We all hope for sunny skies when planning an outdoor wedding, but for Chelsea and Brian they had anything but ordinary weather. A dark and moody September sky rained on them just after saying “I do” (which they welcomed as a sign of good luck) and then during cocktail hour it cleared up and displayed a rainbow, later it presented a most beautiful pink and purple sunset over the Historic Barns of Nipmoose. It was an unforgettable day for everyone. The beautiful venue in New York’s upper Hudson River Valley with rolling hills and a grove of aspens, was the perfect setting for all the little rustic details; boutonnieres tied with twine, burlap banners, worn wood signs, and a fabulous tree slice cake stand. All the best to this outdoorsy couple! Read below for more details.

From the Bride…

Before the Ring:
I was standing at the elevator of our dorm building sophomore year in college headed to basketball practice when someone came up behind me and asked if I was on the team. I turned to see this handsome guy, and what happened during the next five minutes made me realize I had just met my future husband! We had so much to talk about our entire trip down the elevator together and out the building, but before I knew it we were parting ways and all I knew was his first name!

In the next month I found out we shared the same major (architecture), and realized we had a few mutual friends. Throughout the fall semester we bonded over basketball and other mutual interests and never looked back! Over the next six years our relationship grew through travel, love of the outdoors, and most importantly enjoying each other’s company.

The Proposal:
Brian proposed on a cold day in January with frozen yogurt to recreate the night of our first official date. We wanted to be married later that fall and quickly went to work on planning.  We were looking for an outdoor setting to recreate the scene of some of our favorite memories together. Finding an unconventional venue can be difficult but we quickly fell in love with the Historic Barns of Nipmoose after an Internet search yielded this site in rural New York.  It was the first and last venue we visited before choosing a location.  It was our perfectly rustic, off-the-beaten path outdoor venue, why go see anything else? Our architectural backgrounds were intrigued to support the restoration of agricultural structures through the Persistence Foundation, and we knew we wanted those rolling hills and grove of aspen trees as the backdrop of our ceremony! We couldn’t have pictured getting married anywhere else!

Details of the Day:
The day’s weather would only add to the unforgettable memories of our wedding day.  We enjoyed blue skies and white clouds during our “First Look” pictures prior to the ceremony. Our guests would receive a grand show of Mother Nature during the ceremony as black clouds rolled in behind us and rain started just after our “I do’s”! We were told rain was a sign of good luck and we would soon reap the benefits.  The weather cleared as our guests enjoyed cocktail hour within the barn’s shelter, making way for a double rainbow and bright orange sunset over the beautiful landscape. Absolutely stunning and perfect only scratches the surface of how we feel about our wedding day at Nipmoose!

Photographer: Christina Bernales Photography / Venue: Historic Nipmoose Barns / Florist: Nicole Campbell (friend of bride) / Caterer + Cake: Mazzone Catering (formerly Classe Catering)