I dare you to scroll through today's wedding and just try not to fall in love with Keren and Graham and their effortless style. From beginning to end Keren, and new husband Graham radiate pure happiness. Their wedding in a beautiful campsite, has a look made of shabby chic and rustic elements, with subtle shades of purple and clever use of natural materials, all captured for us to admire by the talented Timothy Musho.
Karen and Graham met in the romantic setting of Newark Airport, while they were both on their way to spend a fortnight in Israel. Over those two weeks Karen and Graham got to know each other as friends and once they returned to America they began a long distance relationship.Â
"We were living in two different cities, Boston and New York and we made our relationship work for almost 3 years long distance thanks to Megabus. In 2011 Graham moved to NYC and we lived together in a shoebox apartment on the Lower East Side for 3 years. It was small and cramped but also very intimate and exciting, and we realized if we could get along for that long in a space so small, we could make it for the long haul together."
For their fifth year anniversary Keren and Graham made plans to celebrate with a trip to The Met. On the way Keren began to get a little suspicious.."Graham asked if we could make a quick stop at a music store near Tompkins Square Park, a park where we have lots of memories. I thought something was up because he was being very sentimental on the walk there - but I figured maybe he was just being extra sweet that day. It wasn't until he asked if we could sit down on a park bench (in terrible weather) that I started to get really nervous! He said a bunch of cute stuff, got down one one knee and took out the most stunning ring. We both started crying and jumping around and the rest is an awesome blur - we checked into a hotel, called all our friends and family from there - went to an amazing dinner at Il Buco, had a night cap at Rue B, and finally a late night dance party for two in our hotel room. It was the second best day of our lives!"
Having both grown up going to (and loving) summer camps, Keren and Graham decided to have a very earthy and loosely campsite themed wedding. "There were hammocks, hikes, campfires, a beautiful green barn, and even a hidden speakeasy for late night shenanigans. Race Brook also provided the Catering, and they really helped us turn our menu into what felt like a delicious home cooked meal. Most of our friends made a weekend out of it and stayed at the venue for 2 nights, and the venue really created a perfect atmosphere for our friends to relax and bond with each other in the Berkshires."
To match the boho campsite vibe of the day Keren chose to wear a chic boho wedding dress from J Crew which she altered to suit her petite frame. "I loved my dress as soon as I found it, but felt that the bottom was just too much for my height (5'1). So with the help of my seamstress, I took out all the silk and tulle and made the dress see-through!" The silk was then used later in the day for some very pretty chair decor.
Keren then completed her look with the utlimate boho wedding accessory - the floral crown. Keren chose hues of indigo and blue for her crown, adding a beautiful pop of colour which set the tone for the rest of the wedding's fresh colour palette.
Before the ceremony Keren and Graham met up for a first look. Â Someone got very emotional...
I'm always a sucker for a groom crying. So lovely.
The first look having calmed the nerves, and allowed them some private time together in the midst of all the fun, they then walked hand in hand to where their guests waited for the outdoor ceremony to begin.
For the day Keren and Graham decided not to have a traditional bridal party, and instead just had a handful of friends take part in various ways. This alternative set up gave the day a very informal vibe, just as Keren and Graham had hoped for.
To decorate the ceremony space Keren and Graham kept the look natural and rustic, the chuppah (a bridal canopy traditionally used in Jewish ceremonies) forming the centrepiece. It was made from one of Keren's grandmother's old tablecloths, which friends helped embellish with leftover flowers and ribbons. Perfection in such a stunning location.
Aren't Keren and Graham's mini guests just adorable? Love how they've given their little flower girl a soft toy to carry in her basket. A sure fire way to avoid any tears mid walk up the aisle.
The rest of the wedding decor was the work of Keren and Graham's various friends crafty talents and lots of natural materials to create long lasting mementos as well as pretty items to enjoy on the day, as Keren explained..."Our great friend Greg Rubin used two old windows - one to create a "K&G" sign for the entrance to cocktails/reception, and another to create an amazing and unique menu. He also used an old ladder and attached several adorable hand-painted signs. The signs fit in so well in the environment, and now we have the windows hanging up in our apartment!"
And here's that extra silk Keren removed from her J Crew wedding dress... "I took the extra silk and ripped it up into ribbons, which I then hand-dyed in blues and purples. I tied the ribbons to the back of Graham and my chairs, which I think went so well with the colour palette and table design."
The picnic style tables were then decorated with lots of vintage vases, lace overlays, rustic flowers and dainty china while some fun was added to the day with a photo wall and polaroid camera area for guests to play with.
"With the help of friends and family, we created a huge photo wall in the barn. It was really fun to put together on the Thursday before the wedding, and the guests really enjoyed looking at it throughout the night! We set up a polaroid camera and a blank wall with clothespins next to it, and by the end of the night the wall was covered in sweet and hilarious photos."
Last, but not least, Keren and Graham treated their guests to local jars of honey wedding favors which they labelled with simple tags and twine. Congratulations on your fabulous camp site wedding guys, and thanks so much for sharing each inspirational detail with us.
A big thank you also goes to Timothy Musho for sharing his photography with us. To see more of Timothy's work head over to www.musho.tumblr.com and if you loved Keren and Graham's day as much as us, you can view their gorgeous Super 8 wedding video by Emily Hard Films below.
The Wedding Details
- Venue & Catering: Race Brook Lodge
- Wedding Dress: J Crew
- Wedding Dress Alterations: The Williamsburg Seamster
- Shoes: DVF at Gilt
- Flowers: Foxglove Floral Design Studio, Brooklyn, NY
- Groomsmen’s suits: 9 Tailors
- Groom's Shoes: Cole Haan
- Flower Crown: Stone Fox Bride
- Grooms Accessories: Gant, Longines
- Cupcake Tower: Barrington Bites
- Honey Wedding Favours: Berkshires Wildflower Honey
- Stationery: Minted
- Make Up & Hair: La Tua Bella Salon
- Wedding Bands: Bario Neal
- Reception Music: DJ Evaredy
- Rentals: All Season Rental
- Signage: Greg Rubin of Minty Custom
- Videographer: Emily Hard Films