The Wedding Story of...Lauren & Tom Kohr

back home at the fisher family farm

Lauren Burke and Thomas Kohr met at Yale University after a freshman picnic for athletes. He was on the crew team and she was on the volleyball team. They both moved to New York City after graduation and sports brought them together once again playing coed volleyball in the NY Urban Professional Volleyball league.

 

 

 

The proposal 

Twelve years after meeting, Tom surprised Lauren with a proposal in the garden of his childhood home in Linwood, New Jersey. Lauren’s family had flown in from Michigan and stayed out of sight as they waited for Tom to pop the question.

 

 

 

The ceremony

“One of my favorite memories of the ceremony is my dad walking me around the walnut tree grove. It was a peaceful, personal moment and we could see everyone waiting for us through the trees,” Lauren says. Parchment bags were transformed into unconventional programs. The bags contained pink and blush rose petals to be tossed at the newlyweds.   

 

 

 

The details

Oh where do we begin? This is Lauren’s forte and she said her penchant for detail work actually is a genetic trait she inherited from her mother and grandmother. Everyone contributed to the special touches (we can only list a few!): a restored 1945 John Deere tractor; the table number stands made of reclaimed wood from the big barn; caramel corn from the Ocean City boardwalk; the signature cocktails: Lolo (the bride’s nickname) Smash and Tommy Manhattan, and the antipasto charcuterie course as a nod to the couple’s picnic at Versailles. 

 

 

 

The florals

French zinc market buckets filled with loose flowers created a farmers market style display perfect for the venue. Four 14-foot river birch trees brought the outside into the tent and now are planted on the farm.

 

 

 

the dress

Lauren found the Monique Lhuillier gown while visiting her sister in Scottsdale, Arizona. “When I tried on ‘the one,’ for once my dad was speechless,” she says. The dress features a beaded floral and a leafy-pattern bodice. The fern detail was used throughout the décor on everything from stamps on the invitations to lush Boston and Tiger ferns located throughout the ceremony and reception. 

 

 

 

The family farm

The Family Farm: Love of family brought the wedding to Lauren’s maternal grandparents’ farm – The Fisher Farm in Franklin, Indiana. The 60-acre farm has been in the family since 1865 and was the site of some of Lauren’s most treasured childhood memories, including picking blackberries and strawberries right from the garden and playing hide-and-go-seek in the cornfields. 

 

 

 

The color palette

The nine bridesmaids matched the Indiana summer sky wearing variegated shades of blue, Lauren’s favorite color. Navy menu cards tied with twine and fern and vintage French ticking striped dinner napkins adorned the farm tables. 

 

 

 

the cake

The cake - a stunning five-tier creation combining ruffles, flowers and details from the bridal gown - completed the look. The groom’s cake featured a Yale bulldog rowing a Longport Beach Patrol lifeguard boat. 

 

 

 

what we love

The lemonade stand highlighting Mimi’s famous homemade lemonade. In fact, we just love Mimi and Papa and everything about the way they transformed their property into a rustic version of wedded bliss. The restored blacksmith shop, the windmill, gardens, oh my!

 

 

 

advice from the bride

“Take a moment to step away from the wedding hubbub with your new husband and take it all in!”