Real Weddings

When the Bridal Stylist Becomes the Bride

Rachel Puppolo's effortlessly chic wedding skipped classic New England tropes in favor of a sleek, city-forward celebration at Coquette.

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Bride and groom holding hands and smiling as they walk down stone steps outside a church with ornate wooden doors, surrounded by guests blowing bubbles. The bride wears a strapless white wedding gown with a veil, and the groom is in a black suit and tie. Guests on either side are dressed formally and appear joyful.

Photo by CityLux Studios

October 13, 2024
Coquette
Boston, Massachusetts

For bridal stylist Rachel Puppolo, who helps others find the gowns of their dreams, when it was her turn to step into the spotlight, it began in the most modern way: on Hinge. After exchanging a few messages with her future husband, Joseph Olson, the couple hit it off pretty quickly, and he suggested they go to dinner. “I thought that was so refreshing and straight to the point. We sat at the bar for three hours just talking,” she recalls. “He asked me so many questions; it felt so natural.” Two years later, Joseph kept things just as easygoing when he proposed on an ordinary Sunday night at home. “I had just got off work, and I was exhausted. We were going to order pizza, open a bottle of wine, and watch football,” Rachel says. “We started talking about life and us. Then suddenly he dropped to one knee. It was under our roof, in our own home, in our comfy clothes—exactly where I wanted to be.”

But when it came to wedding planning, the bride admits she was surprised by how tricky it was to find the right venue. After visiting numerous spots and states across New England, the couple landed on the Lindsey Chapel at Emmanuel Church on Newbury Street to host the ceremony for its intimate, candlelit atmosphere, followed by a stylish reception at Coquette in the Seaport. “We didn’t want a coastal or classic New England vibe. It’s beautiful, but it’s just not for us,” Rachel says. “My husband was the pioneer in all of this. He had one idea, and everything fell into place after. It was perfect.”

A bride and groom are dancing together at their wedding reception. The bride is wearing a strapless white gown with a large floral detail on the bodice and a full skirt. The groom is dressed in a black tuxedo with a white shirt and black bow tie, and he has a white boutonniere on his lapel. They are holding hands raised in the air, smiling joyfully. The background shows guests clapping, a table with candles and flowers, and a warmly lit room with brick walls and a chandelier.

Photo by CityLux Studios

THE DRESS

“I actually got my dress at the store I work at—Madeleine’s Daughter in Portsmouth, New Hampshire,” Rachel reveals. “I’m lucky enough to be in the industry, and I am an assistant buyer for the store, so it was great to have access to designers I was interested in.” After seeing the dress online, Rachel thought it was stunning. “Luckily, we carried the designer, and I asked if they were able to send over a sample because we didn’t have it in stock. They sent it over, I tried it on, and that was it.”

A warmly lit dining table set with white roses in glass vases and several lit white candles in glass holders. A table card labeled "Table 3" is visible. Behind the table is a brown leather bench against a wall with a large ornate gold-framed portrait of a smiling couple, the woman in a white dress and the man in a dark suit. The wall has a textured, dark finish with a brick section on the right side. A large, elegant chandelier hangs above.

Photo by CityLux Studios

THE LIGHTING

Although it wasn’t the best day weather-wise for the wedding, with clouds looming overhead, spirits were lifted during the ceremony with an assortment of candles that lit up the chapel. “We really didn’t have much else except maybe some petals leading down the aisle,” Rachel says. Bubbles that were blown afterward also helped brighten the surroundings. “It brought some fun and brightness to the day, so that was really special.”

A smiling bride wearing a veil is sitting in a classic convertible car with the top up, holding a bouquet of flowers out of the window. A man, likely the groom, is seated next to her, both dressed formally. The photo is in black and white.

Photo by CityLux Studios

THE TRANSPORTATION

Opting to travel in style, Rachel and Joseph rented a black Porsche from Rent the Classics. That’s what she and her father drove in to the chapel, and later, she and Joseph drove the same car after the ceremony for photos while everyone went to the cocktail hour. “Then we went to the reception in it,” she says. Guests also got in on the fun, she adds. “We had them transported to the reception in buses from Joseph’s Limousine & Transportation,” which served as a sweet nod to the groom.

A white plate with the word "Coquette" contains a salad topped with shaved cheese and fresh herbs. The plate is on a white tablecloth next to a folded pink napkin. Nearby are a pair of silver tongs, a glass of champagne, a glass of water, and two white roses in small vases. A menu and additional glassware are visible in the background.

