Vermont Weddings

Rustic Vermont Wedding from Michelle Gardella Photography

Styles

Rustic

From the Bride… I’ve been dreaming about my wedding since I was a little girl and would prance around in a passed-down chic Spanish wedding dress every moment it wasn’t in the washing machine and practice walking in my Nana’s high heels on the kitchen floor. All that was missing from my fantasy wedding was the groom. That was settled on December 17th, 2011, when Brenden and I met at a mutual friend’s birthday party in a dark, dungy bar in South Boston. Our first date was four days later and I knew something was different and wonderful about this guy right away! Brenden proposed April 17th, 2013, on the front stoop of our brownstone and we celebrated by going to the restaurant where we had our first date. Brenden joked that I had a big, red “send” button that I simply hit and everything for our wedding was executed and done, invitations in the mail, etc… He quickly learned what everyone else already knew- I’d been dreaming about and planning my wedding since I was a little girl.

Brenden and I both grew up in rural towns; Brenden is from Maine and I’m from upstate New York. We wanted to find a venue at a mid-way point where our family and closest friends could come for the weekend, park their car, and be entertained and involved the entire time- preferably with a barn to hold the wedding. We had stayed at The Mountain Top Inn with Brenden’s parents for Christmas the previous year, so we set up a visit and got the official wedding tour and were sold, date set – November 23, 2013! Wedding planning in seven months- here we come!

Goosefish Press (just down the road from us in Boston) designed our invitations and reply cards with custom sketches in Vermont green of the Barn and the Inn and the scenery surrounding it pressed into heavyweight ivory paper. A local Rutland, VT, family-run bakery won our attention with their perfectly golden Boston Crème donuts and their delicious maple buttercream frosting finished with a gum paste maple leaf atop of chocolate cupcakes.

We made a trip to Maine where Brenden and his father cut down a 40-foot birch tree and then created the most beautiful cupcake stand, hollowed out a stump with a mail slot on top for envelope gifts and I burned “A+B” inside a heart, and cut stumps of various heights to surround the area where we’d stand to get married. They also made the most rugged looking signpost with arrowheads that I wrote on labeling the ceremony, cocktails, reception, Boston, and both of our hometowns. A friend of Brenden’s has a blueberry farm where we got 30 pounds of Maine jam blueberries that we painstakingly sorted through to make a 4oz. jar of jam for each guest as their escort card to find their table and also their gift to take home and enjoy. It was a day and a half of hard work!

The local hardware store in my hometown provided the white linens that my sisters and I fancied up by folding and inserting handmade menus on brown kraft paper and putting a handwritten nametag on persimmon paper from The Paper Source with a rustic pinecone. The centerpieces (that doubled to also line the aisle and sit atop the stumps for the ceremony) were rust-colored mums and huckleberry greens inside a galvanized tin pail with a piece of burlap that we glued around it and then finished with a Martha Stewart chalkboard label to note the table number. The tables were finished with white votive candles.

Our colors were rust/orange and shades of gray. Our wedding party was small- two on each side. Brenden, his brother and best friend wore charcoal gray suits, white shirts and rust and gray argyle ties with brown shoes. My sisters wore a graphite chiffon strapless dress with black patent leather pumps, rust pashminas, gold and clear crystal earring studs from Kate Spade, and an assortment of gold and orange bangles from J. Crew. The finishing touches were the orange ranunculus, green hypericum berries and seeded eucalyptus boutonnières wrapped in twine and the orange ranunculus, white stock, green and peach hypericum berries, and seeded eucalyptus gorgeous bouquets wrapped in burlap.

My 92 year-old amazing Nana lent me her ¾ length mink jacket as my something old to stay warm for outside pictures. I wore ivory Kate Spade peep-toe pumps as my something new that were comfortable all night. My dress was something borrowed from a close family friend! I altered it a bit with a local seamstress and felt loved each moment I wore it, as it had been her wedding dress a few years ago! My mom pinned a piece of heirloom jewelry with a blue garnet stone onto my bouquet for something blue.

Throughout the planning process in Boston, I regularly communicated with the on-site coordinator at The Mountain Top Inn, who was wonderful to talk with and made the entire weekend smooth and flawless. My sisters and I put everything together Thursday before the wedding. We stuffed welcome bags (brown kraft paper bags stamped with a vermont green “A+B”) with Poland Springs water (from Maine), Cape Cod potato chips, homemade chocolate chip walnut cookies (I love to bake), Lindt chocolate snowmen, and a Welcome Packet filled with the weekend itinerary and suggested activities. Friday commenced wedding weekend, and it was foggy beyond belief; you couldn’t even clearly see ten feet in front of you. We started with a delicious home-cooked Family Dinner with twenty of our immediate family members and closest friends, followed by a Meet n’ Greet at The Tavern where all of our guests got to meet and hang out with the famous wings from The Mountain Top Inn, an assortment of pizzas, and s’mores out by the fire pit. Saturday morning my cousin led a yoga class and then we got together for breakfast that our families prepared- Brenden with his and I with mine.

