From Alanna Scully Photography … There is something about a red barn that just makes me feel at home.  When that red barn is in Vermont and you’ve got a beautiful fall day, it’s even better.  I asked my photographer friends (who became husband and wife this summer!) Debbie and Jared Burns to model for me as I set up a stylized shoot at the gorgeous West Monitor Barn in Richmond, VT.

It was Columbus Day weekend, which was by far the three best days of fall weather I have ever seen in Vermont.  It was perfect shooting weather and the late afternoon light was breathtaking, as was my couple.  I asked Nicole D’Agata of the Painted Tulip in Waterbury to help out with some beautiful florals for our table and for our bride and groom, and the amazing staff at the Vermont Tent Company provided the rest of our set.  When I edited these pictures, I was reminded of how great love is and how nice it was to spend an afternoon with Debbie and Jared, a couple who isn’t afraid to show their affection and share their joy with the world.  Love like this, much like a red barn, can make you feel right at home.

Photography: Alanna Scully Photography / Venue: West Monitor Barn / Florals: The Painted Tulip / Hair & Makeup: Lisa Borg, Tilton & Company Hair Salon / Table number & Pie signs: Green Apple Paperie / Wedding Dress & Groom’s Suit: J.Crew / Rentals: Vermont Tent Company

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Post tags: Alanna Scully Photography, Barn Weddings, Barns, Birch, Bouquets, Candelabra, Centerpieces, Chalkboards, Fall Weddings, Farm Weddings, Green Apple Paperie, Inspiration Shoot, J. Crew, Lisa Borg, Photo Shoot, pies, Red Barns, Richmond, Rustic Chic, The Painted Tulip, Tilton & Company Hair Salon, Vermont, Vermont Tent Company, Wedding Flowers, West Monitor Barn
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Photo Shoot

As we approached our last year in medical school and began to apply for residency we were forced to think very seriously about our commitment to each other. We needed to decide whether it was worth it to apply for residency as a couple or risk not being in the same city.

In the midst of an incredibly hectic interview season, Jono suggested we get away for a weekend in Vermont. We drove up to his ski house near Mount Snow and he had arranged for dinner at a new restaurant. I suspected he was up to something, and asked if I should wear a dress – no ring…

The next morning he surprised me with skins that we could attach to our skis so that we could hike up the mountain. It was a beautiful morning and we set off up the Cascade Trail. Skiers in the lifts above shouted, ”You’re going the wrong way” but we loved the challenge. Just near the top, Jono had pulled ahead and was fixing his boot by the time I caught up. While down on one knee, he said the most beautiful words about our relationship and our future and pulled out a gorgeous ring from his ski jacket. I was jumping up and down, and of course, said yes. A ski patrol officer noticed the commotion and came over to ask if we were ok. I showed her the ring and we got our first congrats!

We drove back to NYC that evening and Jono suggested dinner at our favorite restaurant on the upper east side called Sfoglia. There, we were escorted to a hidden back door, up a flight of stairs, and into a private dining room filled with both of our families. Jono has pre-selected for all of our favorite dishes to be served family-style and as usual dinner was amazing. It was the perfect proposal from start to finish!

I remember when we were getting ready, the site coordinator came over to explain that it was raining and the lake was flooding the dock (the site for the cocktail hour). She explained that we could move the ceremony inside at the last minute, but the cocktail hour needed to be decided on earlier on. The room was quiet, as my parents, each of my 9 bridesmaids, and even the hair and make-up stylists stared at me, waiting for a decision. I remember feeling surprisingly calm, looking out over the lake, through the rain, and seeing a patch of clear skies heading in our direction. I knew exactly what Jono would want us to do… I decided to go ahead with everything outside as planned. Sure, I walked out in the rain, but we got the rainbow and the cocktail hour was beautiful. The rain started up again once we were in the tent and didn’t even affect the fireworks!

The ceremony was my favorite part of the day, I feel like I remember every second of it. I wasn’t sure how our interfaith ceremony would turn out (he is Jewish and I am Catholic), but our officiant did an amazing job of balancing our traditions and focusing on our love for one another and our families. She also met with us each individually beforehand to remind us to be present, and it really helped. A friend sung “Feels like home” during the ceremony, while the wedding party and our immediate family members passed around and each blessed our wedding rings. We stood holding each other, looking out over our guests and the beautiful surroundings and listening to our friend’s beautiful voice and the sweet lyrics; we really soaked in the moment and I will never forget feeling so happy and fortunate. It was incredibly special.

