📷: Lauren Fletcher Photography
This moody, romantic, late-autumn wedding is what dreams are made of.
How did you two meet? Are either of you from Rhode Island?
We met through a mutual friend (who was one of our bridesmaids) when we were in college (UMass Amherst). Both of us are from Massachusetts, but I’m originally from Attleboro, so I grew up spending a lot of time in Rhode Island!
How did you get engaged?
We were together for four years before we got engaged. Jake proposed on October 15th (his birthday) while we were apple picking in Indiana. It’s really special that he chose his birthday to propose and it makes it easy to remember when we got engaged!
Tell us about the planning process.
We both knew we wanted to get married in the fall as it’s our favorite season. We wanted to really play into that time of year with our colors and venue selection. We both instantly agreed on having navy and burgundy be our primary wedding colors to play into the colors of the season. Given that we were getting married in November we knew we’d be getting married inside so we wanted our venue to reflect the season and to be warm, cozy and inviting. We absolutely loved The River Club’s intimate setting and stunning fireplace which served as the backdrop for our ceremony.
What made you decide to go for a late autumn wedding?
We knew we wanted to get married in the fall as it’s our favorite season. We looked at a lot of venues but The River Club had the aesthetic we were looking for that perfectly complemented the season. A lot of other couples felt the same way so we scooped up the last fall Saturday they had available for 2017!
Why did you choose the River Club for your venue?
There were a few reasons we choose the River Club:
- The venue itself really fit the aesthetic and vibe that we were looking for. We wanted our wedding to feel warm, cozy yet elegant. The River Club’s stunning fireplace served as the perfect backdrop for our ceremony and instantly cued fall.
- We really liked how SIMPLE their pricing was. They don’t charge a room fee and the total cost is purely based on the food and bar choices. They also offered a variety of chairs, napkins etc to choose from and all were included at no extra charge.
How did you come across Lauren Fletcher for your photographer?
I found Lauren on my Instagram feed! She took some photos of a mutual friend and I clicked to see who took his engagement photos. I flipped through Lauren’s portfolio and she had the vibe and approach that we were looking for. We didn’t want our photos to feel too “posed” and wanted a lot of great candids. We also really liked her editing style and thought it would work really nicely with our overall theme and aesthetic.
Tell us more about your hashtag: #ACoupleofPals.
Credit goes to the groom on this one! We wanted a hashtag that played on our last name (Palatine) and was unique to us so that we could easily find photos our friends had captured post-wedding. We also really liked how it played on the fact that the bride and groom are a couple of pals but also weddings are made up of SO many pals by your side from all walks of life so we liked how it had multiple meanings.
Tell us about your escort cards.
Our seating cards doubled as a favor! We had a friend write names on the backs of custom matchbooks. Our matchbooks featured a cartoon of the bride and groom with the Chicago skyline in the background (where we now live) with our wedding date.
What was your first dance song?
“Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green.
Please explain the sword.
The sword is a family heirloom from the groom’s side used to cut family wedding cakes for generations.
Jake, I take it you’re a singer / you’re in a band? What did you play for Ashley that day?
Yes, I’m a guitarist and singer in a Chicago blues band called Skippin’ Rocks. I played “Just the Two of us” by Bill Withers. It was a surprise!
Was there a vendor that you were particularly impressed with that day?
All of our vendors did an incredibly job delivering on our vision, but Matty B was a huge hit. Jake is a musician and really wanted live music in some capacity at the wedding. We saw Matty B play at another wedding and loved how engaging he was with the crowd. He plays saxophone and guitar plus has a great voice. It’s fun for guests when he comes around during dinner and cocktail hour and sings and plays live music. Plus he does a really nice job of transitioning from live music to DJ throughout the event.
And Lauren! She made us feel super comfortable and like we were just hanging out as friends taking pictures which definitely helped with getting so many great shots! We love looking back on our photos and reliving the entire day. She perfectly captured so many beautiful moments with those we love.
If you had to narrow it down, what would you say were each of your favorite moments from that day?
This is a tough one! Sorry we couldn’t pick so here are some to choose from
- Definitely would say our ceremony because it was the perfect reflection of us and incorporated the people we loved the most.
- My mom walked me down the aisle while Matty B played “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” on sax. That was a really special moment for me to just take it all in. When we reached the end Jake went to take my hand before he was cued by the officiant which cause a funny moment between me, him and my mom.
- We did the lighting of the unity candle in our ceremony. Both of our moms lit our individual family candles and then we used those to light our new family candle. It was a nice way to symbolize our families joining in our union.
- Jake’s Uncle Warren did such a beautiful job crafting our ceremony. We’re really close with him and it was very sweet how Warren got choked up as he was pronouncing us husband and wife.
- I also loved our vows — we personalized them but kept to a traditional structure.
- Jake’s sister did a reading and his dad was best man and handed over the rings.
- Jake being able to play “Just The Two of Us” with Matty B.
- The time where the dance floor turned into a dance walkway for couples to dance off.
Do you have any advice for recently engaged couples?
Ashley: Soak it all in as the engagement and wedding day goes by fast! You only go through this process once so try to enjoy every part of the wedding process even if it can feel overwhelming at times. And on your actual wedding day, take a moment when the two of you can step away and look out at your beautiful venue that is filled with ALL of the people who came to celebrate your union. It’s an incredible feeling to have experience so much love in one room.
Jake: Don’t worry about things that “go wrong.” Mishaps are inevitable. Just have fun with the imperfections and remember that they are a part of what makes your wedding unique.
The Details
Photographer: Lauren Fletcher // Ceremony, Reception and Catering: The River Club in Scituate, MA // Hair & Makeup: Christin Bones, U-topia Spa, FL (Cousin of the Bride, did Bride’s and Mother of the Bride’s Makeup); Casey McGoff (Bride’s Hair and Bridesmaids’ Makeup) // Bride’s Dress: Essense of Australia, Alexandra’s Boutique // Bride’s Veil: Blanca Veils on Etsy // Bride’s Coat: Lovely Bridal // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: LuLu’s // Groom’s Suit: Custom Design by Dave Eubanks, Weeb and Son Custom Clothiers (also had the groom’s nickname, the couples’ names and wedding date embroidered throughout the inside) // Sweetheart Cake (not pictured): Designed and Baked by the Groom // Cake for Guests: Montilio’s // Cake Topper: Alphabet Canvas on Etsy // Flowers: Whole Foods in Hingham, MA // Officiant: Warren Guthrie (Uncle of the Groom) // Reception Music: Matt Bernier (a.k.a Matty B) // Transportation: All Savants Transportation.