Maneli and Tim’s Wedding

• Weddings

Congratulations to Maneli and Tim, who recently celebrated their wedding over an entire weekend at her parents’ lovely home in Great Falls. We had begun to chat with Maneli after the ultra-talented Elizabeth at Pinapple Productions suggested we might be a match. We just happened to be traveling through New York at the time and met her briefly over coffee and knew immediately her wedding would be very special and unique. Things started off on Friday afternoon with a short Persian ceremony, a nod to her heritage, for their families and closest friends, held in the home’s formal dining room.

The celebration then continued on Saturday, when we returned to capture their getting-ready and a few portraits of Maneli in her stunning Oscar de la Renta gown before the start of the ceremony. She looked amazing and Anne totally fell in love with her gown, as did many of their guests, we’re sure. The short, but touching ceremony was held in a semi-circle on the lawn in the front yard facing the fountain with the late-afternoon sun to their guests back. In one of the most unique and fun arrivals we’ve seen, Tim, a British citizen, arrived to ther ceremony site riding in an antique Mini Woody with an American flag painted on the roof and driven by Tim’s best man. It was an immediate hit with their guests who all applauded and laughed as Tim’s large frame exited the tiny car.

Following the ceremony, performed by Maneli’s uncle, everyone made their way through the gardens into the gorgeous back yard to wander around the grounds and enjoy the extended cocktail hour. The weather was perfect and they were all wowed by the dual high-peak Nantucket-style tents filled with gorgeous floral displays by Jack Lucky Floral Designs. After Escapade (we *love* working with these folks–they really know how to jam) finished their warm-up, guests seated themselves between the two tents for a welcome by Maneli’s, and then Tim’s father. Their amusing stories of their respective children only served to set the mood for the rest of the night’s festivities, starting out with a delicious beautifully stationed meal put together by the incomparable Steve Dunn of Well Dunn Catering. After dinner and long after the sun had set for the night, their maid-of-honor and best man both stood to offer their respective congratulations to the couple. Both speeches were incredibly entertaining, and even we  could be found chuckling a lot behind our cameras.

As if the evening couldn’t get any better, Tim, a talented musician, had brought his guitar from across the pond and performed a rousing, Jimi Hendrix-like version of the Star Spangled Banner, which had everyone up near the stage in rapt attention. He could seriously play and played some more before surrendering the guitar and heading back down to his wife on the dance floor to get his groove on along with everyone else that evening. It seemed as if no one wanted to go home late that night, and we suspect the party continued on in another form. Thank you, Maneli and Tim, for having us out to document your wedding, and congratulations!

And here are a few highlights from the previous day’s Persian ceremony.

No way we’d leave you without showing off some of the incredible details from the wedding day as well. Enjoy!