Long before their summer wedding at the beautiful Bradley Estate, Miriam and Andrew met in Kindergarten in Texas! When I first met with them they brought along a photograph of their kindergarten class and sure enough, there they both were, looking tiny and adorable and posing for their class picture, just a few kids apart. Fast forward to today and they are now Massachusetts residents who reconnected – and the rest is history. They share a love for science and nature, which is evident in their decision to take their engagement photos while hiking at Ward Reservation. And they are incredibly sweet together. Andrew is constantly able to make Miriam laugh with a smile or a whisper of something just for her. Miriam seeks out Andrew’s hand to hold or goes in for a cuddle as they chat. Simply put, they fit together rather perfectly.

Getting Ready

Miriam’s gorgeous braid was done by  her sister and that perfect pair of Toms she wore, while they could have been custom-made just for her, are actually widely available!  She purchased her grecian-inspired silk gown from Vows and her bridesmaids wore Azazie dresses. Andrew had frog cuff links special for the day and Miriam’s necklaces were each family heirlooms. And it was during getting ready that the hugging started! It turned out to be one of my favorite things about their wedding day – witnessing the amount of joy and love communicated through hugs. Whether hugs from their siblings, or parents, or their reaction during their first look, the hugs were abundant and they were clear signs of the genuine affection that Miriam and Andrew hold for each other and that their families hold for each of them. 

Miriam & Andrew’s First Look

We headed to Bradley Estate for their first look. It was a beautiful day and the sunshine made the gardens and lawns even more beautiful. Even though they came with their families and bridal party, we made sure to keep everyone in the mansion in order to give Miriam and Andrew a private and more calm intimate moment for their first look. They hugged! And cuddled and kissed and smiled from ear to ear when they saw each other. And we took some portraits of the two of them together before bringing in the bridal party and then family. The benefit of their first look was that their formal portraits were all done before the ceremony and they got to celebrate during every minute of the reception.

Bridal Party & Family Portraits 

There are so many lovely combinations of family portraits that I took during their wedding and that I always take on a wedding day. I usually don’t show any at all, but I always take them. A great part of what makes your wedding special is sharing it with those you love most. So yes, I absolutely capture portraits of my couples with their family. So below is just a small sample of a sweet moment of Miriam and her mom and of Miriam and Andrew with their parents. And of course, the bridal party was so much fun! Miriam chose fun dresses that varied in color and style slightly, but all matched the hues of green and blue that referenced nature and inspired their wedding colors. The colors were bold and complimentary and the guys matching ties were a perfect accent! The succulent corsages and beautiful bouquets were courtesy of the talented A Whole Bunch Flower Market.

Ketubah Signing & Ceremony

The ketubah was designed and hand made by a talented friend and incorporated parts of Miriam and Andrew’s lives and interests, making it a truly unique piece of artwork, adding to the special importance of the document. After the ketubah signing, there were hugs all around, and a particularly sweet moment between Miriam and her mom, dad, and sister. The emotions of the day were starting to hit and happy tears flowed and the group hug was one of the sweetest moments of the day. Then, Miriam was helped into her cathedral veil by her mom and sister. Miriam’s mother also wore a veil on her wedding day and her dad told me how he still remembers seeing his wife in her dress and veil. Miriam and Andrew now have a similar memory to look back on fondly. And then these two ran, literally, into their marriage together after their first kiss!

Reception

The hugs continued, the happy tears continued, and the love continued to shine through! There was a whole lot of dancing thanks to their awesome wedding band Rare Form with lawn games for those who needed a dancing break. Some fun things that were unique to Andrew and Miriam were their wedding bands hand crafted by e. scott originals, their spontaneous game of frisbee with Miriam’s ultimate frisbee team, and their frisbee wedding favors that had a tree outlined in the numbers of the divine ratio on each of them, designed by their friend Nick Oberstein. The tree was also on their invitations that Miriam’s sister designed for the couple and ceremony programs as a theme throughout the day that spoke to both their love of nature, as well as their appreciation of math and science.  Their cake and centerpieces matched the day perfectly and Konditor Meister did a stunning job on their birch-tree-inspired cake. They focused first and foremost on their love and celebrating with family and the day was naturally beautiful from there. Congratulations! XO