Brides of the world, you are amazing. You guys stun me day after day with your talent. Take this beautiful bride. She handcrafted a storybook wedding, starting with the letterpress paper products, and following through with an entire library theme (done so, so right) to create a day that has all of us blown away. If Wayne and Angela‘s photos of the day are any indication of just how gorgeous this affair really was, you bet I’ll be reading along with their story in the full gallery!
From the photographers… A classic boy-meets-girl college romance blossomed into love as Liz and Donny began to write their love story together through this journey down the aisle. Like many brides-to-be, Liz had been anticipating this day for a long time, and couldn’t wait to get busy planning the details of her wedding day! After selecting a beautiful retreat in the rolling hillsides of Vermont and inviting us to be a part of her adventure, Liz prepared herself for a busy year of wedding crafts and design, starting with a homemade letterpress station where she created her own storybook invitations!
It’s an understatement to say that this bride had gifted hands, as we soon realized she had made just about everything for the wedding! Most impressively, Liz had handcrafted an “antique” wooden library catalog chest to house her guests escorts cards, which were all custom-designed to look like library catalog cards—from the library’s romance section! They then had to find their seats as if looking for a book in a library, matching their catalog number to the row where their table was set. To carry over the theme, each long table was decorated with old library books cut out to hold fresh flowers, and each guest section had its own notebook (handmade by the bride, of course!) where they could share thoughts, well wishes, and wedding advice for the newly weds. The storybook theme continued as each menu was letterpress printed onto handmade bookmarks, and the cake itself was a masterpiece of stacked “books,” made to match the beginning of this whole inspiration, her storybook invitations. It was all so picture perfect, and the fact that the theme came full-circle was more than impressive!
Riverside Farm is a friendly, family-owned property that makes getting married a smooth and enjoyable journey. With a Groom’s Cabin and detached Bride’s Suite on site, it made getting ready a breeze; and with everybody on site, there were no logistical nightmares. The bride and groom met at a nearby church for their ceremony, and rode back to the farm as newlyweds in one of the Riverside families’ antique car, escorted by one of the family members himself! The property of the farm itself was quite breathtaking and held so many little treasures for picture-taking, that we spent a good portion of the afternoon exploring the grounds with the couple, while Liz strolled around in her yellow Hunter boots. While the weather in Vermont is not the most predictable, there’s nothing that a little (or a lot of) yellow can’t do to cheer you up!
Liz and Donny really put together a great experience for their guests. From the comfort foods served at cocktail hour (like mini grilled cheese bites and tomato soup) to the full Milk and Cookies Bar for dessert, every little detail was designed specifically by the bride and groom so that everybody there would have a memorable and pleasant evening. The live band started the party before dinner even began, and the dance floor was rarely empty after that! There was so much love and energy in the room that night—it was truly the perfect ending to a great story, and the start of a new one to come.
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Photography: Wayne and Angela | Flowers: Trish Hegewald at Pittsfield Garden Center | Event Design: The Bride | Catering: Occasions Catering | Ceremony Location: Christ the King Church (Darien, VT) | Reception Location: Riverside Farm | Invitations: Handmade by the Bride’s own Letterpress | Shoes: Jimmy Choo + Hunter Boots | Dress: Tara Keely | Hair: Alexandre Chouery | Make up: Vivian Infantino | Cake: Irene’s Cake by Design | Live Band: Hal Prince Band