Real Wedding: Lauren Lacoff & Leo Muchnik

May 12, 2018
Hidden Pond
Kennebunkport, Maine

Photo by Brea McDonald Photography

THE STORY

In April 2014, Lauren Lacoff and Leo Muchnik met in a very 21st-century twist of fate. Lauren stumbled upon Leo’s profile on the dating app Coffee Meets Bagel, which included a picture of him with one of Lauren’s friends. “I took a screenshot and sent it to her, and she was like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s cute and normal, you should go out with him,’” Lauren recalls. The two went on their first date within a few weeks and from then on Lauren “never dated anyone again,” she says.

One weekend in August of 2017, Leo tried to convince Lauren to take a trip he’d planned to her favorite place, Camp Fernwood, a sleepaway camp she’d attended in Poland, Maine. “I really didn’t want to, so I wasn’t being nice about it,” Lauren says. “But he told me that he’d booked a non-refundable hotel and we were going.” They woke up at 6 a.m. that Friday morning to drive up, and when they reached their destination, Leo took Lauren down to the lake. He popped the question just before it started to rain. “It was really cool because there was no one down there,” Lauren says. “It was just the two of us.”

Wedding planning began immediately. After they broke the news of their engagement, Lauren’s parents recommended they visit Hidden Pond resort in Kennebunkport. They reserved the venue that same weekend. “It was just kind of meant to be. They only had one date left, so we booked it pretty much on the spot,” the bride says.

The vibe for their wedding weekend? “Five-star summer camp for adults,” Lauren says. The couple rented out the woodsy property, where they and their guests spent the weekend relaxing in the resort’s cozy bungalows, riding bikes, strolling along the beach, and roasting s’mores on the bonfire. Their ceremony and reception décor also drew inspiration from nature, complete with white birch accents and lively, loose florals in peach, orange, and soft yellow hues. “It just had a really easy feel to it and it was all very organic,” Lauren says.

In the event barn, which was decorated with hanging ferns and twinkle lights, Leo and Lauren’s 120 guests danced late into the night to an eclectic mix of current hits and songs by Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen. At one point in the evening, Leo led Lauren away from the dance floor and into the candlelit reception tent next door. “He told me to look around,” Lauren says, “and I realized we were just in the most amazing place with all of our family and friends.”

THE DETAILS

Photo by Brea McDonald Photography

Hidden Pond’s vintage Ford station wagon (named Bessie) provided the perfect backdrop for the couple’s wedding portraits. The bride, who says she’s “not really a ballgown-type-girl,” wore a dress by Inbal Raviv.

Photo by Brea McDonald Photography

At their tented ceremony, the couple exchanged vows under a white-birch chuppah adorned with roses, bleeding heart, ranunculus, ferns, olive leaf, and a Jewish prayer shawl from Leo’s grandfather.

Photo by Brea McDonald Photography

White candles, inside lanterns and floating atop water-filled vases, lined the ceremony aisle. Blankets placed on guests’ seats added extra coziness on the crisp May day.

Photo by Brea McDonald Photography

“There’s this pretty little beach about a mile from Hidden Pond, so we went there to take some pictures and it was super windy, which made it such a funny experience,” Lauren recalls. “That was one of my favorite moments.”

Photo by Brea McDonald Photography

Dinner took place under a tent outside of the event barn just as the sun started to set. The space featured long wooden farm tables as well as round tables with textured rose-gold tablecloths, glass chargers, gold flatware, and peach-pink goblets.

Photo by Brea McDonald Photography

The couple had their first dance to Florence and the Machine’s “You’ve Got the Love,” which they heard on the series finale of Gossip Girl. “We didn’t have a song, and we both started singing along and then we were like, ‘Oh we should just do this.’”

THE FILE
Band The Original Faze 4 Band
Flowers Minka Flowers
Hair & Makeup The PARLR
Photographer Brea McDonald Photography
Planner Cider House Designs
Rentals Peak Event Services

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