Katherine Elizabeth Thiry is a Human Factors Engineer and David Matthew Abel is a Scientist. The couple have crossed paths throughout their lives without knowing it, but finally met in the summer of 2015 in New York City while working at the same research lab. David came into the lab as a visiting summer researcher and his desk was right behind Elizabeth’s. They clicked instantly, found any excuse to spend time together and began dating as summer started coming to an end.
Knowing Elizabeth’s naturally curious personality, hate of surprises, and hobby of investigation, David strategically recruited her mother and close friend to help throw me her the scent. So, when David returned to Boston after living in London for some months for work with the idea of spending his first weekend back together in Martha’s Vineyard, she thought nothing of it. They were enjoying peaceful moments at the cottage on the lake and as they watched the sunset on a beautifully golden autumn day, David got on one knee and proposed. The couple tied the knot in a spectacular wedding at Balcombe Place.
The best part of our day was….
The overall atmosphere and ambiance were unforgettable. Our wedding perfectly reflected aspects of who we are and brought together those we love in such a warm, loving, and memorable way.
We choose to get married at…
Balcombe Place
With most of our family and friends being international, it was important that those we love flying in from all over the world could come together effortlessly after a long journey at a unique destination for the entire weekend. Balcombe Place is a beautiful private estate with breathtaking surroundings. It provided the perfect setting for an effortlessly elegant, old country wedding, and allowed us to tailor the aesthetics and create the ideal ambience.
It became a home away from home for the weekend, and we will forever remember the magic and warmth we felt at Balcombe.
I knew I found ‘The One’ when…
I felt more beautiful than ever after putting it on and then couldn’t stop thinking about it. I had a couple of specific dresses on my mind and a general idea of styles that I liked going into the process, but I made sure to keep an open mind and ended up enjoying not being opposed to trying on different styles.
Although finding my wedding dress occurred during COVID 19 restriction madness, it turned out to be the most personalized and flawless experience due to my incredible planner, my bridal consultant at Morgan Davies Boutique in London and designer Stephanie Allin who all took the time to make my dream dress a reality.
In short..
Between lockdowns, my planner arranged a day to try on wedding dresses at a variety of boutiques around London together. I had an absolute blast trying on a range of designers but ultimately none compared to the selection I tried on at Morgan Davies Boutique. My bridal consultant was exceptionally encouraging and informative about alterations, materials, styling possibilities, accessories, and selections down to every detail that helped bring the bridal look together. This made all the difference when it came to turning my chosen dress as it was into my personal dream dress during a turbulent time.
My consultant was very knowledgeable about different designs and took the time to discuss my vision and ways to incorporate bespoke finishes to my chosen dress with designer Stephanie Allin to make it unique to me. Once lockdown lifted, I was able to try on the dress once more with Stephanie Allin there to ensure everything was perfect. Three different looks were created with my dress using bespoke finishes such as shoulder drapes, an overskirt, and accessories. I really couldn’t have asked for a more memorable experience.
The most enjoyable moments of planning were…
Our wedding weekend was unimaginably perfect. I loved every moment of the planning process, picking and choosing all the pieces that made the whole. However, two experiences come to mind. First, the food tasting was a delight! Because of the pandemic, many of our key moments in the planning process ended up being virtual. However, fortunately, we were able to have our tasting in person and it was a fabulous experience. It really helped us to crystalize our picture of the big day. Second, we took dance lessons together to learn our first dance and the Midnight Waltz (a Hungarian tradition at weddings). The process of slowly improving at our dances until we felt confident in it together was thrilling.
The hardest part of planning was…
We were planning the wedding during the height of the pandemic in a country we had only just moved to—navigating the complexities of a new country while planning was difficult. But, we had a wonderful planner, and spent a lot of time discussing and problem solving. In my opinion, it all comes down to assembling your wedding supplier dream team. Once you’ve done that, overcoming any obstacle that might arise becomes infinitely simpler because you are able to trust that they will do what they do best to make your vision come to life.
Our wedding menu highlights were…
Food was very high on our list of priorities, and we could not have been happier with the dishes. Our menu included a lovely burrata and heirloom tomato salad and featured a beef wellington and salmon for the main course (with dietary options as well!). The dessert shots and pots were a big hit, as were the espresso martinis!
Our first dance song was…
Dream a Little Dream of Me by Ozzie Nelson (1931). We both love this era of music and have listened to this song together dancing around the house for years. The lyrics convey such a sense of wonder, love, and magic, and we will likely listen to the song together for the rest of our lives.
The best accounts to follow on Instagram for big-day inspo are…
@hitcheduk, @junebugweddings, @vogueweddings and @betchesbrides
The best person to follow on Pinterest for bridal inspo is…
My top three tips for any couple would be…
Identify priorities together early on and work as a team. Rely on each other and share your vision because you’re in this together! We were fortunate that both of us wanted to be involved. The best thing we did was prioritize separately before the planning process began and then compared our lists. Your priorities might end up exactly aligned, like ours did! There wasn’t one aspect of our day that we didn’t decide together (except for the dress.)
The day goes by in a flash! Take time to enjoy each other’s company and little moments together throughout the wedding day to savor everything. Relax and enjoy it all together because it goes by quickly and you’ll miss it when it’s over!
Find wedding vendors who take the time to get to know you both personally and your vision for the wedding. Teamwork makes the dream work!
For our honeymoon we chose…
Greece! We started in Crete and did some island hopping together.
If I was able to do it all over again, the one thing I would change is…
Nothing comes to mind. While many things were out of our control with the pandemic and restrictions, it all turned out perfect for us in the end. We look back on our wedding with nothing but amazing memories.
List of suppliers
Wedding Planner & Stylist: The Bijou Studio @thebijoustudio
Caterer: Caper & Berry @caperandberry
Venue: Balcombe Place @balcombe.place
Dress: Stephanie Allin from Morgan Davies @stephanieallin @morgan_davies_bridal
Bridesmaids: Jenny Yoo @jennyyoonyc
Groom outfit: Neal & Palmer @nealandpalmer
Florist: Early Hours @earlyhoursltd
Stationery: EG Lettering @eg.lettering
Photographer: Agnes Black @agnes.black
Videographer: Gione de Silva @gione.silva
Wedding cake: Birch House Bakery @birchhousebakery
Makeup & Hair: Cat Parnell at Unveil UK @unveiluk
Celebrant: Andri Benson Ceremonies @andribceremonies
Rentals: The W Studio @the_w_collection
Related Article: Inside: An Elegant Wedding In Oxfordshire