Another memorable part of the ceremony was the weather. It was crazy for those 40 minutes, we had rain, sun, wind… and best of all a double rainbow, just as the officiant had finished saying something about how couples who get married in bad weather can weather any storm! We felt so blessed that weekend, but the rainbow was like a sign from nature affirming our commitment.

Ceremony & Reception Location: Basin Harbor Club / Florist: Blomma Flicka Flowers / Photography: Orchard Cove Photography / Band: Sultans of Swing / Bride’s Dress: Sassi Holford / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: J.Crew / Hair: Erin McKenna / Makeup: Heather Garrow of Makeup Artists Guild / Invitations: Shindig Invites / Wedding Structure: Brian Gluck of Vermont Rustic Cedar / Rentals: Vermont Tent Company / Photobooth: Vermont Photo Booth Company

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Post tags: Autumn, Autumn Weddings, Basin Harbor Club, Blomma Flicka Flowers, Bowties, Cherries, Chuppah, Dogs, Erin McKenna, Fall, Fall Weddings, Heather Garrow, Interfaith Ceremony, J. Crew, Makeup Artists Guild, Orchard Cove Photography, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Weddings, Pumpkins, Rainbows, Sassi Holford, Shindig Invites, Sultans of Swing, Tented Receptions, Vermont, Vermont Photo Booth Company, Vermont Rustic Cedar, Vermont Tent Company, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography

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From Dreamlove Wedding Photography…Thanks for taking the time to look over this vintage-travel-inspired Vermont winter wedding. Shay incorporated all sorts of unique DIY details into her day, but she also incorporated some very old family traditions. She wore her great great grandmother’s gold bracelet, from 1847, and wrapped her gorgeous bouquet up with a vintage brooch from her grandmother. Shay also treated her bridesmaids like royalty! She gave them gorgeous silk robes and gave them each a vintage fur stole to keep warm during her brisk November wedding! Shay herself wore a vintage fur shoulder wrap and an adorable set of mittens! Seth proposed to Shay at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, so she also incorporated lots of French details into the decor. She decorated the chapel with live moss and twigs, and used vintage postcards for at the table names. Shay herself designed the seating cards as vintage-style luggage tags. To top off the evening, guests set wish lanterns into the night sky… it was so beautiful!

From The Bride…Seth proposed in Paris, at the Eiffel Tower, on my birthday. With such an amazing proposal, you’d think he’d planned it for months, but he decided to propose the week before while we were vacationing in Ireland with his family! He bought a simple band with a gold Celtic knot from a local goldsmith in Dingle, Ireland and of course, I said yes!

We decided on a fall wedding, my favorite season. November always brings warm feelings of family and friends, long walks in the crisp air and cozy afternoons warming by the fire. It seemed like the perfect time for a romantic, vintage wedding!  Even though we live in Colorado, both of our families are on the east coast so we decided on a “destination wedding” in Woodstock, Vermont – the quintessential quaint New England town, picture perfect, down to its covered bridges. Everything was within walking distance of the incredible Woodstock Inn, and their grand fireplace quickly became the spot to stop and chat with family and friends. 

We wanted our wedding to be elegant but rustic, vintage and romantic. It was so important to us to have the wedding truly be about our union and creating an evening for our closest family members and friends to celebrate. So, we created our own ceremony, wrote our own vows and had Seth’s brother officiate it for us. We had our guests bless our rings and after our unity candle, offer each other a sign of peace to bring the families together. The reception was held afterwards at The Woodstock Inn, decorated with old family photos, vintage elements and everything was accented with moss and candles. We ended the night sending up wish lanterns and watching them disappear into the starry night. 

Everything came together so fabulously with so much help from our fabulous family members and vendors. Anthologie Press did an unbelievable job creating our print materials and I can’t thank my parents enough for the endless crafting they did to bring this together. Dreamlove Photography documented our day more amazingly than I could have ever imagined and were such a breeze to work with.  It was a day we will never forget!

My advice to brides planning now… squeeze your fiancé and breathe. The day really will be worth it!

