Close your eyes. You’re on a beach. You can hear the waves crashing, in and out…
For Leigh and Chad (#HappiLeighEverCassett), this wasn’t just a soothing meditation. It was their ACTUAL wedding. The sound of waves crashing was the soundtrack to their dreamy ceremony took place on a terrace overlooking the Atlantic (Palm Beach, no less), and the scenery… well, we’ll let Emily Harris’s photos and Senderey Video’s trailer speak for themselves.
As if that weren’t enough, the couple also had a totally gorgeous chuppah made of willow branches and dragonwood (see, it even SOUNDS magical), adorned with flowers — just the thing to complement the natural surroundings.
Oh, and can we talk about how AMAZING Leigh looked in her fitted trumpet gown from Martina Liana? It looks like it was absolutely designed with her in mind… pure perfection.
She’ll fill you in on the rest of the details — like the surprise confetti blast during we had a confetti blast during the hora!
Modern Elegance
Leigh, the bride: We got married at the Eau Palm Beach. We picked this venue as we wanted to get married overlooking the ocean and the Eau has an amazing terrace overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
We both grew up in South Florida, and Palm Beach was far enough away for even in-town guests to make a weekend of the event. In addition, the hotel is a 5-star resort, yet is quaint and inviting, and the lobby feels like your living room.
The hotel was formerly a Ritz Carlton, and the style is pure Ritz elegance. Our theme throughout the weekend was modern elegance and the Eau captured that perfectly. The service, food, and staff were top notch!
Custom Romance
We wanted a classic, formal event, but one where the party never stopped. We personally worked on every detail, from selecting the most amazing band to creating a menu based on our “healthy-eating habits” (we had quinoa instead of standard potatoes!).
The theme was modern romance and was captured with tons of beautiful flowers and candles. Our color scheme was mostly white with hints of blush, as well as violet up-lighting to make the room and dance floor glow. We used a wedding planner, Joni, who helped with coordination of vendors and ensured the night ran smoothly.
A Martina Liana Dress
My dress was purchased at Boca Raton Bridal. I had searched high and low from Coral Gables to Palm Beach and finally found a dress that was classic, elegant, and modern. I wanted something form fitting, but wanted the elegance of a train and lace. This dress combined all of the features I was looking for so when I finally found it, I knew it was the one! I took my mom and grandma to see it and we were all sold!
A Willow Branch Chuppah
I had always loved a chuppah that was natural and adorned with flowers. I worked with our designer to create a chuppah of dragonwood and curly willow branches accented with white hydrangea, French roses, seeded eucalyptus, and dusty miller.
I wanted something open to the sky so we could see the stars. To add in a touch of ritz, we hung a beautiful chandelier, which helped light up our ceremony. It was the perfect accent to a gorgeous chuppah. Design was by myself and Jon Buick of Xquisite Events.
A Ceremony by the Ocean
Our main special touch was using my late grandfather’s tallit in the ceremony. We were wrapped in the tallit at the end of the ceremony while the rabbi recited the blessings.
The ceremony took place on a lawn overlooking the ocean, and the waves were heard throughout the ceremony. People still tell me how it was the most beautiful setting and hearing the waves crashing made it even more special.
I have a few favorite moments, but one that stands out was our personal vows – we each wrote something from the heart and had not shared it until that moment. Watching my husband tear up and speak from the heart was what this was all about.
However, breaking the glass and the kiss is also at the top of the list! Another memorable moment was the doors opening, looking out at a candlelit aisle, our family and friends smiling, my parents waiting for me a few steps away, and my husband waiting to greet us.
A Papercut Ketubah
Our ketubah is papercut- so soft and elegant to match our style.
Photography
I had seen Emily Harris‘s work for years as she had photographed many friends’ weddings. Her style was real, yet soft and beautiful. We also wanted someone who we could see sharing our special day with, and both Emily and her husband fit right in with Chad and my family and friends. They captured all of our moments, yet allowed us to be fully present. We could not be happier.
Videography
We also used Caroline from Senderey Video, who did a great job! We just love our highlight film.
A Labor of Love
My wedding was truly a labor of love. I was involved with every detail from the font on the invitations to the color of the confetti (we had a confetti blast during the hora to get the party started) to the songs performed by the band.
We also created signature cocktails (his and hers) and designed signs for the bar: a CosmopoLEIGHtin and CHAD’s Cool-Aid!
We had personalized table numbers with our wedding hashtag on them as well.
We had balloon props that were amazing for pictures! Pink balloons for the bridesmaids, and Chad’s and my initial (L&C) as balloons as well. We also made a special prop for the photo booth with a picture of our family dog on it.
The white dance floor was another must-have detail – it really tied the room together. We also printed pictures of our grandparents who had passed and had them on display in the cocktail hour so they were there with us on this special day.
First dance
Chad and I had been taking dance classes for a year or so before we were engaged, so our first dance was another special moment as we created an elaborate dance with dips and lifts! It went off without a hitch!
The father-daughter dance was another special moment as my dad and I have a special relationship. My dad choose 2 songs and had the band create a version for us to dance to – it was truly special.
An Amazing Band
Our band, The Headliners, really made the wedding! I cannot say enough about them! They are so talented and, as you can see by pictures, they jump into the crowd to perform!
One funny story was how the band invited us on stage and then next thing I know my whole family took over the stage dancing! Standing on stage with my new husband, parents, sister, aunt, and uncle dancing and singing our hearts out was one of my favorite moments.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
My advice would be enjoy every minute of the planning process as it goes by so fast! In addition, get all the major vendors selected early then just relax… things calm down and don’t pick up until a month or two before.
Some people say to try and relax the day of, my motto was relax the whole week before. Try to have everything complete by the Monday before the wedding – I had my timeline finalized, room layout and seating chart set, and everything checked off my list so I could just live in the moment. Take advantage of that week – get a massage, get your nails done, and just know all of your hard work will pay off.
Also – things will go wrong, remember only YOU notice. Don’t let it get you down -this is your wedding – it’s your time to smash the glass and have the best day of your life!
Leigh & Chad’s little white book
Photography – Emily Harris
Videography – Senderey Video
Wedding planner – Your Special Day by Joni
Venue – Eau Palm Beach
Bride’s dress – Martina Liana purchased at Boca Raton Bridal
Bridesmaids – Two Birds
Hair + Makeup – Tatjana Terzic
Design + Decor – Xquisite Events
Band – The Headliners
String Quartet – Master Musicians
Photo Booth + Confetti – Vision Djs
Stationery – The Paper Tree Company
Dance School – Florida Dancesport
It seems the bride and groom enjoyed a lot. All the pictures are awesome. It’s good to hear that the wedding band made the event more memorable. I always advise people to add a wedding band to the event to make it more engaging and enjoyable.
Love!! Thanks for sharing our day!!