January 29th, 2012

cake by Confectionery Designs
LET THEM EAT CAKE ~ With the super bowl coming up next weekend I had to tie in the Patriots somehow into my post- and I thought this would be the perfect way!
The grooms cake is a nice way to make the groom feel a little special as well. The grooms cake is designed just for him. It is supposed to reflect the grooms interest or hobbies. The tradition started in the southern part of the United States and is a gift from the bride to her groom. It was traditionally served at the reception but guests were not supposed to eat it there, they were to take it home as a favor. It was also written that single ladies were to place their piece of cake under their pillow so they would possibly dream of their future husband. A little too messy for me…. but I don’t want to argue with history!!! Today the grooms cake is usually served as dessert for the Rehearsal dinner.
Here are some other amazing groom’s cakes from the super duo – Mark & Marie Soliday at Confectionery Designs. (www.confectionerydesigns.net) Please check out their website for tons of other groom cake designs and spectacular wedding cakes too!





Colleen Kimmel/Classic Weddings
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
January 20th, 2012




























DEFINITELY A BLAST FROM THE PAST……..I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to post Casandra & Ron’s 2009 Wedding at the Hotel Viking when I finally had access to their photos! Kristin and I had such a good time putting together this wedding from start to finish. Gotta love a bride who lets you run wild with an idea!! We named Kristin the “master pumpkin carver” for the event because she carved all the table numbers into tiny pumpkins. She also helped craft the three pumpkins that decorated the candy table that spelled out Trick- or -Treat!!! We do also have to give credit to my husband -Jon who stepped in and skillfully carved different leaf designs into huge pumpkins that we used for each tables centerpiece. – thanks sweetie!
Each guest was given a masquerade mask to wear throughout the evening and if guests did not want to dance they could watch an old classic horror movie on a big screen displayed at the reception.
VENDOR INFO:
REHEARSAL DINNER: The Hotel Viking- www.hotelviking.com
WEDDING: Kay Chapel – The Hotel Viking- www.hotelviking.com
RECEPTION: The Hotel Viking- www.hotelviking.com
PHOTOGRAPHER: Rupert Whitely Photography- www.rjwphoto.com
BAKERY: Sin Desserts- www.eatwicked.com
BAND: Pueblo Nuevo Band- www.pueblonuevoband.com
HAIR: Maggie Moorhouse
MAKE-UP: Kim DeVito
LINENS: Rentals Unlimited- www.rentals-unlimited.net
Colleen Kimmel/Classic Weddings
Posted in 2009 Weddings | 1 Comment »
January 14th, 2012




CONGRATULATIONS to Casandra & Ron who recently celebrated their 2nd Anniversary this past October 31st! I’m extremely happy to hear that each year they have ventured back to Newport to celebrate~such a great tradition for couples to start and to look forward to every year! I never had the opportunity earlier to post their professional photos but……. check back soon because we plan on posting a “blast from the past” and feature some amazing shots from their “big day”!
PHOTOGRAPHY: Rupert Whitely Photography – www.rjwphoto.com
Posted in 2009 Weddings | No Comments »
January 13th, 2012













We couldn’t miss the opportunity to show all the fun styles the Vineyard has to offer. LOVE all the vibrant colors!!!!!



The happy day!

























