Coastal, City, or Estate Wedding? How to Choose the Right New England Wedding Setting
New England basically has every wedding style you could dream of rolled up into one gorgeous, super adorable little place. If you’re in the early stages of planning your New England wedding (congrats!), then you’re probably trying to nail down the wedding vibe and wedding setting that feels like you… Right?
As a New England wedding photographer, I know it’s hard to pick between a coastal wedding, a city wedding, and an estate wedding. I mean, they’re all so gorgeous! This guide will help you narrow down the wedding setting that matches your personality and your dream day, without all the stress.
Why Your Wedding Setting Matters
Having the choice of coastal weddings, city weddings, and estate weddings all around you means that you can’t pick based on beauty or on what would perform well on Pinterest (because then you’d never be able to choose). You have to pick based on who you are as people. What fits your personality best. How you want your day to feel.
Your wedding setting? It sets the whole tone for the day. It’s what establishes the wedding vibe and creates the day’s flow.
It can make your day feel fun and full of life.
Or it can make it feel relaxed and laid-back.
Or it can create something totally different and completely unique.
The power of the space around you, with its colors, energy, and tone? It makes a huge difference in how your day feels (and photographs, too, but that’s another story).
So, let’s get into the differences between a coastal, city, and estate wedding so that you can find the one that’s right for you.
Everything to Know About a Coastal Wedding Setting
New England coastal weddings are something special. The light sparkling on the water? Beachfront ceremonies? The elegance just from being on the coast? It all carries its own kind of magic. And if that’s the setting that fits you, I love that for you.
How a Coastal Wedding Feels
When I think of a coastal wedding, I automatically think of a wedding that’s equal parts elegant and relaxed. They’re luxe without trying, and it brings a sort of charm to your day that you really can’t get anywhere else.
I have to say: the vibes of you walking around at your outdoor summer cocktail hour, champagne in hand, mingling with guests, with a gentle ocean breeze blowing your hair?? It feels like something straight out of a movie.
When to Choose a Coastal Wedding Setting (And Who They’re Right For)
Coastal weddings in New England basically have good vibes no matter what, so if you want the kind of day that’s easy to be present in and flows really well, a coastal wedding might just be for you.
If this feels right to you already, you’re probably the kind of person who wants a day with zero performance and cares equally about how the day feels and how it looks. Am I right?
Coastal Wedding Venues in New England
The good news is that New England? It’s jam-packed with coastal wedding venues. So if this feels like your dream wedding setting, you’re in SO much luck.
Some of my favorite coastal and waterfront wedding venues in New England are:
Find even more coastal wedding venues from my favorite Rhode Island wedding venues and favorite Cape Cod wedding venues!
Coastal Wedding Design Ideas
When I picture wedding design ideas for a coastal wedding, it’s all white, blue, classy, and summery.
It’s seashell seating charts.
It’s oysters being passed out at a cocktail hour.
White and blue florals.
A simple, elegant ball gown wedding dress.
Pearls everywhere.
And that design? Yeah. It’s a classic that I’ll love forever and ever.
Everything to Know About a City Wedding Setting
Let’s get into city weddings, because they work really well for some people, and from a photography perspective… They have my heart.
If you’re picturing a downtown wedding where your portraits look more like running across the street than they do posing on the sand, this is the section for you!
How a City Wedding Feels
The best way to describe the feeling of a city wedding is lived-in. They’re completely immersive. You get to be surrounded by all the best parts of the city. The excitement, the lights, and even the noise feel like a part of it, and it all adds to the charm.
My personal favorite thing about city weddings as a New England wedding photographer is that you get all of those elements, but still get to be tucked in somewhere away from the noise. Whether it’s a restaurant wedding venue or a city hall elopement, you get the pros of a city without having to be in it the whole time.
When to Choose a City Wedding Setting (And Who They’re Right For)
If you read the whole coastal wedding section and were sitting there thinking, “Yeah, that’s nice, but I’m looking for something a little more editorial,” this is the section for you. Because city weddings? They’re perfect for the right kind of person.
They’re for the ones who love the hustle and bustle. The ones who would rather spend their evenings going out to fancy bars for espresso martinis than set up on the beach to watch the sunset. The ones who are still simple, but feel more at home surrounded by movement, texture, and a little bit of aesthetic.
City Wedding Venues in New England
These venues are either right in the heart of a city, or close enough to the city that you can go for portraits, then spend the evening hidden away.
Here are my New England city wedding venues that you CAN’T miss if you love these vibes:
City Wedding Design Ideas
Every time I capture a city wedding, I love how personal it feels, all the way down to the design.
I love seeing city weddings with minimalist designs or at the whole other end with a maximalist design. City weddings already have so much character, so the best design comes from you infusing your personality, whatever that looks like.
Everything to Know About an Estate Wedding Setting
Lastly, but definitely not least, we have to cover estate weddings. And I can’t lie, estates are one of my favorite wedding settings for a New England wedding.
How an Estate Wedding Feels
Estate weddings can always be described with one word, in my opinion: romantic.
The architecture? Romantic.
The gardens? Romantic.
The vibes of you two saying your vows in front of a mansion? Romantic.
Every part of the day feels like a storybook wedding, and it gets me every time. Ceremonies feel classy, and then receptions feel like an elegant dinner party in the best way.
Estate weddings have structure without feeling rigid, and it’s something that always sticks out to me.
When to Choose an Estate Wedding Setting (And Who They’re Right For)
If you’re picturing an estate wedding, I’d bet almost anything that you want a wedding that feels naturally elevated. You don’t have to overdo it or make it stuffy; you just probably want a wedding setting that communicates all of that for you.
Personally, I love estate weddings for the brides who have been dreaming about this day forever. The ones who are really excited (and who may or may not bring a Monica Geller-style binder to wedding planning).
Estate Wedding Venues in New England
There are SO many estate wedding venues that I’m obsessed with in New England, but here are a few extras that I think about all the time!:
Estate Wedding Design Ideas
My top tip for design for an estate wedding is to lean into the elegant feel. Toile tablecloths, large floral arrangements, and a minimalist color palette always work really well in a wedding setting like this (especially if you’re having an outdoor garden reception, which I always recommend).
Ashley Olafsson | New England Wedding Photographer
No matter what your wedding style is, I’d love to be a part of it. I love nothing more than being on your wedding vendor team, whether it’s for a coastal wedding, city wedding, or estate wedding!
You can inquire about booking me here, and we’ll chat about your whole vision together.
Xoxo,
Ashley
Client love: “Choosing the right photographer for my wedding was a decision I did not take lightly. I did tons of research and spoke to a handful of people as I was particular about the style of images I wanted from the day. When I found Ashley, I fell in love with her ability to capture a moment, and when I met her on Zoom, her confident yet laid-back and bubbly vibe instantly put me at ease. We met her at our engagement session a year prior to the big day, which was great for getting to know each other and preparing us for being in front of the camera. On the wedding day, she brought a very positive and easygoing attitude, which I really appreciated. Above all else, I completely trusted her to get the shot. She and Kassia absolutely nailed it!!! We had sneak peeks in a matter of days and the (huge!) final delivery in a few months. I am so happy with our photos and couldn't recommend Ashley enough. Thank you!!!!”
