When the Bride is an editor at Real Simple, looking at pretty things all day, it’s no surprise her Vermont Riverside Farms day is a rustic wedding dream come true. From the Plum Pretty Sugar robes to the s’mores bar to the Photobooth Planet Vermont fun, this day has all the makings of a perfect wedding. See it all from Stacey Hedman, assisted by Alanna Scully, and Paperweight Films in The Vault!
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From The Bride…Stephen was the second person I met after joining a dating site for the first time—and, unbeknownst to either of us, we happened to grow up in the same town. Though somehow we’d never crossed paths, it turned out that not only were we from the same town, but Stephen also grew up across the street from my aunt, was very good friends with one of my neighbors, and grew up skiing in the same town my family frequented, too. It all felt very serendipitous to both of us and opened the doors for an instant trust and connection between us. Six months later, I was moving out of Manhattan and back to New Jersey to live with him. A year after that, we were engaged. And we were married almost a year to the date after that!
We knew Riverside Farm was the place for us, when we felt that same instant connection with the place. We were looking for a place where our guests could join us for a weekend of fun by staying on the property. Riverside had that—and so much more. The property, which includes three barns, a bridal cabin, a groom’s cabin, two additional lodging cabins, and a nearby bed and breakfast, is nestled between two gorgeous rolling green mountains and all the buildings are filled with the most unique antiques. It’s stunningly rustic chic—the kind of place where you just look around and think: “wow!” We knew our family and friends would love it as much as we did.
Since the setting itself was so beautiful (and one of our favorite things about the place), we kept the color palette simple with dove gray, white, and green in order to let the scenery speak for itself. From the moment the save-the-dates went out, I wanted people to get that soft and elegant, but also fun vibe we were going for.
To set the tone of the event, Swiss Cottage Designs drew a custom picture for us of a couple under the covered bridge at Riverside (the guests didn’t know it yet, but the female figure in the drawing wore the same silhouette my dress would have!) for our save-the-date. She continued that color palette in the rest of our suite with invitations that were white with green lettering, silver foil, and botanical details. Other items in the stationery suite, like the response cards were the reverse: green with white lettering and botanical details.
All of our flowers (locally grown and picked by the owner of the town’s garden center) were white and green, with occasional pops of dusty pink or lavender. In keeping with the natural feel, we kept them all asymmetrical rather than polished and tight. Some of the biggest wow moments with the flowers were at the reception. Instead of traditional place cards, we filled apothecary jars with wildflowers and used silver flecked twine to attach each person’s name and seat to their very own vase of flowers. There was also a pair of beautiful dove gray curtains draped in a floral garland that was kept closed to “hide” the reception until we were ready to welcome guests in. Once the curtains opened, the first thing guests saw was a gorgeous head table set for nearly 40 (to accommodate that huge bridal party of ours!) with the most ethereal garland decked out in flowers, different tiers of candles, and Hauck wine (my maiden name).
Peppered throughout the day were both purchased (personalized cocktail hour signs, wooden table numbers, a handcrafted wooden bench to serve as our guestbook) and homemade details (200 jars of jam made by me for the welcome bags, handmade cornhole and giant Jenga sets made by the groom and painted by me) to match the vibe of Riverside. It took months for the whole vision to come together, but we had some tireless, extremely talented, and, perhaps most importantly, kind vendors who helped us bring our vision to life in a way that was even more perfect than we could have imagined.
The wedding day was supposed to downpour, but something about that mountain air: The beautiful blue sky held out and we got the outdoor wedding of our dreams. Moods all around—bridal party, guests, vendors—were as sunny as the sky was. Perhaps thanks to the utterly phenomenal locally sourced food that seemingly never ended (really, people are still talking about it) and the amazing band that drove up from New York who had the dance floor going all night. Or, maybe it was the old school VW bus that had our photo booth inside. Guests not only loved taking pictures inside of it, but also outside of it. And, of course, Stephen and I made it our last stop of the night before our romantic sparkler exit.
But, for Stephen and I, one of the most magical moments of the whole event was when one of the groomsmen sung “Over the Rainbow” on the ukulele for my father and my first dance. My husband and, of course, my dad say it was their favorite part of the whole night. Pure happiness all around.
From start to finish, we both say we would do it all over again…not to change anything, but simply to relive the complete wonder and beauty of it all.
Photography: Stacey Hedman | Cinematography: Paperweight Films | Floral Design: Bloom for Life | Wedding Dress: Reem Acra | Cake: Irene's Cakes By Design | Invitations: Swiss Cottage Designs | Bride's Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Amsale | Catering: Vermont Farms Catering | Makeup: Flawless Cosmetic Design | Hair: Formal Hair Design By Kerry | Band: Kazz Music Orchestra | Groom's Attire: My Suit | Venue: Riverside Farm | Bride's Pajamas: Daughters Of Simone | Groomsmen Bags: Hudson Sutler | Linen Rentals: The Linen Shop | Photo Booth: Photobooth Planet | Photography - Assistance: Alanna Scully | Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar
