It goes without saying we love a pretty wedding that’s filled with details. But when the couple includes their dog (in a bow tie, nonetheless), well, we just know it’s going to be one that you’ll consistently refer to for inspiration. From the chic, grandeur locale of The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel to the bride’s romantic lace Maggie Sottero gown, and neutral color palette with a touch of blush, we just can’t get enough. Enjoy spending the afternoon scrolling through these photos captured by Serena Star Photography below.
From Serena Star Photography…Right upon arriving and seeing Taylor and Rory’s incredible invitations, I was super excited for details. Then their incredible flowers by Peter James showed up, and then I found out that their dog was making an appearance for their ceremony. It was super cold and windy when we arrived, so we did their first look in front of The Berkeley’s gorgeous windows and then started photos inside. We made a quick trip outside to do bridal party, but the wind was so strong it was nearly blowing us over! We barely got through a set with the wedding party before we head back inside for touchups and get ready for the ceremony! It was still bright in the reception room so we got to do soft pretty natural light details in the ballroom. Since we didn’t get to do photos on the boardwalk, I grabbed them for a quick low light portrait session at the end of the night. I always love getting to do these black and whites but don’t always get a chance to. Enjoy!
Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?
We didn’t have a specific theme, but since our wedding was in between Spring and Summer I wanted a color scheme that went well with both seasons. You can’t go wrong with neutral tones so I chose nudes and blush colors for the floral arrangements and my bridesmaids dresses. We knew we wanted the groomsmen’s attire to tie in with those colors so we chose navy suits with a paisley blush bow tie.
Let’s talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
The Oval Room at the Berkeley shines such beautiful natural light and the french doors that lead out to the balcony already creates a perfect backdrop, so I decided to keep the ceremony decor pretty simple with just a few columns and lanterns. For the reception, again, because the Berkeley’s ballrooms provide the perfect ambiance for weddings, from their gorgeous chandeliers to their cathedral ceilings and large windows, I didn’t want to take away from the space so I did not go over the top with our centerpieces and decor. I wanted the table seating to be easier for our guests to find their seats, so I found two large farm windows and hand wrote all of the guest’s names by table number. We also did a DIY photo booth (thanks to our florist) and used a sheer curtain backdrop with string lights and two paper flowers at each corner.
What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
I LOVE the loose overflowing look so my bouquet comprised of several different types of roses, my favorite flower, anemone with the blue center, pink astilbes, and cascading greens. My bridesmaid’s bouquets had eucalyptus, white ranunculus and blush roses, and the groomsmen’s boutonnieres were white ranunculus with eucalyptus. I wanted the centerpieces to have a mix of my bouquet and the bridal party’s floral arrangements, so I went with cream and blush roses with astilbes and some greens in a gold compote vase.
Ceremony and Reception Location: The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel / Officiant: Albert Neis / Caterer: Buona Sera / Photographer: Serena Star Photography / Floral Designer: Peter James Floral Couture / DJ: This Is It Entertainment / Bakery: Normandie Bakery / Gown Salon: Cinderella Bridals / Wedding Gown Designer: Maggie Sottero / Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Thomas James / Bridesmaid Store: Bella Bridesmaids / Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Watters / Hair Stylist: Sweet Hair Peace / Makeup Artist: Make Me Up Eva / Invitation Designer: Shutterfly