Guests went hiking, sledding, and hung out at The Inn while we got ready for our 3:00 ceremony. My younger sister and I had practiced my make-up a few times in Boston, so we were ready for wedding day! All morning it was sunny and clear and beautiful! About an hour before our ceremony, the skies began to cloud over and show signs of the first snow. Two of my closest girlfriends passed out handmade programs (again on brown kraft paper) to guests arriving at our ceremony. Our guitarist played Canon in D on the ukulele as I walked down the aisle with my father. It was the most amazing experience and I will remember it for the rest of my life!

Brenden and I had written our ceremony, and hearing it in the moment and having our friends and family members come up for readings was beyond words! Brenden was leaning in to kiss me the entire ceremony and exclaimed “you’re stuck with me” after we were officially pronounced husband and wife. The moment we went outside to take pictures after our ceremony, the biggest, whitest, most beautiful snowflakes created a blizzard that was picturesque and perfectly set the ambiance for our reception at this beautiful Inn in the middle of the mountains of Vermont. The food was delicious, the band was unbelievable, and our guests were the most fun we could have ever asked for! We had the time of our lives. Everyone was able to get together again on Sunday morning for breakfast before leaving and we reminisced and laughed about our wonderful wedding weekend.

Everything I had dreamed about for my wedding day came true! The excitement I had since I was a little girl was real. And the best part- this great guy chose me to spend his life with. Love it a pretty wonderful thing!

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here

Wedding Dresses

Ann Taylor

Fall 2014 Weddings Collection

View All Collections

I’m a true believer that the color gold has the power to make everything just a little bit better (it’s totally true), but when I spotted this gorgeous bride’s David Meister masterpiece, I think my mind was officially blown. I mean, are there even words to describe just how awesome this magical gown is… or how amazing she looks against one of the most beautiful farm settings you will ever lay your eyes upon (hello, Riverside Farm)? This, loves, is pure perfection with a side of rustic beauty and you should definitely dive into the full gallery from Michelle Gardella. It’s chock-full of pretty.

Colors

Seasons

Vermont Wedding at Quechee Inn from Emily Delamater

Settings

Backyard Rustic Weddings

Styles

Romantic Rustic

From the Bride… We absolutely knew we wanted three things for our wedding: a rustic, but chic wedding with the feel of New England autumn and a city touch, no flowers whatsoever, and ingenuity. For us, those three things dictated how the rest of wedding details were going to flow and, luckily, it made all the difference. We figured, hey! Its our one and only wedding day why wouldn’t we want to go outside the box, do whatever we want to do? There are NO rules.

Always wanting a rustic wedding, we fell in love with Riverside Farm. The entire property is just absolutely breathtaking and it gives you the feeling of romantic seclusion in the middle of the woods. With our guests traveling from Boston to Vermont for our wedding, we wanted to make sure the entire weekend was a celebration. We had “Weekend Survival Kits” sent to each guest upon arrival and organized a welcome cocktail party the night before the ceremony. S’mores around an outdoor fire and cinnamon apple sangria were some of the things that we had that night to kick off the weekend festivities and capture the autumn feel.

For me, originality is everything. And when I found my David Meister gown online, I asked herself, “Who says I have to wear white?” From there, I decided that I’d flip it. I would wear gold and put the bridesmaids in a textured Anthropologie ivory dress. In keeping with the colors ivory, brown and gold, we found brown suede ankle strap shoes, faux wolf shrugs and the Sophia pearl bib necklace from Stella & Dot to complete the bridesmaid look. Feminine rustic! With a dress that speaks for itself, I kept my accessories minimal with two veils – a brown and an ivory, three J.Crew pave bracelets, raw diamond studs that Jeremiah got me as a wedding day gift. The boys wore the Signature Suit from Jos A. Bank in brown with gold ties. Naturally, a sock picture would be necessary, so Jeremiah also picked out socks that suited each groomsman’s personality.

Our ceremony was held at the beautiful Christ the King Church in Rutland, Vermont. Since we had no flowers, I held oversized rosary beads we got on a trip to Spain earlier that year. The beads were blessed by a female Roman Catholic Bishop that we met on the trip. We sealed the ceremony with a high five followed by a kiss.

The reception was at the brown barn at Riverside Farm and catered with some of the best food we have ever had by Occasions Catering. Candles, bare branches and white pumpkins decorated the tables, chandeliers hung from the barn beams and mini burlap sacks containing Bloody Mary kits sat on each guest’s place setting. Instead of cake, we had Ben & Jerry’s come to the wedding with an ice cream cart with some of our favorite flavors. Our DJ, Julian, played the most unbelievable music which kept people on their feet all night. After the reception, we had a Chinese food buffet set up at a local bar as an extra treat for our wedding guests. People loved it!

The next morning, we hosted a brunch at Killington Hotel to say farewell and show how grateful we were for our guests sharing in our special day. The entire weekend, from start to finish, was everything we could have ever imagined. Looking around the the room that night and being in a venue that makes you feel cut off from the world, we could not have felt more in love with each other, surrounded by the people that matter the most to us. It was the most beautiful day. Each moment was better than the next.

I kid you not. The moment I laid my eyes on this darling day captured by Emily Delamater, I was speechless. As in, my mouth was unable to form words and my brain was unable to make sentences. And as a professional wedding blogger, that can be kind of a problem. But stare for even one minute at the gorgeousness that is the full gallery and you’ll be doing the exact same thing. Join me there for all of the pretty.

