Mara and Adam's Commander's Mansion Wedding

We love traveling wherever we are needed for weddings, so we were excited to get the opportunity to go outside our usual "stomping grounds" into the city for Mara and Adam's September wedding. Though the Boston metro area is not too far from where we are based, it was nice to work somewhere a bit different.

Mara and Adam's ceremony and reception venue fit them perfectly! The Commander's Mansion in Watertown, MA is a beautiful historical building with a rich history dating back to the Civil War.

Channing Johnson Photography

The ceremony was held in the garden, surrounded by a trellis covered in grapevines. Guests could pluck a grape from the vine as they entered and they were quite delicious! Painted barn wood signs directed guests to the ceremony area, where they were greeted with a small table of refreshments to enjoy while waiting for the wedding to begin. A cellist played as guests made their way to their seats.

The ceremony incorporated many Jewish traditions, which took place beneath a beautifully adorned Chuppah. Three family tallits were draped over the birch poles of the Chuppah and were decorated with greenery and white and purple flowers from Whim Events. It was the perfect altar for Adam and Mara to exchange their vows.

Channing Johnson Photography

Channing Johnson Photography

After the ceremony was over, guests were directed to the front of the Mansion where passed hors d'oeuvres were waiting. Their bar was made up of 3 signature cocktails, wines, and an assortment of beers, one of which was brewed by the groom's brother and named "Alex's Brewly Wed Ale." Guests sipped on their drinks and enjoyed the late summer sun before heading inside for the dinner reception.

The dining room was dressed in silvery shades of gray and white mixed with purple accents. A mix of vintage glass vases dressed the tables, along with seeded eucalyptus, lithianthus, dahlias, succulents, ranunculus, hydrangeas, hyacinth, and wildflowers, which added texture and color to the monotone palette.

Channing Johnson Photography

It was important for Mara and Adam to create a wedding reception that felt like an intimate dinner party. They opted not to do a formal introduction and had a much more relaxed approach to doing speeches. After the breaking of the bread, guests enjoyed a fabulous dinner put together by Season to Taste Catering. Talk about exquisite food and top notch service! One of our favorite moments of the night was watching the parade of staff bringing plates to the head table, their service was like a carefully orchestrated dance.

For dessert, a beautiful pie bar from Petsi Pies was displayed for guests to select their favorite kind, accompanied by the tastiest vanilla ice cream we’ve ever indulged in.

Since the mansion is an older building, it was broken up into multiple rooms, as a typical house from the late 1800s would be. Dancing took place upstairs, and it was a nice change of scenery as guests were greeted with an uplit lounge area adjoining the dancing area. We relocated décor from downstairs and created a space perfect for a party. People had a blast dancing to the sounds provided by Kevin of C-Zone, and of course they had the Hora!

Channing Johnson Photography

Adam and Mara had a gorgeous wedding day and we were thrilled to have been part of their day! These two had decided that hiring us for Design and Day-of Coordination would be the best fit for their wedding, and we’re so glad they did. It was a fun and unique venue to work with and the vendors were fantastic.

Thank you to Channing Johnson Photography for all of the beautiful pictures!