Scrapbook: Jess & Steve
A local bride tells us what made her day so special.
IF THERE’S ONE THING WE’VE LEARNED, AFTER PUTTING TOGETHER ISSUE after issue of Elegant Wedding, it’s that every bride out there likes to know what other brides out there are doing. And why not? It’s a chance to notice trends, get ideas for your own wedding—and best of all, when it’s a bride who lives near you, see what fabulous things area vendors are up to, and maybe even find some favorites to book for your Big Day.
So here in this section are three beautiful Boston-area weddings. And while every celebration is different, they all have one thing in comon: Each couple created a wedding that was truly about them, their relationship and the life they plan to live together. You’ll see.
FROM THE MOMENT STEVE LOGSDON proposed to Jess Huard, they knew the journey from engagement to wedding day would be a family affair.
It began with a surprise engagement. During a beachside barbecue, Steve took one knee and proposed to Jess while her younger sister and Steve’s younger brother looked on.
Soon after, Steve and Jess, a New England native, set a date for a fall wedding in Boston—a must for the couple who loved the autumn season. Shortly after that, they booked the grand Hyatt Regency Boston—but then the planning kind of stopped. Jess’ longtime hairdresser, Susan O’Connell from Manchester, New Hampshire’s Kismet Salon, suggested the couple turn to her sister-in-law for help. And with that, Kate Parker, owner of Kate Parker Weddings in New Hampshire, became their wedding planner and florist.
“Jess gave me free reign to explore possibilities,” says Parker, who helped take the couple’s vision of a “clean and modern” affair and make it a reality. “She didn’t want ‘traditional’ fall either,” says Parker. And while Jess and Steve were at first hesitant when Parker showed them the color scheme she’d created—mandarin orange, aubergine and lime—soon, “I couldn’t get enough of them,” says Jess. The bold, fresh hues were incorporated into everything from her bridesmaids’ bouquets and cake to the intricately designed invitations and menus.
For the event, Parker and the couple took guests on a journey throughout the evening, starting with a sea of white during the ceremony—pedestals covered in white satin coupled with fresh gardenia, flickering candles and gold chiavari chairs—to an amazing 55-minute transformation: the same room with a
dramatic saturation of green and purple for the reception. “It was 100 percent color,” Parker says. “Jess just kept saying she wanted the ‘wow’ factor and that’s what we intended to do.”
Food stations featured cuisine from various areas of Boston—“North End” for Italian selections, “Newbury Street” for desserts, “Rowes Wharf” for seafood options—and parting favors of black-and-white cookies from Mike’s Pastry in the North End were a hit.
But most importantly for the couple, the event was a family affair. “The most sentimental memory was seeing my parents dance to their own wedding song,” Jess says. “Out of coincidence, we [were] married the same year they had their 30th wedding anniversary. I’ll never forget the looks on their faces when their song came on, and they had no idea we were doing that for them.”