Lindsay and Garrett's Martha's Vineyard Wedding

The Couple

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Kate Headley

Lindsay Souza and Garrett Speace met on the first day of college. They lived in neighboring rooms in the same dorm and became best friends. During their sophomore year, they began dating.

After seven years of going steady, Lindsay, an interior designer, and Garrett, a Department of Defense worker, took a quick post-Christmas getaway vacation to Kennebunkport, Maine. "A snowstorm was on its way and when we arrived at our favorite inn [The White Barn Inn], we learned that all the other guests had canceled and we had the entire place to ourselves," Lindsay says. The couple decided to go for a late-afternoon walk around the quiet streets in town, admiring the holiday décor still in place. After stopping so that Lindsay could buy a hat, they made their way to the beach—a spot they'd always visit. "We were looking out at the water talking about the future," Lindsay says. "That's when Garrett got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him." She, of course, said yes and, because it had gotten dark faster than expected, immediately responded with, "I can't see the ring!"—a moment the couple still laughs about. The two celebrated with dinner and Champagne at the inn and asked the piano player at the restaurant to perform their song, "La Vie En Rose."

The Washington, D.C.-based pair made things official on October 11, 2014, in Edgartown, Massachusetts, on Martha's Vineyard. "I grew up on Cape Cod and most of my family still lives there, so getting married back home was the natural choice," Lindsay says. The celebration was held at the Old Whaling Church, a stately landmark built in 1843, with 85 guests in attendance. "I wanted the event to have a romantic, old New England feel without being overly thematic," says Lindsay, who fell in love with the history and architecture of the church at first glance.

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The Stationery Suite

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Kate Headley

Kearsley Lloyd, a personal friend of the couple, designed all the paper goods, including letterpress invitations with a custom crest, reception cards, reply cards, envelopes with a mussel shell stamp, and rehearsal dinner invites with a watercolor lobster design. Digby & Rose printed the invitations, and Laura Hooper Calligraphy calligraphed the envelopes in navy ink. The bride collected vintage stamps in shades of blue to mail them.

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The Bridal Trousseau

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Kate Headley

Along with her family and bridal party, Lindsay stayed at the Hob Knob, a boutique hotel just up the street from the Old Whaling Church, and got ready for her big day in their private suite. "The toile walls and Staffordshire spaniels were completely granny chic and had me at hello," Lindsay says.

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The Groom's Gift

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Kate Headley

For their South African safari honeymoon, Lindsay gifted Garrett with a leather duffel from Lotuff Leather and a copy of Osa Johnson's "I Married Adventure"—"hopefully foreshadowing many shared adventures to come!" Lindsay says.

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The Fashions

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Kate Headley

One of the bride's favorite parts of the planning process was dress shopping in New York City with her mom and sister. "I had no idea what I wanted in a gown, but remember gasping in The White Gown's fitting room when they brought in the Lusan Mandongus I chose," Lindsay says. Although Lindsay originally thought beading was the one thing she didn't want, she ended up with an entirely beaded gown. "The delicate pattern and ethereal quality of the dress just felt right for the setting," Lindsay says. She added cap sleeves for a personal touch.

Garrett donned a classic Ralph Lauren tuxedo along with a Brooks Brothers shirt and bow tie.

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The Sparkly Shoes

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Kate Headley

Lindsay paired strappy Stuart Weitzman stilettos with her gown.

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The Bridesmaids

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Kate Headley

Before the ceremony, Lindsay posed with her bridal party under the shelter of the Hob Knob's porch. Her bridesmaids included her younger sister, Chelsea (who was also the maid of honor), childhood best friend, and two best friends and sorority sisters from college. They wore matching navy dresses from Joanna August and clutched bouquets of pink and fuchsia dahlias and greenery.

The flower girl, clad in a white J.Crew dress, was a close family friend of the bride.

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The Bouquet

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Kate Headley

The Cottage Garden created the bride's bouquet of roses, seeded eucalyptus, and locally grown white and blush dahlias. A Portuguese good-luck charm once belonging to Lindsay's grandfather was tied to her bouquet as her something old.

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The Ring Bearer

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Kate Headley

Lindsay's younger cousin Joshua carried the rings for the ceremony.

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The Wedding Boat

Anchor and Safety Throw Ring Accents
Kate Headley

The model boat was already a part of the Old Whaling Church, but the bride decided to highlight the display by framing it with two floral arrangements.

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The Grand Entrance

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Kate Headley

The bride and her father meant to arrive at the ceremony in a vintage car, but learned just a few hours before the service that the car couldn't get wet. Because of the light drizzle, they ended up being driven to the ceremony by Lindsay's uncle in the family's Audi SUV. "I was so frustrated at the time, but now it's a pretty funny story," Lindsay says.

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The Finishing Touch

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Kate Headley

Right before walking in, the bride's father, John, insisted on straightening Lindsay's train. "It's one of my favorite photos from the day," Lindsay says.

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The Processional

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Kate Headley

The wedding party processed into the church as a string duo played "Trumpet Voluntary." Then Lindsay's father walked her down the aisle to Pachelbel's "Canon in D." The aisle was marked with greenery tied with a midnight blue antique French velvet ribbon.

