Kara and Adam | Tented Wedding at The Captain Heman Smith House | Cape Cod Wedding Planning


Kara never stops smiling, she is always up for a good time, a shared laugh and to have fun. I can see why she is a successful nurse and why her groom Adam fell in love and married her. I have known both she and her family for some time. Of course you read below in her wedding sketch that I had worked with her sister and brother in law in the planning and design of their stormy and fabulous wedding day. So I know these girls. So many of the bridesmaids has been at the same wedding because they worked for the groom, the owner of the most popular and fabulous restaurant, Antonio's. All of that leads up to my job being so much easier. They all listen to me and know that I too love to have fun, but at the same time I am there for the bride to make sure every one of her wishes come true.

The location always determines the style of the wedding. The Captain Heman Smith House is a stately compound on the waters edge in Eastham, MA. So you don't have to hit google earth, think the tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown. Now come back two towns and you have the historic and charming Eastham. The location and the weather yesterday could not have been better. Many felt like they had stepped into a chic hamptons setting. Kara did not disappoint. She looked amazing as she stepped off the back steps of the house she was staying at. She really did glow just like an angel. The sun caught the shimmer to her gown and the sparkle of her ocean blue eyes. I personally handed her bouquet moments before the bridal party was to head off to the church, just minutes down the road.

All of the ladies looked like they were out of the pages of a bridal magazine, so pulled together, shoes, bags, make-up, jewelry tied in perfection with a bit of bohemian flair. A perfect reflection of the bride. I cued the photographer Kim Reilly that she had about eight minutes before my bride and her father were to head out in an vintage 1950's Rolls Royce. The white walls got me, reminds me a bit of white spats that the gents used to wear in the day. There is no other day in the world that riding in a classic car, then the wedding day. I was happy to get my bride and her dad into the car and headed to the church. Her picture above, in the back seat of the car is one of my favorites. You can see where Kara gets her sparkling eyes.

Kara's bouquet was a gorgeous mound of white Dutch hydrangea, english garden roses, anenomes in jewel tones and then as an over the top touch was studded with the most rare of orchids, the purple Macarra. As she and the bridal party headed off to the church to get married, I stayed behind at the Smith Compound to lay out the finishing details to the wedding. Kara and I had worked to find the perfect container that we could fill with sand and then place all of her hand lettered star fish place cards. In the end there was not a container that fit the style of the day. SO.....I put the sand right on to the table. I have never done this before and in the end I found it to be a really charming and innovative way to display your guest's seating. You can see that I also drew (picked) from the local landscape some fluffy heads of fall Hydrangea as the base to the look Along with an antique bird cage for cards and a placard of charitable donation, the entrance table seemed to delight guests. Like an adult sandbox.

I was being a bit neurotic and had the time so I had one of my assistants comb the beach shore for native shells. You can see that they are laid out at the front of the preppy and capey place card display.

I think that it is tough to describe how good purple and pink look with orange when it comes to flowers. I think that it is clear to see that with that Kara's choice of flowers not only does it hint at fall, but is hints at summer which is just weeks behind us. The bridal party made their way back to the compound and only had a few more photos to take before their official duties were done for the day and they too could hit the raw bar and enjoy a cocktail, or two, or three, four? How many did my tipsy groomsman have? I am not sure, but we barely made it through the formal photos with Kim before I had to call a wrap. They were over it and it showed. I know, it can be a bit of a pain in the butt. I knew that they had already gotten great shots and that it was time.

Kara and Adam look sublime out on the far end of the dock. The look of love is all over her face. I love this photo!!

The cake by Meredith at Artisan Kitchen in Rochester, MA was delightful. There seems to be a trend with the old fashioned dollopy look to the frosting. Kara wanted it, so we got it. It would have been a bit plain, but the flowers took it from off the rack to couture. I worked with Meredith and her assistant to arrange the bridesmaids bouquets at the base of this elegant cake. I also picked a few key blooms (macarra orchids) to apply to the cake as the final touches. It really was so pretty. AND TASTY!!! Yes I did have three pieces as I stood in the dark and watched all of the guests having a blast roaming around this dreamlike setting.