A weekend on the Vineyard filled with fun, friends, family… and a contact thief ?!?!?!?!
What a fantastic weekend we got to spend with Marta & Al this past September! Not only did our couple open their gorgeous new home to their family and friends for the weekend, they were also generous enough to let us hard working non-island vendors bunk there as well. We had such an amazing time hanging out with everyone after each event.. chatting and getting to know each other. Made some new vendor friends ~ Adam & Kelly from One Eleven Images who took all these fab photos- you guys are the best! Bernadette (Bernie) from Herring Run Kitchens who pretty much catered the whole weekend with extremely yummy food. Kelly from East Chop Beach Club who ran an amazing reception and we cant wait to go back soon with another bride. All in all we couldn’t have asked for a better weekend and a better couple…. Congrats Marta & Al! =)
OK…. if your really curious about the contact thief, ask me about it and I will tell you the very funny story that we laughed about all weekend!
VENDOR INFO:
REHEARSAL DINNER: East Chop Tennis Club
REHEARSAL CATERER: Bernadette Cormie w/Herring Run Kitchens
REHEARSAL MUSICIANS: Laugh & Jangle Productions
www.myceremonymusic.com
WEDDING & RECEPTION: East Chop Beach Club
www.eastchopbeachclub.com
CATERER: Bernadette Cormie w/Herring Run Kitchens
PHOTOGRAPHER: One Eleven Images
www.oneelevenimages.com
TENT & LIGHTING: Seaside Celebrations
www.seasidecelebrations.com
LINENS & DECOR: Tilton Tents & Party Rentals
www.tiltontents.com
DJ: Laugh & Jangle Productions
FLORIST: Krishana Collins
HAIR & MAKE-UP: Maggie’s Salon
www.maggiessalon.com
Colleen Kimmel/Classic Weddings
Posted in 2011 Weddings | No Comments »
December 15th, 2011





























A stunning new location with a sweet couple, bad cell service and a lawn gnome….all in one fun weekend!
-We always love to meet fabulous new vendors and experience new locations- at Amy & Justin’s wedding in York Harbor, Maine this past fall we got to do just that!! Loved working with Doug Levy at Douglas Levy Photography and Mary was awesome to work with as well at The York Harbor Reading Room . Kate at Beautiful Events performed magic with the flowers and last but not least we finally got to hear a local band from Mass. – The Superband. It definitely made up for the “no” cell service zone we were in all weekend and the nightmare it caused in sloooow communication!!! All in all ….we had a wonderful time helping Amy & Justin have a fun filled wedding and we are all still wondering just where the lawn gnome came from that crashed the reception. =)
VENDORS:
CEREMONY/RECEPTION: The York Harbor Reading Room
www.yorkharborreadingroom.com
REHEARSAL DINNER: Foster’s Down East Clambake
www.fostersclambake.com
PHOTOGRAPHER: Douglas Levy Photography
www.douglaslevyphotography.com
BAND: The Superband – www.thesuperband.net
CEREMONY MUSICIAN: Lovey Williams
FLORIST: Beautiful Days Events
www.beautifuldaysevents.com
TRANSPORTATION: Trolley
Ogunquit Trolley- www.ogunquittrolley.com
SALON: Freedom Salon & Day Spa
www.freedomsalonandspa@gmail.com
Colleen Kimmel/Classic Weddings
Posted in 2011 Weddings | No Comments »
December 8th, 2011






























A FAVORITE LOCATION…WITH SOME FAVORITE VENDORS….
EQUALS A SPECTACULAR WEDDING DAY! Of course I was super excited to help Amanda & Sean with their June 3rd wedding ~ Castle Hill is my absolute favorite wedding and reception site. Semia was on board for flowers and Kristin Greene started off the day right by working her make-up magic alongside Deana & Lea – hair gods! We couldn’t have asked for a better day….and Todd from Todd Thamer Photography was there to capture all the wonderful memories!!!
VENDORS:
CEREMONY/RECEPTION: Castle Hill Inn & Resort
www.castlehillinn.com
REHEARSAL DINNER: 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar & Grille
www.22bowens.com
PHOTOGRAPHER: Todd Thamer Photography
www.thamerphotography.com
FLORIST: Flowers by Semia – www.flowersbysemia.com
BAKERY: Scrumptions – www.scrumptions.com
BAKERY FOR FAVORS: Icing on the Cake – www.icingonthecake.com
OFFICIANT & DJ: Sound Waves Entertainmet- www.wavesdj.com
HAIR: Hair by Lea (Deana & Lea)
MAKE-UP: Simply Beautiful by Kristin Greene- www.kristingreene.net
Colleen Kimmel/Classic Weddings
Posted in 2011 Weddings | No Comments »
December 7th, 2011
























