Real Wedding: Storybook Ceremony

Beautiful in a strapless gown, the bride, Missy, arrived in a stately horse-drawn carriage, then passed beneath a grape arbor before entering the garden; her awaiting bridesmaids were dressed in blue. As she walked toward Mike, the groom, strains of live Celtic music filled the garden.

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From the time Missy Moulton was a little girl, she'd loved the picture book A Royal Wedding, which, incidentally, had been written by her uncle Mark Kimball Moulton, who is also her godfather. In the book, a beautiful al fresco wedding is held for a spider and a mouse. So, last summer, that's exactly what unfolded in Riverton, Conn.

In true country fashion, Missy and Mike's wedding took place in the lush perennial gardens that surround her Uncle Mark's 1851 farmhouse. Rain-kissed flowers scented the air as guests waited in anticipation of the bride. Though the skies were cloudy, spirits were not. "There were plenty of umbrellas," says Mark Kimball Moulton. "And the rain stopped the minute the ceremony began."

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Post ceremony, friends and family were welcomed to a picnic-style reception in a neighboring yard. There was a tent and outdoor seating as well as picnic blankets at the ready.

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In keeping with the wedding's palette, a collection of blue-and-white tablecloths graced tables set about the yard. Vintage chairs were donated by the Riverton Grange.

Washtubs filled with icy root beer and orange sodas attracted the junior set.

Bridesmaids dressed in hydrangea blue gathered in the garden.

A neighbor and Missy's young cousin joined her brother, Jason, in anticipation of the bride.

Birdbaths strewn with just-cut daisies dotted the garden. Take advantage of the outdoor setting and create casual mingling points around the yard for eating, drinking, and socializing.

Missy passed through an arbor heavy with Concord grapes.