A Surprise Flyover Made This Chatham Wedding Extra Special
The festive flight was arranged by the bride's parents.
September 26, 2020
Private Residence
Chatham, Massachusetts
Photo by Flavio D Photography
THE STORY
In 2019, when longtime couple Laura Brookhiser and Harry Bailey made their way back to Boston after a six-year stint in California, they spent much of their free time re-exploring the area. Little did they know that one of their first excursions, a day trip to Ipswich, would also be their most memorable. It was there in the seaside town, overlooking the gardens and water at the Crane Estate, that Harry popped the question. “We had talked about [taking] the next step… and getting married at some point, but I certainly didn’t expect [Harry to propose] that day,” Laura says. “It was great.”
For their September wedding the following year, the couple originally trained their sights on a reception at the historical Brandegee Estate in Brookline. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, though, Laura and Harry soon realized their large-scale celebration would have to wait. Their marriage, on the other hand, could not. “We’d been together for a number of years and really wanted to move forward with out relationship,” Laura explains. “We would still love to have a big party down the line, or at least get all of our friends together, but we didn’t want to have our marriage predicated on that.”
So, intent on honoring their original wedding date, Laura and Harry switched gears, deciding to host a pared-down gathering at Laura’s sister’s house in Chatham instead. The couple ultimately said “I do” in the company of just 11 guests, all treated to lawn games and an elegant dinner after a short ceremony. “It ended up being a little more causal than the initial wedding plans, but I think it [was] almost more like us,” Laura says. “It was really nice.”
THE DETAILS
Photo by Flavio D Photography
Before the ceremony, Laura and Harry swapped special notes they’d penned for the occasion.
Photo by Flavio D Photography
Table & Tulip dreamed up the couple’s floral arrangements, calling on blooms such as hellebore and roses in muted tones to achieve the “free-flowing and natural” feel the bride requested. “What I asked for translated into an even better reality than what I’d pictured,” Laura says. “I was really pleased with how they came out.”
Photo by Flavio D Photography
Laura and Harry tied the knot in a quick outdoor ceremony, officiated by a local justice of the peace.
Photo by Flavio D Photography
Arranged by the bride’s parents, a plane toting a “Just Married” banner with the couple’s initials and wedding date performed a surprise flyover after the ceremony. “That was really special and exciting,” Laura says.
Photo by Flavio D Photography
Guests partook in lawn games including bocci and cornhole, played with custom boards the couple purchased through Etsy.
Photo by Flavio D Photography
Dressed up with bistro lights and a suspended greenery installation, a barn on Laura’s sister’s property offered the perfect venue for an intimate evening of dinner and dancing.
Photo by Flavio D Photography
The couple treated loved ones to a variety of passed hors d’oeuvres, including tuna poke served on rice crackers.
Photo by Flavio D Photography
Ample flowers, glowing votives, and brass candleholders added a touch of romance to the dinner table, decorated with a pewter runner.
THE FILE
Bride’s Dress Anais Anette, Ceremony
Caterer Sumptuous Catering
Ceremony Music It Takes Two
Dessert Marion’s Pie Shop
Flowers Table & Tulip
Hair/Makeup Beauty Boston
Officiant Claire Watts
Photographer Flavio D Photography
Planner Lucky Heart
Getting married? Start and end your wedding planning journey with Boston Weddings' guide to the best wedding vendors in the city.