Colors

Seasons

Outdoor Weddings Weddings in Historical Venues

Settings

Styles

Romantic Rustic

From Emily Delamater… Right away when I met Lindsey and Sofiene, I was instantly so excited to photograph their wedding. They had such a soft and sweet way of interacting and their description of how they envisioned their day sound like such a dream and indeed it was. Nestled in the mountains of Vermont at a beautiful New England Inn, apple trees and gorgeous light. It was very important to them to incorporate elements of Tunisia where Sofiene and his family are from and France where he went to military school. Many guests were traveling from abroad and from around the country, making the New England charm even more special. The colors of soft pinks, navy, emerald and cream where beautifully orchestrated as were the many family heirlooms. Lindsey wore her mother’s veil and also a necklace from Sofiene’s mother. It was such a joy to be there with this radiant couple and to document their gorgeous wedding.

Winter Wedding at the Equinox Resort from A Brit and a Blonde

Yes. This winter wedding near the ski lifts of Vermont wins. At least in my heart. Winter weddings are the absolute best. All that beautiful white snow, and the gray, cold skies make for perfectly rosy cheeks and bright eyes. And this one. Oy, this one is fabulous. A Brit and a Blonde outdid themselves with the beautiful images from the gorgeous winter day.

Colors

Seasons

Winter Weddings

Settings

Hotels + Resorts Weddings Religious Institution

Styles

Classic Weddings

From Jason & Jessica… Karima & Mike are big skiers. They both grew up heading to ski hills with their families. So they knew for their big day – it needed to be a winter wedding near a ski hill. They fell in love with the Equinox hotel in Manchester, Vermont which is nestled right in the mountains and really close to Stratton where Karima went on many ski trips with her family as a child. It was perfect. Right across the street was the 1811 House – where some of their guests stayed and made for some great photos too.

Mike designed a really cute Save the Date which was a lift ticket that they sent to guests. And he also created the vintage ski table numbers for each table and the vintage ski signage. The couple also found old vintage skis which they used instead of having guests sign a book. Such a cool idea and they have them up in their house now as a sweet memory of the day. The flowers were so beautiful and had a wintery feel to them.

We adore Karima’s gorgeous Vera Wang wedding dress. She looked stunning and that black sash really completed the look. Since it was winter, and the couple really wanted some images taken outside – Karima opted for a really gorgeous fur shrug that she bought at a vintage store which kept her nice and warm. Her Kate Spade shoes were picture perfect too.

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here

Manchester, Vermont Wedding from Paper Antler

Since moving to New England, my hubster and I have made it a point to try and travel here, there and everywhere on the weekends. And from Mass. to Maine, Rhode Island to New Hampshire — we’ve seen a lot. But Vermont is that one state we’ve left undiscovered. And you know what? This stunning affair from Paper Antler is JUST the kick in the toosh I need to set our Vermont trip into motion. But until the weekend rolls around, I know exactly where I’ll be spending my time — right here in full gallery of mountainside scenery.

Colors

Seasons

Spring Weddings

Settings

Modern Meets Organic Inspiration from John R. Andersen Photography

Styles

Rustic

From Paper Antler… Meg and Wade celebrated their wedding day at the base of the Vermont Taconic Mountains in the pond pavilion of the Equinox Resort. Their colors of bright verdant green and soft pink highlighted the surrounding nature. Meg wore her grandmother’s fur stole to keep warm from the Vermont spring breeze. There were so many fun personal details from the “love vermont” gift bags, to the giant “M” for Machon shaped seating guide nailed to an old door.

Modern weddings make my heart sing, so getting a heaping dose of inspiration for just such a fête is oh-so-wonderful in my book. And when that inspiration is dreamt up by the talented Piper Designs and captured by John R Andersen Photography, you can basically guarantee I’m ready to pin every last image. Add gorgeous florals from Erin Ostreicher Design and pretty paper from Truly Noted, and consider my day a goner – because I’ll be spending every second right here.

From Jenna Piper Emrich of Piper Designs…When Erin from Erin Ostreicher Designs and I met to begin collaborating for this design, we knew immediately that we would try to marry our contrasting styles. My style is clean and modern, while Erin likes to work with very organic and natural elements. I just love the juxtaposition of modern elements in a natural, overgrown environment.

The head table was very texture focused, with faux bois linen, walnut wood chargers topped with clear china and the gathering of modern, Lucite chairs. Erin designed the earthy, terrarium-like centerpieces. Rather than using pops of color, I prefer to work with a neutral color palette, but with lots of texture.

The hors doeuvres table was displayed on an antique wallpaper board that was the perfect base for the modern glass food displays and the display cases that I designed. The natural moss, sea glass and driftwood in the clear acrylic display boxes was gorgeous and captured the overall style beautifully. It was the perfect way to present the delectable bites by Vermont Harvest Catering paired with wines from Cork Wine Bar and Market. The emerald green stationery by Truly Noted added a spectacular pop of color to a mostly neutral palette.

I wanted to create an intimate, cozy space for the stunning bride and groom to relax so I tucked a chic, white ottoman into the stone backdrop and created a romantic atmosphere with the scattered candles over the geometric rug.

The secret island felt magical and intimate, like it had been created on a whim just for the couple. Erin and my contrasting styles were undoubtedly brilliant together and working with the other vendors was so gratifying.

