From the Bride…

The proposal:
Adam surprised me with a birthday trip to Shenandoah in May 2013, complete with horseback riding and a fancy dinner. We ventured off a few weekends later for our adventure. I unsuspectingly enjoyed a day full of visits to Luray Caverns, horseback riding through the forest, and a hike to Dark Hollow Falls, a beautiful water fall nestled in the woods.

We sat at the waterfall for quite some time, waiting for the other people around to clear out. Every so often Adam said “Let’s just wait a little longer” and I started to suspect something might be up. Finally, after I took some photos for group that spent about 15 minutes there, we were alone. Adam – not wanting the moment to pass – immediately began to ask me to marry him, and dropped to one knee. I can’t remember anything he said, but answered with an definite “Yes!” The walk back up out of the forest felt like an eternity – we were giddy and both shaking a little from all of the excitement!

Wedding Inspiration:
We were inspired by the natural beauty of New Hampshire and natural, earthy elements. We started with the sailcloth tent and farm tables, and started adding in elements of things we liked – mercury glass, wood, moss, and candlelight. We tried to avoid the cliché interpretations of “country” and “rustic” and invented a special place and vibe all our own! We created a space for the wedding where none existed, literally mowing a field and creating a space in the woods for the event.

DIY Details:
We DIY-ed our wedding to every last detail we could. For the ceremony, we picked a beautiful natural clearing in the forest which we named the Wedding Grove. With the help of my parents, we built log benches from trees on the property, created a walking path complete with a simple bridge, and played up the beauty of the woods with lace pennants and mercury glass lanterns. The A&M letters were hand-made in Indonesia, where I (Michelle) spent four months of the engagement for a work assignment. The napkins for the reception were sewn by my mother. The decorations on the tables were given a mercury glass treatment by my mother, and helped create the eclectic assortment of decor we were looking for. We repurposed old dresser drawers as shelves at the entrance of the ceremony site, and built the bar from old potato crates. My mother baked the cakes – a vanilla cake with lemon French buttercream, and chocolate cake with mocha French buttercream.

NH and NC fusion/Special details:
We had a very unique wedding toast of Krupnikas, a Lithuanian spiced honey liqueur made in Durham, NC by The Brothers Vilgalys (the Best Man is one of the brothers!). Our guests loved the departure from champagne and were searching out more to drink all night! We also tried to fuse their Northern and Southern heritages in one of our signature cocktails – the Nor’easter – which included Southern bourbon and maple syrup! Guests sipped the cocktails through paper straws decorated with a birch tree motif.

It was many of our guests’ first time to New Hampshire so they found ways to introduce them to its beauty! We set up a stargazing station and luckily had a beautiful night for people to look up in amazement at the brightness of the stars in rural NH. We served apple cider donuts along with the cake – a delicious treat that the Adam first experienced during his first trip to visit me in NH.

Adam’s cufflinks were personalized with maps. One showed the place they met – Irbid, Jordan (during a study abroad archaeological excavation), and the second Alstead, NH – where they were married. We also both love exploring their ancestry. To bring this mutual hobby into our wedding, we named the tables after our ancestors and included fun facts that we know about them from research or family stories.

Photographer:  Erika Follansbee Photography / Floral Design: Lily Anderson (family friend) / Jewelry: BHLDN / Jewelry: CrystalAvenues / Etsy Designer: GillyFlowerGarters / Pre Ceremony Location: Halladay’s Harvest Barn Inn / Etsy Designer: KrumpetsDesigns / Tuxedo + Mens Attire: The Black Tux / Tuxedo and Mens Attire: The Tie Bar / Dress Designer: Watters / Bridesmaid Dresses: Weddington Way / Hair + Makeup: family friends Megan Zehr and Chelsey Croteau / Submitted via Two Bright Lights

From Blue Jar Events:

For this inspiration shoot, we wanted to create a romantic, soft, rustic winter wedding with a touch of vintage glam that offered an alternative to silvery, glittery winter weddings (which we also love). We were inspired by lavender and rosemary, and incorporated both throughout the shoot, from the overall color palette to the drink and menu selections to the invitation design. We love the symbolism behind both – lavender is a representation of peace and tranquility, while rosemary is often associated with love and remembrance.

Photography: Jennifer Bakos Photography / Event Design + Styling: Blue Jar Events / Venue: Antrim, New Hampshire / Invitation + Menu Design: Blue Jar Events / Flowers: Wholesale from FiftyFlowers.com / Macarons: ‘Cuz it’s Good / Dress: Faith by Karen Willis Holmes / Bridal Shop: Ceremony Boston / Hair + Makeup: Station 8 Salon / Bride’s Headpiece + Jewelry: Salmagundi Boston / Fur Stole + Muff: Vintage / Groom’s Jacket: 9tailors / Groom’s Hat, Tie, Pocket Scarf: Salmagundi Boston / Chalkboard Art: Cut.Paste.Love

Photos and styling by Newbury Photographs

Before the Ring:
It all began back in the summer of 2006 at a bar in Davis Square in Somerville, MA (where we now live!). We met, became friends, and about 3 months later something clicked and we realized we both wanted more than just friendship. And that turned out to be a very good decision!

The Proposal:
March 27th, 2011: I was in my final semester of grad school at the time and Nathan had just gotten back from a 10 day business trip. After a long day of thesis writing and studying, Nathan suggested we go out for a nice dinner since we hadn’t had time to relax and enjoy each other’s company since he had gotten back from his trip. So he took me to one of our favorite restaurants in Davis Square, Posto, and when dessert came out, so did the ring!

Photography: Casey Durgin Photography / Venue: Flag Hill Winery / Floral: Susanne’s Weddings / Dress: Allegria Bridal / Clutch: Etsy / Hair and Makeup: My Reis Salon / Mason Jars: Ebay / Cake: Jacques Pastries / Catering: Flag Hill Winery /DJ: Lori D.