the mellon house

Oyster Harbors, Cape Cod

about the project

Cape Cod’s newest wedding venue is the former home of Rachel “Bunny” Mellon, located on the private island of Oyster Harbors. Bunny Mellon was a horticulturist, philanthropist, and art collector - widely known for designing the White House rose gardens. Her love of flowers and baskets have inspired the restoration of her Cape Cod property, which boasts ocean views, meticulous gardens, and the perfect backdrop to your special day.

Lia had connected with me about planning a styled wedding to highlight the beauty of the newly-restored property. I was over the moon to be able to collaborate with her on this project. While I typically design for specific couples, this project was a creative joy to design in a way that honors the rich history of the home. I began with The Lustre suite from the semi-custom collection, which was printed in coastal blue tones. The vintage postage set focused on the coastal garden theme, along with the artwork of the envelope liner. This was originally painted by New England impressionist Frederick Childe Hassam, and features his take on the Isles of Shoals. These islands off the coast of New Hampshire very much resemble Bunny Mellon’s property on Oyster Harbors, providing the most meaningful artwork for the suite. To honor Bunny Mellon’s love of baskets, I layered wraps around the vellum, pairing a woven grasscloth paper with champagne silk ribbon.

For day-of stationery, I repeated the grasscloth paper as a backdrop to the bar sign. This included a custom drink illustration of the ginger lime spritz. During cocktail hour, the appetizers were passed on custom coasters. On the impeccably-designed tables, I designed menus that repeated the vintage artwork and doubled as place cards. Vellum cards with white ink calligraphy invited each guest to their seat, wax sealed onto the menus.

The opportunity to design for this special property is one that I will forever cherish. It was an honor to see the home restored to life. I am looking forward to seeing it host exclusive celebrations for many years to come.