A Rustic, DIY Wedding at The Red Pheasant in Dennis, Massachusetts

Meredith Atwood (27 and a PhD student) and Justin Holgerson (30 and a forest ecologist) met in Syracuse, NY while they were both pursuing Masters degrees. After being introduced by a mutual friend at a game night, the two bumped into each other again at a graduate student trivia night. It wasn’t long before the two found themselves on their first date and three years later, after moving to Oregon, Justin proposed to Meredith while mountain biking.Meredith and Justin decided to head to Meredith’s home state of Massachusetts for their wedding, opting to host the affair at The Red Pheasant restaurant, which is owned and operated by her parents. The couple kicked off the day with an intimate ceremony in her neighbor’s backyard, overlooking the lake, before heading to the restaurant for a night of celebrating. Drawing inspiration from the restaurant’s barn setting, with exposed beams, wooden floors and lots of character, the couple decided to go with a rustic, natural theme. Where possible, Meredith and Justin tried to use things they already owned or could borrow from friends. All of the flowers — fresh hydrangeas and dahlias — were hand-picked from Meredith’s mother’s or the neighbor’s garden. The food was an easy choice for the couple. Meredith and Justin picked their favorite items from The Red Pheasant's menu, putting together a mouth-watering selection of bacon-wrapped scallops, Gruyere cheese puffs, sole meuniere, steak and risotto. A naked funfetti wedding cake satisfied everyone’s sweet tooth, while The Becky Chace Band got guests up and dancing all night long.