Melissa and Tony
Date of engagement: 11/16/13
Date of wedding: 6/28/2014
Images by Erika Follansbee Photography
The lake and the beauty of summertime were high on Melissa and Tony’s must-have list as they began to plan their wedding.
Plans were done long distance (the couple lives in South Carolina). Luckily, Melissa’s mother Wynette lives in NH and was a huge help in planning the lakefront wedding. Recalls Melissa, “We had to rely on my mom to do a lot of the leg work for us. She happily accepted the job and did an incredible job with everything down to the smallest detail!”
Melissa goes on to say, “We didn’t have a specific theme that we stuck to, but we both love the lake and wanted to have a really fun beautiful summery wedding. Simple, elegant and fun. When it came to the wedding and picking vendors, I had three must-haves: I wanted to get married on the lake in the summer (my favorite place); I wanted to have my favorite band, the Jim Devlin Band, playing as we danced the night away, and I wanted to have amazing photos so I could remember it all.”
The couple achieved all their goals with some great wedding vendors who pulled out all the stops to create a beautiful lakefront experience. The wedding location was the Margate in Laconia. The ceremony took place in the Margate’s pavilion overlooking the lake. The reception was held under a huge tent on the lawn at the Margate and the late-evening fireworks took place on the property.
“We went to visit the Margate’s outdoor space and immediately knew it was the perfect spot,” say Melissa of the very popular wedding location.
Melissa, her mother and Tony knew great photographs of the wedding were all-important. Thus, says Melissa, “We chose our photographer, Erika Follansbee, after searching through numerous photographers. As soon as Tony and I saw her website, we knew right away that we wanted to work with her on our wedding day. Her pictures were stunning and her attention to detail was incredible. She did an amazing job and was wonderful to work with.”
The Wedding Professionals
Save the Date and wedding invitations were made by the groom
Specialty Linens: divine inspirations! (kiwi green napkins, highboys and tent pole covers)
Cake Baker: Bride’s friend/bridesmaid Kasey Gomez
Caterer: Curt’s Caterers provided all of the food for the wedding and the rehearsal dinner
Gown: David Tutera fashion and purchased from A Day to Remember in Concord, NH
Florist: Prescott Florist
Transportation: Says Melissa, “My dad drove us in his super cool 37 Chevy Master that he restored for our special day. It was amazing and I felt like a movie star driving up to the ceremony!”
Ceremony Officiant: Melissa and Tony’s friend Dave was the officiant
Hair and Makeup: The Galleria Salon & Day Spa
Wedding Planner: Wynette DeGroot
Band: The couple’s favorite band (and great friends) The Jim Devlin Band
Ceremony: Says Melissa, “We had our ceremony in the pavilion at the Margate, Laconia, overlooking the water and our reception in the tent on the West Lawn. We used high top tables just outside our reception tent for the cocktail hour while our friend Paul Luff played live music. Paul also played during our ceremony.”
Bride’s favorite part of the wedding: “How could I ever choose a favorite part, when the entire day was unbelievably incredible! From the Old Hollywood ride to the ceremony all the way through to the amazing fireworks display that ended the reception, there was not one thing I would have changed! We were incredibly lucky to be surrounded by our loving friends and family and to have such an unbelievably perfect wedding.”
Bride’s advice to others: “Don’t sweat the small stuff! Don’t stress over every tiny detail; chances are, no one will notice but you. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy every moment! Try to take it all in. Your wedding will fly by and you want to make sure you are fully immersed in every moment and get a chance to really enjoy your day. Also, I highly recommend fireworks if they are an option. They are an awesome way to end an incredible night.”
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