The band was made up of friends of the groom and was AWESOME! The rocked it old school and I was right in my element. I knew when they busted about with The Fresh Prince of Belle Air, Jazzy Jeff, and Michael Jackson that these guests were going to hit the dance floor hard. I managed to see some amazing thriller moves right up until a young lady really did hit the dance floor, hard. The party was over for her as she headed via ambulance to take care of a very nasty cut to her leg. She would be all right, bummer though. I always tell the bride and groom that these are the moments that make your wedding your own.

We got the fire pit going just as the sun was setting. By the time it did set, I had laid out the lovely hand cut luminary that one of the bridesmaids was so nice to have cut and cut and cut. Their spacing and being all lit is the key and here is the photo to prove it. It took a while for the wind to die down, but it did. The lines of luminary, of all things was the talk of the night. I overheard one of the guests proclaim that it was not really a wedding unless there were paper candles......maybe he is right.

So many details came together beautifully. Russ Morin and his catering team, as always did an amazing job with the food and the service. Thank you so much for putting aside a take home treat for me. I can believe that I forgot it in the fridge of the main house. Hey I am going to see you guys from Morin's this weekend at Eastover Farm in Rochester. I am sure that it will be another amazing night.

Congratulations Kara and Adam. I thought of you guys all day. Loved seeing my brides among your guests. Wonderful, chilly, fall cape cod night. Thank you for having me as part of your wedding. I will remember it always. Love, CMP

 

Kara and Adam | Captain Heman Smith House Weddings | Plum and Marine wedding colorway

 

I keep saying to myself that I am not going to publish my work without some sort of story to it. It is hard, but here I am taking a break in my busy creative day to launch this cute little couples design rendering for their wedding. The bride, who I know through her family (did her sister's wedding in a big storm a few years ago), told me that I did not have to take the time to do my traditional sketch for her wedding. It does help me and my staff execute and produce the designs that I have so carefully planned with my brides. My bride was pretty clear that she wanted an elegant wedding, on the shore, in a tent. While there is a lot of water here on the cape, there are few venues on the water with tented weddings. She was actually the one that came to me after finding the most amazing spot for her wedding at the Captain Heman Smith House in Eastham, Massachusetts. The site sits right on the water and has an amazing expanse of lawn which extends from the back of a historic Captain's house. I love the widows walk and can imagine the late Captain Heman Smith's wife nervously watching the sea to see if her husband would make it back......dangerous business out there on the water in those days, hence the widow in the widow's walk.

Taking hints from the sea I have worked with Kara and her groom adam to come up with both a seasonal and marine look using shades of the ocean and pops of bright white, purple and orange flowers. Of course there has to be Hydrangea being on the cape and all. I will fill in the low floral designs for the table top with David Austin Roses, Stock, Lisianthus, Dahlias and many other seasonally appropriate flowers. The flowers are just the beginging to the beautful details that will be laid out under a huge white tent. Tables dressed in crisp white cotton will have white glass chargers at all of the place settings along with a strie of blue napkins. Of course the tables will be fully set for this elegant buffet reception. I can't stand just a napkin on the table.

With the tables all set, we will be ready to turn it over to the very talented hands of my good friend and partner Russ Morin of Morin's fine catering. I am always flattered that he, himself shows up and works right beside, getting the catering job done, in style of course. The menu will be divine. Adam, the groom works within the food service business and he has used his leverage to procure amazing steaks and seafood for his wedding. With Russ and his talented staff on the scene, I am not worried at all about the catering details and I can hardly wait for the smell of yummy grilled steaks to fill the air.

