Real New England Weddings: Kelly Stecker & Quentin Reeve

September 25, 2010
The Singing Beach Club, Manchester-by-the-Sea

Photograph by Claudia Kronenberg Photography

Kelly Stecker, who flew in from her home in Australia with fiancé Quentin Reeve to tie the knot in Manchester-by-the-Sea, left most of the wedding planning to her mom and sister. And “it turned out better than I could have ever dreamed,” she says. “They have amazing taste, and I trusted them.” Phew.

Though they now live down under, Kelly, who is an assistant manager at Lululemon Athletica, and Quentin, who works in private wealth management, met in New England, and always knew they’d get married here.

The two were teammates on the Manchester sailing team in 2001. Quentin, attracted to the free-spirited girl with the ponytail and braces, schemed to recruit Kelly to sail with him on his 420-Class dinghy. “At the time, I didn’t know about the plot,” says Kelly. “As far as I knew, Quentin just needed to fill the void left by his former crew member.” She agreed, and they spent the summer driving to regattas and racing his 420.

“It was a fun way to get to know each other on a competitive level,” says Kelly. It wasn’t until they started dating in 2006 that “we learned of our mutual long-lived crushes.” Four years later, Quentin made her his cocaptain — this time for life.

Photograph by Claudia Kronenberg Photography

Save-the-dates from Shreve, Crump & Low added a classic element to the event.

Photograph by Claudia Kronenberg Photography

The bridal party took photographs at Lobster Cove, just down the street from Quentin’s childhood home.

Photograph by Claudia Kronenberg Photography

Guests danced beneath whimsical paper lanterns.

Photograph by Claudia Kronenberg Photography

Kelly’s mother surprised the couple with an ice luge and “Dinky Doo” cocktails. “My mother made up the name,” explains Kelly.

Photograph by Claudia Kronenberg Photography

The vanilla cake with buttercream frosting was cut with Kelly’s grand father’s saber, which was awarded to him at West Point in 1932. Kelly’s grandparents used it to cut their own wedding cake.

Photographs by Claudia Kronenberg Photography

(From left) The pair departed the reception through a tunnel of sparklers.

A 1957 Porsche Speedster convertible was the couple’s getaway car at the end of the evening.

The File

Gown Priscilla of Boston

Music Freestyle, Wilson Stevens Productions

Makeup Katrina Hess

Hair Dellaria Salons

Bridesmaids Flair Bridesmaids

Menswear Classic Tuxedo

Cake Cakes for Occasions

Catering Ralph Poness, the Singing Beach Club

Flowers Chapman’s Greenhouses and Garden

Stationery Shreve, Crump & Low

Tent Seacoast Tent rentals

Lighting Brian Nolan, Port Lighting Systems

Transportation Classic Cars and Byways