Aneli Wearing A Custom Ari Dress
Congratulations to Aneli and Matt on their gorgeous boho wedding! Photography by Tessa Klingensmith.
So tell us, how did you meet the love of your life?
We met on Tinder. Matt used the 'Super Like' feature to grab my attention. A true modern day love story.
Was there a moment you knew they were the one? Tell us how they won your heart.
At the risk of sounding cheesy, I knew within the first five minutes of meeting Matt that we were destined to be together. It felt as if we had known each other for years and our souls had simply been reconnected. Dating in New York City can be a slog, and finding Matt in a sea of 8 million people still fills me with gratitude.
Tell us the story of the proposal ❤️
Matt took me for a weekend trip to Portland, Maine (with our dog Byron). He dropped down on a knee while we were on a hike around Mackworth Island State Park. We then carved our initials into the wooden swing overlooking the water, like high schoolers.
What wedding dress did you choose?
Ari, customized with a leg slit
What was most important to you when choosing your wedding dress
Ah, how to choose - organic, simple yet elevated, bohemian, unique, and true to who I am.
What aspects of your wedding were most important to you when you were planning?
I grew up in the eastern European country of Estonia before moving to New York City after high school (where I met Matt). We had initially intended to host the wedding in my native country, but had to pivot twice - once due to COVID, and another due to Estonia's proximity to the Ukraine-Russia crisis. While we considered simply heading to the courthouse (in my Ari dress), we thought that after all we'd been through it was important to gather as many loved ones stateside as we could. What started as a European wedding with 140 guests ultimately became a Boston wedding with 55 of our closest people. Therefore, the most important part in planning our wedding was to make it as reflective of our collective ethos as possible.
Did your wedding have a theme or a specific style?
Bohemian Cocktail. Is that a thing?
What advice do you wish you could go back and give to yourself when you were in the early stages of planning?
It's easy to sensationalize the perfect wedding day in your head prior to the event, as this is helpful in strategizing and planning. But, some details won't go exactly to plan, so don't sweat the small stuff. Your guests are there for YOU, and the bus being 20 minutes late to the ceremony is ultimately just a fun story to tell your kids about one day.
Let's show your wedding venue some love! What is the name of your venue, and why did you choose it for your special day?
Ceremony - Larz Anderson Park in Brookline, MA - this is where we take our dog Byron frequently to run out his zoomies. Reception - Tuscan Kitchen in Boston's Seaport. We couldn't have asked for a more accommodating venue. The food was amazing (Matt's a sucker for Italian) and the drinks were flowing all night long.
What was your favorite moment of the day?
The first look. I felt really beautiful and seeing the genuine look on Matt's face when I tapped him on the shoulder validated that.
How did you feel spending the day in your wedding dress?
I felt beautiful, comfortable, confident. I felt what I'd hoped I'd feel as a bride since I was a little girl. My guests were super complimentary which helped me stand a bit taller, too.
Who was your photographer?
Tessa - @tessa.klingensmith.photo. She was a rock star. It was no less than 97 degrees that day and Tessa powered through and made us feel comfortable, while capturing the very best, most authentic moments of the day. We've just seen a sneak peek of the photos thus far and thought to ourselves, 'Damn, we look good.'
Would you like to shout out to any of your other vendors?
Special shoutout to my employer, @winstonflowers, for supplying the gorgeous bouquet, pampas arrangements, and boutonnieres. Their flowers just hit different.
What has been the best part so far about being married?
Making an espresso in the morning, throwing an easy-listening vinyl on the record player, and sharing in gratitude that we no longer have a wedding to plan.
Aneli is wearing Ari with nude lining, 7/8 sleeves, and a 12 in sweep train. She customized her dress with a skirt slit.