Intimate Tent Wedding at Welkinweir Estate

Beyond the delicate white Cottage Flowers and unique book-themed details lies one gorgeous affair filled with lots and lots of love. Sharing handwritten vows and hot cider, guests filled wine bottle capsules in lieu of a guestbook whilst surrounded by an oasis of natural beauty. Rachel Pearlman shared a gallery filled with memorable moments and you can see them all unfold, here!

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Colors SeasonsFall SettingsEstate StylesRustic

From Rachel Pearlman Photography… Katonah and Brian’s October nuptials at Welkinweir estate were nothing short of perfection. Beyond the delicate white blooms, greenery and unique book-themed and natural details, this couple is anything but typical. They met while out one night on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, and Katonah fell instantly for Brian’s sense of humor and sweetness. Katonah and Brian love books, reading, nature and music…and so their wedding featured many of those elements. Welkinweir is an oasis of natural beauty, and Katonah chose a simple lace gown with exquisite detail, which went perfectly with a french braid – no veil necessary! There were so many details of this wedding that I fell in love with instantly – but the couples’ handwritten vows topped the list. Brian brought the entire guest list to tears of laughter in his ode to Katonah, which was hilariously witty and sweet. They were married by two members of the bride’s family, and announced as husband-and-wife by a good friend. Guests enjoyed cocktails overlooking a large lake, and were seated underneath a classic white tent when it was time for dinner. As toasts were given, the setting Fall sun created a romantic ambiance. Katonah and Brian had a bourbon bar at the end of the night, and their signature drink was hot apple cider. Personal touches included hand-carved wooden signage placed throughout the space (made by the Bride), wine bottle capsules in lieu of a traditional guest book, and hand written bookmarks that served as escort cards.

From the beautiful Bride… From the moment we got engaged, we had a very clear vision of what we wanted our wedding to feel like: we wanted it to just be us. So we tried to incorporate all of our favorite things—the parts of each other that we’d fallen in love with—into the design and the ceremony: nature (the most important piece for me), books (the most important for Brian), and great music.

When we found the Welkinweir Estate, I couldn’t believe we’d found a venue so perfect for what we were looking for. The estate house and surrounding nature preserve offered amazing views and a rustic ceremony site, so we stuck with an organic color palette to complement its natural beauty.

Our wedding had just under 100 guests, and we wanted it to feel like a big family party. I added a lot of personal touches so that all of our family and friends would feel the love and care that went into planning the day. Our “place cards” were handwritten bookmarks, and I made the wood-burned signs we used to decorate the venue. I made the favors—little jars of honey (an inside joke with my dad, brother, and sister)—and my grandmother and cousin officiated the ceremony, which we wrote ourselves in lieu of a traditional script.

The best part of everything, though, was having everyone we love together to share the experience. It was truly the happiest, most amazing day of our lives, and a big part of that was how well our amazing vendors brought everything together—from the flowers, to the table settings, to the food and beyond. We could not have had a more perfect day.

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Post tags: Bouquets, Centerpieces, Desserts, National Proposal Day, Proposal
Post categories: Real Weddings, Rustic, The Blog