Grace Ormonde - Stapleton Floral Design

“We never really talked
about marriage, I just knew that she was
the one I wanted to spend the rest of my
life with.”
> feature wedding :
Kerri Pickering and David
Lovely met in December 2006
when David attended one of
his client’s Christmas parties,
which also happened to be the same
Kerri Pickering
and David Lovely
September 11, ‘10
boston, massachusetts
Boston hedge fund where Kerri worked.
Although they had talked on the phone, they
had never met in person before.
“I had heard that she was really goodlooking, and she was as advertised,” said
David, laughing. Kerri was equally surprised
to see that David was a 6’4” redhead, but
she didn’t spend much time thinking about
it—or talking to him—because she was busy
hosting the party.
“The sparks weren’t flying that night,”
said David, but it didn’t take too long before
they did. The two didn’t see each other again
for six months when they crossed paths again
at a Saturday afternoon Red Sox game. They
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went out for drinks afterward. “Leaving
after that, we both knew something clicked,”
Kerri said.
In January 2010, David surprised Kerri
by proposing during a vacation in Cabo San
Lucas, Mexico. “We never really talked
about marriage,” said David. “I just knew
that she was the one I wanted to spend the
rest of my life with.” David proposed on their
second night in Cabo—during a private dinner on the beach—when he knelt on one knee
next to a bonfire and pulled out the ring.
The couple knew they wanted to marry in
2010, but Kerri was hesitant and thought she
might need more time to plan. But, with the
help of David’s sister, Michelle, Kerri picked
the Mandarin Oriental Boston as the reception venue for their 215 guests. And the hotel
planner, Gina Anderson, helped Kerri decide
on menus and table settings.
The couple exchanged vows at Gate of
Heaven Parish in South Boston—the church
Kerri’s father faithfully attended until his
death three years ago. “If my father wasn’t
going to be there, I wanted something that
was going to include him,” Kerri remarks.
After the ceremony, the couple posed for
pictures on Boylston Street to give their
formal portraits a cool, city feel. Then, Kerri
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grace ormonde WEDDING STYLE NEW ENGLAND
did a “hair change,” shedding her veil and
letting down her hair so that she would
be more comfortable for the long night of
dancing that lay ahead.
Guests dined on halibut and beef tenderloin, and enjoyed cupcakes and a huge candy
bar station for dessert. Kerri made tags for
the candy boxes that said: “Love is Sweet!
Kerri & David, September 11, 2010.” And at
midnight, they served sliders and French fries
to guests to help give them a second wind.
David and Kerri honeymooned in
Hawaii, Napa Valley and San Francisco
before returning home. In the end they’re
thankful they could gather all their friends
and family in one place and have a really
great time together.
> Written by Marisa Carbone Finotti
For more feature weddings and resources visit
WeddingStyleNewEngland.com
Location, Cake and Caterer: Mandarin
Oriental Boston, MA; Florist: Stapleton
Floral Design Boston, MA; Wedding Gown:
Jim Hjelm at Bella Bridal Shoppe
Amesbury, MA; Photography: Corinna
Raznikov Photography Marion, MA