ASHLEY & BILLY'S WEDDING
THE VISION
Union of France, Canada and the USA, bilingual celebration, Adirondack setting, natural surroundings and decor, family traditions and passions, skiing, hockey, maple industry, black bear, maple trees, homemade desserts and wedding favors
THE FLORA AND FAUNA
Adirondack autumn leaves, wildflowers, evergreens, beech branches, hydrangeas, dahlias, wild grapes, birch sticks, crab apples, feathers, Wild Center pond
A girl walks into a bar with her sister in Grenoble, France. She is teased by the handsome bartender who pretends not to understand English. The rest of the story is one of romance, perseverance and international intrigue. Spoiler Alert! They end up married!
Thus begins the incredibly romantic love story of Ashley and Billy. Continents away and oceans apart, this unlikely couple endured separation, relocation, citizenship delays and an eventual elopement. Finally, they circle back to Ashley's father's little home town in the Adirondacks to share their union with family and friends.
Planning this wedding with Ashley and Billy was joy in all forms. After teasing at their true heart desires we were able to design a wedding that was truly and uniquely theirs. By using the passions, traditions and stories from both of their families, the day became a celebration joining France, Canada and the USA.
As avid hikers, campers and seasoned travelers, this couple wanted to tell their story throughout their wedding weekend. The Adirondack autumn responded by wearing its finest colors and provided the backdrop that mirrored their love of all things outdoors. They chose the Wild Center in Tupper Lake as the site of their ceremony and reception and added many special touches to the already beautiful surroundings.
Vintage postcards from places they had traveled to were used as table names. Antique maple buckets full of colorful mums and hydrangeas added to the decor. Wildflowers and colored maple leaves were scattered throughout the ceremony and reception venues and everywhere you looked there were hints of family and traditions – from the Canadian/Adirondack maple syrup containers to the skis and hockey sticks, from the black bear symbol of Grenoble to the Hudson Bay Canadian blankets – pieces of three countries came together to celebrate!
Of special interest to Ashley and Billy were the flowers. They both wanted the flowers to speak of love, fall, nature and family. We succeeded on all fronts by providing them with dahlias and hydrangeas grown in our own gardens, wild grapes and apples picked from our own forests, feathers, sticks and pods collected in our own yards and strawflowers grown and dried in our own workshop. And because Ashley's grandmother was a favorite aunt of ours and her dad is a favorite cousin, the family love positively glowed from within the blooms themselves.
The wedding ceremony was scheduled to take place alongside the pond at the Wild Center. A week of unseasonably warm weather preceding the wedding day had our hopes high. But alas, the rains came and blessed us with showers so the ceremony was moved inside the tent. But as we always say, "It's all about the love. Nothing else matters."
And love there was. Love in the raindrops, love in the bilingual ceremony and speeches, love in the flowers and decor, love in the homemade favors of jam and salted caramel, love in the dancing and singing, love in the dessert table that was baked and prepared by the aunts and cousins, and love in the family and friends.
Ashley and Billy fell in love and got married. They shared their love with us all.
Trés Bien! Very Good!
Flower Messages
Red Chrysanthemums - Cheerfulness, Wellness
Chocolate Cosmos - Long Lasting Love
White Tea Roses - Innocence and Purity
Wax Flower - Susceptibility
Burgundy Dahlia - Dignity and Elegance
Orange Mini Chrysanthemums - Loyalty and Devotion
Pheasant Feathers - Spirituality
White Chrysanthemums - New Beginnings
“It was the best decision we made amidst our wedding planning to work with all of you. It was fun to see what each of your talents and strong suits were. You are all so passionate, efficient, and have such a detailed order to the way you work. We were so lucky to have you.”
Love always,
Ashley and Billy xox