Hors Doeuvres and Wine Pairing by Vermont Harvest Catering and Cork Wine Bar and Market:

Chicken Salad Stuffed Grapes, Herbs and Micro Arugula
Mas Martinet Menut, Garnache, Merlot, Syrah, Priorat, Spain
*Black Currants, Rustic, Dark Fruit, Pepper

Tomato “tartar”, Ramp Aioli
Spring Seed Wine Co. Scarlet Runner Shiraz, McLaren Vale, South Australia
*Dark berries, Spices, Smoky Aromas, Pepper

Crab Stack, Cucumber, Baby Kale and Radish Slaw
Bonny Doon Vineyards Albario, Central Coast, California
*Crisp, Sleek, Citrus, Touch of Peach, Minerality

Sesame Marinated Shrimp, Snow Pea
Punta Crena Lumassina Liguria Italy
*Green Apple, Gentle Sparkle, Unique, Fresh, Indigenous Grape

Mini Pavlova, Berries, Lemons
J Vineyards Ros Brut, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Russian River Valley, California
*Sparkling, Delicate Strawberry, Cherry, Citrus Peel, Bright Acidity

Old Hollywood Inspiration Shoot from Ampersand Wedding Photography

You know what’s better than a gorgeous dose of Old Hollywood-inspired pretty? A gorgeous dose of Old Hollywood-inspired pretty with a decidedly modern twist. One that takes all of that glamour and sophistication we know and love and ties it all up in a pretty bow made with succulent-filled florals from Village Green Florist, a glittery gold masterpiece from Caketopia Cakes and a whole lot of fab stylings (and beautiful images) from Ampersand Wedding Photography. See them all right here in the full gallery.

Colors

The team behind the Hollywood Glamour shoot wanted to create a modern take on old Hollywood glamour. By playing off what has become a traditional palette of white/black/gold/red, we added a modern twist with the floral arrangements, adding trendy succulents, and the ever popular peony in a beautiful beet color, as well as a beautiful dark purple artichoke. The gold plated eucalyptus leaves added a fun pop of elegance and enchantment to the floral arrangements and table displays. Catering by Dale beautified the food and even brought in the theme through the glittered strawberries, and heart-shaped mini baked alaskas. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day and a more fun and motivated group of vendors to make this day a wonderful reality.

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here

Justin Alexander

Spring 2016

Spring 2018

Justin Alexander Fall/Winter

View All Collections

Vermont Wedding from Moss + Isaac

I am a sucker for a rainy day. I just find them to be so romantic. The perfect kind of day to curl up with your loved ones and just love. I know I’m in the minority when it comes for hoping for rain on the wedding day though, so today I’ve got something for those of you who are dreading a little moisture in the air on your big day. This Vermont wedding from Moss + Isaac had tornados threatening to crash the party all day long, and the rain that came with that could have been a downer. But as you look at the images, you’ll start to see a warmth and intimacy that was only possible because of the storm outside.

Colors

Seasons

Spring Weddings

Settings

Southwestern Inspired Styled Shoot from Christina Bernales Photography

Styles

DIY Inspired

From the beautiful bride… Mike and I met almost 15 years ago in homeroom freshman year of high school in New York. Although we spent plenty of time passing notes during class, we never dated in high school. In college, we reconnected and the age-old on-again, off-again college relationship ensued. Mike was living in Boston and I was in New York and later Los Angeles. Inevitably, we both moved back to New York and settled in Brooklyn, where Mike proposed.

Our vision for the wedding was fun! We picked things we loved and we felt represented who we are as a couple – super easy going, crazy happy, and very energetic. Mike always tells the story about when he was learning to surf, and had inadvertently cut off another surfer. He paddled over, apologized and said that he was sorry that he wasn’t a better surfer. The victim looked at him and told him that the best surfer was the one that was having the most fun. By that standard, Mike might actually have been the best one out there that day. To maintain perspective, we took that advice to heart in planning our wedding and made sure we had fun. If what we were doing wasn’t making us happy, we changed it until it felt fun again.

We looked at all different types of venues and eventually decided that we wanted to get away to a place where we could relax and enjoy the entire weekend with our nearest and dearest. My degree is in environmental law, and Mike’s motto is minimalism, so when my parent’s discovered a 100% solar-operated venue right down the road from our vacation home in southern Vermont, we knew that The Hermitage Inn was the unique, low-impact space we had been searching for. We were able to work directly with the Chef Paul Eschbach to create a vegan farm-to-table feast. My family is Italian and Irish, and Mike’s family is Cuban and Danish. We used the three main course options as an opportunity to incorporate both heritage and tradition and the fresh local flavors of late summer in Vermont.

I envisioned the dining room glowing with warmth, coziness, and intimacy, but also wanted to keep things simple to highlight Vermont’s natural beauty. Michelle Boleski of Petals Floral Design worked with me to create gorgeous arrangements of local and seasonal Vermont flowers mixed with fresh flowers from Boston’s diverse flower market. She decorated the tables with candles in clear crystal candlesticks and used silver and mercury glass containers for different sized groupings of flowers that created the perfect balance of organic and elegant.

