When she was a young girl summering on Martha’s Vineyard, Emily Croteau fondly remembers watching brides walk down Edgartown’s Main Street, their gowns and veils flowing in the breeze. “That’s what I’m going to do,” she thought to herself about her own wedding day. Years later she fulfilled that childhood dream when she married Robby Gearon.

The couple, who had been dating since 2017, had long shared the understanding that they would get married. And, as Emily said, luckily Robby was on board with a Martha’s Vineyard wedding. In January of 2021, they inquired about available dates at the Old Whaling Church and adjacent Dr. Daniel Fisher House property in Edgartown. Only two dates were available for the following summer. They chose August 6 and began to plan.

“We fell in love with the beautiful building itself, and wanted our ceremony to feel traditional and elegant,” said Emily. “It’s also just a block away from my parents’ house in Edgartown, so that was an added bonus!”

The next fun task for the couple: an engagement! Robby asked Emily to marry him later that spring, on the beach at the same inn where his parents were married.

Gardens in bloom, classic architecture, and Edgartown’s nautical history helped inspire Emily and Robby’s garden party–themed wedding with coastal elements. Sailing is an important part of their lives and history – they met freshman year while they were both on the Boston University sailing team – so a ride on the catboat Tigress in Edgartown Harbor was a must. Wedding invitations, menus, and table signs printed in navy blue featured drawings that Emily’s father made of the church, catboat, and other Vineyard icons. Periwinkle blue was another dominant color, tying in the table settings, bouquets, and chairs at the reception.

To pull all these ideas together, they hired wedding planner Sandy Brooks-Kovacs of Timeless Event Planning. Working with her, the weekend began to take shape, with plans for a jump off Jaws Bridge in Oak Bluffs, the rehearsal dinner at Atria in Edgartown, and the sail on Tigress, all before the big day.

Emily and Robby advise couples currently in the planning process to enjoy it no matter what happens. “Remind yourself that the most important thing is that you get to marry each other at the end of it all,” she said. “When everyone else is happy on your wedding day, the feeling of joy is contagious!”

Details

Wedding Date: August 6, 2022
Ceremony: Old Whaling Church
Reception: Dr. Daniel Fisher House
Photographer: Jacqui Cole
Wedding Planner: Timeless Event Planning
Officiant: Rev. Vincent G. “Chip” Seadale
Flowers: Morrice Florist
Tent + Party Supplies: Big Sky Tent and Party Rentals + Kadeema Rentals
Caterer: V. Jaime Hamlin and Sons Catering & Party Design
Cake: Cakes by Liz
Ceremony Music: Peter Boak
Reception Music: The Vine Shakers
Hair: Studio 9
Makeup: Monica Panait
Stationery: Merrymaker Fine Paper
Libations: Your Market
Rehearsal Dinner: Atria
Welcome Party: Edgartown Reading Room
Welcome Party Dessert: Morning Glory Farm + Scottish Bakehouse
Private Charter: Catboat Charters