Rehearsal Dinner Venue: Simon Pearce / Ceremony Venue: The North Universalist Chapel / Reception Venue: The Woodstock Inn / Wedding Photography: Dreamlove Wedding Photography / Band: Sam Reid and the Riot Act / Floral Design: Valley Flower Company / Catering + Cake: The Woodstock Inn / Hair + Make-up: The Spa at The Woodstock Inn / All Paper Goods (Invitations, programs, escort cards, signage + stamps): Anthologie Press / Wedding Dress: J.Crew / Groom’s Suit: Brooks Brothers / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Bridesmaid Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar Loungerie / Fur Stoles: Vintage / Bride’s Fur Shoulder Wrap: Vintage / Bride’s Earrings + Bracelet: Vintage, borrowed / Bride’s Ring: Cartier / Groom’s Ring: havalazar / Calligraphy Stamp: Angelique Ink / Hankies: Sheri Angell Creations / Seating Cards: Anthologie Press

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Post tags: Angelique Ink, Anthologie Press, Brooks Brothers, Cartier, Dreamlove Wedding Photography, havalazar, J. Crew, Plum Pretty Sugar, Sam Reid and the Riot Act, Shay Ruggles, Sheri Angell Creations, Simon Pearce, The North Universalist Chapel, The Spa at The Woodstock Inn, The Woodstock Inn, Valley Flower Company, Vermont, Vintage, Woodstock
Post categories: The Blog, Vintage Chic

Up first in our pretty parade is a charming Vermont affair captured by Kingdom Wedding Photography.  If ever there was a wedding guaranteed to leave you smiling all.day.long, it would be this day of lovely, which is not only filled to the brim with grin-inducing moments, but a plethora of fabulous DIY details, as well, including those beautiful blooms and the yummy favors.  In fact, there isn’t a single moment of this gorgeous lakeside soiree that isn’t a complete labor of love by the stunning bride and groom… and I am seriously smitten with each and every one.  Click here for even more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Kingdom Wedding Photography… Molly & A.C. got married in an open field right next to Lake Willoughby in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. They selected this spot because Molly and her family used to spend their summer vacations at the lake; you can still see where they etched their names into the path leading up to the vacation cabin.

In the week leading up to their wedding, we literally got pummeled with rain, downpours, storms; roads were washed away, fields were soaked and flooded and things didn’t look too bright for their outdoor ceremony. However, the day of the wedding, it cleared (and more importantly DRIED) up.  All the details you see in the photos are DIY.  Molly hunted down the perfect pieces of fabric for the party favors (Vermont Maple Mustard – if you haven’t tried it, you’re truly missing out on something!), her cousin made all the flower arrangements and tablescapes and everything came together so beautifully.

Their dog was also their ring bearer and completely stole the show and was also a constant fixture in all family portraits.

Wedding Photography: Kingdom Wedding Photography / Catering: Vermont Catering Company / Event + Floral Design: DIY, Cousin of the Bride

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Post tags: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Kingdom Wedding Photography, Lake Willoughby, Northeast Kingdom, Vermont, Vermont Catering Company
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, The Blog

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From the Bride… Marrying in a church was most important to us. From the beginning, we felt strongly that the importance lay in the ceremony. It was the main reason why everyone was gathering to celebrate and we didn’t want to forget that.  So we carefully selected the music, readings and included our special unique touches that we felt would best represent us and the day. We felt like you couldn’t find a more beautiful and perfect church than one in New England.  Since we made many trips to Vermont while we dated we feel in love with the area and the old white steepled churches. We dreamed of a beautiful church with stained glass, candles, lots of flowers and even more love. We found that in The First Congregational Church of Manchester.  Not only did we find the perfect church we found the perfect venue at the Equinox Resort’s Ponds Pavilion. The venue was in the most idyllic setting and the way we felt walking down the berm to the venue was something we wanted our family and friends to experience too.

We are both outdoor nature lovers, so while we dated we made many trips to the Green Mountains of Vermont and fell in love with the state. We considered California where I grew up or New York/New Jersey where we met and where Kevin was from, but ultimately kept coming back to the idea of a destination weekend wedding since so many of our family and friends would already have to travel, why not make it in a place we both love and shared many wonderful weekends while we dated. We also wanted a small, intimate, casual but elegant wedding surrounded by nature. We knew having a wedding where we grew up would ultimately be hard to keep small.  Asking our guests to travel was asking a lot, but we knew since we wanted an intimate wedding our closest family and friends that would be able to make it was all that we wanted.  We decided since all of our guests were traveling to be a part of our special day we wanted it to be a weekend of events.  We really wanted our guests to fall in love with Vermont like we have.

