Fall hard for Amie & Kyle’s lavender and bamboo local farm brunch wedding

The Offbeat Bride: Amie, Behavior Therapist

Her offbeat partner: Kyle, Seafood Quality Control Inspector

Date and location of wedding: Seven Arrows Farm, Attleboro, MA — June 27, 2015

Our offbeat wedding at a glance:

It was very important to us that our wedding have an easy vibe — fun and comfortable for us and our guests — which is why we chose an outdoor brunch.

We really wanted to support small, local businesses, so all of our vendors were people we know personally or small businesses we frequent. There wasn't necessarily a theme, but the entire wedding was done in purples and had lots of antlers and rustic touches in the decor, including a deer skull centerpiece and a wrought iron chandelier hanging in our tent.

Tell us about the ceremony:

Our yorkiepoo, Zuzu, carried our rings, escorted by my dad. I had her lavender dress with flouncy feather skirt custom made, and my florist provided a flower collar to match my crown. She looked beautiful! Our flower girls wore amazing purple faery dresses with giant tulle skirts and carried flower “wands” with ribbons trailing.

We wanted to keep the actual ceremony short and light, so we chose our hilarious friend Chris, whom I've known for more than half my life, to officiate as a one-day solemnizer.

The day before our wedding, the US Supreme Court announced their decision about marriage equality. My brother, our officiant, our roommate, and many of our guests are gay, so it meant everything to us that they were attending and participating in a country that acknowledges their equal right to choose marriage.

Kyle and I went to college together for creative writing, so we wrote our own vows. At one point while he was speaking, he — a typically stoic and pragmatic guy — actually choked up a little. That moment continues to touch my heart.

Tell us about your reception:

Our tent was literally in a bamboo forest, which is that wall of green that can be seen in many of the photos. My brother devoted days of work to decorating the ceiling with ribbon in many shades of purple and hanging the chandelier and fairy lights.

We served a brunch from one of our favorite restaurants in Providence, RI, where we live, complete with two live omelette stations for guests to build their own omelettes, scrambles, or tofu scrambles. The restaurant itself is farm-to-table, which means all the food, fruit, and juice was fresh and fantastic.

A pastry chef friend of ours worked with us to create amazing lavender macarons, lemon macarons, and lavender cupcakes. Her boyfriend actually went out into the woods at his house and found the wood they used as our cake trays. Also, because there was composting available at the restaurant and right on the farm, all of the food waste from our wedding was composted.

Our favors were sachets of fresh lavender tea, which was grown right on the farm. With all that lavender in the floral arrangements, desserts, and sachets, the scent carried through on even the lightest breeze.

What was your most important lesson learned?

Patience. I have never been good with exercising patience, and when I have a project I tend to steamroll through it until it's done. Weddings just don't work this way. Take your time and make decisions mindfully. And, most importantly for me, if you are nervous because your vendors aren't getting back to you quickly, relax and give them a chance. They care about you, and ultimately they care about their business enough to want you to be completely happy and satisfied. Breathe, let it come together, and enjoy.

Vendors

• Venue: Seven Arrows Farm
• Caterer: Julian's Restaurant
• Florist: Studio 539 Flowers
• Photographer: Chelsea Nye, Blink of a Nye