Outside weddings can be as formal as an inside event, but a lot more flexible and better suited to an intergenerational guest list. At Crossed Keys, dinner and dancing take place under an elegantly draped tent, but guests have room to roam—men to savor a fireside scotch and cigar, kids to burn sparklers or play badminton and grandparents to stroll in the garden. A rustic country flavor—defined by bubbles and balloons, picnic fare and home-baked pies, mason-jar flower vases, plus outdoor party games—is a natural fit for garden weddings. But this year some brides are turning instead toward the old-fashioned elegance of Downton Abbey or Great Gatsby—replete with cabbage roses in sterling-silver compotes, vintage parasols, croquet in long gowns, flowing libations served by gloved butlers, crisp ivory table linens and similar extravagances of a bygone age.
Other trends include farmhouse table dining, horseshoes and other classic games, roaring campfires encircled by Adirondack chairs and ice cream and other food trucks. “It’s pure magic,” says Crossed Keys wedding planner Jessica Rodriguez when describing their setting. “Imagine wearing your white wedding dress in a verdant green meadow. Picture a lush open space where guests can discover landscaped places to frolic and have fun.” Magic indeed.
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