In the summer of 2018, Emma Petrillo, then a single college student, was on Martha’s Vineyard to tour a house that her parents were buying in Edgartown. Impressed with the natural beauty of the Island and the new vacation home, she turned to her sister and said, “I’m going to get married here.”
That November, Emma was back at Florida State University and needed a date for a hunting-themed sorority function. Her roommate set her up with Paul Brown, an alum. Emma and Paul, both dressed in head-to-toe camouflage, had their first date at the event. Despite the goofy circumstances, their connection was immediate. “We were just joking around the entire time,” Emma said. “There was never awkwardness.”
After getting engaged in September 2023, the couple began planning a wedding on Martha’s Vineyard for the following year. The ceremony would be held at St. Elizabeth’s Church in Edgartown and, just as Emma had prophesied, the reception would be at her parent’s vacation house.
Emma pictured their wedding as “a romantic dinner party” that steered clear of certain wedding traditions. “I was very anti–sweetheart table, anti–‘Cha-Cha Slide.’” Emma desired a minimal look, opting for neutral colors. Under a clear tent, two long tables would be decorated with white flowers and candles flanked by a black-and-white checkerboard dance floor. Much of the planning was done from afar, as the couple lives in Florida. But they made sure to visit the Island a handful of times to facilitate the process, which they recommend out-of-town couples in the planning stage do as well.
On the day of the wedding, Paul orchestrated a surprise for his soon-to-be bride. Emma’s grandmother died in 2023 but, before she passed, he recorded her telling Emma she loved her and wishing her well. During their first look at the Faraway Martha’s Vineyard hotel in downtown Edgartown, he played this recording for Emma. “I felt her with me,” she said.
Afterward, they walked through the streets of Edgartown to the church. “Everyone was clapping and cheering and honking,” Paul remembered. Following their ceremony, the couple got their first glimpse of the reception site. It was more beautiful than they could have imagined, they said, thanks in part to personal touches from their vendors, including florist Aubrey Sirois of Aubrey Maria Designs/Donaroma’s.
Sirois had called Emma the day before the wedding and explained that, although they hadn’t planned on using orchids, she happened to have some on hand. Emma was thrilled. “Those were my grandmother’s favorite flower.”
DETAILS
Wedding Day: September 14, 2024
Ceremony: St. Elizabeth’s Church
Reception: Private Home
Photographer: Larisa Stinga
Wedding Planner: DIY
Day-of Coordinator: My Vineyard Elopement
Officiant: Fr. Paul Fedak
Flowers: Aubrey Maria Designs/Donaroma’s
Tent + Party Supplies: Big Sky Tent and Party Rentals
Caterer: Premier Chef Services
Hair: Aimme Inoa
Makeup: Morgan Warmack + Janely Gallego
Cake: Val Cakes
Ceremony Music: Peter Boak + Jan Hyer
Cocktail Hour Music: David Wolff
Reception Music: Zachary Potter
Transportation: ResortMan
Calligraphy + Stationery: Humanity Letterpress
Signage: PuuArt
Power Support: Event Power MV
Tech Support: TPS Audio
Portables: MV Event Rentals – Mobile Restroom
Libations: Jim’s Package Store Rehearsal Dinner + Welcome Party: Nomans
Accommodations: Faraway Martha’s Vineyard + Harbor View Hotel
