A Grandmillennial Beach Cottage Was the Inspiration for the Design at This Couple's Cape Cod Wedding

When Mackenzie Duncan and Sean Gemunden met in business school at Boston University during the fall of 2018, they became fast friends. Though it would have been easy for them to remain in the friend zone, fate had other plans. By March of 2019, their relationship turned romantic. Months later, they took a trip to Cape Cod that would mark the start of a new annual tradition, during which the couple heads to the New England beach locale each summer. In July of 2021, Sean took advantage of that yearly trip to propose to Mackenzie. “Cape Cod has been an important place for me since I was a child and has become a special place for us as a couple,” Mackenzie remembers. “We would go down to the Cape every summer, so it only seemed fitting to get engaged there.” Fittingly, the couple also chose to tie the knot on the Cape, selecting Dune at Wychmere Beach Club in Harwich Port, Massachusetts, as their venue. The only catch? Though the hotel has been a longstanding fixture in the area, the space where they'd celebrate was brand-new, and it wouldn't be completed until the summer of 2022, which meant the bride and groom booked it sight unseen.

Luckily, their gamble paid off: The venue exceeded their exceeded their expectations. “We chose Wychmere because we wanted to be right on the water,” Mackenzie says. “We loved the romantic notion of having the ocean as the backdrop to our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception.” A little over two years after getting engaged on the Cape, Mackenzie and Sean returned to their beloved vacation spot with 200 guests in tow for their September 16, 2023, wedding. “We wanted our guests to walk into our wedding and feel like they just walked into a beautiful Cape Cod family home,” the bride says of what they called their coastal-themed wedding.

To ensure the day went off without a hitch, the bride and groom chose Kate Murtaugh as their wedding planner, which they admit was their easiest planning decision. With her help, they incorporated thoughtful details selected to make their guests feel at home. From family photos behind the bar and coastal-inspired vases, books, and décor items, Mackenzie and Sean personalized their wedding day from start to finish. Here, all the details of their seaside nuptials in the photos captured by Stephanie Vegliante.

Mackenzie and Sean worked with Gus and Ruby Letterpress to create an invitation suite that incorporated various shades of blue and green, a nod to the water views guests would enjoy on the big day. Day-of paper goods, which included custom menus and escort cards, featured a similar color palette, but those items were cut into more unexpected shapes.

Mackenzie went wedding dress shopping with her mom and sister, the group agreed that Anne Barge's "Newport" gown, a strapless trumpet made of mikado scuba, was undeniably the one—at least, it would be after one small modification. “I customized the bottom of the gown to be less of a trumpet style and more of a narrow cut,” the bride says. "I would describe my style inspiration for my wedding gown as a mix of Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. When I tried this dress, I felt it was the perfect combination."

As a foil to her clean, understated wedding dress, Mackenzie accessorized with a floral veil from Monique Lhullier. “I had never seen a colored floral veil before,” she says. “I immediately fell in love with it because it brought the perfect brightness to my more timeless, classic wedding gown.”

Mackenzie's big-day beauty was also inspired by her style icons, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. "A low pulled-back bun felt elegant and reflective of their styles, as well as my own," the bride says. As for makeup, she knew she wanted to look like "an elevated version of myself," so she asked her makeup artist to create keep things fresh and simple. One product she wore on the wedding day is still a staple in her routine now. "I didn’t want to go overly bold with any part of my makeup, but I knew I wanted to have a lipstick I could keep with me beyond my wedding day, so I brought in my Chanel tinted lip balm, which I still use today," she explains. "It's such a fun reminder of our wedding day!"

Mackenzie's sister, Lainie, and her best friend, Madison, served as the bride's maid and matron of honor, and donned blue floral gowns for the occasion. The rest of the bridal party chose their own blue or blue floral dress, creating a mismatched but complementary array of looks. “I loved how cohesive they all looked together,” the bride remembers.

The bride held a simple, classic bouquet of white ranunculus and tweedia while her bridesmaids held posies comprised entirely of tweedia.

Sean worked with Suit Supply to create his outfits for the wedding weekend. “They were incredible partners in creating a wardrobe that reflected Sean’s style,” Mackenzie remembers. On the big day, he wore a navy blue tuxedo paired with black dress shoes from To Boot. He also accessorized with custom cufflinks that featured the first letters of his and Mackenzie's names on one and their wedding date on the other.

