Katie and Ryan Doyle

September 08, 2019

Tuscan Kitchen- Portsmouth, NH

Katie and Ryan had a wonderful fall wedding with a “natural and beautiful” feel at Tuscan Kitchen. They opted for our “Elopement” Package which focuses on Day of Coordination.

I met Katie in the winter of 2018 after she found me on Wedding Wire. Katie was the best kind of bride - she knew exactly what she wanted, but she was more than open to suggestions for polishing up her vision. We met on a chilly winter day at the Tuscan Kitchen, a beautiful Italian restaurant in Portsmouth, and talked about her vision. She had a clear idea of what she visualized her wedding day to be – from the gorgeous flower arrangements down to what type of dress she would wear. After seeing the venue in person, she knew this was where she wanted to get married, and where she envisioned her perfect day taking place. That day I told her I would make it happen

Ryan was the best kind of groom- he was kind, dedicated, laid back and relaxed. He let Katie take the reins, but gave feedback when he felt he needed to. I didn’t get the pleasure of meeting him until the rehearsal the day before the ceremony, but the way Katie talked about Ryan led me to believe that he was her true love, and the man that she was destined to spend the rest of her life with. Every decision she made was for the both of them, and honestly I loved that about her.

The morning of September 8th began like any normal wedding day. I took a drive to Pinewoods Yankee Farm, in Lee, NH and picked up the arrangements from Tina Sawtelle. It was a small family owned farm, where she grows her own flowers for each of her arrangements. Katie and Ryan wanted natural and beautiful décor that matched the Italian theme of the venue, and that is what they received from Tina. The bouquets and boutonnieres were absolutely stunning. They were dahlias and dusty miller from the Pinewoods Yankee Farm gardens, coupled with garden standard spray roses for a beautiful scent. Additionally, there was beautiful Eucalyptus greenery in both silver dollar and seeded varieties on the tables. For the Mantle above the fireplace we had Italian ruscus, which looked stunning! In addition to the flowers, the tables were sprinkled with sparkling gold votives supplied by Michelle’s Event Planning.

We put a lot of thought into the color and texture combinations that guests would be greeted with throughout the entire venue. Katie and her natural eye wanted the room to feel elegant but not stuffy, so we used a collection of beautiful gold items paired with long banquet tables for a closer family feel. Katie and Ryan were all about the family experience. They opted out of having a dance floor and instead played some quiet music in the background. (Provided by DJ Michelle from Michelle’s Event Planning, using a Spotify playlist crafted by Katie) This gave them time to walk around and speak with everyone that was there and made each individual guest feel welcome.

Usually by the wedding day, I have gotten pretty close with the Bride. My favorite part of this day was the “Calm before the storm” Katie had texted me when she arrived at the venue, asking me to escort her inside so no one could see. I rushed outside to grab her and she goes “ Michelle, I should have listened to you.. my feet hurt already” I looked at her and said “ No problem girl, I will fix it for you. I then grabbed some band aids and fixed her right up. Looked at her and said “ Beautiful, now let’s go get you married!”

It may seem as though I am just your “Wedding Planner” but honestly I am your wedding day BFF. I will b e there for you and do what ever I have to do to make sure you have the best wedding.