A perfect summer celebration~ The Fourth of July and a Wedding!!!
Want a fun way to celebrate the Fourth of July with your family and friends ….throw a fabulous wedding and reception! Anna & Teva’s guests got to celebrate this past July 2nd in Westport, MA at the Paquachuck Inn. The Paquachuck Inn is located right on the water and was the perfect spot for this couple to kick back and have their celebration! Loved the rustic feel of the Inn and Mary (the innkeeper) was so helpful and worked with us to make sure the party went off without a hitch. Guests danced into the night and got a nice surprise when the night sky unexpectedly lit up!!
VENDORS:
CEREMONY: Friends Meeting House
RECEPTION: The Paquachuck Inn- www.paquachuck.com
REHEARSAL DINNER: Bittersweet Farm- www.bittersweetfarms.org
PHOTOGRAPHER: Alexandria Mauck Photography
www.alexandriamauck.com
CATERER: McGrath’s Clambakes, Inc. – www.riclambake.com
BAKERY: Sin Desserts - www.eatwicked.com
FLORIST: Stop & Shop
TENT: ABC Rent-A-Tent Inc. - www.abcrentatent.com
TRANSPORTATION: (Trolley)- Viking Tours of Newport
www.vikingtoursnewport.com
BAND: Blues Train Band - www.bluestrainband.com
COCKTAIL HOUR MUSICIANS: The Nuevo Duo
HAIR & MAKE-UP: “I Do” on site hair & face
www.idoweddinghairnewengland.com
Colleen Kimmel/Classic Weddings
Posted in 2011 Weddings | No Comments »
May 26th, 2011
So, I found my dress within a few weeks of getting engaged. All alone, looking at J. Crew, I found it. I didn’t mean to, but I did. I ordered it (50% off FYI) and it was delivered to my office and has been sitting in my closet at work since August. My girlfriends were horrified. As one very dear married friend put it “How can you deprive me of the chance to go dress shopping?!?” So, I agreed. It sounded like a fun day out with a group of “there from the beginning” girlfriends who I hardly see now that they’re married with kids.
We went last Saturday and I wanted to bring “The Dress” with me to show them how perfect it was. I carried it with me to the gym and forgot it there. Who forgets their wedding dress at the gym? Me. It was there all day but when I remembered and went back to get it, it was just as I left it. I can’t include a picture, that would be back luck but there are great, affordable dresses at J Crew, check it out.
So, I went to Vows in Watertown with my sister and six girlfriends. The girls came one at a time and it was pretty funny to see people’s faces as my “entourage” slowly grew over the two hours that we were there. We were really loud. It sounded like a cocktail party in the dressing room.
Vows is great, its the retail outlet of “bridepower.com” (which I don’t quite understand) but they resell dresses and the shop in Watertown has a whole range of new or sample designer dresses at deep discount as well as a house line that can be ordered. I tried on Vera’s, Moniques, Carolinas etc. etc. etc. and there was one that was breathtaking. I didn’t recognize myself. But the pricetag was equally breathtaking. I talked to Mr. V about it that night and he was sweet, he said if it was important to me I should buy it, and he meant it. But I really am happy with my sweet little J Crew dress — I don’t need any va-voom for a beach wedding — and it’s more me. So there you go — I found my dress again! The girls took me to lunch after, brought me a surprise cake, gifts — I was so touched — and most importantly we had a great time, laughed until we cried. I never expected that there would be so much extra goodness that came along with getting engaged. How cool!
Posted in "Miss" Posts | 1 Comment »
April 24th, 2011
It’s been a little while so I thought I would pop on and share my excitement over my Etsy wedding finds! I didn’t realize how many things I’d found on the site until I sat down to share this with you all. If, by chance, you haven’t explored the incredible world of Etsy for your wedding (or your life in general), you MUST pop on and start searching. You can find anything you’re looking for and since most everything is handmade, you can work with the sellers to create exactly what you envision (which has been my favorite part)!
BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES: I’ve been scouring Etsy for months now but am finally making purchases and decisions! A long time ago, I hooked up with Colleen at FrenchKnotCouture and she’s been working diligently and patiently with me to create my girls’ dresses. Together we’ve created my knee-length navy blue dresses with fuchsia sashes that are custom-made for all of my girls!
BRIDESMAIDS GIFTS: I’ve also been searching feverishly for my girls’ gifts and though I haven’t finalized it yet, I will most definitely be reaching out to a talented creator to make up something fabulous! I don’t want to divulge what I have in mind for fear that one might see this post and the surprise would be ruined. I’ll update after the wedding!
LITTLE BOYS’ SUITS: We have looked at every retail store I could think of to find our little boys’ khaki suits (we’re having 3 in the wedding – 2 nephews and a cousin) and were having no luck, so I finally popped on Etsy and found beaneandco who has wonderfully agreed to work with us to create the boys’ outfits! I’m thinking pants/shorts and a khaki vest with a white shirt underneath and either a cute little tie or bowtie. I’m excited they’ll have something made just for them and at a reasonable price!
CAKE TOPPER: I’m probably unnaturally excited about our cake topper. I decided a long time ago that I wanted an initial as our cake topper and so I hit up Etsy and found a few options but nothing that really excited me. My new last name will begin with V which I’ve realized is a very hard letter to do something fun with (considering my first name’s letter is L which is a fun loopy one!). So, I sent Paul at GaugeNYC a message and asked if he could create the lightweight metal cake topper you see below. I sent him a picture of the V in “our font” (that I’m obsessed with and using for many wedding things). He was more than happy to do it for me and when it arrived in the mail I was even more excited than I thought I would be. It’s beautiful and exactly what I was hoping for!!!