This wedding is tomorrow and the weekend looks like it is going to be the quintessential New England fall day. Perfect day to gussy up a bit and to celebrate and Oh Boy these guests will do just that. Congratulations Kara and Adam. We are going to have an awesome day tomorrow!!! My best and Love, CMP

Amy and Nick | South Coast Waterfront Tented Wedding

Photography: Chad Michael Peters

Venue: Private Beach Association, Marion, MA

Planning and Coordination : Bride and Groom along with consultations from CMP

Flowers and Decor : Chad Michael Peters

Tenting: Sperry Tents

Rentals: Chase Canopy

Linens: Chad Michael Peters

Food: Matt's Blackboard

Wedding Stationery: Bride and Groom DIY Project

Wooden Cupcake Stand: Custom Made by the Groom

Entertainment by: Rebecca Correira

Christie and Brad | Samoset Inn Weddings | CMP for Elegance and Grace Weddings

I met Andy Delucia, of Elegance and Grace Weddings over the phone. In that first phone call, I knew that she and I would hit it off and that working together to design the wedding that she was planning for our bride, Christie would be challenging, fun and would result in an incredible day. It was just that.

We worked together for almost a year to design floral details and decor that would perfectly match the vision that our bride had for her once in a lifetime day. We went back and forth with regard to color and how to best showcase the setting in an upscale and sophisticated way. I am happy that as part of my design process with the client includes both sketching and setting up a demo day so the bride has a chance to get as much of a real vision as possible as to what her day will look like. The tone on tone, pale taupey grey linens were a perfect showcase to the overblown blooms arranged in silver mint julip cups and mercury glass. Some of the tables had one style of arrangement and others had clusters of vases and candles sweetly arranged. The pale butter ivory roses, blown open by hand to look as if their petals are opening up in the sun of a garden, were stunning mixed in with the other pale flowers and luscisous blue hydrangea.

The days leading into the wedding were almost a round the clock production as so many details to a wedding have to get done the week of it. We headed out from my studio at five in the morning on the day of the wedding with our van jam packed with pretty. We arrived an hour earlier than we had planned, which gave us a rare treat of extra time to unload and arrange to prepare to execute this lovely wedding design.

Andy, of Elegance and Grace weddings had things well under control on the grounds of The Samoset Inn. Having had the tents set up the day before.  The lovely tent from Sperry was incomparable in it's details. The hand hewn poles varnished to a gleaming Mahogany and billowing flags high atop its architectural peaks, provided an impeccable palette of protection and taste to host this wedding.

We finished everything and then some laying out floral details, candles, lighting details and helping to futz and putz with linens and placement to make sure we got rave reviews from our guests. I knew that magic was in the making, when the mother of the bride came to visit us under the tent after spending the early afternoon entertaining guests around the sparkling pool of the resort. She choked up right away when she saw our plan coming to fruition. She smiled and wiped away a tear and told us that the bride was sure to be overwhelmed with the work that we had done.

And then there was that moment of perfection, when the candles are lit and I look around and even I find it hard to believe that this is all real. Just too pretty, just too perfect. Andy came back to the tent, pretty as a picture in her own change of outfit for the evening. I was too happy at that point to turn over the reigns of this party to her. I could picture how gorgeous the bride would be be in her Vera Wang gown against the picturesque backdrop of The Samoset Inn.

I purposely did not publish a picture of the bride and her groom wanting to give an opportunity to the official photographer to do her thing. She knows that I love to get a glimpse of the photos early so I can share them with you. In the days to come, I so look forward to showcasing her work and showing off this gorgeous bride and her family. Until then, enjoy the details of this lovely wedding. The bride, trust me, is worth the wait.

B & W Wedding Portraits | Regatta Place Weddings | Photography by Genevieve de Manio

 

I have loved the photography of Genevieve de Manio for as long as I can remember. I think that it was a gorgeous mound of white flowers being held by the bride in the first photo that I saw of hers. They way that the soft and subtle nuances of the flowers were dappled with light captivated me. I had been so wanting to work with her, so I was thrilled when I called to inquire about her services for my lovely princess bride, Kim and she said yes!! Yeah. Her work on the wedding held at the luxurious Regatta Place in Newport was gorgeous. She captured the rich and vibrant color of the decor and the flowers in a most perfect way. Of course, the photos of the bride and the groom were heartfelt, I could actually feel the love.

