One of our favorite moments from Nina + Stan's absolutely incredible wedding day was the look of complete love on Stan's face when Nina walked down the aisle. There is nothing like that moment when your heart could not be fuller looking at your love. Nina's English heritage and Stan's tea time proposal formed the foundation of the couple's English tea garden wedding motif. 

Peterloon Estate with its elegant Queen Anne and Georgian style architecture was the perfect choice for an English - American wedding reception. The details were a delightful mix of handcrafted DIY elements and a dreamy landscape of florals. Nina + Stan's generous and warm personalities shine through in each photo. Kortnee Kate Photography captured their perfect day.

Which best describes you?

Casual or Formal - Formal

Vintage or Modern - Traditional but quirky

Chocolate or Vanilla - Vanilla

Roses or Peonies - Peonies

Pie or Cake - Cake

Lipstick or Gloss - Gloss

Diamonds or Pearls - Diamonds

Rustic or Urban - Elegant and glam

How was your personal style reflected in your wedding day?

Our wedding’s central theme was the blending of American and English culture. We decided to fashion the wedding around our mutual love of a good cuppa English tea. Our personal style was in the details.

The wedding had a delicate English tea garden feel with lots of flowers and was balanced with accents of the America’s favorite bourbons. We entertained our playful side with Legos and games such as “Operation” that were nods to our engineering and physician professions. And finally, we topped it off with great music from the 80’s!

How did you and Stan meet? What was your first impression of him? What was his first impression of you?

We met on Match.com and just hit it off from the start. We managed to have three dates on the same day; Coffee, drinks, and movies! The funny part was that Stan met both my brothers on first day, but on different dates! My youngest brother was covertly protecting me in the coffee shop and then my middle brother chaperoned the movie date. We started with coffee in the afternoon, moved on to a pub for a few good laughs, and  it was going so well I invited Stan for a random movie night with my brother and his friends.

My first impression of him:

He thought I was funny and he had the bluest eyes. We always joke now that we forget how we first met because it seemed like we had always known each other, he turned out to be my perfect match!

My first impression of her:

When I read Nina’s Match.com profile, I enjoyed it so much I just had to meet her. Instead of endless lists, she had her random funny-quirky thoughts that, in the end, were the reasons I fell in love with her. When I met her at the coffee shop, we talked for hours about nothing, and everything. I had never felt so easy talking to anyone, and it just felt right. After that, I met the dogs and it just took off from there!

Tell us about the proposal.

We had been together for about a year and half. It started with Stan spending several months designing a custom blooming flower engagement ring. He even took my mum for the final approval! The proposal itself was very simple. During morning tea with all the dogs, Stan proposed to me as he brought over a full tea tray. The ring was hidden amongst the tea cups and tea pot. He got down on one knee, fought off the playful dogs, and asked me to marry him. Hence, our floral-tea themed wedding!

How did you decide on your venue? Why was it the perfect choice?

For the ceremony, Armstrong church was perfect because it is a beautiful church. It has lots of light, and the acoustics of the live organ were amazing. Our pastor was fantastic. She guided us through the whole process and taught us new ways of communicating. She then surprised us with a very touching memoir before reading us our vowels (Stan said he almost cried!)

For the reception, we wanted a traditional English stately, open yet private feel. The goal was to find a place that could tie in all the elements and provide our friends with great atmosphere. Peterloon’s main drive in set the tone with its long winding drive. Just as you turn the final bend, it opens up to a beautiful tree lined courtyard entrance. It’s very impressive and the whole estate was just covered in flowers and beautiful landscaping. Then finally, the back patio was secluded and private. It provided the unique atmosphere we wanted to host our friends and family for dinner.

What was your favorite detail? 

Both Stan and I spent a long time sweating all the details together! So all of them were our favorite. Each set the stage for the next, so the the cards set the tone for day, the flowers complimented the dresses, and dresses were well...just awesome! I also got to see Stan all dressed up in a tailored suit, so that was very cool. And finally, our food and desserts were where we wanted to make a statement: No boring food and delicious elegant desserts!

Describe your wedding day. Is there a particular moment that remains in your memory most vividly?

There were a few things. The first was definitely, and will always be, the first dance. We had spent weeks practising to a mashup of the songs “Something like this” by the Chainsmokers and “Heaven” by Bryan Adams. We had lifts, spins, and fun dance moves. Then to top it off we were both surprised when we found the dance floor to be sloped due to the grass and it made everything more difficult, and more fun than practiced! We will alway remember that!

The other things that stuck out were the day before’s weather and how everything just came together. The weather the day before the wedding was a monsoon of endless rain! The rehearsal was wet and sticky, and final set up was a muddy mess. Then, everything came together on the day of. The sun came out, humidity dropped, and all the pieces fell into place. The day could not have been any better.

Lastly, I think we will always remember all the hard work of my Mum with making much of the flower arrangements and Stan and my dad making all the custom menu card holders and other random items that I wanted but could not just go out and buy. We all worked very hard to hit every detail we could and make it a fun day to spend with our friends and family!

Tell us about finding your dress.

I am an avid watcher of ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ and I like to think I am fashion forward so I wanted to find a unique dress. Therefore, I took my mum to New York, and while I did go to Kleinfeld, I eventually found my dress at Bridal Reflection. It was a Ysa Makino dress with detachable skirt and lots of embellishments. It certainly reflected my love for shiny sparkly things!

As our concept of the English tea garden evolved, I felt that I needed a more whimsical dress for the reception. So, last minute decision, I thought I’d be fun and go for a beautiful Hayley Paige dress I had not surprisingly seen on ‘Say Yes to the Dress’. I kept it as a surprise from my husband. So, I can definitely say he was not expecting that on the day!

VENDOR PARTNERS

Nina's Dress: Ysa Makino Ceremony Dress with custom veil from Bridal Reflections in New York, Hayley Paige Reception Dress from Hyde Park Bridal, and Oscar de la Renta shoes | Flowers: Yellow Canary | Event Planner: Aviva Events, Alison Fopeano |Cake and other Sweets: Ileana from Sugar Realm | Ceremony Venue: Armstrong Chapel | Reception Venue: Peterloon Estate | Photography: Kortnee Kate Photography | Invitations: Poeme | DJ: Perfect Day DJs | Caterer: Creations by Melody | Stan’s Custom Suit: Romauldo in Madeira | Dance Instruction: Allison McElfresh with the D.C. - Dance Coalition | Karla Louise alterations for all bridesmaids dresses | Bridesmaids Dresses: Hayley Paige | Rentals: Camargo Events | Make Up: Jenn Simpson from Moxxie Make-Up | Hair: Rachel Newsom from Benefit Spa & Salon | Men's Grooming: Roosters