We weren’t strict about any particular theme or color scheme. We thought the wedding should make sense. The bridesmaids wore different shades of silver and grey, in different styles of dresses they could wear again. We kept a mostly neutral palette of silver and ivory, and incorporated pops of both light and bright pinks in the flowers. We skipped things where we thought they might be wasteful, and we incorporated items we knew we could reuse in the future. My favorite DIY aspect of our wedding day was Mike’s pro sewing job. I had the idea to attach pink flowers to my shoes to embody the spirit of my Nana, who kept beautiful rose bushes while she was alive. The next thing I knew, my flowerless pink shoes had been adorned with two pink flowers and I had only to look down at my feet to think of her throughout the day.

When our wedding day finally arrived, we left all the details in the capable hands of the Hermitage staff and our very talented day-of coordinators from Christine Wheat Events. We focused only on being totally present and on the exciting new adventure we were embarking on. Cocktail hour was planned to be outdoors under the bright, twinkling strands of lights I spent (way too much) time tracking down in Manhattan. That morning, I watched as tornado warnings flashed across the television screen. Needless to say, the charming cocktail hour I had envisioned was swiftly moved indoors to a much smaller space. Despite intermittent torrential downpour, Moss + Isaac skillfully captured every memorable moment and every intricate detail. The minute it stopped raining, while all of our guests were preoccupied tearing it up to Mike’s custom-created playlist, Leigh Anna snuck us outside to snap what became our favorite wedding photo – just the two of us together, dancing in the dark under those twinkling strands of light.

[dotted]

Wedding Photography: Moss + Isaac | Ceremony Venue: Our Lady of Fatima Church of Wilmington | Reception Venue: The Hermitage Inn | Wedding Invitations: Custom letterpress by Jenny Putvin of Nane Press | Floral Designer: Michelle Boleski of Petals Floral Design | Wedding Coordinators: Christine Wheat Events | Wedding Dress: Alita Graham for Kleinfeld | Bride’s Hair: Tiago Silva of Hair Junkie | Makeup: Linda Fasano of LipandLash, Linda@lipandlash.com | Bridesmaid’s Hair: Mountain Styles Salon & Spa of West Dover, Vermont | Guestbook: DIY by the Bride and Groom, using Moleskine’s Japanese Album and Fuji Instax | Cocktail Hour Jazz Trio: Wayne Tucker Band, based in New York, New York | DJ: Peak Entertainment | Guest Transportation: Valley Cab and Car Services | Couple’s Getaway Car: Tiffany blue Thunderbird, borrowed from Aunt Ceil + Uncle Joe Gomez | Wedding Cake: Krystal Yavicoli of Krystal’s Delectable Cakes and More | Wedding Pies: Dutton Berry Farm | Wedding Favors: Pure Vermont maple syrup from Patti + Bill Pusey of Shearer Hill Farm B&B | Bling: David Alan of David Alan Jewelry | Bridesmaids’ Attire: Monique Lhuillier | Groom’s Attire: Topman | Groomsmen Attire: Calvin Klein

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here

Monique Lhuillier

Monique Lhuillier Bridal Fall 2015

Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids Fall 2015

Spring 2016

View All Collections

This shoot defines lovely. Lovely with a side of some serious style. Lovely dreamt up by Erin Ostreicher Designs and Christina Bernales, and made possible by one talented team of vendors. The images sitting in this gallery captured by Christina Bernales Photography are overflowing with inspiration, so do yourself a favor this morning by letting yourself get lost is all the lovely right here.

Colors

Seasons

Spring Weddings Summer Weddings

Settings

Museum

Styles

Casual Romantic Whimsical

From Christina Bernales + Erin Ostreicher… We collaborated with some wonderful vendors in Vermont to put together a Southwestern, Aztec inspired styled shoot. We wanted the color palette to be colorful, bright but soft, incorporating creams, teals and ivory colors into our decor with a touch of gold and aside from the flowers, stationery, plates and soup bowls, we sourced all of the items in our shoot from antique stores in the area– carefully selecting items that looked casual but not rustic, since we feel that the rustic look is often overdone. Some of our ‘shopping’ was done at the Vintage Inspired Lifestyle Marketplace in Burlington, Vermont. One of the vendors there, Jolene, has the most stunning collection of vintage wedding dresses! We chose to stick with a very casual look for our model, Lulu Lovering.

We used cacti, succulents, feathers and geometric patterns in our styling to bring the Aztec theme together and Erin created an ombre arrangement on the mantle above the fireplace to frame our table. She also handmade the statement sterling silver ring out of southwestern turquoise and the necklace with quartz and pyrite using an up-cycled brass pendant. The beautiful pottery/serveware we used was courtesy of Julia Paul who creates stunning hand thrown pottery. We felt the colors of the glaze and terra cotta fit in perfectly.

Planning this shoot was so exciting! We are thrilled with the way it came together.

