Calli Nicoletti has an unexpected person to thank for introducing her to her now-husband, Pierce Swofford: her boss! Back in the summer of 2014, Calli was working for a startup in New York City that was hosting weekly happy hours to get the word out about their new product. One week, Calli’s boss invited her boyfriend (who would later become her husband) to come along and bring some of his friends—one of whom was Pierce. “It took hours of being in the same room for us to finally start talking, but once we started, we couldn’t stop,” says Calli.
Three years and a move to Colorado later, Calli and Pierce checked into a ranch for a long weekend in celebration of her birthday. “We’d planned to go horseback riding, but it was the end of May and there was some late season snow so it was too muddy to ride,” Calli says. Instead, she and Pierce headed to the spa for massages, then wandered the grounds and just enjoyed spending time laying low. “We went back to our room to get ready for dinner, and when I turned around Pierce was on one knee!” Calli recalls. “We kept the news to ourselves for the night, and spent the evening giddily drinking champagne and dreaming about the days ahead of us.” The next day (Calli’s birthday), she responded to “Happy Birthday!” texts with a photo of her and Pierce clinking champagne glasses, with her new bauble fully visible on that finger.
Calli grew up in the Hamptons, where she and Pierce also spent many summer weekends together in their New York days, so heading back for their wedding on September 29, 2018, “just made sense…we wanted a venue that was nontraditional, and Nova’s Ark is like no other place I’ve been,” says Calli. The 90-acre sculpture field was created by artist Nova Mihai Popa in the ’80s and is now home to resident artists and dozens of horses. “The challenge with such a unique venue is that we essentially had to bring everything in, but I work in a creative field and love details, so I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” Calli says with a laugh. The couple worked with Komolmis Designs for both design and day-of coordination, with Natalie Komolmis serving as the on-site eyes and ears for the couple as they planned from thousands of miles away.
Photographed by Golden Hour Studios, this Hamptons wedding with its relaxed elegance is totally inspiring. Keep reading to see why!
Calli works for Artifact Uprising and used the brand’s color-block wedding invitation for her own suite. The design paired a deep green swatch with gold lettering, a matching green monogram, and modern script.
“Finding my gown was, surprisingly, the easiest part of planning our wedding,” says Calli. “I’ve always had such a minimalist style with pops of femininity. I wanted to mirror that in my wedding dress, and when I described my dream dress to a friend who was also planning her wedding, she said she had come across a dress on a bridal rental site that was exactly what I was looking for!” Calli thought the rental price was high, and figured if she was going to spend the money anyway, she might as well own the dress—then made her way to the Kate McDonald Bridal website. “They were having an online sample sale, and my dress was in the sale section at nearly 90 percent off,” she says. “And the only size left was mine!” Calli says. She ordered it on the spot, and later had that bridal moment in the comfort of her own home.
Pierce kept things classic in a fitted navy suit from Suit Supply, paired with a green patterned Ferragamo tie. “Instead of exchanging personalized vows, we wrote letters to one another that we exchanged during our first look,” says Calli. “Pierce is a man of few words when it comes to cards, so that letter is something I’ll cherish forever.”
In keeping with the relaxed, elegant vibe, Calli’s bridesmaids all wore floor-length navy dresses of their own choosing. “Navy was the perfect color for fall, and I hope it’s a dress they’ll love wearing again,” says the bride. To add to the “intentionally mismatched” look, Pierce asked his groomsmen to wear their own gray slacks and navy suit jacket. Pierce got them each green Ferragamo ties that matched his own.
Pierce and Calli didn’t want their wedding design to be overly floral, and that extended to the bouquets too. “A few months before the wedding, our florist started drying elements like pampas grass, bunny tails, and sea oats to use in our bouquets,” says Calli. “They created a really beautiful neutral palette with lots of texture!” The bride’s bouquet included the addition of a few cream roses, eucalyptus, and white scabiosa. She also wore a single white rose in her hair.
The ceremony took place on the grounds and was surrounded by towering sculptures. Guests were seated in semicircular rows, with two large arrangements of dried grasses and fresh white blooms marking the aisle. “The setting was so striking on its own, so we kept the design very simple,” Calli explains.
The couple’s close friend Brian officiated the ceremony. “We’ve gotten to spend so much time with him in Colorado, and Brian has really seen us grow as a couple,” says the bride. “The ceremony was so personal, which made it feel less formal and more like a comedy sketch mixed with a love letter.”
“Pierce and I love to cook together, and wanted cocktail hour to be a culinary experience,” Calli says. The caterers created a 14-foot charcuterie table with meats, cheeses, and freshly baked bread, arranged alongside a raw bar manned by the local farmer who raises the oysters himself.
“I designed all of the signage and guest book myself and printed everything through Artifact Uprising,” says Calli. “I might be biased, but I think the texture and quality of the paper is unmatched!”
For the reception, two long farm tables were surrounded by rounds for more of that mismatched flair. Each farm table was topped with a gauzy white cheesecloth and a light garland of greenery, while each round table featured bud vases of petite pink and white blooms, accented with dried grasses. “It was really delicate and whimsical, and I loved how it all came together!” Calli raves.
The couple sat together at the head of one long farm table, giving them a view of their entire reception. “It made us feel more involved, as opposed to being tucked away alone at a sweetheart table,” says the bride. Guests dined family-style, enjoying fresh salads, pastas, and artisan flatbreads. “It made dinner so much fun, and it was exactly the feeling we’d envisioned,” says Calli. Dessert was a selection of more than 15 pies homemade by friends and family.
The couple’s band, the Cool Rulers, is a Motown-style group that kept the dance floor packed. “Our first dance was to ‘Alright’ by Darius Rucker, and even though it’s a country song, they created the most beautiful rendition,” says the bride.
Six weeks later, the newlyweds headed to Argentina to spend ten days in Buenos Aires and the wine region of Mendoza. “Having a break between our wedding and the honeymoon gave us something to look forward to!” Calli says.
And while they may have skipped a few traditional elements (like the grand entrance and the cake cutting), the newlyweds say it served to personalize their day even further. “I had friends coming up to me all night saying, ‘I didn’t realize you could have a wedding this way,’ ” Calli says. “But traditions aren’t set in stone! Making the day your own will ensure you and your partner really feel like yourselves.”