The bride and groom chose to share a first look ahead of the wedding ceremony, both as a way to calm their nerves before the start of the day and to get some of the big-day photos out of the way early. “Sean’s reaction was priceless,” Mackenzie says. “It was so hard for me to keep my wedding dress a secret for that long, so I was super excited for him to see it! That moment was one of the best parts of the day.”

The couple joined their wedding party for a trolley ride to the ceremony space.

The couple’s outdoor wedding ceremony afforded guests an opportunity to take it undisturbed views of the ocean at sunset. Attendees were seated in white chairs, which were arranged facing a four-post rectangular arch that had been covered in a lush mix of hydrangeas, delphinium, roses, lisianthus, and greenery. The aisle itself featured a similar mix but went heavier on the hydrangeas, which the couple says is their favorite flower.

The couple hired Fenway Quartet to perform during the wedding ceremony, which they say was one of the best decisions they made. "Our guests could not stop raving about them," the bride says. Sean and the wedding party walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams" before Mackenzie and her father entered to “I Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley.

A mutual friend from business school, Ted, officiated the couple's ceremony. “Ted knocked it out of the park,” Mackenzie says, “During the ceremony, his thoughtfulness and calming presence helped Sean and I be in the moment.” After being pronounced husband and wife, Mackenzie and Sean recessed to “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” by Natalie Cole.

At the cocktail hour, Fenway Quartet continued to perform as guests grabbed drinks and light bites. The all-white bar was decorated with an ombré installation of blue and white hydrangeas; behind the bar, shelves were decorated with family photos and New England-inspired urns and vases.

Attendees enjoyed two signature cocktails and a mocktail; a margarita, an aperol spritz, and a grapefruit spritz were all on offer. Shrimp and local oysters were also on offer at a raw bar.

As cocktail hour concluded, guests found their reception seating assignments on calligraphed escort cards that were finished with light blue bows; each ornately-cut card was attached to a blue backdrop.

The couple says their reception décor was inspired by a unique theme: A grandmillennial beach cottage. "Our goal was to create a curated, intentional, and inviting space," Mackenzie says. One of the most statement-making details? The custom floral linens that topped reception tables, which were made by David Price of DEP Creative. "We've kept some of these linens as family heirlooms to remind us of our special day," notes the bride.

Floral centerpieces, which were arranged in a mix of different vessels (including some in small rattan baskets) featured hydrangeas, roses, ranunculus, tweedia, and greenery. They were offset by blue taper candles were arranged at varying heights and complemented with matching colored taper candles and votives, bringing the day's entire color palette into the party. "Ryan Designs and Beach Plum Floral crafted a custom wooden arbor structure to stand over the head table, creating an elevated and unique focal point, the bride says. "The band stage featured a custom-made facade designed to emulate high-end woodworking, with custom wallpaper and paint colors."

At sunset, Mackenzie and Sean stepped outside to take photos among the sand dunes.

After Mackenzie and Sean made their grand entrance at the reception, they shared their first dance to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli. Then, the band got everyone on the dance floor for a 25-minute dance set before dinner. “It was the talk of the night!” Mackenzie says. “Our friend group now fully expects “Mr. Brightside” to be played before the salad is served at all future weddings. It set the bar high.”

Given that their reception took place on Cape Cod, the couple’s dinner menu focused heavily on delicious local seafood. Guets enjoyed their choice of a filet and lobster duo, a salmon entrée, or a vegetarian option. For dessert, the newlyweds served a lemon berry, red velvet, and berry crumble wedding cake. The three-tiered floral pressed cake was gluten-free for the bride.

The couple had tons of fun at the reception, even taking the opportunity to jump on stage with the band. “The Hudson Project Band was the talk of the night at our reception,” Mackenzie remembers. “Their energy is unmatched.”

The bride was styled by Liat Baruch for her second reception look. She wore a Maison Margiela illusion back gown paired with Saint Laurent heels (but she changed into white sneakers with flower designs for dancing!). Sean changed into the wedding gift Mackenzie got him: a custom white dinner jacket, black tuxedo pants, and Gucci loafers.

They spent their honeymoon visiting Santorini, the Amalfi Coast, and Sicily. To couples planning their own weddings right now, Mackenzie has these words of wisdom: “Stick to a style and design that reflects you and your partner on your wedding day. There are so many designs out there that it can be overwhelming to make any decisions.”