Throughout our relationship traveling has been a passion of ours.   So we decided to go with a travel theme.  We started with our Save the Dates, carried it over to our invitations and throughout our reception details. Our escort cards were compasses, our guest book/table was vintage postcards from the places we traveled spread on a gorgeous table filled with travel pieces, vintage luggage, wedding pics of our grandparents, and our table numbers were the countries we visited with a little story about our travels to that country.  Since our heritages are different we incorporated this into our wedding by having a cookie table with Dutch Specula’s (made by the groom’s mom) and Mexican Wedding Cookie’s (made by one of the bridesmaids) for our guests to enjoy.  Our thank you cards will also be pictures of us holding “Thank You” signs in Spanish and Dutch. (Gracias and Dank U!) We are also big campers and love s’mores, so we made sure to have a s’mores bar for our guests to enjoy around the fire pit snuggling up in the blankets we had in baskets for our guests to take home. We truly feel like it was a magical weekend that we will never forget.

Wedding Photography: Carla Ten Eyck / Wedding Cinematography: Vintage Cinema by Jim Altieri / Flowers: Blomma Flicka / Officiant: Wayne Bell / Event Planning: Carrie Lane of Storied Events / Wedding Ceremony Location: The First Congregational Church / Wedding Reception Location: Equinox Resort, Pond Pavilion / DJ: Supersounds / Wedding Cake: Irene’s Cakes by Design / Wedding Dress: San Patrick / Hair Stylist: The Green Door Day Spa / Makeup: Christian Burran / Wedding Invitations & Paper Products: Lilah Paper / Linens: The Linen Shop by Occasions Catering / Calligraphy: Pretty Pen Jen

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 21 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Blomma Flicka, Carla Ten Eyck Photography, Carrie Lane, Equinox Resort, Irene's Cakes by Design, Orange, Peach, Pond Pavilion, Rainy Day Wedding, Red, Rustic Chic, San Patrick, The First Congregational Church, Umbrellas, Vermont, Vintage Cinema by Jim Altieri, VT, Wayne Bell
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

From Unique Weddings by Alexis … This wedding felt elegant without being stuffy. It was a classy, yet had a fun and inviting atmosphere for the guests. The couple really took care to build the wedding around the natural surrounds of Quechee, Vermont.

Elegance and care of the guests were top priorities for this couple and you could see this in all aspects of the wedding. The fun color scheme of bright orange was refreshing and unique compared to the more traditional autumn colors at many September weddings.

And it was the details which really made this event unforgettable! They had custom designed CD favors at each place setting, Vermont-themed hotel welcome baskets for all of their guests, wooden signage for the wedding throughout the town, chalkboard setting charts, popcorn machine and the cutest restroom amenity baskets in their luxurious executive trailers!

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Post tags: A to Z Cakes, Alternate Angles Photography, Blue Guava, Chalkboards, Color Palette Orange, Dave's Septic Service, horses, Junko Yoshioka, Katrina Hess, Lanterns, Quechee, Quechee Community Church, Rain of Shine Tent and Events Company, Rentals Unlimited, Ring Bearers, Sultans of Swing, Tent, The Quechee Club, Thread Bridesmaid, Unique Weddings by Alexis, Vermont, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers

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From the Bride…Ian and I first met and fell in love over food. For over three years, our relationship grew over cooking and creating great meals together, hosting and attending dinner parties, dining out, eating in and breaking bread with family and friends.  We wanted our wedding to be an extension of our lives at home together by creating a comfortable, intimate celebration of food, laughter and love.  We added as many DIY touches as possible to ensure this was truly a reflection of us and our families.  All the different elements of the wedding tied back to a simple play on words, “EAT. PLAY. LOVE.” which became the concept and essence of the entire wedding weekend.

All of the weekend’s events took place at Ian’s parents’ house in Vermont.  We wanted our guests to feel as though they were just coming over for a party, but the gardens, pond, trees and wild lupine growing in the fields might have also had something to do with it.  It is a very special place where Ian’s grandmother’s ashes rest and now three sets of family vows have been exchanged.  We couldn’t have imagined sharing such a special day anywhere else.

