Real Weddings: Christianne + Robert

Hello loves! I hope you've had a great weekend and an amazing finish to the first month of 2012! Today we have the first of our February real wedding features, a lovely DIY wedding photographed by the talented New York lifestyle and wedding photographer, Angela Cappetta. Thank you Angela for sharing this beautiful wedding with us! And congrats to Robert and Christianne!

From Angela:

Robert and Christianne met in grade school when they were children. The friendship and love grew over the years. They were married in Bucks Country, PA in a centuries old Quaker Meeting house. The Quaker marriage emphasizes a lifestyle of plainness, however, Christianne and Robert interpreted this age old custom in their own way. Throughout the wedding, they interjected aspects of their personalities into the Quaker traditions. There is no excessive music or singing, but there is a history of members of the Quaker faith standing when they feel moved, to explain why the wedding and the couple is meaningful to them. Christianne, a violinist, asked a friend to play a short violin piece before the vows. As a non quaker, I never felt like I didn't know what was going on. A congregation member graciously explained everything as the wedding progressed. The famous Quaker handshake is how one knows the wedding is over. After the couple shakes the hand of the officiant, they are married! After the couple and witnesses sign. every one in attendance is asked to sign the simple but beautiful hand made Quaker wedding certificate.

One of the most remarkable things about this particular wedding is that Christianne, a trained and experienced fashion designer, made both of her wedding dresses, one long for the meeting house, and a short one for the reception, and all of the bridesmaids dresses. She even made her head piece and the ring pillow. I would go to her studio in the weeks ahead of the wedding and I'd see the dresses on the dress form in varying states of completion. She tried certain hemline and draping treatments, not stopping until the sewing was to her aesthetic satisfaction and done. She even had her grandmother's engagement ring bent into a heart to wear as her wedding pendant as a sweet and personal talisman from her family.

What I will remember most about this wedding, besides the beautiful location, is the utter warmth among all of the people who were there. Even little Maria, the bride's god daughter, all of 11 years old, made a special speech in her cowboy boots and taffeta dress, wooing everyone with missives explaining how much she loves her family. Christianne and Robert had a marvelous day, and I won't soon forget how much love and care they put into every aspect of their day.