Serena & Zach :: Married :: Ye Olde Tavern, West Brookfield MA

Wedding Date: October 26, 2019

Serena and Zach Kilmsith wedding at Ye Olde Tavern in West Brookfield, MA photographed by Kara Emily Krantz Photography
 

How long have you two been together?

We met in the spring of 2018.

 
 
 

If you could pick one word that describes your wedding day, what would it be?

Serena: Memorable

Zach: Fun

Serena and Zach Kilmsith wedding at Ye Olde Tavern in West Brookfield, MA photographed by Kara Emily Krantz Photography
 
Serena and Zach Kilmsith wedding at Ye Olde Tavern in West Brookfield, MA photographed by Kara Emily Krantz Photography

Did you have a First Look?

To anyone in their wedding planning stages, I would recommend doing first look pictures and getting the wedding party pictures out of the way before the ceremony and reception.

It made for so much of a more relaxing day. All of our hair and makeup and outfits were fresh. We had time to enjoy the portrait sessions and be ourselves in the photos. And the first look was a really fun part of the day for both of us.

 
 

What did your ceremony entail?

We wrote our commitment vows together, with what we felt were the most important promises to make and to keep. We threw a couple of fun rituals into our ceremony. A handfasting where we officially and literally “tied the knot” with our mothers, grandmothers, and godmothers. And to end the ceremony in a fun festive way for our October wedding, we “jumped the broom” a symbol of sweeping away our old lives to make way for our new one as a married couple.

 
 
 
 
 

Describe your wedding day style:

Intimate and relaxed

 

Describe your wedding theme:

Colors of Fall

 
 
 
 

What was your biggest wedding planning challenge, and how did you overcome it?

We planned our wedding in less than 3 months.

The key was staying organized, and setting realistic expectations. We wanted to have a beautiful wedding, on a modest budget.

 
 
 

What was the most memorable part of your wedding planning?

Since we were planning on a short time frame, we ordered a lot of things online. Our first batch of bridesmaid dresses were HIDEOUS. They were supposed to be a wrap dress you could wear multiple ways. But they ended up being neon orange instead of the nice pumpkin color I was expecting and the material was a lot like those stretchy book covers... needless to say they got returned and we found some nice maroon colored dresses that were ordered 2 weeks before the wedding via Amazon prime.

Serena and Zach Kilmsith wedding at Ye Olde Tavern in West Brookfield, MA photographed by Kara Emily Krantz Photography
 
 
 

What advice would you like to impart to other couples planning their weddings?

One piece of advice is, the day goes by so quickly and you want to be able to enjoy your wedding that you worked so hard planning. Try to be efficient with your time.

Make a checklist of WHO needs to be WHERE to get everyone together for your posed pictures so you don’t miss out on any special shots. It’s harder than you think to wrangle friends and family for these pictures!

Also if it’s possible, consider having your rehearsal dinner at the same venue the night before the wedding. This was a major help to our big day going smoothly, our family and wedding party helped us with the decorating and set up after the rehearsal, so we were able to just show up the next day with everything ready to go.

 
 
 
 

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

Serena: Everything went so smoothly. It was just a wonderful day. I really got to enjoy my wedding, our guests, and the food without stress or too much anxiety.

Zach: When they finally announced us husband and wife it was the most amazing feeling, I’ll never forget it.

 
 
Serena and Zach Kilmsith wedding at Ye Olde Tavern in West Brookfield, MA photographed by Kara Emily Krantz Photography
 
Serena and Zach Kilmsith wedding at Ye Olde Tavern in West Brookfield, MA photographed by Kara Emily Krantz Photography

What is the best part (so far) about being married?

Serena: Our adventures near and far.

Zach: Building our home and family together.

 
 
 

What was your reception like?

We had a live band, our best friends sang our first dance song, we had a special mother/son father/daughter dance.

The food was delicious and the cake was even better!

 
 

Vendors!

Ceremony, Reception & Catering:

Ye Olde Tavern - West Brookfield, MA

Portrait Venue:

West Brookfield Common

Dress:

JJ’s House (Online)

Hair / Makeup:

Brenda Berard

Flowers:

Bridal Flowers: Southern Blooms

 

Cake / Dessert & Catering:

Francesco’s Italian Bakery - Charlton, MA

Live Music:

Spooner Well

 
Amanda and Keith married at Southbridge Hotel and Conference Center in Southbridge, MA photographed by Kara Emily Krantz Photography
 
 

Testimonial

Kara is a very easy-going photographer. She put everyone at ease when, let’s face it, pictures can be a little awkward. She is very accommodating and flexible, we were able to plan with her how we wanted the day to play out and she made it happen for us. Our pictures were stunning and they came back quickly. She even had a small selection available the next day! I have utilized her services for family portraits since and she never disappoints. Kara is the utmost professional, without feeling too “businesslike” and stuffy, which is how she is able to capture such genuineness in her shots. You can be yourself, and know you are in good hands.

 
 

FULL PHOTO GALLERY LOCATED HERE.

 

WEDDING DETAILS:

Ye Olde Tavern, West Brookfield, MA

October 26, 2019