Olivia + Alex’s Classic New England Wedding at the Hadwen House on Nantucket

Nantucket in early fall, with its beautiful coastline, cottage style gardens still in bloom, and rows of charming historic homes make it a dreamy setting for “I do”.

Olivia and Alex were among the many couples faced with the challenges presented by the pandemic. They pared down the guest list and postponed, unsure after all the changes if it would be the day they had hoped for. When the day finally arrived Olivia described it as the most beautiful, calm, sunny day which started with coffee and a walk on the beach with Alex. The evening wedding and small guest list meant no rushing and more time to savor one of the most special days of their lives together.

Both ceremony and reception took place in the garden of the Hadwen House, a historic, Greek Revival style mansion on Main Street, that was absolutely perfect for their intimate celebration. The all white floral ceremony arch and aisle lined with tall white and blue meadow flowers was perfection. Olivia was absolutely stunning in her Carolina Herrera gown with sweetheart neckline and embroidered tulle wrap. Bridesmaids wore mix and match blue dresses and carried white bouquets with pops of greenery. The bouquets, like the dresses, were all unique and added both whimsy and elegance to the party.

The stationery suite is a dreamy, whimsical nod to the island. The main invitation features custom watercolor illustrations in light blue and shades of summer green. Olivia and Alex’s wedding monogram is inset in a floral crest of blue flowers and ribbon with coordinating florals along the bottom. The floral watercolors repeat in the RSVP and bloom across the envelope liner as blue hydrangea and lupine. An enclosure card features a custom watercolor illustration of a map of Nantucket. Because their wedding date had to be pushed back we created a simple “change the date” card and featured their lovely watercolor monogram.

The beautiful day was captured by Nantucket wedding photographer Zofia Photography. Full suite stationery photos by Poeme.

How would you describe the overall style of your wedding?

Classic, New England, intimate.

Tell us a little about you and Alex.

We've been together for almost 10 years. We met when I was 21 and Alex was 26 (which I thought was SO OLD at the time). We love to play tennis together, travel, and hang with our labradoodle, Moose.

What sources did you draw inspiration from?

We drew most of our inspiration from previous trips to Nantucket and tried to capture the casual elegance of the island for our wedding day. Our wedding planner also helped us a lot with our vision.

What was the location for your wedding? Why was it perfect?

The ceremony and reception were both at the Hadwen House garden, a historical home on Main Street in town. Having everything outdoors was crucial during a global pandemic, and the size of the garden was perfect for our small/intimate guest list.

Did you have a strong idea for the design of your wedding stationery prior to your consultation?

We had some ideas, but Kristen really helped us come up with a plan. We wanted to include images/art that were "Nantucket-y" without it seeming like we were inviting guests to a clambake. Kristen really helped us choose a design that was the perfect mix of whimsical and elegant. We also wanted to somehow incorporate our labradoodle in the stationery without it seeming like a children's book illustration, and Kristen had the idea of putting Moose on the stamps. I received more compliments on those adorable stamps than I did on any other part of our wedding!

How did you envision the stationery, flowers, cake and decor working together to create a cohesive look?

We really trusted our wedding planner and vendors with this task and they all delivered!

What part of the process did you find most interesting - the design, the print process, the etiquette and tradition? What part did you find most challenging?

I found the design process the most interesting and fun, and loved all of the drafts Kristen sent, which also made it hard to make a final decision!

Describe your wedding day. Is there a particular moment that remains in your memory most vividly?

We had the most perfect late summer weather. It was 65 degrees and sunny. Because we were having a small evening wedding, there was no rush to get ready in the morning. Alex and I were able to get coffee together and take a walk to the beach, and I think I remember the calm and beautiful morning we spent together more vividly than any moment from our actual wedding.

What challenges did you encounter during the planning process?

Planning a wedding in 2020 meant we encountered ALL of the challenges. We ended up changing our venue and wedding date, and uninviting the majority of our guests due to safety guidelines. It was a painful process, but I'm so glad we decided to go ahead with a reimagined smaller wedding in 2020 instead of postponing. The entire weekend ended up being absolutely perfect and better than I ever could have imagined.