Photo by CityLux Studios

THE FOOD

Before the big day, the couple did a tasting at Coquette, which was really fun. “They brought some of their signature dishes, like their little appetizers,” the bride says. “They had lamb meatballs, merda dé can (delicious dumplings), shrimp, and steak.” For the event, the service team brought everything to all the tables at once, instead of one at a time. “It was such a cool style, how they served it,” she adds. “Everyone was feasting for a good hour and raved about the food.”

Five men dressed in formal black tuxedos and bow ties, standing closely together indoors, smiling and engaging with each other. One man in the center has a boutonniere on his lapel, suggesting he might be the groom. The setting appears to be a celebratory event, possibly a wedding.

Photo by CityLux Studios

THE FIRST DANCE

Rachel and Joseph danced to “Til I’m Ninety Nine” by Nathan Angelo for their first dance. “He twirled me around a couple of times, dipped me a couple of times, and then wrapped it up because he’s not a big dancer,” Rachel says, laughing. “We didn’t do lessons or anything, but he’s such a planner and a perfectionist that he said, ‘We have to practice.’ Honestly, I’m so glad we did because we threw in a couple of moves that I think were really nice. Otherwise, we would have just been rocking back and forth.”

Small rectangular gift boxes wrapped in black and silver patterned paper, each adorned with a white ribbon, a white flower decoration, and a round white name tag with handwritten names like "Matt" and "Joey," arranged on a marble surface.

Photo by CityLux Studios

THE FAVORS

The bride’s mother ordered these beautiful crystal salt and pepper shakers for each guest to serve as favors. “She filled each one with these pretty sprinkles—like salt and pepper that were kind of iridescent or sparkly to make it fancy,” Rachel says. “She wrapped them up nicely.” In addition, a caricaturist was on-site, allowing guests who sat for a portrait to take home another souvenir.

Black and white portrait of a woman with dark hair styled up, wearing a strapless top. She is gently touching her neck with one hand, showcasing a large, sparkling ring on her ring finger. Her expression is soft and serene, with subtle makeup highlighting her eyes and lips. The background is softly blurred, drawing focus to her face and hand.

Photo by CityLux Studios

THE PHOTO OPP

A picture is worth a thousand words, so adding them to the wedding experience at Coquette made the day even more special for the couple. “Aside from bringing in florals to fluff up the space a bit, our amazing wedding planner, Alice from CityLux Events, suggested that the venue swap out a few of these huge portraits they have, blow up our engagement photos, and put them in their place,” Rachel reveals. They did two of them, and it was really eye-catching with the wedding cake right below.

Four-tier white wedding cake decorated with cascading white fondant roses, placed on a marble surface with lit candles and a gold-framed painting in the background.

Photo by CityLux Studios

A clear acrylic sign with white cursive and block lettering reading "Cigars BAR" is displayed on a countertop. In front of the sign are a gold cigar cutter, a gold lighter with intricate designs, and three black rectangular objects. In the background, there is a small torch lighter and various bottles and metal jiggers.

Photo by CityLux Studios

Bride & Groom Transportation Rent the Classics
Bride’s Dress Amsale, Madeleine’s Daughter
Cake J Cakes
Ceremony Venue Lindsey Chapel at Emmanuel Church
Cocktails & Reception Venue Coquette
DJ & Saxophone Murray Hill Talent
Flowers The Flower Bar
Groom’s Attire Hive & Colony
Guest Transportation Joseph’s Limousine & Transportation
Hair House of Ivy
Makeup Beauty by Nelse
Photographer + Videographer CityLux Studios
Planner CityLux Events

White bridal shoes with floral decorations, pearl earrings, two rings in black ring boxes, a diamond engagement ring, a pair of black sunglasses, white gloves, a pearl bracelet, and two perfume bottles are arranged on a dark floral fabric.

Photo by CityLux Studios

First published in the print issue of Boston Weddings 2026 with the headline, “Rachel Puppolo and Joseph Olson.”

A black-and-white photo of a bride and groom kissing in front of a church entrance, surrounded by guests blowing bubbles. The bride wears a strapless wedding gown with a veil, and the groom is in a dark suit. The scene captures a joyful wedding celebration with guests smiling and participating in the bubble-blowing tradition. The text on the image reads "Boston weddings" at the top and "Best of Boston Weddings" at the bottom.

Rachel Puppolo and Joseph Olson. Photograph by 2026 Best of Boston Weddings winner CityLux Studios.

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