A Little Bit of Country - Find the perfect setting for your "Country Chic" wedding

Some couples just don't feel like a traditional banquet room or upscale ballroom represent who they are as a couple. Instead, they're looking for a more casual venue that will give their special day a warm and relaxed feeling; a place that they can fill with unique touches. Enters the increasingly popular "country chic" wedding! Inspired Occasions already has three of these type weddings on the books for next year.

What makes these weddings chic? The details. . . Beverages on ice served from wooden barrels or an antique canoe; a vintage pick-up truck used in place of a table for the dessert display, escort cards simply hanging by clothespins on the exterior of an old ban, centerpieces of wildflowers in collections of vintage milk glass or ball jars. These days, the measure of a great wedding is not in how fancy it is, but how meticulous and personal the details. Let the imagination run wild and be inspired by all things old, rustic and raw. Pair these things with beautiful linens and flowers and display everything in a creative and whimsical way. . . you've got Chic!

What makes them country? The location. The landscape and picturesque seasons of Upstate New York lend themselves to this genre so you don't have to go far to find the perfect setting for your country chic affair. For all you Capital Region couples who are thinking of going this route, be sure to take a peek at these spectacular locations:

Pruyn House (Newtonville, NY). Located just outside of Albany, Pruyn house offers a historic mansion with gorgeous seasonal gardens perfect for an outdoor ceremony and the large rustic Buhrmaster Barn for dinner and dancing. Plenty of room for tent events as well. (pictured LEFT)

Pat's Barn at Rensselaer Technology Park. (Troy, NY) An almost brand new venue. This fully restored barn provides the warmth and feel of a rustic barn, yet all the creature comforts one would want including heat and air conditioning. Private setting with outdoor patio for cocktail hour. (pictured BELOW)

Rensselaerville Meeting Center. (Rensseaerville, NY) Give your guests an entire weekend retreat here. It has an incredible view of the Catskill Mountains, overnight accomodates right on site and several buildings to accomodate your pre and post wedding festivities. No shortage of space for a tent event and organized group activities are onsite for all your out of town guests.

Historic Barns of Nipmoose. This place is the definition of country. Set in the heart of the agricultural landscape of Upstate NY, three full restored barns stand alone with a spectacular view of nothing but rolling hills. These historic barns are oozing character and would be an unforgetable location for a ceremony and reception. (pictured RIGHT & BELOW)

Natalie & Brian (Lake George) - Mary 29, 2010

The wedding of Natalie and Brian on May 29, 2010 has to be one of my favorites. Natalie is proof positive that you can plan a beautiful, detailed and chic wedding on a budget.

Natalie contacted me a year in advance of her wedding date with major concerns about the venue she had selected for her Adirondack destination wedding. Her recent site visit had raised some major red flags and her intention was to hire a planner to manage venue issues on her wedding day. After further discussion, I helped Natalie come to the decision that there was still time to avoid disaster and change her wedding venue.

Once the venue disaster had been averted and a new location was selected, it was time to help Natalie create a chic wedding with a modern color palette and a few rustic Adirondack touches. I’m proud to say that we accomplished just that!

The ceremony location selected was Shepard Park right on the shores of Lake George. The natural stone amphitheatre was an economical choice and offered a Celtic feel in tribute to the couple’s heritage. Floral Designer Martin Dodge of Drops of Jupiter transformed the simple alter area into something extraordinary with a handmade ceremony structure of birch, vines and clusters of hydrangea and cream roses. Personalized seat cushions doubled as a comfortable seat for guests on the stone benches and a take-home wedding favor.

Natalie arrived in style in an antique car and walked down the aisle arm in arm with her brother to the magical sound of a bagpiper hidden up on the bluff behind the ceremony. Gave me the chills! After the “I-do’s” the bagpiper led the parade of the bride and groom to the shore for formal photographs.

The magical tent reception for her 85 guests was decked out with the colors of pewter, white, pale blue with modern pops of lime green. The groom’s love of fishing was incorporated into the design of the escort cards and table names. Martin Dodge worked his magic again with tall and romantic centerpieces of birch, hydrangea and hanging Amaranthus. Plain poles of the tent were turned into birch trees with glowing hanging lanterns. The overall effect . . . enchanted Adirondacks! The star of the reception was the elegant display of the couple’s favorite dessert, mini cheesecakes, which took the place of a traditional wedding cake. Yummy!!!

Although Natalie’s planning process was rocky at times, I’m proud to say that I helped her pull off an elegant event representative of her style and who she and Brian are as a couple. It was an absolute pleasure working with them and I wish them all the happiness in the world!

Thanks as always to my team; Katelyn, Leah, Morgan and Julie. Also to the many amazing vendors who made Natalie and Brian’s wedding possible; Martin Dodge with Drops of Jupiter (floral design), James Bass (photography), Dale Himelrick of Memories in the Making Video Productions (videography) and Jessica Volkamer of Chocolate Mill (desserts).