[dotted]

Photography: Christina Bernales Photography | Floral Design + Styling + Jewelry Design: Erin Ostreicher Designs | Makeup: Marieanne Souza of Flawless Cosmetic Design | Stationery + Menu Design: Christa Alexandra Designs | Pottery Serveware: Julia Paul Pottery | Model: Lulu Lovering | Venue: Burlington City Arts Gallery, Burlington, Vermont | Linens, Crochet Tablecloth, Dresses, Vases: Vintage Inspired Lifestyle Marketplace | Flutes, Glasses, Vases: Barge Canal Antiques | Gold-rimmed wine glasses: Twice Upon a Time | Antique Lace + Copper Thread (for feather head dress): Delectable Mountain | Feather Headdress: DIY by Christina Bernales

Vermont Rehearsal Dinner from Hendrickson Photography Weddings

We love a good wedding but behind all those celebrations are other amazing celebrations like showers and rehearsal dinners that so often get any airtime. Until today. This rehearsal dinner is laid back yet wholeheartedly elegant (kind of how I want my entire life to look. Think fire pits, a beautiful cabin overlooking the water and family and friends gathered in the backyard for yummy eats. It’s the makings of the perfect Vermont rehearsal dinner and Hendrickson Photography captured it all. Have a look at the full gallery for so much more.

Colors

Seasons

Riverside Farm Wedding from Wayne and Angela

Settings

Backyard

Styles

Casual Rustic

From Hendrickson Photography Weddings…This was a casual, yet elegant rehearsal dinner in Cornwall Vermont. The property had firelight walking paths, firepits, a pond with a cabin, a roving bluegrass band, specialty drinks (made from a french liqueur company that Curt owns) and lots of children. There was also a special romantic gift from Curt. He had secretly hired a photographer to capture their engagement in Central Park, NYC. Curt then had large banner prints made and they were hung behind the bar. Anne had no idea and until she showed up to view the setting – it was a great surprise and made a great story for the guests. It was stylish affair, with fly fishing boutonnieres and fall themed floral design. Anne is also a fashion editor in NYC.

[dotted]

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!

Colors

Seasons

Settings

Vermont Wedding + Honeymoon Films from Joel Serrato

Styles

DIY Inspired Romantic

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.

[dotted]

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here

Tara Keely

Fall 2016 Collection

Spring 2017 Collection

Fall 2017 Collection

Spring 2018 Collection

View All Collections

Now it wouldn’t be a Jose Villa day without showing off work of his wildly talented other half, mister Joel Serrato. He’s one of those guys who picks up a camera and turns anything he captures into film world gold. No joke. And since Joel was there to document Dani and Ryan’s perfect day, we thought we’d set aside some time to swoon the footage inside and out.

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/65754239?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=abcad4 600 338]

And just when I was totally certain today could not get any better, I stopped to watch their fabulous honeymoon film. That’s right, a perfectly packaged video of Dani and Ryan’s post-wedding trip to Africa. With a portable super 8 on hand, they shot the special moments for Joel to craft into a lifelong treasure. It’s an absolute keepsake every couple deserves and is a service now offered by Joel to his lovely clients. Seriously, best idea EVER.

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/65783670?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=abcad4 600 338]

[dotted]

Cinematography: Joel Serrato Films

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Photography

Jose Villa Photography

View Portfolio

Riverside Farm Vermont Wedding from Jose Villa

Shut the front door Jose Villa. This, this very wedding is one of the reasons I love Jose so much. It’s woven with breathtaking details shot in a way you can’t put words to, a way that Jose Villa knows all too well. It’s his trademark and when a wedding falls in our laps with details like these crafted by Moon Canyon Design + Foret Bespoke Floral + Sierra Knot and a couple so joyous you can’t help but smile, well it makes me love my dream job all the more fiercely. And if I’m being really honest, I want to steal that VW Bus and drive it around for the rest of my days. It’s a love bus in its cutest form. Have a look at the full gallery for so much more (plus the engagement and rehearsal dinner) and stay tuned because we have the wildly beautiful film behind the day coming up next!

Colors

Seasons

Settings

Vermont Rehearsal Dinner from Jose Villa

Styles

Rustic

From Moon Canyon Design… The ceremony took place in a remote area of the farm. We wanted the decor to enhance the guests journey down the overgrown walkways to this site. Vintage photos lined pathways to the ceremony which opened up to a dramatic branch arbor covered with wild hydrangea local to New England.

For the reception we took a more elegant approach to our farm focused design. A mix of Dramatic 3 foot tall arrangements and lower wide arrangements were overflowing with fall flowers. Including Passion Vine, Sunflowers and Dahlias these arrangements carried a softer more romantic color palette. Iron chandeliers holding hundreds of candles lit the airy barn creating an intimate ambiance that encompassed the warmth of the day.

[dotted]

I honestly want to be best friends with this couple. Not only is their engagement session through the roof adorable but their rehearsal that followed is far more gorgeous than most weddings we’ve come across. Plus they own a fab boutique in Boston called Flock; a must for all you Beantown dwellers. Told you they were awesome. And we get to journey full circle with them from engagement to rehearsal and right on through to their wedding today. If you think this is amazing, just wait until you see the BIG day. Utterly and completely beyond and captured in a way that only Jose Villa can capture. But first, we’re getting cozy with this easy, approachable Vermont dinner layered with jazzed up hay-bales, gourmet comfort food and fireside chats crafted by Moon Canyon Design + Foret Bespoke Floral + Sierra Knot. Oh and be sure to check out the full gallery. It’s a happy, happy place to be.