Never in a million years did I have any idea that this photographer was on the brink of world famous. In the two weeks that followed Kim's wedding, I woke early on a Sunday morning to read about Chelsea Clinton's wedding. I was thrilled to see Gigi, stretched out in one of the photos, strapped with cameras and capturing the most famous wedding of recent times. How thrilled I was for her to be the official photographer to the Clinton wedding and to have her worked published all over the world. Of course, that meant that my bride Kim's wedding went to the next level too. There are not that many gals that can say they had the same photographer as Chelsea Clinton right?

I think that it is fitting to leave you here with these four Black and white wedding portraits of Kim and her Groom, Brendan. Their smiles and the elegance of the setting along the shores of Newport Rhode Island tell the whole story to this wedding. There is no need for color here, the photos are clearly the color of love. Many thanks to Genevieve de Manio for working with me on this Regatta Place Wedding, your photography is gorgeous. I so look forward to the honor of working with you again.

I thought that I would include this great clip from E Entertainment about Chelseas wedding so you would have a chance to see the still shots done by Gigi. Click the Arrow to play.

 

To learn more about the many fabulous photographers that I work with please visit by chad michael peters photography services.

 

 

Elegant Eastover Farm | Erin and Alex

Eastover Farm in Rochester Massachusetts was the local for the wedding that I planned this past Sunday. Each and every time I am there, there seems to be a romantic magic in the air. Sunday was no different. It was a day that you dream about as a wedding planner and certainly as a bride. As of Friday the weather looked to be cold and rainy for all of Sunday, but when the day actually came the weather could not have been more perfect. We moved ahead with a lake side ceremony for my bride Erin and her groom, Alex.

Guests gathered by the lake to wait for the bride who made her way to the ceremony in a beaded deep ivory gown and taupe sash on the arm of her dapper father. The cutest part of the day had to be the bride's adorable children who served as ring bearer and flower girl for the day.

I arranged the flowers for the ceremony to draw out the color of the seasonal foliage which has just started to turn and made for the most incredible of backdrops. The bride and groom and their good looking wedding party looked absolutely surreal against this to die for setting. 

As the sun began to set and the bride and groom moved around the property for their photography, a most incredible fog rolled into the serene setting of the farm. I have never seen something so beautiful and as the stylist and photographer of the event, I was literally running from field to field with my camera hoping to capture the details of the day in this most incredible light and weather conditions. Before the guests ate I once again grabbed the bride and groom to head out into the stone lined fields to take in the beauty of the farm and their once in a life time day. I am glad that I did, their photos and the detail shots of the bridal party bouquets in antique pewter containers are some of my favorite wedding photographs of all time. 

Just before the sun set, I got a chance to head into the tent to photograph some of the sweet and harvesty details of the day. The bride's cake table was right out of the pages of a magazine with it's floral cake and display of minuature flower arrangments. The light of the setting sun dappled this display and made the yummy cake the focal point of the room.

Eastover Farm remains as one of the finest examples of a working New England Farm and is the very definition elegance when it comes to hosting a wedding or a special event. I am more than proud to exclusively represent the farm for such events. For more information on Eastover Farm please visit my web site by clicking here.

 

Indian Summer

 

Any wedding or event at Eastover Farm in Rochester, Massachusetts is a special one. Having spent some time in India, I was totally excited to get a call to host a wedding this past Saturday night for an amazing Indian family that has lived here in Massachusetts for the past twenty five years.

I knew right away that color would be the key. Ladies in Saris were the inspiration and there were so many guests that came to the party in these traditional Indian ladies garments, just stunning. We hosted the guests for cocktails by the pond at the farm. Blackstone Caterer did a superb job with a fresh fruit juice bar and yummy appetizers from watermelon and feta to coconut shrimp.This was followed by a sit down dinner in another tent with a choice of traditional vegetarian or a delicious chicken dish with jasmine rice, thumbs up, way up !

