Heather and Christian were married earlier this year in Italy. But Heather knew that she wanted to have a fabulous bash with all of her friends and family when she and Christian made it to the States. She enlisted the help of the talented crew at Rafanelli Events to make her dream party come true. Working with them while living abroad in Lebanon was a challenge she was up to and the end result turned out magnificent.

I began the day with Heather as she and her mom were getting ready at the Westin Boston Waterfront.

A little pampering and some fabulous music courtesy of Luiz (Luz Beauty) and his ipod got the party started on the right foot. Let me just say Heather was definitively the most easy-going bride. She was totally calm and relaxed during what can sometimes be a little bit of an anxious time. She sat back and assessed and enjoyed everything as it was happening. That said, this prep time was a lot of fun and we all wanted to start dancing right then and there. Okay so maybe some of us actually did.

Love the silhouette as Luiz plays with Heather’s hair.

Mom, who had finished just as I arrived, enjoyed the view as Heather finished up.

Then we all headed over the Institute of Contemporary Art, where the real festivities were set to take place.

And there we met up with Heather’s husband, Christian. I love how his face lights up when he looks at Heather.

Dave and I took a few portraits with our gorgeous couple in and around the ICA. The view of the Boston Harbor is so beautiful and we had a truly lovely evening.

And then the celebration really got underway. The cocktail hour was held outside on the back deck of the ICA.

The Rafanelli team put together some really fabulous touches for Heather and Christian, including their own personalized Italian sodas (appropriate given that Christian is from Italy, they met in Italy and were married in Italy) and photos in acrylic frames from their wedding ceremony.

And a quick peak of what’s to come. The dinner reception was in the ICA’s theater. Love the fabulous view and the setting sun. The colors of the sky perfectly matched the lighting, floral and linens for the event. Stunning work!

Check back soon for more from the Heather and Christian’s elegant and modern soiree. There will definitely be loads of details to share from the rest of the evening and you are not going to believe the dancing at this event. It was non-stop amazing fun.