Taylor Amico met Brendan Saylor a month before graduating college in 2015. After a year of dating, she invited him to Martha’s Vineyard, where she and her family had vacationed throughout her childhood. It was on the Island in 2020, at Owen  Park Beach in Vineyard Haven, where they would get engaged, and very soon after would select West Tisbury’s Lambert’s Cove Inn & Resort as their all-in-one wedding venue.

A long engagement allowed them to take their time with the planning process and add their own personal DIY touches. Taylor tapped a college friend to design matchboxes with a watercolor painting of the inn, and Taylor herself gathered the items for the bridesmaids’ gift bags, which were jute beach bags filled with pajamas and fuzzy slippers, candles, hair ties, a makeup bag, lip balm, and a handwritten note for each girl.

Instead of going with the traditional one dress/one color for her bridesmaids, Taylor let them get creative. “I just really loved the idea of letting everyone sort of pick whatever they wanted,” she said. But she did provide some guidance by sharing photos from Pinterest. “I wanted them to feel comfortable in the styles and colors they felt best in.”

For the reception décor, they chose classic white and blue tablecloths and scattered scented candles across the tables. “I wanted to be able to look back on photos in several decades and not think, ‘Yikes! What were we thinking?’” Taylor said. “I honestly just loved the toile-print tablecloths and thought they were a great starting point for décor and overall vibe. They were ‘busy’ enough that it allowed for simpler table décor, including the flowers.” 

Asked about the smallest guest at the reception, Taylor explained: “The four-pound Chiweenie mix is my brother and sister in law’s dog, Nerlens. While you sometimes have to look closely due to his size, he is almost never not present at any large Amico family gathering.”

Brendan and Taylor’s best advice to other couples is to start planning as early as possible. “The two-year engagement really helped to take away a lot of the stress that I think we may have experienced if we were trying to coordinate all of the vendors in the year leading up to the wedding,” she said.

“Secondly, and though it sounds ‘easier said than done,’ try not to stress too much about the little things. There is always going to be a slight difference in some detail, but you have to remind yourself that it will likely go unnoticed on the day-of because you’re simply busy having fun and enjoying your guests.”

Details

Wedding Date: June 25, 2022
Ceremony + Reception: Lambert's Cove Inn & Resort
Photographer: Mila Lowe
Day-Of Coordinator: Martha’s Vineyard Weddings & Events
Flowers: Morrice Florist
Tent + Party Supplies: Seaside Celebrations Tent & Party Rentals
Caterer: Little Rock Farm
Hair + Makeup: Sea Spa Salon
Dessert: Back Door Donuts
Music: Cape Tunes
Transportation: MV Sightseeing
Place Cards: Samson Studios
Stationery: Julie & Jane Studio + Minted
Portables: Dottie’s Potties
Tech Support: Event Power MV
Rehearsal Dinner: Woods
Accommodations: The Island Inn + Lambert’s Cove Inn & Resort + Mansion House + Summercamp