On a sunny fall afternoon in the Hamptons in front of 100 globe trotting guests who flew in from Australia, Europe, and the UK, Sagaponack interior designer Zoe Hoare married English Country Antiques owner Chris Mead [above] in a bucolic country ceremony.  Zoe shares the special details of the day in this NEW KDHamptons Wedding Diary, below:

KDHamptons: All of your friends have said that your Hamptons wedding was so special. Why do you think the day was so magical?

Zoe Hoare: Having our wedding at home in Sagaponack, and in our back garden was very personal, and helped the day feel very relaxed and welcoming. We are lucky enough to have an acre of grass behind the house, with magnificent specimen trees.  We chose our favorite one as the background for the ceremony. We used our own collection of antique benches and old church pews for seating during the ceremony, I don’t like things that match too much, and the seating felt like being at a country fair…exactly what I was aiming for!

“I love the charming look of hand painted messages on reclaimed wood and sourced a variety of artisans to make them for our big day,” says Zoe. Click HERE for resource.

“Guests grabbed a sea shell adorned with their hand painted names for table seating assignments.”  Click HERE for resource.

KDHamptons: Tell us about your wedding menu?

Zoe Hoare: My dear friend Sue Calden, from Wolffer Vineyards recommended Stone Creek Inn in Quogue for the catering, and after our first visit and a delicious trial, we were hooked! The menu was hand written on the brown paper bags which held the mini baguettes.  We served: Baby Beet, goats cheese and Arugula Salad, Gilled Lamb Chops, Sautéed Halibut, Corn Crème Brûlée, Local farm greens, and our dessert was a tribute to Chris’s absolute fave, which is at Dave’s in Montauk- it’s called the chocolate bag…..we had Stone Creek Inn make a miniature version and it was a big hit.

“Our reception tables were named after each Hamptons hamlet with hand painted signs, and our sweet country floral arrangements are by Liza Lubell Peartree Flowers in Sag Harbor.  A warm baguette was tucked into a paper bag displaying our dinner menu on each place setting.” [below]

KDHamptons: What was the highlight of the wedding?

Zoe Hoare: Probably my fathers speech, which brought the house down, it was short and very sweet with a fabulous joke right at the end, that had everyone in stitches, and our dog Pepper who has since passed away, came down the aisle with my brother James and my maid of honor Camilla, she had a sign around her neck that said “I do too” and a very pretty flower collar.  She was photographed more than me!

“The bar and topiaries were wrapped in burlap for a farmhouse feel, and of course we served lots of local wines from Wolffer Estate Vineyards.  I found the vintage BAR sign and bucket at an antiques fair in NYC. I found our Mr & Mrs Bicycle signs on Etsy as well.”

KDHamptons: Did you hire a wedding planner?

Zoe Hoare: Wedding planner Leslie Price of In Any Event helped with all of the logistics, and we completely fitted out and styled the space with props from ECA, from the pews at the ceremony to the Victorian biscuit barrels that held the bread sticks on the table.  Leslie and her team were so organized and suggested things I would never have thought of and made all the hard tasks much easier. I did get involved a lot, and as a props stylist it was of prime importance that our wedding reflect my style….and personality.

“Vivienne Westwood, London made my wedding dress with her classic corset style bodice.  I needed a wedding wedge to navigate the grass “aisle” which I found HERE.”

KDHamptons: Anything you would have done differently?  Share a tip for Hamptons brides?

Zoe Hoare: Having a wedding at home is a lot of work and is stressful, but so worth it. If you have a lovely home, or know someone who does, it lends a very peronsl touch and intimate feel; your guests will feel extra special to be in your own home and garden. And you don’t have far to travel after the ceremony.

“We had a signature sailcloth Sperry Tent set up for the the reception, which was illuminated with chandeliers, tea lights, and candles,” says Zoe.

** Photography credits in this feature:  Jenny Gorman, Keith Trumbo and Tomasz Jusczak. Visit Zoe Hoare at ENGLISH COUNTRY ANTIQUES: 26 SNAKE HOLLOW RD; BRIDGEHAMPTON NY 11932; T: 631 537 0606. Also check out Zoe’s site at www.chezzoe.net