1. Real Weddings

An Elegant, Bohemian Wedding at a Private Residence in Greenwich, CT

Sarah Friedman (32 and a massage therapist) and Paul Salama (33 and an urban planner) wanted their wedding day to incorporate their Jewish roots with

Sarah Friedman (32 and a massage therapist) and Paul Salama (33 and an urban planner) wanted their wedding day to incorporate their Jewish roots with her spiritual upbringing and his Sephardic heritage. The result was an earthy, Shavuot-inspired, bohemian affair with exotic splashes of North African flavor at Sarah's childhood home in Greenwich, CT. The spacious contemporary house lent itself well to the aesthetic; designed by her mother, an architect, it had formal gardens ideal for a tented backyard wedding. It was actually for sale when Paul Salama proposed, but her parents pulled it off the market so she could have her wedding there!

Your home decor is a great place to start searching for wedding ideas, and it will instantly infuse your personal style into the day, says planner Xochitl Gonzales of AaB Creates. She found great ideas behind the couple's front door. "Sarah and Paul's home has a natural but clean bohemian vibe--very Stevie Nicks meets Bauhaus--that we worked hard to capture for their wedding," Gonzales says. "The macrame curtains and our Moroccan lounge got people into the spirit of the day. Guests spent a lot of time on the ottomans by the lanterns. It was this vibe of hippy, earth-mother elegance that made this wedding unique."

Loose bouquet illustrations and butterflies accented Sarah and Paul's cooper and gold invitations.
Sarah's mother's 1970s wedding outfit and the contemporary architecture of her childhood home inspired the bohemian-meets-Bauhaus wedding aesthetic. Sarah even wore a veiled, broad-brim hat instead of a veil, echoing the one her mother wore decades earlier.
The groom's boutonniere echoed the foliage and florals of the Shavuot-inspired chuppah.
Drawing inspiration from her mother's 1970s bohemian wedding look, Sarah wore a custom Houghton gown and a similar veiled, broad-brim hat.
Paul's "groomsmen" party included one lucky lady, his SISTER? She donned a short grey dress to match his five other groomsmen.
The flowers girls each wore lush flower crowns for their walk down the aisle.
Programs came accented with a single herb.
Sarah and Paul's custom chuppah included a special nod to their Jewish culture: the seven species of food--wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and date honey--were intertwined throughout the weeping greenery.
Wood nymphs inspired the whimsical flower crowns worn by the bridal attendants.
For dessert, the couple cut into a naked cake filled with fresh strawberries and chocolate ganache.
Lounges with a Hookah pipe, antique sofas, Moroccan rugs, lanterns, woven pillows and ottomans were set up inside and outside of the reception tent.
Plush, furry goat pelts covered the couple's chairs at their flower-topped sweetheart table. It overlooked the dance floor and the long feasting tables for their guests.
Gold rimmed china and glassware added a luxe touch to the whimsical, tented space. Centerpieces dotted with roses and TK filled the feasting tables.
Sarah and Paul had their first dance to a Turkish song called "Ayrilik Olsa Bile" by Esmeray. The lyrics were translated and printed for their guests.
Hanging lanterns, vineyard chairs and lush tablescapes transported guests from Sarah's backyard to a dream-like dinner party.
Gold-rimmed glasses added a celebratory touch to the lush tablescapes.
Guests left with adorable miniature pies, a ode to the harvest theme of Shavuot.
What better way to end the wedding evening than with a nightcap and Hookah?