Welcome to this month’s installment of the “I Do” Interviews! This month our wedding series features a beautiful couple, Emily and Elliot, who said their vows on a wonderful July day of this year. They chose to celebrate both their ceremony and reception with both us and their 170 family members and friends who all shared in their joy.
This interview series is meant to give future couples a chance to hear the wonderful details of wedding experiences from those who have recently been there. Our lovely couples have agreed to share their stories so others can learn everything about their one-of-a-kind wedding and the planning process.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Emily and Elliot
Wedding Date – July 2, 2022
Event Space – Ceremony on Rivers Edge of Danversport and Reception in the Harborview Ballroom.
Where are you originally from?
I am from North Reading, Massachusetts and Elliot is from Walpole, Massachusetts.
What do you do for work?
I am a Reading Specialist and Elliot works in Securities Finance.
How did you meet your bride or groom?
Elliot and I met at Danvers Indoor Sports. I was coaching field hockey and he worked there.
What made you choose Danversport, and this venue/room specifically?
We always knew we wanted to get married by the water. We do not live far from Danversport and would often drive by. We fell in love with how open the Harborview Ballroom was and instantly could picture ourselves getting married there.
How many guests did you have in attendance roughly?
We had approximately 170 friends and family members on our wedding day.
What did you offer for food/drink catering?
During our ceremony, we offered cold beverages including water, iced tea, and lemonade. At the start of cocktail hour, we welcomed guests with Sangria. We did the classic hors d’oeuvres and added a Charcuterie board as well.
For our main course, we started with the Caprese salad. We offered a choice of short ribs, Tuscan Chicken, or vegetarian edamame dumplings. Everyone was raving about the food and how they normally don’t even like wedding food!
For dessert, we had wedding cake: vanilla, chocolate, lemon, and funfetti, assorted cannoli, chocolate-dipped strawberries, whoopie pies, Ghirardelli brownies, and cream puffs, as well as a cordial bar with a coffee station.
What was the most magical, moving, or special part of the wedding for you?
The most magical part of the day was seeing Elliot for the first time down the aisle. We did not do a first look and it was really special having that moment and seeing him standing under the arch with tears in his eyes.
Did you have a wedding theme?
I wanted a very classic wedding. My bridesmaids wore dusty blue dresses. The groomsmen wore classic black tuxes. We had touches of gold accents throughout.
What type of style was your dress?
My dress was a very simple satin a-line dress with an open back and beaded belt.
What was the song you danced to for your first dance?
We picked our song with the help of my 92-year-old grandmother which made it even more special. We danced to the Andrea Bocelli version of Love Me Tender.
Who walked you down the aisle?
My dad walked me down the aisle. We were very excited about the new ceremony site known as Rivers Edge. We loved how open it was and the arch with flowers overlooking the marina was breathtaking.
What are/were your plans for your honeymoon?
We went to Hawaii for our honeymoon. We left about 3 weeks after the wedding which we really loved. We were able to soak in being married and continued to celebrate before we left. We went to Kauai, Maui, and O’ahu.
Happily Ever After
Emily and Elliot met and fell in love in Danvers so it was fitting that they too had their ceremony and reception here as well. We wish them the best of luck in the future and a lifetime of happiness.
