Samantha and John met 4.5 years ago (at the time of the wedding) while working on a ship together after they both graduated from maritime school. Now, Samantha is a navigation officer and John is an engineering officer. We wanted their wedding to be timeless, but have nods to their maritime background. They did not want to have an overt nautical theme, but they wanted to personalize their wedding to reflect not only how they met, but how they have grown together over the years. As a Connecticut wedding planner, I absolutely love incorporating personal touches into a wedding day design. Naturally, I couldn’t wait to get started. I hope you enjoy reliving this timeless wedding at the Stonington Lighthouse as much as I do.

Before I share too many of the timeless wedding design details, a quick introduction (in case you ended up here from a Google search or late-night Pinterest session). I’m Jenn, the lead wedding planner and designer here at Soirees and Revelry. I value weddings that are authentic, meaningful, and exciting (and my couples do too!). If you are planning a wedding in Connecticut, you can learn more about working with me here. Or, even better, connect with me directly here. In the meantime, I will be oversharing love stories on Instagram.

Summer Wedding at the Stonington Lighthouse

Samantha and John got married in early September, but it still felt like summer. In other words, the weather was absolutely perfect. When looking for a Connecticut ceremony venue, we chose the Stonington Lighthouse because of its ties to the maritime community. Lighthouses in general are very special to both of them, and that was the very first detail that the rest of the wedding day was built around. From there, we built a color palette around their love of neutrals and kept the palette in tones of navy, white, green, and touches of gold.

An Outdoor Reception in Connecticut

For their wedding reception, the vibe was very elegant yet comfortable, as guests enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres while wandering around the Mystic mansion venue (the venue they chose no longer offers weddings, but click here for my favorite historical wedding venues in Connecticut). After cocktail hour, they then headed over to the lawn for al fresco dinner and dancing under the stars. Throughout the reception design, we continued the neutral palette with elevated nautical touches. We incorporated gas lanterns, touches of brass, and a nautical chart of Long Island Sound for guests to sign. Additionally, I suggested incorporating storm shutters from the venue itself as well! We ended up using them as the backdrop for their escort card display and they were a huge hit!

Soirees and Revelry Review!

Jenn is absolutely incredible! I cannot think of a better way to describe her. From the first moment I called to inquire about her wedding planning services, I knew Jenn was the right fit. She attentively listens to every detail that you have envisioned for your wedding day and develops a thorough plan to make that vision come true. She responds to every email and phone call timely and with the utmost enthusiasm. Jenn has an excellent network of the very best wedding vendors in the area – let me tell you they are the best – and she puts so much effort into researching and vetting new ones. She won’t recommend a vendor without knowing all pros and cons to your wish list.

Once you decide on a budget, Jenn clearly outlines all aspects of that budget and helps negotiate pricing with vendors, so you can achieve the highest level of value for your money. I had some very unique requests for the location and ambiance of our wedding, and Jenn 100% percent delivered.

When our wedding venue significantly changed the plan for our reception at the last minute, Jenn pulled out all the stops working tirelessly to create what we were looking for regardless. Jenn has an amazing eye for décor – our ceremony and reception were absolutely stunning. She ensured every detail of our wedding day ran seamlessly – it was completed stress free and we loved every minute of it. Not only is Jenn incredibly professional and loves what she does, she is most importantly one of the kindest, most supportive people I have ever met, and we are really thankful to have had the opportunity to get to know her. You will not regret working with Jenn and Soirees & Revelry.

-Samantha M.

Wondering if you really need a wedding planner?

As Samantha eluded to in her thoughtful review, their wedding was (unfortunately) a perfect example of why it is so important to hire a wedding planner. Without going into too much detail (I don’t want to give you wedding planning nightmares), the venue threw a last-minute curveball our way a few days before the wedding. We had a tent booked (and loaded into the truck!) and we were just waiting on the permit. Due to a dispute between the venue and the town, the venue owner kept telling us the tent was approved but was unable to produce proof of an official permit. I found this out as I was driving up to the rehearsal!

As you can imagine, I manically got on the phone. I found a lighting company to arrive at 9 am the morning of the wedding to add some ambiance. I felt terrible as the sailcloth tent was a unique and treasured element to the bride. Fortunately, they trusted me to find the best possible backup plan (and were incredibly gracious and understanding throughout). As a wedding planner, I can’t help but wonder: if they didn’t have me, they wouldn’t have had that, or anyone to navigate the issues that came with not having the tent at the very last minute. Can you imagine dealing with that the evening before your wedding day? I promise you no amount of savings is worth the risk.

If you are getting married in New England, I would be thrilled to be considered. The easiest way to connect directly with me is by filling out the contact form here. If you need a little nudge, you can browse my portfolio of real New England weddings here.

Wedding Vendors

Planner & Design: Soirees and Revelry

Photography: Constance Schiano
Ceremony Venue: Stonington Lighthouse
Ceremony music: Continuo Music
Reception Venue: Spicer Mansion
Florals: Floral Designs by Justine
Rentals: Peak Event Services
Stationery: Minted
Cake: Cake Lady
Entertainment: DJ Jolt
Hair & Makeup: Beauty by Mineko
Gown Designer: Stella York