Inside Robin Roberts and Amber Laign’s ‘Ethereal’ Connecticut Wedding Reception (Exclusive)

The party is just beginning for Robin Roberts and Amber Laign, who tied the knot over the weekend after 18 years together.

On Friday, around 250 guests gathered at Farmington Gardens, in Farmington, Conn., to celebrate the newlyweds during a romantic reception.

Among those in attendance were Roberts’ Good Morning America costars George Stephanopoulos, Sam Champion, Lara Spencer, Michael Strahan, David Muir, Gio Benetiz, Dr. Jen Ashton and Tory Johnson. Tennis icon Billie Jean King and journalist Gayle King were also there to celebrate the brides.

Roberts and Laign chose the rustic barn venue because of its beauty — and in an effort to support a business in their local community, the couple’s planner JoAnn Gregoli tells PEOPLE exclusively.

“When I asked Amber what she envisioned the words ‘enchanted garden’ and ‘ethereal’ kept coming up,” Gregoli tells PEOPLE. “Once she gave me those keywords, then I knew the vision that they were trying to evoke. We used lots of moss, greenery and organic materials throughout the wedding.”

She adds, “We wanted to make sure that we had sustainable invitations and we went with plantable save the dates and invitations. We also did not want to have too much waste with cut flowers, so we used a lot of greenery to make it feel organic.”

Sustainability was clearly woven into all elements of the reception, including the couple’s choice to use candles to light up the whole property and repurposing of flower boxes used during their ceremony.

Overall, Gregoli says she and the couple wanted to “transport people to an ethereal and enchanted garden.”

“We created two massive trees that anchored the room and had tables set beneath tables with twinkle lights in the trees. Our goal was to transform the space into that garden,” she says. “Tables were set with soft moss green linens. Two wooden semi-circular bars were created and placed strategically in the room. The DJ was set against a large moss wall used as her backdrop to the graphic-design dance floor.”

She adds. “We had two video screens set up which showed a video montage of their ceremony, that took place earlier in the day. Over the wrapped dance floor we suspended a canopy of flowers with lights, so it seemed like people were dancing beneath a garden canopy. We wanted them to dance under an arbor of flowers.”

As guests entered the party, they were greeted by a proscecco truck and an Aperol spritz truck. Beverages were topped with edible “Love Wins” discs — a phrase that was present throughout the room, including on the floor of a 360-degree photo booth.

The reception wouldn’t have been complete without a decadent cake. The couple opted for a four-tiered creation, with alternating chocolate and red velvet layers. The cake was completed with a silhouette of Roberts and Laign, and their dog, Little Man Lucas, on top.

Gregoli tells PEOPLE a stand-out moment was the couple’s first dance to Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” performed by violinist Caroline Campbell.

Later during the party, she adds that Roberts surprised Laign with a flash mob dance.

Before the party, the pair went for a more intimate ceremony in their home garden. The nuptials were officiated by their pastor Robert Jemersen.

“At the ceremony, we had two large Spanish moss-covered trees that were used as their backdrop to Robin’s mother’s [the late Lucimarian Roberts] meditation bench,” Gregoli says. “The bench was very important to Robin and Amber. That was a non-negotiable. We used the Spanish moss in the trees to bring a little bit of [Robins’ home state of] Mississippi to the ceremony.”

During the processional, “Stand by Me” was performed by Campbe;l as Roberts was escorted by her brother, Lawrence E. Roberts, Jr., and Laign was also escorted down the aisle by her own brother.

Roberts sister Sally-Ann Roberts read a Bible verse, and her sister Dorothy Roberts sang “Blessed Assurance.”

The couple exchanged traditional vows and the ceremony concluded with uplifted version of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” followed by tea sandwiches, lemonade and iced tea at the newlyweds’ home for their immediate family members.

And even some temperamental weather in the northeast on the couple’s big weekend couldn’t derail their happiness.

“The radar was showing rain, and Robin and Amber really wanted it outside, in front of the [tribute bench to Roberts’ mother],” she says. “Thankfully, we consulted with [weatherman] Sam Champion, who was a guest, who helped guide us in making the decision of what time to actually begin the ceremony. We literally had to adjust that timing a few times during the day to make sure the ceremony could be held outside.”

She adds: “In the end, Sam was right and we had that window of time, timed perfectly as the sun shown upon them as they walked down the aisle. An hour after that, it was pouring.”

“The love that filled that space was palpable,” Gregoli reflects to PEOPLE. “It was my honor to help plan and execute their day.”

Leading up to their wedding, Roberts and Laign shared small glimpses at the behind-the-scenes planning of their special day.

During an episode of Good Morning America in August, the couple shared a video of themselves at a wedding dress fitting together. “The final fitting we’re going to do separately cause I want us to each see each other in the final dress for the first time on the wedding,” anchor Roberts said at the time.

Although the couple kept the specifics of the reception a surprise, Roberts, 62, did reveal on Instagram that all the plans were in place in the week leading up to the wedding. “Time to take hands off the wheel and just breathe. If anxious moments arise I’ll close my eyes and remember this zen moment🫶🏾💛” she wrote on social media.

Roberts first revealed in January during Good Morning America that she and Laign were planning to get married. The announcement came not long after the massage therapist, 48, announced she’d completed radiation treatment for breast cancer, which she was diagnosed with in 2022.

“I’m hesitating because I haven’t said it out loud yet . . . I’m saying ‘yes’ to marriage,” Roberts said at the time. “We’re getting married this year.” She continued, “It was something we had talked about but we had put it off, she became ill but . . . it is saying yes to that, and that next chapter.”

After sharing the exciting news, Roberts posted the clip on Instagram and wrote in the caption, “Saying YES to marriage in 2023 💍.”

Roberts and Laign first met in July 2005 on a blind date. Since then, they’ve been inseparable.

“15 years ago I met you for drinks on a blind date that both you and I tried to cancel . . . twice,” Laign revealed on her private Instagram for the couple’s 15th anniversary, which Roberts reposted publicly. “Your grace caught my eye right away and the ease of the evening continued to flow through dinner.”

“We had a second date soon after and I couldn’t believe how at ease I was with you as we shared each other’s lives sipping lychee and apple martinis,” she continued. “You left for Tahiti the following day and during that time apart I grew this feeling inside of me that still is very present today … butterflies.”

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