Artist and designer Meredith Hanson and TikTok Brand Partnerships Manager Patrick Schramm’s love story goes back to nursery school in Bronxville, New York. “I remember getting great big butterflies in my stomach every time I saw him at the Bronxville Field Club during swim practices or running around playing kickball with friends,” Meredith shares. “When we were 11, I asked my mom to invite Patrick and his family to the BFC for dinner—really a secret date for me!—right before we moved to Bedford in 2000.”
Two decades later, they reconnected over coffee in Brooklyn—and a whirlwind eight months after that, Patrick proposed to Meredith in Southampton. Once engaged, the pair decided on hosting their wedding in their new home base of Princeton, New Jersey. Meredith loves walking her golden retriever, Willis, in the woods behind her home, which leads to the Mountain Lakes House and decided that was the perfect place to say, “I do.”
“Patrick and I both agreed that we wanted our wedding to feel like a formal garden dinner party with elegant music and touches of my custom artwork intertwined throughout,” Meredith says. To help bring their vision to life, the bride-to-be hired Milly & Grace Weddings, who Meredith has worked with on several wedding projects on Nantucket over the years. Friend of the bride Georgie Morley lensed the whole weekend, assisted by Emily Mentes, and connected Meredith with Harrison Films.
For her spring wedding, Meredith said yes to the first dress she tried on with her mother at BHLDN in Westport, Connecticut. The Phoebe from Wtoo by Watters features an A-line silhouette and delicate floral details. The bride also hand-painted a pair of sandals to walk down the aisle in. And on the morning-of, she got ready with her two best friends in striped Serena & Lily pajamas.
“As an artist with a passion for painting on all sorts of surfaces and fabrics, I knew I had to hand-paint a design on my second dress,” Meredith shares. A white midi French Connection dress was the perfect “canvas” for a garden scene that was incorporated into the entire weekend.
On May 11, 2024, guests sat for Meredith and Patrick’s sweet ceremony overlooking the lake. “Patrick and I put Juliska planters and potted hydrangeas on our Over The Moon Registry that we able to use for our ceremony,” the bride explains.
Meredith walked down the aisle with her uncle, as her cousin, James Tiebout, played violin. In a beautiful, natural setting, the pair held hands and were announced as officially married.
Their “Elevated Garden Dinner Party” reception followed on the back lawn. Custom tablecloths and napkins from Monogram Mary featured Meredith’s painted floral pattern—with graphic design help from Caroline Noebels. Tables were designated with watercolors by the bride of special locations in the couple’s relationship. And sweet florals from Poe Road Posies added even more dimension.
“It was exactly what we wanted, our best friends and family members by our side, enjoying a beautiful meal with smiles on every face,” Meredith recalls of the Emily’s Cafe–catered dinner. For dessert and in lieu of a wedding cake, the couple printed Meredith’s diary entry when she professed her love for Patrick at the age of 11 on Empire Cake sugar cookies.
Patrick’s friend, Karl Brisseaux, who is a deejay and music producer, was told to “do his thing” during the reception, and he did just that, keeping the party lively. The newlyweds had their first dance to “Brooklyn” by Emily James. When the two started dating, they would send songs to each other, often with deeper meanings. “I sent this to Patrick as he was living in Brooklyn Heights, and it made him cry he loved it so much,” Meredith shares. “As we neared closer to the wedding, we knew this was the song for us to dance to!”
After a few hours of revelry, everyone headed back to the Nassau Inn in the heart of Princeton. They then progressed to the Yankee Doodle Tap Room, where the famous painting, Yankee Doodle by Norman Rockwell hangs behind the bar.
To end the wedding weekend, the newlyweds hosted their loved ones at their home in Princeton with new pieces from Serena & Lily on the patio. Meredith wore her namesake dress from her collaboration with Navy Bleu and Claire Wiley. The bride concludes, “Getting to paint and wear these custom designed pieces made my own wedding experience truly special!”
