Real Weddings: A Classic Wedding in White

Check out this simply elegant wedding in upstate New York.

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A Neutral Palette

Makeup 101

The Perfect Dress

Something Old...

Elegant Bridesmaids

DIY Wedding Programs

Simple Bridesmaids' Bouquets

Beautiful Views

Groom's Wear

Finishing Touch

Creative Tables

Embellishing the Tent

A Simple Cake

Vendor Guide

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A Neutral Palette

About the Couple: Growing up in Thousand Islands, New York, Katie always dreamed of getting married on a hill overlooking the bright blue water of the St. Lawrence River. When Katie and Russell got engaged, they immediately fell in love with Fairview Manor as the perfect place to tie the knot.

Since Katie's dress had intricate beading, she chose to keep her bouquet simple and neutral. This full bouquet paired white roses and calla lilies with a touch of green leaves.

Get the Look: Go monochromatic but add unique textures with different flowers. Pairing roses with a bold flower like calla lilies adds a modern twist to your bouquet.

Makeup 101

Since Thousand Islands is such a small area there weren't too many options for a makeup artist, so Katie did it herself. She had a makeup artist in New York City, where she currently lives, teach her how to get the classic look and make her makeup last all day.

Bride's Tip: If you have a makeup artist teach you how do get a wedding-day look beforehand, make sure she helps you buy the right makeup as well. Practice a few times before the big day.

The Perfect Dress

The day after Katie got engaged she did what the typical bride-to-be does -- bought a ton of wedding magazines. She saw this dress while browsing the pages and loved it. After trying it on, along with a few other dresses, she settled on her first choice. Katie loved the beading along the top and the full pleated skirt that gave off a princess flair.

Something Old...

Katie wore her grandmother's antique ring as her something old.

Elegant Bridesmaids

Katie stuck with the neutral palette for her bridesmaids' dresses as well. She chose a simple A-line strapless champagne-colored dress with a taupe sash. The maid of honor wore the opposite, a taupe dress with an ivory sash.

Get the Look: Let your maid of honor stand out with a dress that is different from the other bridesmaids' dresses. Just make sure it complements the rest of your scheme.

DIY Wedding Programs

After finding a template online, Katie made her own fan programs for her August wedding. She printed the program information on card stock, traced the template, cut it out, then attached a crafts stick as the handle. She topped it off with a simple bow.

Budget Saver: Making your own programs will save money -- plus it's a fun project to do with your bridesmaids.

Simple Bridesmaids' Bouquets

Katie choose to keep the bridesmaids' bouquets small and simple with three calla lilies surrounded by greenery.

Budget Saver: Choosing a minimal bouquet for your bridesmaids will save big bucks and they'll still have something pretty show off as they walk down the aisle.

Beautiful Views

Katie and Russell didn't need ceremony decor with a view like this. Their 200 guests sat on the deck of Fairview Manor with a view of the St. Lawrence River.

Groom's Wear

Russell kept his tux simple by wearing a white vest and tie, while his groomsmen sported cream-colored vests and ties. They also each wore a simple calla lily boutonniere.

Finishing Touch

After their first kiss as husband and wife, Katie and Russell surprised their guests with a slew of white balloons floating in the blue sky. Katie's mom is a teacher, so they enlisted the help of her students to stand below the hill and let the balloons go as the newlyweds walked down the aisle.

Creative Tables

To bring a touch of the islands to their wedding, Katie and Russell named their tables after islands in the area. Then they tried to match their guests' personalities to their assigned tables. They also kept their table decor simple with low vases filled with floating flowers and river rocks that sat on a mirror surrounded by votives.

Embellishing the Tent

Katie and Russell's florist beautified the tent by wrapping poles in white fabric and adding elegant arrangements.

Get the Look: If you are having your ceremony or reception under a tent, dress it up by draping fabric or hanging lanterns. This will add a bit of ambiance and diminish the tent feel.

A Simple Cake

Katie loved the smooth look of fondant icing so she kept hers simple and modern with the rounded layered look. She added green ribbon around the base of each and topped it off with a pearl look. She completed the look with a cute K as the modern cake topper.

Vendor Guide

Location: Fairview Manor, Thousand Islands (Clayton), New York

Florist: Sherwood Florists, www.asherwoodflorist.com

Wedding Dress: Private Label by G from RK Bridal

Bridesmaids' Dresses: Bill Levkoff from RK Bridal

Photographer: Emily Cavaco; Emily Cavaco Photography, www.emilycavacophotography.com

Videographer: Classic Photography & Video

Reception & Ceremony Music: Kommand Performance DJ Service

Real Weddings: A Classic Wedding in White

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