Josh & Kelly
Date of Engagement: January 2, 2013
Date of Wedding: October 10, 2015
Photographs courtesy Ron Kolias Studios
When Kelly and Josh speak about location, they are referring to the special place where their wedding was held. Nothing could be more spectacular than a Lakes Region wedding with history, beautiful foliage, mountains, views…and unique Castle in the Clouds in Moultonboro, NH. Although the couple now resides in California, both are New Englanders (Kelly is from NH and Josh is a native Vermonter), and they are aware of the special aspects of this part of the country.
Says Kelly, “We love the mountains, hiking in the woods and enjoying the beautiful scenery of the outdoors. Having our wedding in the fall at Castle in the Clouds was perfect for us because we love the fall season on the East Coast and the foliage and views were spectacular. Our personalities were really summed up by the location and season!”
The couple met in California when they worked together at an Irish pub. Kelly is now a third-grade teacher and Josh is an auditor for bars and restaurants in San Diego.
They planned the wedding together. “We went with soft colors and a vintage theme,” Kelly explains. “We used firefly lights in mason jars and lanterns as our table settings.”
The bride wore a white Alfred Angelo gown and the groom wore a charcoal gray suit. The matron of honor (Kelly’s sister) wore a vintage purple dress, while the bridesmaids wore a vintage pink color (maid’s gowns also by Alfred Angelo). The groomsmen wore light gray suits that matched the shawls of the bridesmaids. The flower girls wore cream-colored dresses and lace headpieces that had a light pink flower to match the bridesmaids’ dresses. The ring bearer wore a charcoal/navy suit. The flowers were baby’s breath and the bride’s flowers had some daisies as well.
The couple chose the Castle for their wedding for many reasons. “We fell in love with Castle in the Clouds because of the gorgeous views, the historical aspect of it and the staff there were so sweet and helpful. Our ceremony had the best view of Lake Winnipesaukee and we were right outside the Castle. We got to take photos on the balcony of the Castle!
“The cocktail hour was on the Terrace at the Carriage House, which was perfect timing for the sunset. The reception room (the Winnipesaukee Room) has awesome beams and beautiful chairs. The layout was fun and allowed for a few hang-out areas,” Kelly recalls.
Ninety guests were treated to many special touches, such as bottled Vermont maple syrup from Josh’s close family friends with tags that read: “How SWEET of you to join us on our wedding day”.
Says Kelly, “We also included two birch tree branches from Josh’s yard that his Dad cut for us. We had some pictures of each of us and our parents and siblings placed in the slits. We made menus and table lists with a firefly and castle theme. I personally hand-wrote all of our name cards, using first names only and fancy lettering. I made the six flower girls’ headpieces with lace and a flower that matched the bridesmaid dresses. Josh’s uncle made our card box and it had special antique lock that Josh got for me with our initials on it. The firefly lights in the mason jars came out beautifully. We also got our bridesmaids and groomsmen special gifts for being a part of our ceremony.”
The Wedding Vendors:
Officiant: Franklin Chrisco (family friend)
Cake/wedding dessert: Apple pie, pecan pie, pumpkin pie and cinnamon-spice doughnuts for dessert from Hart’s Catering. “We also had a cake for the traditional cake-cutting ceremony, which was simple and lovely. Our florist left flowers and one of the staff members from the Castle placed them on the cake for us. The cake was from For Goodness Cakes,” says Kelly.
Florist: Dandelion Florist
Transportation: Molly the Trolley/Wolfeboro Trolley (great service says Kelly)
Wedding Photographer: Ron Kolias Studios www.ronkoliasstudios.com
Says Kelly, “I met Ron at my brother’s wedding about four years ago, and he was thankfully available to do our wedding. Ron is truly the best; he has an amazing talent and really captured our memories in such a candid, beautiful way. He is so professional, but manages to keep a sense of humor and creates a comfortable environment for everyone. If you’re wondering what to splurge on, it should be your photographer!”
Wedding Ceremony and Reception: Castle in the Clouds
Wedding Reception Catering: Hart’s Turkey Farm
Wedding Reception Menu: Appetizers – Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Stuffed Mushrooms, Bruschetta; Dinner- Peppercorn Encrusted Beef Tenderloin in a red wine reduction, two baked scallops on a bed of arugula, with roasted rosemary potatoes and mixed vegetables; Vegetarian- Butternut Squash Ravioli
Rehearsal Dinner: Classic Turkey dinner with Apple Crisp for dessert
DJ: Greg Kassapis – NRG Productions
Hair and Makeup: 5 Diamond Salon – Manchester, NH/Samantha Courtois
Kelly’s advice for others planning a wedding: “My advice would be to remember that it goes by quickly. It is a lot to plan and organize, but seeing everything and everyone together is the most magical feeling once that special day comes. I would strongly recommend doing a First Look. Josh and I were not planning on it at first, but we are so glad we did. We both loved having that special moment alone together first. We were able to really be “present” during the ceremony because some of our “butterflies” were alleviated after seeing each other during the First Look. We also would highly recommend investing in an amazing photographer (Ron Kolias!) and videographer (iWed Films). After all the excitement is over, your photographs are what you have to hold onto those special memories. Trust us when we say this… It’s worth it.”
Kelly and Josh were truly pleased with their wedding and the vendors who helped make it a magical day; Kelly says it is really difficult to choose their favorite part of the day. “We seriously had the best day of our lives!,” she shares. “Our vendors were the best and our wedding spot was so perfect.”
But if they had to choose, the couple’s top two favorite moments from their wedding day were seeing each other for the first time and the toasts, “which we will have forever, thanks to our videographers!,” adds Kelly.
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