Liza Raser and AJ Chedrick were high school sweethearts. They’ve been together since they were seventeen. So, when they had to postpone their wedding due to Covid, what was another year?

The California couple got engaged in March 2019 and had a wedding planned for September of 2020. When it became clear that they would not be able to have the wedding they’d hoped for due to the pandemic – they decided to honor their original wedding date by getting legally married and having a very small celebration with twelve guests near their home in San Diego. The Vineyard wedding of their dreams would have to wait.

They looked to Memorial Day weekend 2021 and hoped for the best. Liza grew up spending summers on the Island with her family. Her dad passed away in 2017 and she wanted to get married at his most favorite place: the Edgartown Yacht Club. For a smoother planning process, they hired KG Events & Design.

Liza’s most resolute piece of advice for couples is to get a wedding planner. “Hire a full-service planning team,” she said. “[The KG team] kept track of the Covid mandates, the noise ordinances, parking situation in Edgartown…just all of it.” With some hand holding from their planner, AJ and Liza rolled with the punches – even having to change the location of their ceremony the night before. But the postponed celebration came together in the end, with a ceremony at the Old Whaling Church followed by a reception at the Edgartown Yacht Club.

When it came to aesthetic, Liza recognized the “stoic masculine essence” of the yacht club and added airy, light touches with a dusty blue and white color scheme. “I think there is such a uniqueness to fewer, finer things when it comes to wedding décor,” she said.  

While the wedding day she had barely resembled the one she envisioned, Liza maintains that she wouldn’t change a thing. About half of their guests came for the weekend while the other half made a vacation of it and stayed for a week. Liza went to great lengths to provide a detailed itinerary of suggested sites on the Island. Doing so made her feel more at ease about how her guests were enjoying their stay. “Give them things to do,” she said, “so they don’t get off the boat and go, ‘What is this place?’

Details

Ceremony: Old Whaling Church
Reception: Edgartown Yacht Club
Photographer: Jessica K. Feiden
Wedding Planner: KG Events & Design
Flowers: Morrice Florist
Party Supplies: Big Sky Tent and Party Rentals
Hair + Makeup: Sea Spa Salon
Cake: Val Cakes
Music: The Sultans
Videographer: StopGoLove
Transportation: ResortMan
Calligraphy + Stationery: Anticipate Invitations
Favors: Chappy Chips
Rehearsal Dinner + Welcome Party: Harbor View Hotel