Real New England Weddings: Andrea Servidone & Jules Pelto

May 19, 2012, Mass MoCA, North Adams, Massachusetts.

real new england weddingPhotos by Suzanna March Photography

Andrea Servidone and Jules Pelto first met in a sculpture class as undergraduates at Lehigh University, but they “didn’t really date,” Andrea says. Fate, however, had other plans. Though she was from New York and he was from Massachusetts, they both moved to Boston after graduation, and one night ran into each other at Silvertone Bar & Grill. Jules immediately asked Andrea out to—of all things—a Pearl Jam concert. “I like Pearl Jam, but I thought it was a pretty good first date,” she says. Apparently, it was good enough to get them to date number two, and, eventually, marriage.

The proposal took place on a Wednesday afternoon, after a home-cooked meal at their West Medford home. “The dining room doors were closed and everything was very clean, so I asked, ‘What’s the occasion?’” Andrea says. It was then that Jules opened a drawer and took out the ring. “He was trying to catch me off-guard,” she says.

The two artists—she’s a wedding photographer, he designs and builds homes—looked at venues around New York and Massachusetts before falling in love with Mass MoCA’s mix of old industrial architecture and modern art (Andrea also has personal ties to the Berkshires—her family used to ski there). The toughest part of the wedding planning? Choosing a photographer. “It was hard to lose control,” Andrea says, “but I picked two I trusted who could make me laugh, so it was pretty easy in the end.”

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Left: The bride wore a matching bracelet and earrings by Givenchy. Right: Andrea donned glittery bow heels from Kate Spade under her gown.

real new england wedding
The pair brought in mobile doors so Andrea could have her big reveal at the ceremony despite being outside.

real new england wedding
Forgoing big flower arrangements—“you can’t see over them,” Andrea says—the bride instead used vintage bottles as bud vases.

real new england wedding

Left: Andrea and Jules’s pup, Hazel made a guest appearance on the wedding cake, as part of a topper that the bride had ordered from Etsy. Right: A delicate glass locket, designed by Soixante Neuf (and purchased through the website BHLDN), was a gift to the bride from her sister. It contains a picture of their father, who passed away in 1999.

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Hazel, a boxer-husky mix, was also “flower dog” at the wedding.

real new england wedding
Jules and his groomsmen toasted to new beginnings.

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The wedding party posed at the gateway to Mass MoCA.

THE FILE

Gown: Alvina Valenta, Allegria Bridal
DJ: Chip McConney, CMC Entertainment
Catering: Mezze Catering & Events
Flowers: Gretchen and Kathryn Price, The Barn Florals
Menswear: Tommy Hilfiger, Macy’s
Makeup: Erin Marzilli
Hair: The Clip Shop
Bridal Jewelry: Givenchy

 

Want more? Check out all of our Real New England Weddings for this season.