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Lauren Hammell and Jacob Reed are a classic story of finding the love of your life right in front of you but taking a while to realize it. “We were co-workers and friends for many years until the universe brought us together,” says Lauren. “If you would have told us five years ago this is what our lives would look like—two beautiful puppies, a dream home and an incredible partner to share life with—we wouldn’t have believed it.”

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“The mood we wanted to capture on our day was bold vintage and moody romance,” says Lauren. Photo: Justyna Sokolowski

Together since 2017, Jake and Lauren got engaged in February 2020 on a surprise winter getaway to Quebec, at the most romantic Airbnb with panoramic mountain views. After a relaxing afternoon at the Scandinave Spa Mont-Tremblant, they were back at their home-away-from home for a cozy night as a huge snowstorm moved in. “While I was getting ready, Jake flooded the place with candles and waited for me to meet him in the living space,” says Lauren. “Picture a glass room, incredible candlelight and beautiful fluffy snowflakes falling outside. He wrote me a beautiful note and proposed, it was so romantic!”

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The details of the day including Lauren’s scent of choice for the day, Jo Malone’s English Pear & Freesia. Photo: Justyna Sokolowski

Capturing that feeling of moody winter romance was something the couple wanted for their wedding day. The had an outdoor/indoor wedding on a mild December day at Langdon Hall Country House & Spa. As a floral designer and co-owner of Kind Florals in Cambridge, Lauren has designed many weddings at Langdon Hall and knew the space intimately. She had a very clear vision of how to dress the space to create the vibe she wanted.

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Lauren chose dramatic white bridesmaid dresses with oversize rose bouquets for her squad. Photo: Justyna Sokolowski

“I wanted bold colours and grand floral installations to complete my look, and black candles everywhere,” says Lauren. “I wanted a classic, timeless, slightly vintage and dramatic look for the day, and to wow our guests with the design. I chose white bridesmaid dresses with black accents. My bouquet was solid long stem mocha garden roses, which was a bold alternative to the many pretty and soft bouquets I have designed in the past.”

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“The time of day we chose for our wedding was stunning as we were right at sunset, and the light was just right,” says Lauren. Photo: Justyna Sokolowski

Lauren and Jake hosted just 46 guests for their cocktail-hour, sunset wedding ceremony, which was held outside. The rustic outdoor space was aglow with candles and organic-feeling floral installations, including an artful arrangement of branches, winter green and dried hydrangeas over the fireplace in front of which they said their vows. “This was definitely a wow piece,” says Lauren. “I also used antique pieces like a beautiful gold mirror to create warmth in the space. Wine barrels with oversize arrangements of mixed winter greens framed the centre aisle.”

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“Our relationship is built on kindness, love and a passion to live a beautiful life together,” says Lauren.

The couple were showered with dried rose petal confetti by their guests after their “I dos” and then moved directly from the ceremony into a newlywed toast from Jake’s dad Reg, followed by their first dance in front of the fireplace to the song L.O.V.E played to perfection by violist Natalia Zielinski Chaturvedi. “Our guests surrounded us with sparklers, and it was magical,” says Lauren. “We opted to have a cocktail hour at the end of the night after dinner, instead of before, and instead of dancing. Our day was so intimate, we thought having time together to socialize instead of dance allowed us to spend quality time with all our guests.”

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Jake and Lauren opted to have their first twirl immediately following their ceremony. Photo: Justyna Sokolowski

They treated their guests to an indulgent four-course dinner inside the Firshade Room adjacent to the Summer House, their outdoor ceremony space. Lauren’s choice of dramatic decor included black tableware, white and gold stationery and more florals in the form of rose- and greenery-rich centrepieces.

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“I really wanted our guests to ‘feel the love’ while experiencing a magical eventing at Langdon Hall.” Photo: Justyna Sokolowski

Spending time just with each other on the day was important to Lauren and Jake. One of the most unforgettable moments was their first look, which Lauren advocates as a must-do for every couple. “We met at 2:30 in a private candlelit space away from all the wedding action and were able to just be together in this special and quiet moment. We went into our full wedding photo session at 3 after this, but we made time for ourselves and did some pre-event things alone together with Justyna, our wonderful photographer and friend.”

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“My advice to any couple getting married: Do a first look and make it special,” says Lauren. Photo: Justyna Sokolowski

Highlight Reel

Select Standouts from Lauren and Jacob’s big day

The dress

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Photo: Justyna Sokolowski

Lauren chose a minimalist dress from Canadian brand Paloma Blanca. The sheath gown had a daring strappy back finished with a dramatic oversize bow. Lauren says finding the perfect veil for her dress was a challenge, so she had one custom made. “I reached out to a bridal seamstress and asked if she would make my dreams come true with the perfect veil and to my surprise she said yes,” says Lauren. “I wanted an untraditional style that would go around my ponytail—she nailed it!”

The candles and confetti

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Photo: Justyna Sokolowski

“The only acceptable answer when it came to candles for our day was more,” says Lauren, laughing. “I jammed our outdoor space with florals and candles using black pillar candles to bring in the moodiness I wanted. This added an element of dramatic romance, especially in the evening. We gave our guests dried rose petal confetti to throw, and I loved the vintage vibe of the packaging—they were wrapped in pages from vintage books and sealed with a custom wax seal.”

The sweetheart table

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Photo: Justyna Sokolowski

“The fact that I got to eat dinner with my husband, just the two of us, was so incredibly special,” says Lauren. “It allowed us to spend quality time together on our day. Our table was a focal point of our reception decor featuring a garden installation around the bottom of the table with a broken arch backdrop to frame us. We dined by Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia candlelight, and it made my heart sing!”

Lauren And Jacob’s Wedding Directory

Wedding gown: Paloma Blanca from The Modern Bride
Veil: Brides by Brooke
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Jewellery: Olive + Piper
Stole: Vintage
Bridesmaid dresses: Mona Richie Boutique
Groom’s suiting & shoes: Murray’s Clothing & Footwear
Bowtie: Tie Bar
Rings: Paris Jewelers
Hair: Nikki Hinsperger from Voila Uptown
Makeup: Erin D. Moreau
Flowers: Kind Florals
Cake: Q Cakes
Stationary: Carma Designs
Wax Seal: Artisaire
Officiant: Dean Kennedy
Photographer: Justyna Sokolowski
Venue: Langdon Hall Country House Hotel & Spa
Videographer: Andrew Price, Amotion Films

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