And now for the film from the ever lovely Joel Serrato. A match made in post heaven…

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/65761101?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=abcad4 600 338]

Colors

Seasons

Settings

Vermont Engagement Session from Jose Villa

Styles

Casual Rustic

From Moon Canyon Design… Initial inspiration for both the wedding and the welcome dinner came from New England fall and Riverside farm. At the welcome dinner we wanted the decor to embody the look of a fun farm wedding. Rustic farm tables, embellished craft paper place-mats and festive lighting helped us achieve this feel. Dani and Ryan wanted the welcome dinner to set a tone for conversation and camaraderie so we designed a space to foster this energy with family style dining tables filled with loosely arranged fall flowers and hay bail sectional seating throughout the grounds adorned with fun ditsy floral fabrics and bright, bold Zinnias.

[dotted]

If you’ve been a SMP reader for any length of time, you know we when it comes to Jose Villa, our love knows no bounds. It’s an unabashed, let’s grow old together, forever and ever kind of love that’s wrapped up in both his flawless work and treasured friendship. It’s the reason why we feel the need to have Jose celebrations on a regular basis and cleared today’s schedule to do just that. Kicking the party off with this gooorgeous e-sesh, we’ve planned an entire day of Jose starting right NOW.

Colors

Seasons

Outdoor Weddings Rustic Weddings

Settings

Styles

Vermont Garden Weding from Paper Antler

[dotted]

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Photography

Jose Villa Photography

View Portfolio

When you take the time to really peel back the layers of this gorgeous garden wedding, you’ll find a timeless love story and a handcrafted celebration. Set in the very same garden these two played in as children, it’s an “I do” that’s rich in natural beauty with a focus on family-driven details. Paper Antler was there to tell the story behind the camera and it’s all waiting right here.

Colors

Seasons

Settings

Garden Weddings

Styles

Vermont Wedding at Riverside Farm

From the Bride…I had always hoped to be married in our family friends’ garden, which happens to be in between my parents’ house and Jesse’s parents. Jesse and I grew up a few miles apart and played in the garden as kids but didn’t know each other until much later (I met him when I was 16, fell in insta-love without him knowing, and we didn’t meet again until 5 years later).

We wanted our wedding day to be fun and enjoyable for our guests, but also for us and our family. Delicious food was important; pulled pork, black bean burgers, corn bread, and raspberry salad were served with cupcakes for dessert. A local farm provided beautiful bouquets for me and my sister, boutonnieres for Jesse, his brother, my grampa and our dads, and wrist corsages for our moms. My dress, as well as my mom’s and my sister’s, were made by a lady in our town and my talented sister made my hair look beautiful!

My mom married us, and it felt like our families were part of our ceremony which meant so much. Our rehearsal dinner was made by Jesse’s mom who cooks the most delicious food, and Jesse’s dad expertly selected wine for us to serve. He also found the perfect shoes and tie for Jesse to wear. My dad found a wonderful old door in his workshop and turned it into a seating chart for our guests. He also constructed signs for us to post along the road, marked with “Sus & Jesse” by my mom. My mom also beautifully wrote out seating ‘tags’ for our guests, and addressed our invitations.

Having Michelle and Jonny, our photographers, there to be part of our day, was the other best decision! Even though we met the day before our wedding, it seemed like they were part of the celebration as our guests, as friends who happen to take the most beautiful pictures. When I look at our pictures from that amazing day, I am still in awe of how perfectly they captured it all. It turned out to be the most beautiful, amazing day and Jesse and I agree that it was just perfect.

[dotted]

Vermont is yummy. It’s all pretty landscape, fresh air, and an ambiance that just breathes. And through the lens of Dave Robbins Photography’s camera, it’s perfect. Especially when said lens is pointed at a wedding so elegant. TRUE Event was behind the soiree, so it’s no surprise that it’s amazing, but somehow I was still shocked at the utter hugeness of my smiles after spending time in the gallery. And as an extra treat, make sure to tune in tomorrow morning for the highlight film from this beautiful day thanks to Hello Super Studios!

Colors

Seasons

Settings

Woodstock, Vermont Wedding from Lauren Wells Events + Our Labor of Love

Styles

Classic Weddings Rustic

From the lovely bride … We had a vision of a venue where our guests could spend the greater part of the weekend together. A place naturally beautiful, but yet unexpected. Somewhere rustic, yet elegant. When we stepped foot on Riverside Farm in Pittsfield we knew it was the place – the ONLY place – to host the wedding we envisioned. Being the creative spirit that I am (code for detail obsessed), I loved (and at times was terrified) that the farm was a blank canvas. The barns provided “the rustic” backbone, but “the elegant” was up to our imaginations. Insert the most AMAZING and talented group of wedding vendors who helped bring every detail you see onto the farm, staged to perfection. Sarah True and Caitlin Campbell from TRUE Event took all the creative cues I threw their way and executed to perfection in partnership with Liz Cotter of Riverside, Nancy Murray from a Schoolhouse Garden, the team from Cloud 9 Catering … the list goes on and on…

The weekend kicked off with a Welcome Party complete with local food, local brews, a blue grass band, custom-made cornhole set and a s’more bar by the outdoor fire pit. We wanted night one to be casual so that our guests were wowed by how the farm could transform into an upscale, elegant and romatic venue for our wedding day with the appropriate vintage décor.

