Ishani & Mike's Elopement at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston and The Winsor House in Duxbury, MA

It’s no secret that we love documenting small gatherings, tiny weddings, and elopements shared with just a select group of family and friends. Throughout the pandemic while circumstances necessitated the change to smaller events we found ourselves thoroughly enjoying the shift, and leaned into our philosophy that every wedding deserves to be photographed well. Ishani and Mike’s elopement in Jamaica Plain last week at the Arnold Arboretum was pleasantly cozy with around 20 guests for the ceremony and as many felt like showing up on a Friday evening for their reception dinner - we’d guess around 50 or so folks in total. It was the kind of wedding that we knew would be fun to slip into and document thanks in part to Ishani’s vision for an outdoor cocktail hour in autumn followed by a romantic candlelit dinner inside at the lovely Winsor House in Duxbury.

Their ceremony just south of Boston was short and sweet, surrounded by family and friends (and their adorable pup, Maya), and concluded just before a brief rain shower. It was a Friday that could have gone either way weather-wise, and we were thrilled to be missing the wet that would come the following day. After exploring a bit and taking advantage of some fall color in the trees, we all packed into our vehicles and headed southeast to Duxbury, MA. A town as charming as ever, Duxbury looks like the quintessential coastal New England town and is home to The Winsor House, Island Creek Oyster Farm’s restaurant. Being huge seafood lovers, this was the perfect place for Ishani and Mike to welcome their friends and family for some toasts and dinner and close out their wedding day. We were blown away by the atmosphere and ambience inside the place and combined with the firepit just outside, the church bells sounding at the top of the hour, and the leaves crunching underfoot we couldn’t have imagined a more seasonal vibe for their reception.

It’s so much fun to be a part of these tiny weddings. We can’t really put a finger on why - maybe it’s because our own wedding was on the smaller side, or maybe it’s how intimate and creatively freeing things feel when it’s such a small group - but we feel so at home documenting these sorts of events. Ishani and Mike really did a lovely job of making their wedding day feel like something they’d already love to be doing, and it just made sense for them to tie the proverbial knot in that way.

Venue: Arnold Arboretum / Winsor House
Coordination: Deering Events / Jyl Deering
Catering: Island Creek Oyster Farm / Winsor House
Florals: Consider the Lilies
Dress: Anais Anette / Ceremony Boston
Makeup: Athra Mikha
Hair: East West Salon Co.
Menswear: State and Liberty