Emily Browne & Alex Kaufman
October 5, 2013
Private Residence
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
Photograph by DREAMLOVE Wedding Photography
It was politics that first brought Emily Browne and Alex Kaufman together. They’d signed up to work on the same campaign in New Hampshire and arrived without knowing a soul. Fortunately, the hectic nature of the election quickly created bonds among the staff, especially Emily and Alex. On weekends, they’d escape to his grandparents’ nearby farm, or head to her father’s place in Manchester-by-the-Sea. It was during those summer nights that they realized they had much more in common than their political leanings: New England roots, tight family bonds, and a love of folk music. In the end, their candidate didn’t come out on top. “We lost the campaign, but we won the relationship,” Emily jokes.
The couple moved to Brooklyn shortly thereafter, then made their way to Boston in March 2012 for another election cycle. Alex kept the ring under wraps for six months until finally proposing over dinner at their new home—“our sort of thing,” he says.
The pair chose Emily’s dad’s backyard as their wedding venue, enlisting friends and family to prep the space. “That was the most meaningful thing about the whole day,” Emily says. “Everyone who came said, ‘I helped paint that. I helped build that.’”
Photograph by DREAMLOVE Wedding Photography
Emily calls the landscaping, stone-wall building, and barn painting their friends and family did in her father’s backyard leading up to the wedding “an epic labor of love.”
Photograph by DREAMLOVE Wedding Photography
The 180 guests played Ping-Pong and lawn games, danced on the driveway, and said “cheese” in the DIY photo booth.
Photograph by DREAMLOVE Wedding Photography
The bride used Photoshop to design all of the invitations, programs, and napkin tags.
Photograph by DREAMLOVE Wedding Photography
Alex thanked his groomsmen for their hard work with gifts of hatchets and sunglasses.
Photograph by DREAMLOVE Wedding Photography
The band John Keegan & Madhouse kept guests moving all night long with a three-piece horn section.
Photograph by DREAMLOVE Wedding Photography
Emily chose comfy ivory slippers from BHLDN to complement her gown.
Photograph by DREAMLOVE Wedding Photography
A few days before the wedding, Emily took a trip to the Boston Flower Market to select the blooms for the bridal party’s bouquets, which her father’s girlfriend assembled.
Photograph by DREAMLOVE Wedding Photography
In lieu of a traditional meal, the couple hired food trucks to serve grilled cheese, short ribs, and other favorites. “Formal sit-down dinners kill the festive vibe of a wedding,” Emily says. “You have a great cocktail hour and dance and then sit for an hour and a half.”
THE FILE
Additional Catering: Savory Plates Catering and Event Planning; Russo’s
Bridesmaid Dresses: Monique Lhullier, L’élite Bridal Boutique
Food Trucks: Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, M & M Ribs
Gown: Paloma Blanca, Camilla’s Bridal
Hair: Salon Bogard
Makeup: Larissa Mills, Sparkle
Menswear: Black by Vera Want, Men’s Wearhouse
For additional inspiration, check out more Real New England Weddings.
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