Elegant Smith Farm Gardens Summer Wedding
Shelby, Justin, and I hit it off from our very first conversation. When they booked their initial consultation call with me they actually hadn’t secured their wedding venue (or date) yet. And honestly? I really love when couples are in the earliest stages of planning their wedding when they reach out. It leaves ample room for conversation about vision for aesthetic, the timeline as it pertains to lighting and portraits, and a range of other helpful topics for us to discuss before too many of the big decisions are set in stone. Coincidently, they found their way to me through some work I had done at the Connecticut wedding venue Smith Farm Gardens, and if you’ve been to this venue and had the privilege of learning the history of the property or working with Travis and Peggy you’ll know why my words regarding SFG were all extremely positive as they were considering it for their own wedding.
When Shelby and Justin toured the venue on a bleak winter day they later remarked that they trusted my word, could see the vision for their summer party with their friends and family and went with their gut and secured their date. And given the beautiful way their August wedding unfolded - I’m sure glad they did. What was even more special was that as we dove into getting to know one another, with every layer we peeled back we realized that our connections ran deep - including them living close to where my husband grew up and asking if I would travel to Hudson, New York for their Engagement Session. The answer was an obvious yes (give me all of the destination weddings and engagements, please) and it was so special to share a mutual love of the Hudson Valley area and get to showcase that in their Engagement Session.
Fast forward to chatting about their wedding day celebration at Smith Farm Gardens. Let me just say: they threw one seriously elegant, tasteful, friends-and-family-focused PARTY. My favorite part of days like this is the way my knowledge of a couple prior to their day is undeniably confirmed by the support, words, and presence of their friends and family. From getting ready, to ceremony, speeches and toasts - every aspect of this day had their closest people speaking words of affirmation over this so perfectly matched pair. It became evident throughout the day that they really are as wonderful individually and together as I had suspected and they have an entire village cheering them on in this new season of married life.
From a design standpoint they were peacefully aligned in their vision. They wanted it to be beautiful, absolutely, but they never lost sight of the why behind their gathering. Every detail was intentional and they were both communicative throughout the process. This wedding was born out of the vision for a Garden Party and they did an incredible job transforming the already stunning Connecticut Smith Farm Gardens into their dream Garden Party celebration. Hudson Valley Floral designed the most romantic garden inspired florals with soft tones and an ethereal element.
As we got further into the experience with more phone calls, text threads and answered questionnaires, it was revealed that they loved cocktails and were going to have some fun signature drinks. I took that design element and ran with it (with their encouragement and trust, of course) and ordered some antique lemon stamps and bought some citrus fruits on the way to style and photograph their details. Some of these details included the Bride’s Bella Belle Shoes, the Groom’s Christian Louboutin’s, a Mrs. Box for the rings and I also brought in watercolor venue artwork commissioned by the incredible Tulaloo.. Pair that with the porch color at Smith Farm Gardens and it was more incredible than I could have imagined. This day made all of my citrus flat lay dreams come true and I can’t wait for you to see how we incorporated citrus throughout the festivities. The whole vibe ended up being so perfectly Connecticut-Summer-Garden-Party.
The Wedding gown was purchased at the bridal boutique Everthine and designed by Made With Love Bridal accompanied by an intricate veil. The way Shelby found this dress felt very “meant to be.” She had seen the gown online and had to track down a place that actually had it in stock. It’s beyond special when a bride has a feeling about a dress without even putting it on, but once you see the gown it all makes perfect sense. For added colors, the bridesmaids dresses were a sage color purchased from Birdy Grey and the Groomsmen were outfitted in suits from Indochino.
And in every part of this day the couple had kept their guests’ experience a priority: A Champagne display with elegant glass shelving accompanied by parasols to use and a cart with charcuterie covered under an umbrella are just a few things that awaited the guests to help celebrate and keep everyone comfortable.
They also opted to have a cake designed by Marble Made Cakes and when the couple requested a more intimate cake cutting I made the decision to pull the cake table out from underneath the tent of their reception and position them with the backdrop of the field. To date, it's the most incredible cake cutting I've ever photographed and I don’t regret making the decision to move it one bit.
Outside of all of the design choices one must make about the essentials of a wedding day, there are also the really special family heirloom items and sentimental pieces that are brought in - either planned or surprised. In this case, the bride's brother surprised Shelby with a cufflink incorporated from her Popa in her bouquet without her knowing about it. Her Popa was her best friend and fell ill quite quickly just days before her 17th birthday. They had no idea that he would be gone within a week of being sick. And I know it was one of the hardest moments of her life. Her brother Cobi had been gifted all of his gold, including that cufflink. He had brought it to the florist without Shelby's knowledge and had it incorporated into the bouquet. It was incredible that Shelby was able to have a part of her Popa with her all day, physically and in spirit, and the planning that went into pulling this off was heartwarming. Shelby and Justin shared a few tender moments recognizing the cufflink and the interaction was beyond meaningful to photograph.
Shelby ended the night with changing into a second dress and we extended their timeline to have me capture their last dance. All in all, this day was unforgettable and it’s an honor to have captured and gotten to know these incredible souls. And the best part? This is really only the beginning of their journey and I can’t wait to stand by their side through all of life’s future adventures.
Creative Team
Photographer | Cora Jane Photography | @corajanep
Venue | Smith Farm Gardens | @smithfarmgardensct
Florals | Hudson Valley Floral | @hudsonvalleyfloral
Bridal Boutique | Everthine | @everthinebridal
Gown Designer | Made With Love
Bride’s Shoes | Bella Belle Shoes | @bellabelleshoes
Jewelry | Hannoush Jewelers Hudson Valley | @hannoushhhv
Earrings | Olive & Piper | @oliveandpiper
Groom’s Suit | Indochino | @indochino
Groom’s Shoes | Christian Louboutin
Catering | Riverhouse Catering
Cake | Marble Made Cakes | @marblemadecakes
Hair | Skye Studio | @skyestudiony
Makeup | JBeaute Studio | @jbeaute_studio
DJ | Jock in the Box Entertainment | @jockintheboxentertainment
Groomsmen Rental | Generation Tux
Bridesmaid Dress | Birdy Grey | @birdygrey
Ring Box | The Mrs. Box
Bride’s Second Dress | Reformation
Cora is a wedding photographer based near Mystic, Connecticut, photographing love stories throughout New England (and beyond). Cora is a wife, mom and photographer and finds joy in relationships - with her husband, her daughter & son, family, friends, and couples. Her photographic style emphasizes warmth and romance experienced by genuine people in classic New England places. When on the road or in the air you will likely find her exploring Boston, Massachusetts; New Haven, Connecticut; Block Island, Rhode Island; Hudson Valley, New York; or New York City, New York. Learn More