An airplane hangar wedding at Robertson Airport in Plainville, Connecticut

I love a challenge. And transforming a working airplane hangar with no prior history of hosting events into a stunning wedding venue certainly was a challenge! Add in a Covid postponement and you've got my most challenging wedding to date!

I first began working with Sharon & Tom in February 2020. Sharon explained to me their love of travel and how the airplane hangar owned by one of their friends felt like the perfect place to celebrate their love. She had a very unique idea of wanting to incorporate her love of the ocean and his love of the winter and mountains. We set up a time to meet at the hangar to look at the space and start discussing the transformation.

In addition to the New England coastal and Apres ski design elements, we took this a step further by creating a truly custom food and beverage experience that reflected both locales. We had a chef-attended raw bar, Maine lobster rolls, Ipswich clam chowder, entrees created with local, fresh produce, bourbon chocolate milkshakes, a liquid nitrogen ice cream station, and a dessert bar styled by Together, LLC. The bar offerings were just as spectacular featuring custom cocktails like the Apres Ski, Pomegranate Mojitos, and Espresso Martinis! We even went as far as to set scented evergreen candles on the dining tables to incorporate all five senses.

This wedding had more logistical challenges than any wedding I have ever planned. I had to figure out how to bring restroom trailers inside the hangar and coordinate their installation prior to any other pieces coming into the space. I worked alongside an electrician to set up a power grid that could adequately distribute power throughout the hangar to every space we needed it. I coordinated with the owner of the hangar to have airplanes set up inside to complete the travel design. I had to figure out a plan for parking as well as valet that made sense for the venue & guests. We needed to figure out how to set up a kitchen to feed 200 guests in a space not meant for food service. We had to confirm the non-glamourous details of the day like trash removal, vendor arrival times, water access (and whether or not this was potable water), and so much more! And then of course, all of the rental orders to bring in every last table, napkin, dinner fork, etc. in addition to the aesthetic components. To say I worked on this wedding every day for two years straight would not be an exaggeration!

In the end, all of this hard work was worth it. I have never felt more proud of pulling together a design and a flawless day for my couple. Sharon's face when she saw the transformation solidified the knowledge that we exceeded her expectations!

I could not have pulled this one off without the help of this fabulous team of vendors!

VENDOR TEAM:

Planning & Design: Alyssa Jean Signature Events

Catering & Bar: DORO Group

Photo & Video: Danny Kash

Lighting & Drape: Shindig Lighting

Band: The Metropolitan Players

AV: Rockwell Communications

Furniture: AFR Furniture

Rentals: PEAK Event Services

Photo Booth: Snap Seat

Styling & Miscellaneous Decor: Together, LLC