
A Love for a Lifetime
Cape Cod Life / September/October 2024 / Art & Entertainment, People & Businesses
Writer: Virginia Noone / Photographer: Lane Caroline Photography
A Love for a Lifetime

Cape Cod Life / September/October 2024 / Art & Entertainment, People & Businesses
Writer: Virginia Noone / Photographer: Lane Caroline Photography

Emma MacDonald and Payton Pritchard tie the knot in an intimate ceremony.
The morning of their wedding, Emma and Payton Pritchard sat together while they enjoyed their first sips of coffee in their Cape house. Making coffee together is a normal part of their morning routine, but this morning was particularly special as it was the last time seeing each other before Emma would walk down the aisle. Basking in the significance of the moment, they took this time to connect and reflect on their relationship and how they got to where they were in that moment.
Emma Pritchard, formerly MacDonald, grew up a Cape Cod native and attended local schools. Now, an influential content creator on social media platforms, she says she had always dreamed of getting married on Cape Cod, as she’s a coastal New England girl “through and through.” Meanwhile, nearly 3,000 miles away in Oregon, Payton was growing up and finding success playing basketball. In 2020, he was drafted by the Boston Celtics and moved to Massachusetts, where he would subsequently meet Emma and take her on a date to Yvonne’s, a popular chic restaurant in Boston.
“I knew I wanted to marry Emma after our second date,” Payton says. “We spent the whole day together, like over 24 hours, and I couldn’t imagine life without her.”
Payton visited the Cape for the first time with Emma after the Christmas holiday in 2023, during the middle of winter before the summer crowds had flooded in. She was able to show him her favorite beach where she spent the summer days of her childhood, as well as many of her other favorite spots. That following July, he took her back to the beach and proposed to her.
Soon after the engagement celebrations ended, the work of planning the wedding began. Jamie Bohlin and Stephanie Diaz Eldredge from Cape Cod Celebrations began working with the couple to plan their dream wedding weekend. “Their engagement was big news on the Cape and when we received the call from Emma and her mom about helping to plan, we jumped right in!” says Jamie, owner of Cape Cod Celebrations.
The couple’s intimate rehearsal dinner was held at their home in Harwich and was attended by members of their wedding parties and families. They sat at long farm tables from True North Event Rentals adorned with candlelight and enjoyed a lobster and steak meal catered by Mahoney’s Atlantic Bar & Grill in Orleans. New York’s Pearl Street Caviar paired with Cape Cod Potato Chips were also highlights of the meal. The dinner itself was a family oriented fete, reflective of the couple’s close family ties.
“Since the day I met everyone in Payton’s family, I already felt like they had been in my life forever. I love every one of them,” Emma says. “They’re very family-oriented which has been so special to me.”

And now, the day had finally arrived. Payton finished his coffee before joining his friends for a competitive round of golf as Emma and her bridal party began to get ready for the long, but exciting day ahead of them.
Emma’s hairstylist and close friend, Jana Rago, had come from Boston to both attend the wedding and style the bride’s hair into a chic updo that complemented her Vera Wang, drop waist princess-like wedding gown. Her makeup artist, Cat Mignano, came from New York to do the makeup for both the bride and her sister, Maggie MacDonald. As the bridal party got ready, they enjoyed green juice from J.Bar, a vegan cafe and juice bar in Harwich Port. One of Emma’s favorite local spots, Lighthouse Keepers Pantry in Yarmouth Port, provided cold brew and pastries to snack on.
As the bridal parties prepared, Tropical Storm Debbie was threatening to wash out the ceremony, so everyone tried to remain calm as they quietly kept checking their phone’s weather apps. As Emma arrived at the venue, the elegant Wychmere Beach Club in Harwich Port, the sky miraculously cleared—mere moments before her “first look” with her father.
As the couple’s 250 guests arrived, many of which were fellow Boston Celtics players and popular social media influencers, they were asked to respect Emma and Payton’s request to put their phones aside for the ceremony and be fully present in sharing the day. The only photos and videos taken at the ceremony were taken by professionals.
Their ceremony took place on the lawn of the Wychmere Beach Club, where 1,200 white roses from Marshfield’s Buds Floral, were “planted” into the ground to provide visual boundaries within the sprawling grounds. The white roses accented the crisp, white seating arrangement and altar. It was understated, yet elegant; an ongoing theme for the Pritchard’s wedding. Emma walked down the aisle to “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey, a moment that she says was special to her as the song holds a treasured place in her heart.
Blake Griffin, former teammate and close friend of the couple, also lovingly referred to as their honorary “third wheel,” officiated the intimate ceremony. He fulfilled his role wonderfully, with his affable nature making everyone feel comfortable. The brief ceremony contained both laughter and heartfelt moments, truly encapsulating the bond between the couple. They exchanged their vows before saying “I do,” and then the festive cocktail party on the veranda commenced.
With a raw bar and signature cocktails from their favorite Boston restaurants, the guests were able to mingle and celebrate. Before cocktail hour ended, one special guest made an appearance—“Larry” the National Basketball Association’s Championship Trophy. Given that the Boston Celtics won the championship this past season, after a 16 year gap, everyone in attendance was eager to take a photo kissing the prestigious trophy and congratulate Payton for gaining not one, but two rings this summer.
The reception space was clean and elegant. “Emma really wanted to keep everything white and crisp, so we worked with Kayla from Buds Floral to pull together an all white, coastal chic look which included more white roses, tall all white hydrangea centerpieces and lots of candlelight,” shares Jamie.

After the guests were seated, Emma and Payton arrived. With Emma in her second look from Anne Barge, the newlyweds were ready to celebrate with their friends and family. They greeted guests, hopped in the photo booth, shared their first dance to the Jordan Davis song “Next Thing You Know,” and listened to the heartfelt speeches given by officiant Griffin, the bride’s sister Maggie, and Payton’s longtime friend, teammate and best man, Anthony Mathis.
“Making our loved ones a part of our big day was so important to us,” the couple shares.
The newlyweds only left the reception briefly to take photos on the beach where Payton had proposed a year earlier. Smiling together, they walked barefoot in the sand—finally married!
The festivities continued until late into the evening with guests eating, dancing and enjoying the beautiful venue. The after party space was decorated with repurposed white roses from the lawn as well as a ceiling full of balloons from Elevated Impressions, the Cape’s own custom balloon decor and special events company. DJ Eduardo kept the dance floor full and active all night long. Another signature touch to the couple’s day was the on-site cigar roller, that included custom-printed cigar bands featuring the #11 (a nod to Payton’s jersey number).
After a whirlwind of a year, the young couple honeymooned at Amanyara, a luxury beach resort located in Turks and Caicos; and plan to take time to celebrate all they have accomplished and officially begin the rest of their lives together.
“We’re most excited about having the person you love be there with you in your highest and lowest moments,” they say when asked about what the future holds. “We’re looking forward to growing together through anything and everything.”
Virginia Noone is a talented addition to the Cape Cod Life intern program as a rising senior at Wake Forest University where she studies journalism.