A picture is definitely worth a thousand words. But sometimes a few words can change the way you look at a picture too. This was the case for today’s rustic Massachusetts wedding shot by the talented Cappy Hotchkiss. I loved Adam and Nell’s wedding from the start – the gorgeous open air feel, the quaint barn, and oh, I love teal bridesmaid dresses – but it wasn’t until I read Nell’s own words and description of her wedding and watched the short video her husband, Adam had made for her the day before their wedding, that I truly became a bit obsessed with this wedding. It’s so amazingly humble. I love it.

Without further ado, Nell’s take on her wedding:

Growing up in Massachusetts, Autumn was always my favorite season. My husband grew up in San Diego and since many of our guests were coming from California and New York City (where we currently live), I wanted to inspire everyone with some amazing New England foliage. Though I’ve lived in New York City for nearly nine years, I am a bit of a country girl at heart and I wanted the wedding to feel organic and down to earth. So, we decided on a beautiful barn in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts in October – peak foliage season.

Once I visited Gedney Farm (our venue), I was totally inspired by the barn. While it was definitely rustic, it also had a very rich, sophisticated aesthetic. That is what inspired the rest… I knew I wanted the perfect combination of rustic simplicity & elegance.

I didn’t want to do the obvious fall colors for the flowers, so with the help of our supremely artistic florist, Crocus, we chose deep burgundy, dark purple and white with the addition of some gorgeous antique pink-hued dahlias. We also had some chocolate sunflowers and lots of fresh apples from a nearby farm set up around the barn.

The lighting was also important to us – I wanted a very romantic look, so there were little votives everywhere. There were also lanterns all over the barn and on half of the tables as centerpieces. The other half had beautiful rustic wooden boxes filled with flowers as the centerpieces. And my favorite element was this big tree branch, which was wrapped around the center beam of the barn from the main floor up to the loft. It had little white lights scattered throughout and gave you the feeling we were outside. It was lovely.

To go along with the organic vibe of the wedding, we had our close family friend get ordained and conduct our ceremony for us. It was so special having someone close to the family marry us. Instead of reciting vows, we chose to write personal letters, which we would only share with each other at the ceremony, in front of all our friends and family. It was very sweet and touching and we made everyone cry – including each other! Then, my favorite part was at the end… we surprised the guests with midnight grilled cheese sandwiches, which were wrapped in wax paper and piled up on a big table. We all sat around the fire place and ate grilled cheeses while our dear musician friends serenaded us with blue grass music (they are an awesome Brooklyn-based band… Jones Street Station – check them out!)

I wasn’t extremely comfortable in the beginning of the planning process. I have a tendency to be indecisive, and I don’t have any experience party-planning or decorating. However, once we picked the location, I was totally inspired and my vision became more clear and the decisions became easier. I ended up truly enjoying the process and I would love to do it all over again!

The day was a dream! At that point, I was so in love – with my husband-to-be, with my family and friends and with the wedding itself! Everything was so beautiful and I couldn’t have been happier. It was the most joyful, magical day of my life and I wouldn’t change anything! Even the rain… yes, it rained. We were supposed to have an outdoor ceremony, but we moved it into the loft of the barn instead. Now, I’m so happy it was in the loft, because it was so intimate, warm and cozy. It was perfect just the way it was.

Cute, right? Well you ain’t seen nothing yet. Check out Adam’s video, which he presented to his soon-to-be bride at their rehearsal dinner. I can pretty much guarantee you’re going to have to go back and look at these photos all over again afterward. Trust me.

Just Like That from Adam Reid on Vimeo.

Adam and Nell’s Vendor List:
Wedding Coordinator: John Powers @ Gedney Farm
Venue, Catering and Wedding Cake: Gedney Farm
Wedding Dress: Bought at Kleinfeld’s – Designed by ‘Marisa’
Shoes: Fifi Abbie Ivory Wedding Shoes
Wedding Hair and Makeup: Mepal Spa
Bridesmaid Dress: Maid of Honor only – no bridesmaids – Designer: House of Dereon
Menswear: Groom wore Phineas Cole Navy Tuxedo by Paul Stuart
Invitations: Checkerboard “Perfection”
Florist: Crocus Hale
Entertainment: JD Productions NYC – DJ Michael Wilcock
Bridal Veil: Bridal Veil Falls
Photography: Cappy Hotchkiss

Any other details:
Rehearsal Dinner: Crissey Farm
Menus & Table Numbers: Embellished by Tiffany (ordered off Etsy)