So onto the BIG day! What was most important to us was the way our guests felt. It breaks my heart to think that not every person will remember all the design touches, but our minister reminded us that the way a wedding makes you feel is what is remembered long after the last crumbs of wedding cake are swept off of the floor. We knew two things when we got started. 1. We wanted to embrace and blend with the natural surroundings 2. We wanted every last detail from the personal vows and carefully selected readings we shared during our ceremony to the ski-themed details peppered throughout the day to reflect who we are as a couple. Thanks to Emily Hostetler at Paper Moss and my friend Lauren Wiernasz for executing all the paper details that set the tone to perfection.

We wanted our guests to leave with warm hearts from sharing in the celebration of a couple so deeply in love. I wrote a poem for Don that I surprised him with during our ceremony and a quote from this was repeated on our cocktail napkins and was also made into a custom letterpress print I gave Don as a wedding gift. Guests signed an assortment of VT post cards that my mom has been sending us over the past few months – an amazing reminder of the continued love and support from our family and friends.

And the Anthropologie-inspired cocktail hour! From the murano glass chandeliers that hung over the custom-made bar to the vintage seating areas provided by Sassafras Vintage Rentals, guests could enjoy the foliage and sunset through the clear top tent. And the food, to die for! Cloud 9 Catering exceeded our expectations with local fall-inspired flavors. As guests transitioned into the Stonewall Barn for the reception, they found ski passes with vintage mountain prints strung between old wooden skis . The barn was breathtaking with a long kings table down the middle lit by an assortment of vintage crystal chandeliers above a stream of flowers and candles shimmering in mercury glass. The barn, thanks to Suzanne B. Lighting, had a warm, romantic amber glow.

Don and I danced to “Wagon Wheel,” a song we heard and fell in love with in the ski lodge one day during our beloved après ? Our band, Red Hook Orchestra was PHENOMINAL and guests ate, drank and danced the night away. Looking back, it all goes by so fast, which is why having an amazing photographer (Dave Robbins) and videographer (Megan from Hello Super Studios) are the best gift you can give to yourself. We keep our love for one another alive every day, but these mementos will remind us of the magic of the day we said “I Do” for the rest of our lives.

[dotted]

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here

Wedding Dresses

Anne Barge

Spring 2012

Fall 2012

Spring 2014

Fall 2013

Fall 2014 Couture

Fall 2014 Black Label

View All Collections

So by now you’ve probably fallen in love with these Woodstock sweeties, but let me assure you, the best is yet to come. Set at the coziest inn tucked away in Vermont, this wedding is everything I dream about when it comes to autumn in New England. And from their welcome bags filled with local faves, to the ceremony recessional to “Call Me Maybe,” this bride and groom made sure their day was filled with extra fun touches all along the way. Our Labor of Love, Lauren Wells Events, and The Painted Tulip pulled together to make it all possible, and I’m sure you’ll agree this wedding deserves a nice, long looksy in the full gallery right here.

Colors

Seasons

Settings

Styles

Vermont Rehearsal Dinner from Lauren Wells Events + Our Labor of Love

From the Bride…Nantucket and Vermont are our two favorite places, so when Matt proposed in Nantucket, we knew we would get married in Vermont! Fall being our favorite season, we planned an October celebration at the Woodstock Inn. All of our guests either stayed at the Inn or at other local B&Bs down Main Street, and it was amazing to take over the little town for a weekend and have everything in walking distance. Even the after party was right across the street!

Matt and I met in college, and we had been together for almost 6 years when we married. We wanted our day to represent us as a couple, and to be all about the love we share for one another, our friends, and our family. (And an epic dance party, of course!) We incorporated personal touches throughout the weekend: welcome bags were filled with our favorite (and meaningful) local treats; we served popovers with apple butter from Judie’s in Amherst (where we shared our first date); our first dance was to Songbird, sung by our family member, Ashley; during the ceremony, we had our parents stand and join us so we could say a “thank you” to the four people who taught us what marriage really means; Scrabble tiles spelled out certain words, reminiscent of the night we got engaged; books and maps scattered throughout showed our shared love of reading and travel… we even had our recessional to a string version of “Call Me Maybe,” an ode to when I never called Matt back in college, too scared to pick up the phone and talk to the boy I had a crush on!

We also share a love of crafting, and most of what you see was handmade by us (and our wonderful families) in our “wedding workshop.” We spent the year poking through antique shops, hunting for fallen birch trees, hand cutting confetti and creating everything we could dream of. We knew we wanted the decor to complement the Inn, not compete with it, so we tried to stick with a rustic, elegant vibe. My mom drew and designed our two logos, and those showed up throughout the day as well. All of the memories we made getting ready for the big day made the actual day all the more special. In the end, it truly was the best day ever. We would not have changed one thing!

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here

Wedding Dresses

Monique Lhuillier

Monique Lhuillier Bridal Fall 2015

Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids Fall 2015

Spring 2016

View All Collections

The night before my wedding, I was a crazy ball of nerves. So swept up in the excitement of day to come, the only thing that eased those bride-to-be jitters was being surrounded by all my nearest and dearest. Sharing stories and laughs across the table at a rehearsal dinner just like this one. And in the realm of pre-wedding parties, this Vermont affair planned by Lauren Wells Events pretty much rocks. With the look and feel of a casual BBQ, it seems like the best way to spend an evening before the big “I do.” Feel free to browse the full gallery of goodness from Our Labor of Love, and stay tuned for the gorgeous wedding day coming up next!

Colors

Seasons

Settings

Styles