Seeing her husband-to-be for the first time as she walked down the aisle was Lindsay's most memorable moment of the day. "He just radiated happiness and all the nerves of the day washed away," she says.

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The Ceremony

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Kate Headley

Justice James Pringle of Martha's Vineyard officiated the ceremony, during which Garrett's cousin read aloud a passage from "Benediction of the Apaches" and the bride and groom exchanged self-penned vows.

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The Recessional

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Kate Headley

The newlywed couple recessed up the aisle to Mendelssohn's "Wedding March."

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The Rainy Exit

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Kate Headley

Before leaving the church, Lindsay and Garrett waited a few minutes inside a private room for a grand exit. "Having that time together to let it all sink in before being swept away in the celebrations was special," says Garrett of his favorite part of the day.

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The Cocktail Hour

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Kate Headley

Held at the Dr. Daniel Fisher House, a historic Federal-style residence sitting right beside the church, the cocktail hour took place immediately after the ceremony. Guests were greeted with Champagne and two signature cocktails: French 75s (what the couple celebrated with after getting engaged) and Dark 'n' Stormies (one of the couple's favorite cocktails to concoct), in addition to beer and wine. Custom cocktail napkins had the words "Pop, Fizz, Clink! Cheers to Lindsay and Garrett" printed on them.

A pianist played throughout the event as guests were served mini lobster rolls, sliders, mozzarella and prosciutto panini, and shredded Caesar salad crostini.

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Coral Creations

Anchor and Safety Throw Ring Accents
Kate Headley

One of Lindsay's first design decisions was to fill urns with white coral and sea fans. "The entry to the Dr. Daniel Fisher House is so architecturally striking," Lindsay says. "I knew it would look even more beautiful flanked by a pair of black iron urns."

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The Escort Cards

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Kate Headley

Calligraphed in navy ink, the escort cards were displayed on a table decorated with nautical vintage books and leopard cone shells.

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The Wedding Tent

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Kate Headley

For the reception, Big Sky Tents set up a sailcloth tent over the patio of the Dr. Daniel Fisher House and lit it with a combination of lanterns and bistro lights. The wedding party was seated at one long farm table while other guests were seated at round tables surrounding the dance floor. The bride and groom's seats, a pair of 18th-century wooden Chiavari chairs bought at an antique store in Georgetown, were decorated with locally grown dahlias and dupioni silk ribbon.

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The Table Setup

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Kate Headley

The bride and her mom collected everything, from the mussel shells that acted as a table runner to the brass candlesticks and navy taper candles. "We really focused on customizing every detail," Lindsay says. "It definitely made planning more of a challenge, but it was a labor of love."

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The Centerpieces

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Kate Headley

In order to incorporate as many personal details as possible, the bride provided blue-and-white ginger jars from her own home to use for the centerpieces. "Miraculously, not a single vase was broken in the transport from D.C. to Martha's Vineyard and back!" Lindsay says.

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The Table Numbers

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Kate Headley

Laura Hooper calligraphed the table numbers and place cards that allowed guests to easily find their seats.

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The Place Settings

Anchor and Safety Throw Ring Accents
Kate Headley

Monogrammed napkins from Lettermade were embroidered in navy and royal blue thread and placed atop gold plates, adding to the elegant nautical theme.

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The Menu

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Kate Headley

The menu cards featured the same crest design from the invitations. Annie Foley catered the meal, which started with a salad of local greens and arugula with Morning Glory Farm grilled corn and applewood smoked bacon.

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The Wedding Cake

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Kate Headley

Cakes by Liz created the two-tier confection of red velvet with cream cheese frosting and vanilla with buttercream frosting. "We asked that it be iced imperfectly for a more organic feel and had it topped with flowers," Lindsay says. It was displayed on a cobalt-blue glass stand.

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The First Dance

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Kate Headley

The newlyweds swung over to the dance floor and got their groove on to Louis Armstrong's version of "La Vie En Rose."

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Milk and Cookies

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Kate Headley

As the dancing continued, trays of warm chocolate chip cookies and glasses of milk were passed around.

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Matches Moment

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Kate Headley

The couple gave out custom matches that read "Come On Baby Light My Fire" on one side and "Mr. & Mrs. Speace, Martha's Vineyard, 10.11.14" on the other.

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The Sparkler Send-Off

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Kate Headley

Wanting to wear something less restrictive for dancing, Lindsay changed into a feathered Sue Wong dress for the reception. And though she originally wanted the wedding to coincide with the Fourth of July (her favorite holiday), she realized that it just wasn't feasible with the timing. "If we couldn't have fireworks, a sparkler send-off seemed like the next best thing!" Lindsay says. "It was such a high-energy ending to a special day."

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Sources

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Kate Headley

Photography: Kate Headley Photography

Locations: Old Whaling Church [ceremony]; Dr. Daniel Fisher House [reception]

Event Planning: Lauren Wells Events

Catering: Annie Foley

Flowers: The Cottage Garden

Officiant: James Pringle

Stationery: Kearsley Lloyd; Digby & Rose [printing]

Calligraphy: Laura Hooper Calligraphy

Cake: Cakes by Liz

Music: The Sultans of Swing

Rentals and Lighting: Big Sky Tents

Makeup: Sea Spa Salon

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