Sarah and Matt threw down a massive party at Knowlton Mansion wedding following a beautifully touching Catholic wedding ceremony in the summer of 2022. These two were so excited to get married and their energy was palpable & contagious!! Sarah dedicated a lot of her time and energy to prepare intentional aspects for the big day. The result was a host of beautiful details that acted as the shiny red bow on top of their perfect wedding day!

DIY Wedding Details

Sarah and I hopped on Zoom three months before her wedding to go over the photography timeline for the day. While we were chatting, she picked up what looked like a massive, ornate glass centerpiece for the reception tables. She revealed that they weren’t made of glass – she had super-glued dollar store martini glasses and plates together to create the base for the floral centerpieces!! I was shocked and extremely impressed.

Then, Sarah revealed her plan for the DIY floral arrangements. She was going to use mostly fake florals but stick in a few real flowers so the whole centerpiece appeared real! The result was astounding. The centerpieces were so effortlessly elegant – and nobody knew they originated in a dollar store!!!

The gorgeous mirror seating chart was also DIY’d by Sarah. Y’all, this thing looked straight out of a magazine! She bought a beautiful gold-rimmed mirror and stenciled on every single name herself.

Guest Book & Polaroids

Instead of blank pages, Sarah & Matt designed a coffee table photo book filled with their engagement pictures for guests to sign. I cannot emphasize enough how great of an idea this is. Not only will Sarah & Matt be more inclined to read guest notes in the future, but the guests get to see their engagement photos! It’s a win-win all around.

The couple also had polaroid cameras near the card bin with sharpies for guests to leave notes on their pictures. This is such a fun way to remember the people who come to celebrate your love story. You can also scrapbook these polaroids by sticking them near their respective note in the guest book! (And who wouldn’t want an excuse to get yourself a polaroid camera?!)

Embracing Summertime

Knowlton Mansion is such an awesome venue for summertime weddings. Sarah & Matt had their ceremony in a nearby Catholic church, but Knowlton Mansion has a gorgeous space for outdoor ceremonies! The location has elegant white pillars and is surrounded by lush vegetation while still being a short walk from the mansion itself.

The cocktail hour and reception take place both inside and outside. The bar, reception tables, DJ, etc. are inside, but there is a charming outdoor patio space with standing tables and patio furniture. Sarah & Matt’s guests spilled outside to this area during both the cocktail hour and reception. It’s great for guests to have this option, especially in the summertime when it’s lovely outside!

Limitless Portrait Opportunities

If there’s one thing Knowlton Mansion is lacking, it sure ain’t portrait locations!!

If your wedding day is full of sunshine, we could spend the entire couples portrait session on the lush grounds. The house itself makes a stunning backdrop from pretty much every angle. There’s also a rustic, barn-like building on the grounds with an adorable vintage white bench. According to Sarah, sometimes the animals are out grazing in the pasture!

If it rains on your wedding day, never fear – each room in Knowlton Mansion is unique and tastefully decorated. (My second photographer and I audibly whispered “wow” with each new room we entered.) In fact, it’s in one of these rooms that I photographed one of my favorite images of 2022!

And then there’s the cellar. This was high on Sarah’s photo list, and we had so much fun creating art down there. I was able to photograph them spinning around the antique cellar from above, and the resulting images were super cool. If time allowed, I would have loved to get even more creative with that space!!

Vendors

Photographer: Gabriella Marie Photography

Venue: Knowlton Mansion

Dress: Nicole Bridal (Designed by Elizabeth Lee Couture)

Men’s Wear: Men’s Wearhouse

Hair & Makeup: Gloss Studio

Bouquets: Fleurish Floral Design

Food, Cake & Dessert: Conroy Catering (Knowlton Mansion)

DJ: Crowd Pleasers

Knowlton Mansion Wedding