeling suite. Since hydrangeas are one of Claire's favorite flowers, we knew were going to incorporate them on the day of their wedding in their floral arrangements. However, I always like to include tiny details from start to finish in the design process. It's important for me to create a cohesive feel from the minute a guest receives their invitation to the minute they walk into your wedding. With that said, we made the point to include hydrangeas on their stationery and it turned out beautifully.
Getting Ready
Getting ready on the day of your wedding is such a special time. You want to be relaxed and surrounded by your loved ones as you prepare for one of life's greatest moments. Claire and Alec had just that. The two got ready separately, on the property, at Oak Hill Country Club. Claire was upstairs with her bridesmaids in a spacious room while Alec was downstairs with his groomsmen in another. The convenience of getting ready at either your ceremony or reception venue makes all of the difference. The less moving around the better. Plus, Oak Hill Country Club really does have the most gorgeous views. I mean, look at that lush green grass! Who wouldn't want to look at that when getting ready? It's quite peaceful. Also, we love matching robes or tops for getting ready. It makes SUCH difference in your photos!
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The Ceremony
Claire and Alec were married at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Rochester, NY. They had a traditional Catholic ceremony. The Cathedral was simply stunning. It also was large enough to host their 250 guests quite comfortably! Wedding ceremonies are so special and this one was no exception. There is nothing like watching two people vow and commit themselves to one another for the rest of their lives. This is the reason for it all!
Cocktail Hour
Cocktail hours are always the best way to kick off the night. For Claire and Alec's signature cocktail they chose a fun summer drink: an Aperol spritz. It was the perfect refreshing drink for a warm summer day. We had a quartet playing music throughout the hour. Live music always elevates the ambiance of a space. It makes for the best company. And of course, we included an outdoor lounge for cocktail hour. Lounges really are a two-for-one. One, they are actually useful because guests will sit down, relax, and have a conversation. Two, they're beautiful and add another element of decor to your space that may be unexpected.
Claire's Design Inspiration: Her Ginger Jar Collection
The design for Claire and Alec's wedding was a crisp, elegant and clean color palette of blues, greens, creams, neutrals, and tans for a little depth. A modern summer garden party meets timeless elegance. An important addition to their design was the bride's love for blue and white ginger jars. We incorporated her own personal collection by using them as vessels for the centerpieces. We also rented specialty ones and placed them around the space. With matching china, linens, and candle holders, the blue and white pattern was stunning.
For the escort cards, we went with a more traditional style display and it came out gorgeous. Alphabetically arranged, each guest had their own tent card with their name and table number on it that escorted them to their seat. We used these tent card holders to display them. The simplicity of this setup, especially with a larger guest list, made for a beautiful element.
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Florals and a Greenery Chandelier
The reception tent at Oak Hill Country Club is an incredible blank canvas. Wich such a large space, we felt it was important to have different areas of interest at various eye levels. We had decor on the tables but also felt it was important to incorporate a floral chandelier above the dance floor to fill the space. I love the liveliness it brought to the tent. For Claire and Alec, we stuck with classic arrangements of white florals and greenery for not only the floral installation but the centerpieces as well. I never like to follow “trends” as a wedding designer, so for a classic neutral palette like this, I have no doubt it will stand the test of time. It was the perfect pairing with the blue accents.
Planning a Wedding at Oak Hill Country Club
Are you feeling inspired yet? We absolutely loved helping Claire and Alec create something both timeless yet unique to them. At Verve, we believe great design needs to feel just like you. In my humble opinion, that's exactly what we accomplished here. If you are planning a wedding at Oak Hill Country Club, you can connect directly with me, Desiree, here. We would love to work with you to brainstorm ways to make your wedding uniquely and incredibly yours.
In the meantime, here are some sweet words from the bride after the wedding:
“Thank you so much for everything you have done for us over the course of the past year. We are incredibly grateful for your attention to detail, for always listening, for answering our hundreds of questions, and for absolutely nailing our vision on wedding day! How you manage all that you do with a smile on your face and a calm, cool, and collected attitude is insane!”
Photo Credit for this post goes to the wonderful Casey LaFountain Photography. For a full list of wedding vendors (and even more photos!), check out their wedding gallery here.
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