Real Wedding: Jenna Montilio & Rob Susi
September 13, 2014
Holy Cross Cathedral and InterContinental Hotel
Boston, Massachusetts
Photograph by Brian Phillips Photography
When your family is one of the most well-known and respected wedding cake bakers in the Boston area, chances are your own wedding cake will be pretty sweet.
“Growing up, I always imagined my wedding cake to be the tallest and largest cake ever, with fountains and staircases and a castle on top,” says Jenna Montilio, daughter of George Montilio, owner of Montilio’s Baking Company. “As I got into the business, the more I wanted a simpler cake with no decor and some fresh fluffy flowers.”
When Jenna became engaged to her love Rob Susi, she gave her dad creative control over her dream confection. “The day of the wedding, I first walked into the room before the guests did. That was the first time I saw it,” she remembers. “I could not have designed or even imagined such a beautiful cake. He built an eight-feet-tall masterpiece!”
The rest of the wedding was equally as grand. With her heart set on a rustic barn wedding from the get-go, the bride had to change gears as the wedding size grew and grew. “We have a large family and a lot of people who live out of state, so it would be too much to have them travel even farther to a venue that accommodated the amount of guests attending,” she says. The list eventually grew to a whopping 420 people.
The couple also loved the idea of an urban setting on the water, so Jenna brought the barn/rustic vibe to the InterContinental with small touches here and there.
“We did half farm tables, half round, and the flowers were very rustic with a wildflower look,” she explains. “We also had floating votives, lanterns, driftwood, and moss on the card tables, and some round tables had three small different-sized vases with flowers.”
Peep into the special day of this Quincy couple as they bring a bit of the country into the city.
Photograph by Brian Phillips Photography
The bridesmaids were given chalkboards that Jenna had hand-painted and labeled with chalk marker to indicate how she knew each of her special celebrants, including her “womb-mate” twin sister.
Photograph by Brian Phillips Photography
Getting ready high above the city skyline, the bridesmaids had their own special areas for their celebratory outfits.
Photograph by Brian Phillips Photography
Keeping her jewelry simple, Jenna wore a diamond bracelet from Barmakian Jewelers, a gift from her soon-to-be husband. The single bangle matched her wedding band.
Photograph by Brian Phillips Photography
Lanterns, driftwood, and wildflowers were subtle nods to the couple’s original rustic theme.
Photograph by Brian Phillips Photography
Each guest got two slices of this wondrous eight-foot-high creation—comprising an Italian Olive Oil cake with an almond mousse filling, baked with coconut shavings and walnuts and paired with lavender gelato, and a chocolate cake filled with ricotta and fresh strawberries, paired with hazelnut gelato.
Photograph by Brian Phillips Photography
Every table had their own salute to love, with different quotes of adoration peppered throughout the room.
Photograph by Brian Phillips Photography
The couple relied on a vintage-inspired birdcage to house their cards during both the bridal shower and the reception.
Photograph by Brian Phillips Photography
The rain might have thwarted photos in the garden at Post Office Square after the ceremony, but the couple was still able to pose for a few romantic moonlit ones later in the evening once the rain had stopped.
Photograph by Brian Phillips Photography
To ensure the reception included a memorable dance party, guests received flip flops, sunglasses with the couples’ names and wedding date, and foam glow sticks to dance the night away.
THE FILE
Bride’s Jewelry: Slate & Willow earrings, a diamond bracelet by Barmakian Jewelers in Boston
Cake: Montilio’s Baking Company
Catering: Boston InterContinental
Music: Kupah James Klass Universal Entertainment
Gown: Lazaro
Bride’s shoes: Jimmy Choo
Florist: Coleen’s Flowers in Dorchester
Groomswear: Custom
Hair: Oriana from Marc Harris, Jess from the Hair Gallery
Makeup: Dani Wagener
Rings: Bride’s wedding band by June Simmons in Sarasota, Florida; groom’s band was his late grandfather’s
Invitations: Nikki McNeill of The Paper Store in Hingham
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