Remembrances of childhood summers provide the inspiration for a young couple’s wedding on Long Island Sound.
Growing up, Deirdre Bocksel spent summers with her family on the North Fork of Long Island, enjoying the pleasures typical of the area—swimming, boating, feasting on local seafood—and building the perfect summer traditions. Little did she know that her future husband, Jason Carlough, was doing the same thing on the Connecticut shore of Long Island Sound, right across the narrow expanse of water from the North Fork. On their first date, as they compared notes on their childhoods, they realized they’d been swimming in the same waters all their lives.
It was inevitable that they’d want to be married somewhere in the area, and they happened upon the perfect destination when they discovered Elihu Island. A private oasis dotted with rustic cottages and surrounded by the glittering waters of the Sound, it embodied the childhood memories Deirdre and Jason shared.
“It just had the feeling of a magical New England summer,” she says. “There were cottages for all our friends and family to stay in, so everybody could experience summer on the Sound.”
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Taking cues from the natural beauty of the area, Deirdre planned the color scheme to reflect the scenery. “The navy of the water, the pale blue sky, and the bright green marsh grass were all inspirations,” she says. The shape of Long Island Sound even became a wedding motif, appearing on the custom belts the groomsmen wore and on the bridesmaids’ flip-flops. The classic color combination together with the preppy style of the wedding party gave the event a timeless appeal that will likely still look fresh when the couple flip through their wedding pictures on their 50th anniversary.
The ceremony took place under an enormous oak tree adorned simply with a wreath of white hydrangeas. The bride carried a bouquet of Café au Lait dahlias and scented geranium.
“Now, whenever I smell geranium it reminds me of my wedding,” says Deirdre. Vivid green bouquets for the bridesmaids provided colorful contrast against their navy dresses. Groomsmen wore blue and green striped ties, khakis, and optional socks. All in all, the wedding party would have made Ralph Lauren proud.
Pick up our Summer 2010 issue to read about how a sweet potato vine worked its way into this Long Island Sound wedding.
