Jana + Bryan’s Garden Party Wedding at the Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary in Belmont

Wedding, Work

Jana and Bryan thought very carefully about how they wanted their wedding day to feel. It was a lush, intimate, flower-filled, garden wedding. But the most important description, they decided, was “joyful.”

It was a scorcher of a June day at the Mass Audubon Habitat in Belmont. While some of us may have wilted slightly in the heat, Jana seemed to blossom in it. The whole day, she was filled with peace, satisfaction, and an effusive joy.

I think sometimes women are afraid to feel joyful and beautiful. We hide our pride, we deflect and make ourselves smaller. But on this day, Jana’s joy was so present that it lit up everyone around her and we couldn’t help but feel it too.

Jana and Bryan started the day getting ready separately. Bryan stayed home while Jana (who normally spends her days in scrubs with little-to-no makeup) got all dolled up. They met at the venue, unfussed about those old groom-can’t-see-the-bride traditions. This was especially helpful because Jana was the only one around who knew how to tie Bryan’s bow tie (with the help of a Google search)!

After a “first look” in their fancy duds, they greeted their sweet dog, Lula, and all the human guests who arrived before the ceremony.

Lemonade and fans helped their guests stay cool during the ceremony as Jana and Bryan walked down the aisle together, hand in hand. Their thoughtful ceremony, officiated by a close friend, honored their commitment to each other and the role their guests play in their relationship – as their support system. Guests made blessings over carefully gathered stones and sticks (“so too is this love shaped by wind and water and time”) and there were call-and-response blessings about everything from having more patience… to the discovery of Bigfoot!

Blueberry-basil drinks in the garden flowed into a delicious dinner inside and a little bit of dancing to wrap up the night. The bouquet and every stunning, oversized centerpiece was lovingly made by Jana and a close friend.

Every single piece of this day was perfectly formed because each piece was created thoughtfully, in a way that is authentic to who Bryan and Jana are now and to who they want to be together.