  

Here you see my original design rendering for the event. Bright, bold, Indian color was the cue from the very get go. I just adore seeing these sketches come to life.

The farm is so stunning and with close to seven hundred acres, the choices for how to host your party there are virtually unlimited. We were very lucky that it had rained so much in June. Normally July is a dry and dusty time in any field. This year, the gardens were lush and the fields were long and luckily with all the rain we were able to light the bonfire to welcome the guests to dinner.

 

 

The Indian Goddess of dancing, greeted the guests as they made their way into the dinner tent. So appropriate for a party that was about to rock.

As a special treat to the American guests, I had yards and yards of bright and auspicious yellow garlands made in India and specially flown in for this party. Many hands and thousands of flowers worked overtime to pull off this stunning look. Guests could hardly believe that they were real.

 

 

Because it had been wet this past month, I got lucky and was able to light the fire for the guests. The smell of wood smoke and the purification and balance of water and fire was just so perfect as guests moved and celebrated through out the farm. My absolute favorite part of the night was when the lights went down. The candles, the luminaries and the custom lighting depicting the national bird of India, the Peacock and the good luck lotus were the talk of the night.

Congratulations to the Chowdri family on the marriage of their son Siddhartha to Arati. Cheers!

For more information on hosting your wedding or event at Eastover Farm please click here.

 

Mt. Hope Farm

 

I knew the moment that I met Blair, her groom and her family that our working together would be an experience to remember, and that it was. We planned on a elegant, modern classic to be held at Mt. Hope Farm, a stunning sea side gentelman's farm. Deep into the woods and on the edge of the ocean tents were pitched for the ceremony and reception. Cocktails were served in a rustic cabin. The bride was a real stunner in her vintage inspired beaded gown and cathedral veil. If only the weather would have cooperated. It rained a good four inches that day, the bride with her bouquet of peonies and sweet pea made her way across the soaked lawn in a down pour with a smile that was simply unforgettable.


The tent was filled with mounds of spring flowers in modern square vases trimmed in the bride's signature colors. The four poles were laced with honeysuckle and mounds of fresh flowers. The rain kept on and so did the magnitude of the party. Nothing could stop the hunky NFL guests and their gorgeous dates from dancing the night away. Love was simply in the air.

 

 

The Perfect Storm

Elizabeth is a rare beauty, with long blond hair and a smile that radiates. I can see why Paul, her handsome groom did not waste any time in getting down on one knee to propose. She said yes to a stunner of a ring and the wedding was in the works.

Her parents have an historic house on the water with a yard that slopes elegantly away from the house, just the perfect setting for a wedding. We worked for months to figure out just the perfect shade of flowers, the perfect morsels of food, tiny little amazing details, like fresh flowers on letterpress programs at the chapel. We were set to go for their dream come true wedding.

It had rained so much the day before, I was worried that it would be wet for the guests.....little did I know. All seemed to be good and the day of the wedding came, grey skies, but no rain. We all were scurrying and in a flurry to pull off the final details, the bride stepped into a gorgeous antique white Rolls Royce and off to the chapel we went.


The bride was just stunning as she walked down the aisle on the arm of her beaming father. That was my queue to leave the chapel and head on back to the reception site to do my final walk through. On the way the sky opened up in a way that I never seen, setting the stage for the Perfect Wedding in a Perfect Storm.

All of the details were in place, every last one of them down to the crystal chandelier in the center of the tent. Candles were lit and just waited for the guests from church and of course the newly married bride and groom. I had worked with my awesome guys at Chase Canopy, to channel the rain away from the tent, nothing could be done with the six inches of rain that continued to fall through out the evening. Finally, right before the bride and groom came in, the water could not be held back, it continued to seep and seep it's way into the perfect wedding tent.

