Pale Pinks and Greenery at Mattapoisett Wedding by the Sea

Alaska & Paul

September 17, 2016 • Mattapoisett, MA

By Lannan M. O’Brien | Wedding photography by Whitney Fox – Emilie Inc.

For as long as she can remember, Alaska Burr has known exactly where she wanted to get married: a shared family home in Mattapoisett overlooking the harbor. She has made memories there throughout her life, a quality that no other venue would bring to her wedding day.

Needless to say, there was no argument over location when her then-boyfriend of five years, Paul Elia, proposed to her during a trip to Bermuda. The weekend trip was a surprise for Alaska’s 29th birthday. “I thought, wow, this is a great birthday present!” she says.

Since many guests came from out-of-state—like Paul’s family from New Jersey and Alaska’s college friends from the Washington, D.C., area—Alaska felt it was important to create a relaxing and fun atmosphere. The couple chose romantic and rustic décor for their outdoor reception at Kittansett Club, foregoing linens to expose the wood of the long tables, which were adorned with tea lights and arrangements filled with lush greenery.

“It was exactly what we were envisioning,” Alaska says, adding that both she and Paul “dove into” the planning process.

Reflecting on the wedding day now, Alaska says that it feels like a dream. “There wasn’t a hiccup the whole day,” she says, noting her and Paul’s choices to combine traditional and nontraditional elements. Some of the latter were exchanging their vows in private, omitting programs to avoid “guests waiting for the ceremony to end” and foregoing the bouquet and garter tosses.

The icing on the cake (although they didn’t have one; they offered a variety of desserts instead) was Oxford Creamery Food Truck rolling up to the reception tent.

“If you were on the dance floor, you could walk right over and get a plate of fries,” Alaska says. Their guests were more than grateful for the tasty surprise.