Budding Romance

Julianne Smith and Steeledan Cortes tied the knot on a cozy June evening among roses and peonies and with a few family members and friends present. The intimate ceremony was held in a close friend’s backyard, which is a working flower farm and not typically available for weddings. The memorable first dance took place on a rug in the middle of the farm to the sounds of Elvis Presley’s “I Can’t Help Falling in Love,” which the couple heard on their first date at the local farmers market. The self-described “old souls” share a love for all things vintage, so they incorporated antique vessels for the floral arrangements, Polaroid cameras and a typewriter as the guest book—the last evoking sweet memories of the letters they would type to one another. Jazz music played in the background, contributing to the magical ambiance. The bride carried a romantic English garden–inspired bouquet composed of spray roses, rosemary, honeysuckle and various types of foliage. As the night grew cold and gray, the guests warmed themselves in a cozy yurt, wrapped in blankets near a woodstove and sipping coffee. The fairytale evening ended with a sparkler sendoff as the couple departed in a 1967 VW bug getaway car, complete with the classic “Just Married” sign and vintage luggage on the roof.