HAIR ACCESSORY: Most exciting in my opinion, is the amazing headband I found from Bethany Lorelle. I was wildly inspired by this wedding on Style Me Pretty and fell in love with her headband so I’ve been on a search for a similar and slightly cheaper headband for myself (I don’t think the diamond-encrusted was was quite in the budget!). Soooo, I finally found this one and am completely in love!!!

Oh, and one last thing… I was poking around the other day looking for a ring bearer pillow and stumbled across EmiciBridal. Unfortunately, her stuff is out of my price range but I’m completely in love with her work! If nothing else, it’s worth taking a peek at as it will make you feel warm and fuzzy over the gorgeous pieces she produces!
Ok, brides… happy Etsy-ing! And, if you’ve bought stuff you love off Etsy, feel free to chime in and let us know!
Tags: accessories, Etsy
Posted in "Miss" Posts, Staff Posts, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
April 14th, 2011
Since we are getting really busy with the 2011 wedding season ….. this will be our last wedding featured for the 2010 season. Dont fret! We will be posting all our extremely fabulous 2011 weddings before you know it!



























FALL – FESTIVE – FUN
Fall weddings are my absolute favorite! I love all the fall colors and cool, crisp days. However, this cool and crisp day did move the ceremony festivities inside but nothing could stop this bride and groom from tying the knot!
Talia was one extremely organized bride who knew exactly what she wanted and even though she brought us on board at the very end- we got to know her and both families as if we had been planning with them the entire year! As always, Belle Mer served a spectacular meal and the service was first rate. The couple happily danced the night away surrounded by all their friends and family…….. Another happy ending!!!!
VENDOR INFO:
CEREMONY & RECEPTION: Belle Mer- Island House- Newport, RI
www.bellemernewport.com
REHEARSAL DINNER: The Chanler Hotel- www.thechanler.com
FLORIST/UPLIGHTING: Golden Gate Studios
www.goldengatestudio.com
BAKERY: Confectionery Designs- www.confectionerydesigns.net
PHOTOGRAPHER: Cregg Annarino – www.itakeyourphotos.com
BAND: After Party - www.bostoneventworks.com
MAKE-UP: Kristin Greene - www.kristingreene.net
HAIR: Eva at “I do” – www.idoweddinghairnewengland.com
VIDEOGRAPHER: Artistic Wedding Video Group
www.awvg.net
CEREMONY MUSICIANS: LaBella Musica
ACCOMODATIONS: The Hyatt- Goat Island Newport, RI
www.newport.hyatt.com
Colleen Kimmel/Classic Weddings
Posted in 2010 Weddings | 1 Comment »