Jamie & Mike: Married On Top of Boston

5/1/2018

When you picture the perfect Boston wedding, Jamie & Mike’s Columbus Day weekend is exactly what comes to mind. Getting ready at a boutique downtown hotel, a ceremony in a quintessential North End church, photos at Christopher Columbus park, and then the reception at Longwood’s State Room, overlooking Boston’s harbor and skyline.

The video and photos from Mike and Jamie’s wedding day are all from the talented team at The Harris Company. Check them out!

The day of the wedding dawned bright and sunny. Perfect for a long day of celebrating these two lovebirds! The bride, groom, and the large bridal parties got ready at the Ames Hotel downtown. Jamie and Mike each only had three attendants, but they opted for a large 10 person House Party, a southern tradition where the bride is able to include many more friends and family in the celebration, plus 10 ushers on Mike’s side. That led to a lot of love (and wrangling) on the day of!

At the Ames, Jamie and her gals had hair done by Jen Tawa and makeup by Jana Lamas. The photography team was there to capture it all, including cards exchanged between the couple before they each got dressed. With the help of her sister, Jamie slipped on her Carolina Herrera gown just in time for the limo from Met Boston to arrive to head to the church.

Saint Stephen’s Catholic Church in the North End is a very large historic building and Jamie & Mike’s nearly 300 guests couldn’t even come close to filling all of the pews. As we lined up the ~30 people who were set to walk down the aisle, Jamie and her sister and parents waited in the idling limo, ready to jump out and walk down the aisle too. The church was decorated simply, with a white aisle runner, classic folding programs, and a few altar pieces (later moved to the reception) from florist Madison Floral. The string quartet, organized by the groom’s sister who plays with them, started the processional music and the flower girls and ring bearer were off down the aisle.

The ceremony itself, a full mass, was personal and traditional at the same time, thanks to officiant Pat Nolan, a Deacon who has known the couple for many years. Our job was to stand guard at the back doors, keeping the hordes of tourists from entering the building. It’s such an old church that there’s actually no bathroom inside, and guests trotted across the street to a nearby fire station if they had to use the facility during the service.

After a big kiss and a cheer, Jamie & Mike headed down the long aisle and out the double doors and right across the street for a receiving line in the park. Guests followed, greeting and congratulating them. Jamie & Mike were easygoing – Jamie exchanging her heels from some white flats so that she could walk the two blocks to the party bus, since it wasn’t allowed to drive on Hanover St. They took photos with their bridal party at the beautiful Columbus Park and then set off just the two of them for a walk by Quincy Market on their way to the reception. The result was some of our favorite Boston bridal portraits… ever!

Meanwhile, we headed to the State Room to work with the professional team there to get everything set up for a big party. The rounds were set out in the Great Room with an extra long banquet-style head table just in front of the breathtaking skyline. The florist put together classic, elegant centerpieces and, combined with the hunter green napkins, custom menu cards, and gold beaded charger plates, it was the perfect black-tie look.

Jamie & Mike enlarged some of their stunning engagement photos and lined the entry walkway with them, making the space truly feel theirs as guests entered the 35th floor of the State Street building. Guests could also sign the guestbook, a custom photo book, throughout the night and find their escort cards in the Great Room mezzanine during cocktail hour.

After some group photos, the bar opened and guests arrived to celebrate Jamie & Mike for cocktail hour. The band, Current Affair Music, set up in the main hall and welcomed guests into the reception space just as the sun was setting with a brilliant pink/purple/orange 180-degree view. The parents and bridal party were introduced, followed by the new Mr. and Mrs. Then came the first dance, to modern choice ”Come to Me” by the Goo Goo Dolls. The bride’s parents gave a welcome after the first dance and Pat, the officiant, gave a short blessing. Dinner was served and Mike & Jamie cut the pretty white cake. A few toasts took place after dinner was served: both the best men (the groom’s brothers) and the maid of honor (the bride’s sister) spoke. A dance between Mike & his mom followed, then Jamie danced with her dad to the classic “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison and the whole dance floor opened up.

Guests kept the dance floor packed except for a brief break when the photo and video team gathered everyone for a same-day edit of Jamie & Mike’s video. People laughed and cheers and a few tears were shed. Then everyone jumped up to dance the rest of the night away.