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This is John and Allie. We think we planned a really unique wedding and hope that these images capture some of the energy, fun and romance of the festivities. We would love to hear from you about your favorite moments and favorite pictures. Hooray! ”
The Groom
“ Generally John is rather self-conscious. He is great at being a goofball in pictures (and so am I), but has trouble with the serious pictures. He says that the pictures on the wedding day were not bad at all… Focus Photography was great. We really enjoyed their enthusiasm. ”
“ I had initially wanted John to wear tails, as I am a big fan of Downton Abby men’s attire and thought it would suit the atmosphere of the Crane Estate. We went to a ton of tux rental shops, but the people there were not particularly helpful. Finally, we went to a local tux shop right around the corner from where we Iive. The owner helped us out and was very good about saying what tux styles would look good on John, match our theme, etc. He did manage to talk us out of tails, as they apparently do not flatter most people. ”
“ At least the men wore top hats! I had initially wanted top hats with the tails. John was against it at first, but I insisted he try one on when we were on vacation in California last summer, he loved it. We were a little concerned about how the top hats would look with the standard tuxes, but they looked great. ”
“ My best man was Jason Kafalas. He and I have been friends since first grade. He’s practically my brother. ”
“ Jason Kafalas, Peter Sjolund, Doug Sjolund, and Justin Morgan were great! Enthusiastic to do whatever crazy pictures were asked. They were very helpful and eager to help in whatever way.”
The Bride
“ I chose a very princess-inspired ballgown from Eve of Milady, complete with the ornate beading, bow, satin fabric, and cathedral-length train. Initially, I had no clue what I wanted for a dress – I honestly did not like the modern dresses that are featured in so many bridal magazines. I wanted something classic but unique – something that made my heart sing. I had briefly browsed designers online and saw an Eve of Milady dress that I loved. Figuring I’d never find it, I forgot about it and just kept trying on dresses at various local boutiques. I kept coming down to either a fitted dress or a big ballgown. But nothing really spoke to me. Then, I saw an Eve of Milady dress and decided to try it on just for fun, figuring I’d never get it. Surprisingly, it was the one I had seen online! I knew that was the dress – how often could I wear a dress like that! John’s dad, who was sitting in the waiting room around the corner, even gave it a big thumbs up! ”
“ B Boutique in Milton did both my hair and makeup. I kept going back and forth between wearing my hair down and wearing it up. I hadn’t decided how to do it – or who I would go with – in January when I went to my regular hairdresser to get my hair cut. I mentioned that I was trying to grow my hair out for a wedding, and we started to talk hairstyles. It turned out that my hairdresser had just (the day before) agreed to start doing wedding hair with B Boutique. I had already gone to B Boutique and discussed makeup with them, so I thought that was a perfect solution! I ultimately decided to do my hair up because it suited the dress better – and I wear my hair down all the time! ”
“ My eye makeup has a terrible habit of smudging, but Danielle at B Boutique did a great job of preventing me from looking like John punched me!”
“ My grandmother’s broach was pinned to my bouquet. My cousin and bridesmaid, Jen, lent it to me as my something borrowed. ”
“ Because the dress had a bow, I suddenly became very into bows. I picked out earrings with bows and pearl to match the richness of the dress. I decided against a necklace, as the bodice of the dress had so much beading. ”
“ My cousin Jen, my college apartment-mate Grace, my law school friend Cecelia, and my college friend Maria were bridesmaids. Jen, the only bridesmaid who lives in the area, was an amazing help in planning the wedding and making sure everything went smoothly. The other girls came to town just before the wedding and were great at helping out with last minute tasks.”
The Crane Estate
“ Francie at the Crane Estate was great. She was so calm and together. We dropped off all of our decorations the day before, and the Crane Estate out them out beforehand. I was so worried that she wouldn’t know where things went, that I would have to run in and set up all the decorations myself. I thought we had so much stuff and it was so confusing. When we dropped them off, I explained them to her and she knew exactly what to do. She made me feel confident, and everything worked out beautifully. ”
“ We did do first glance pictures before the guests arrived because we did not want to rush the pictures. I was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Constantly fidgeting, I had multiple people threatening physical harm to me should I turn around to sneak a glance.”
The Ceremony
“ It was great to have my dad there and walking me down the aisle. Before the wedding, he drove all over the state to go to tux fittings, dance lessons, etc. he wrote an amazing toast, which I really appreciated. ”
“ I was slightly nervous that I would trip and fall on my face, as my feet are not the most stable objects and I was wearing heels (which I have not worn much since I injured my foot in 2010). Otherwise, I was excited that everything we had planned for over the last several months was finally getting started. I used to do acting, so I did not feel nervous in front of the crowd at all – I felt like I was just playing a part I was meant to play. ”
“ I anticipated being amazingly nervous. And while I was nervous, seeing Allie in front of me made things a good bit easier, because I could see she was a little nervous too. I was terrified about messing up my vows, but I gave up trying to memorize them; my brain was far too frazzled. Instead I just went with it, just had fun with the ceremony and it worked perfectly. ”
“ We had our wedding ceremony right on site at the Grande Allee at the Crane Estate. We loved the view and felt the whole location had a very stately, historic, and fantasy quality about it. ”
“ We both teared up a little, but were surprised at how emotional our bridal party was. I kept hearing the girls sob behind me. At least one of the groomsmen became weepy-eyed as well. For the sake of his ego, he will remain nameless. ”
Nieces
“ Katie and Samantha Sjolund, our nieces, were the flower girl and ring bearer respectively. They flew in from California for the wedding and amazingly enough lasted all night! Sam very impressively safely delivered the rings to the men. ”
“ After the ceremony we took photos around the Crane Estate lawn. ”
“ Will and Lucia from Focus Photography were great. We really enjoyed their enthusiasm and efforts to make sure everything went smoothly. ”
“ We chose Focus Photography because they are just as loud, corny, and fun-loving as we are. We wanted photographers who would appreciate our unique personalities. We met with some other photographers who were quiet and stuffier. We felt like we would be uncomfortable with them. We wanted to be free to be ourselves and wanted someone who would bring fun to the event. ”
The Reception
“ Jason, a funny guy, gave an incredibly moving toast about both of us. I was really moved by evening he said, and I know John was as well.”
“ We were so touched by our toasts. All four of my bridesmaids gave a joint toast, and there were a few tears shed. Grace told a hilarious story about my follow-through – how I had threatened to bite her in undergrad, she didn’t believe me, and I did bite her. I remember it well.”
Dances & Dessert
“ John and I had our first dance to ‘It is you I have loved’ by Dana Glover. It happens to be the Shrek theme. I am not sure how many people recognized that. We took dance lessons from Arthur Murray studio in Newton, which we really enjoyed. They choreographed our dance for us. Unfortunately, we made a few mistakes, but it didn’t matter to us! I had insisted on a waltz because I cannot dance in 4/4 time. I love 3/4 time though.”
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I danced with my dad to “Daughter of Mine” by John McDermott, a Scottish singer.”
“ Andover Cakes made the cake and cupcakes. We went to so many cake tastings, and theirs was by far the moistest and most delicious. They did a great job designing the cake. ”
“ Thanks to everyone for coming and truly putting on your boogie shoes to celebrate with us! We wish we could do it again! Same time next year? 😉 ”