What to do? What to do? Even I was nervous, but finally a plan was in place and the staff performed at a level that purple hearts are awarded for in the wedding world and the wedding tent was ready for our bride and groom. I met them in the foyer of the house and got to work on restyling the brides dress so it would not touch the ground. It was so the scene in titanic when Rose is being pulled into her dress by her mother. This was her moment, looking her in the eye I said my famous words" You and only you will define this evening, every thing that can be done has been done and now it is up to you to make this the wedding night of your dreams".......and that they did

I got lucky as a wedding designer and planner, regardless of the weather, I could see that this was a crowd that could handle a party of epic proportion. Of course it is my job to prime the pump and with a wink to the bartender to pour the strongest drinks of his career, we did just that. I knew that the party would be defined by the first notes of the band. When they hit the stage, there was not one guest that was not out on the dance floor. Shoes off, they were shakin booty like I have never seen. We had not even served the first bite of dinner yet but I knew that this could very well be the party of my career. These guest could care less that a near hurricane was blowing on the bay.

In the end it was so perfect a wedding. The love in the air, the party, the details that went on and on. For a night we all escaped the storm into a perfect world that centered around a newly married couple. And for a morning we escaped it too, for the party went well into the wee hours of the morning....that is until the police came, with smiles letting us know that three in the morning was a party enough and we agreed to all meet again at the brunch the next morning....to tell our stories of the wedding and to celebrate for the guests are still raving that this was bar none, the time of their lives.

So many thanks to the talented duo of Person and Killian Photography for their die hard, off the charts photography of this world class event. Your work is amazing and I am teary at the fabulous memories time after time. Thank you both Lauren and Jill.

Beautiful details with amazing vendors

 

 

I am really lucky to have a select group of vendors, my "A-team,"  to work with on my weddings and events. Over the years our relationships have grown along side the growth of my business. I am proud to work on world class events with such talented people; they never fail to make me look good and it is so very much appreciated.

I have gone at this creative endeavor of mine with great passion. There have been moments of struggle, pride and pure joy as my visions have come to life more beautifully than I could ever have imagined. I have had shivers up my spine and tears welling in my eyes at the completion of the beautiful environments that we have created together. It is an amazing creative collaboration of vendors that makes it all possible and I am thankful not only to the vendors mentioned here, but to each and every one of you who have helped make my dream possible.

Carinna Raznikov of Raznikov Photography is one of those amazing vendors. She is of a rare breed of photographers who bring a pure eye and 15 years of photo journalist experience to the wedding arena. She was doing it before it was chic and has been published countless times in all the major wedding magazines. Her great success has limited her schedule, and I am so thankful that she still makes time to cover my events. I count her as not only one of my favorite photographers, but also as a true friend. She and I spoke recently and she was kind enough to send along the detailed photos that you see here of an uber exclusive wedding that my company, chad michael peters, produced last season.

For this event I called in one of my best friends, Mark Abdelnour of Chase Canopy in Mattapoisett. He and I have been friends since the seventh grade and he has always outperformed himself on the many weddings that we have worked on together. He drives me crazy, but I love him and I know that he too is passionate about his work. For this event,  I wanted to use new products, as an ordinary tent just would not do. Mark worked tirelessly to source all of my requests. We had a collection of modern, clear frame tents for the ceremony. For the reception we kept the clear theme, but decided on a more decorative rope and pole tent. With many changes, including the ever unpredictable New England weather, right up to the last minute, Chase Canopy exceeded my expectations. They are always my first choice for tenting. 

 

The table tops were a masterpiece in subtle color and style.  My friends Larry Soloman and Stephanie Penn of Rentals Unlimited are always on my speed dial to provide best of class rentals for my weddings and events. Through thick and thin, their unsurpassed attention to detail and their dedication to getting things done has always impressed me. I look forward to partying with them for many years to come.

 Many thanks to my wedding planning and floral team for pulling off this amazing event. We logged close to a thousand hours in the grand production. When I think of the guests and their effusive commentary over the decor I still get goose bumps. Thank you, thank you; you all make me so proud.