Autumn New England Elopement in Concord, Massachusetts
Steph and Henry's intimate wedding took place on a crisp October day with peak autumn foliage. The Bride and Groom met in 2005 while working at Harvard University's Herbarium. Their love for nature took them on one of their first dates: a bicycle trip from Cambridge to Concord. They happened upon a grassy field where they camped out overnight and awoke to discover it was the Old Manse property. Built in 1770 for Ralph Waldo Emerson's grandfather, the house had been rented over the years by notable writers like Henry David Thoreau and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
The wedding ceremony took place in the backyard at the Old Manse just after Sunset, following Jewish tradition, and was followed by a small dinner reception at Bondir in Concord. Every detail was crafted with personal intentional, from their venue location to the flowers, and each of their 12 guests played an vital role throughout the evening. As an herbalist, Steph handmade bespoke bouquets and boutonnieres using plants grown in their own backyard garden in Somerville, Massachusetts. She also incorporated flora collected around Concord the morning of their wedding. Henry's boutonniere contained ivy, rosemary, holy basil, and a beech nut harvested from the tree where he proposed to Steph. Steph's hair piece included Queen Anne's lace, holy basil, lavender, shepherd's purse, eupatorium, and a beech nut. Her bouquet included wild ferns, mugwort, Queen Anne's lace and beech nuts, as well as a hydrangea and a calla lilies. Henry's shirt was tailor made by their friend's company: J. Hilburn. Steph's Mother, not having a Jewish background, wanted to contribute to the tradition by creating the chuppah out of her own wedding gown. Steph wore her maternal Grandmother's garter and her oldest and closest friends earrings. Her gown was purchased in Greenville, South Carolina where she grew up.