We weaved personal touches throughout the entire weekend.  We hosted a pre-wedding yoga session and a welcome BBQ the night before to include all our guests in lieu of a formal rehearsal dinner.  We honored both of our families’ backgrounds with a modern, multi-cultural ceremony. Friends of the family, including our officiant surprised our guests with a fun-filled fiddle session during cocktail hour and we kept the food coming, ending the festivities with a farewell breakfast on Sunday.  A table was set up under the chuppah during the ceremony to display objects in memory of each of our grandparents who passed away.  Ian and I designed our wedding rings and had them made by a friend of the family.   For favors, we gave out bottles of home-brewed beer that Ian and his cousin crafted and bottled in our kitchen in Philadelphia.  Ian’s father constructed the chuppah, wooden dinner tables and even the Japanese style tea house that Ian and I had the pleasure of staying in during our time in Vermont.  His mother, with a team of family and friends, arranged all the flowers for the wedding and played a huge part in helping to bring my entire vision to life.  Ian tediously hung picture frames over the welcome table by wire.  Family and friends pitched in throughout the week to get signs painted, ribbons tied, flags and lights hung, seating cards and programs made and everything in place.  It was a true family affair full of togetherness, good eats and good times and it was certainly a weekend that we will never forget!

Wedding Photography: Grazier Photography / Caterer: Let’s Pretend Catering / Bar Service: Fluid Bar Service / Tent Company: Sperry Tents / Linens, Chairs, China, Glassware: Rentals Unlimited / Invitations + Beer Label Design: Smith Letterpress / Ribbon: M&J Trimming / Wedding Dress: Romona Keveza / Bride’s Hair + Makeup: D.D. Nickel / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bridesmaid Dresses: J. Crew Wedding / Groomsmen Vests + Pants: J. Crew Wedding / DJ: Toner Sound – Brian Latocha / Lighting: Evention Productions – Rian Winther / Cocktail Hour Fiddle/Strings: George Ainley & Friends / Rings: Dana Chase / Lace Parasols: Lace-Parasols / Papel Picado: Mexican Sugar Skull / Popcorn Boxes: Good Things Wedding Favors / Glass Bottles, Paper Parasols: Luna Bazaar / Table Number Picture Frames and Glass Votives: IKEA / Flowers + Terrariums: Mother of the Groom / Wooden Guest Tables: Father of the Groom / Event Design: Bride / Frames, Vintage Bottles, Tins and Lace Doilies and Cloths: Antique

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Post tags: Badgley Mischka, D.D. Nickel, Dana Chase, Evention Productions, Fluid Bar Service, George Ainley & Friends, Good Things Wedding Favors, Grazier Photography, Ikea, JCrew, Lace-Parasols, Let's Pretend Catering, Luna Bazaar, M&J Trimming, Mexican Sugar Skull, Rentals Unlimited, Romona Keveza, Smith Letterpress, Sperry Tents, Toner Sound, Vermont, Vintage
Post categories: Casual Elegance

When we got engaged, Chris and I both had the same idea about our wedding – we wanted an event that would allow friends and family to spend a weekend together and have a blast! We selected Okemo Mountain Resort as our venue because it was the perfect location for everything (ceremony, reception, lodging, dining, and outdoor activities). We knew that we wanted our event to reflect the natural surroundings and our love of the mountains, but it was working with our vendors that really solidified our vision for the wedding.

We selected Emily Herzig as our florist because, after looking at her work, we knew she would do exactly what we needed; translate our vague cues on floral design into creative, beautiful flowers that perfectly reflected the setting and feel of our wedding.

Emily’s brightly colored flowers, natural barn box style centerpieces and naturally trailing floral designs served as a focal point, and perfectly highlighted the bridesmaids spiced wine dresses from J. Crew. As she always does, Meg McGovern Hamilton of Rodeo & Co. Photography, captured the day beautifully with her great eye and unique style. And the (literal) icing on the cake? A fondant embellished with lace that perfectly matched my dress by Irene’s Cakes by Design.

Our big weekend was everything that we hoped for. We spent 3 amazing nights with family and friends, soaked in all of the springtime beauty Vermont has to offer, and had a beautiful wedding that perfectly reflected our personalities.

Photography: Rodeo & Co. Photography / Flowers: Emily Herzig Floral Studio / Cake: Irene’s Cakes By Design / Event Design: Emily Herzig Floral Studio / Event Planning: Okemo Mountain Resort and Liz & Erin Shelton of An Affair To Remember / Ceremony Location: Okemo Mountian Resort / Reception Location: Okemo Mountain Resort / Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas / Bridesmaids: J. Crew

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: An Affair To Remember, Bouquets, boutonnieres, Centerpieces, Color Palette Purple. Flower Girls, Emily Herzig Floral Studio, Irene's Cakes by Design, J. Crew, Okemo Mountain Resort, Rodeo & Co. Photography, Vermont, Wedding Cake, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Paper Divas
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Flowers