I've been dying to share this intimate wedding at Lord Thompson Manor and was so excited for Christine and Corey that it was recently featured on Grace Ormonde Wedding Style. Christine and I met years ago at the New Haven Lawn Club while I was scouting the venue for a client. Christine is the director of weddings at the club and we became fast friends while talking about unique weddings. Since Christine plans weddings for her work and has just about seen it all, she and Corey really wanted to create a totally unique weekend experience for their guests. After a ceremony rehearsal, guests dined on a real Texas BBQ buffet and made s'mores by the bonfire. The wedding day was full of surprises. The garden ceremony was followed by cocktails in a recreated 50's diner where even the servers dressed the part. Each of the dining rooms were transformed with Christine's distinct color palette and unique table layouts. The floral design tablescapes that Jennifer from Fleur de Lys created rivaled that of the Macy's Flower show! Each guest had their own individual wedding cake embellished in a complimentary color to their dining room. But by far the biggest surprise was the "after dinner entertainment"! Guest were escorted to a field where 20 classic cars from the 50's were lined up to view a drive-in movie, "The Long, Long Trailer". This big reveal had been a total secret and it was so fun to watch people's excitement over which car they would sit in. During intermission guests were escorted back to the venue to enjoy popcorn and a variety of traditional movie snacks. A wedding is always a happy event, but in Christine & Corey's love for one another they celebrated their love of life with their guests too!
The vintage cars were scheduled to be picked up early the next morning, so I was running around trying to shoot them all when John caught me taking self portraits. John is the director of corporate and social events at The New Haven Lawn Club and such a hoot! We were still running from car to car taking pictures of ourselves while the rental company was clearing out the field. I think that we all had dreams of driving one of these beauties home!
This was hands down the most involved, creative and visual wedding that I've shot. It's always an amazing pleasure to shoot for creative-out-of-the-box thinkers and I was so honored to be a part of this! So many talented people came together to produce this gorgeous event. Lord Thompson Manor is beautiful and secluded. The food is the best I've had at any wedding and the staff are just delightful! Many thanks to my good friend Danya Jimenez for helping me photograph it all. Danya has traveled to Vegas to shoot with me and is currently planning her own wedding in her native Mexico. Check out her photography and cinematography here! And my biggest thanks to Christine & Corey for trusting me to capture their vision. I'm certain that I enjoyed this weekend event as much as the guests did. I think we need a reunion at The Cottage House!
Contributing Vendors // Venue~Lord Thompson Manor // Florist~ Fleur de Lys // DJ~Correlation Productions // Wedding Cakes~On The Rise Baking // Rental Cars~Classic Car Motor Company // 50's Props~Antique Amusement // Rental Items~ Party Rental Ltd. // 50's Diner Furniture~ PBD Events // Hair & Makeup~Naomi's Studio & Salon // Tuxedo's~Bonardi's // Photography~ Cynthia Brown Studio