Julia & Cody's Wedding at Tanglewood in the Berkshires

Julia and Cody picked the legendary Berkshires music venue Tanglewood for a handful of reasons: it’s situated just outside picturesque Lenox, MA, it’s grounds feature massive old growth trees and a funky mix of modern and Gilded Age architecture, and it’s home to year round live musical performances - a major factor in choosing it. You see, Julia and Cody are live music connoisseurs, and the physical experience of seeing music performed and dancing to it is an important part of their relationship. It probably goes without saying that sharing this love of performance means they both are absolutely outrageous dancers, and their wedding plans ensured that a decent chunk of the day would allow them to showcase that with their guests.

Before the music started, however, Julia and Cody wanted their wedding day to feel casual but elevated. Planning a relatively small wedding (around 120 guests) in such a large space was just one part of that equation, but its effects were significant. Long distance views of the Berkshire mountain range that splayed out from the ceremony site, windy walkways between there and the cocktail hour, and plenty of green space in between ensured that the sheer grandiosity of the venue itself was not lost on attendees. What Julia and Cody wanted more than anything though was to have a wedding day that allowed them to present with one another. If the past three years have taught us anything it has to be that seeing our favorite people is not something we can take for granted, and it really felt like they were aware of this during their planning process. Giving themselves more than enough time across the entire day allowed them to relax into one another and actually get quality time with friends and family.

Maybe it was a product of that good planning but they both seemed so genuinely happy that day which is more than we can ever ask for. Once the ceremony was over and everyone had refreshed themselves at cocktail hour, their reception started with an absolute bang. We expected as much, but even still Julia and Cody’s choreographed first dance - highly practiced and expertly executed - was a shocker. Their chemistry on the dance floor looks honed, seasoned even and photographing them together was so much fun. To provide the entertainment for the evening they brought on Jarrell Entertainment which had a combination of live musicians and a banging DJ which in practice was electrifying. A saxophone, a violin, and a drum set all ripping over all the hits was so cool to see and it definitely kept the energy on the dance floor high. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that Cody’s step-dad hopped on sax for a solo performance, which he absolutely smashed and was a highlight of the evening. Our night came to a close as the music was still bumping, and we left literally dancing to the music as it faded away on our walk to the car. This wedding was officially our first of fall and it truly felt that way. The temperature didn’t get above 70º the whole day and after the sun went down the air was positively brisk. With the unusually hot summer we had this year slowly but surely fading into memory, we’re so ready for more days like theirs.

Venue: Tanglewood
Coordination: Tanya Costigan Events
Florals: Rooted Flowers
Ketubah: Rachel Marks, Tallulah Ketubah
Catering: Boston Gourmet Caterers
Dress: Jane Hill
Dress Boutique: Flair Bridal
Hair: Nellie Marie Artistry
Makeup: All Dolled Up
Menswear: Suit Supply
Band: Jarrell Entertainment
Rentals: Pitch and Spruce
Lighting: Bearfly Designs