Rustic Chic in Vermont

Lauren  & Harvey  |  June 24th  |  Stowe, Vermont

From the bride, Lauren:
Stowe has the mot beautiful scenery in the world! The air is clean and the mountains are beautiful. Everyone just relaxed the second they got there and got to enjoy a whole weekend away. So many of our guests have returned to Stowe  since our wedding because they loved it so much!

We had beautiful personalized welcome bags in a rustic cream stiff cotton for all our guests. Each bag included Vermont pure water, Vermont nut free chocolate bars, Vermont Cabot aged cheddar, a bag of Vermont specialty crackers and a small bottle of Robert Mondavi Wine.

My bridesmaids couldn’t decide on dress colors so I fired them all (in a nice way). They were actually happy they didn’t have to stand up through the ceremony or stress about the dresses. It was also way easier for me and for them. Everyone was much happier.

Our programs were a beautiful double-sided fan with a wood handle with small hearts carved in at the top. The program listed who was walking down the aisle, who was with us in spirit, the traditions of a Jewish wedding, a thank you to everyone for traveling to Vermont to celebrate with us and a note that a donation had been made in everyone’s name to the allergy and Crohn’s foundation.

Upon arrival, guests were greeted with a country style rustic lemonade stand. Our signature Vodka Pink Lemonade was served in mason jars with twine tied around the top with different tags with cute tag lines.

The ceremony was held outside on the terrace facing the spectacular Mt. Mansfield.

The ceremony was very special to us. It was really casual and relaxed and filled with lots of laughter and joy.  Saying I do to your soul mate with your loved ones around you in front of one of the most beautiful mountains is a moment we will never forget.

We had large torch candles along the curtain as you entered the reception.

The centerpieces were a cluster of flowers, jugs, wooden containers, and candles.

Our birch bark off-centered cake had the most beautiful handmade sugar flowers!

The reception was very casual and the focus was on drinking, eating amazing food, relaxing and just enjoying being together! It was just a fun party!

We served Ben and Jerry’s ice cream in mini personal containers and we had a sorbet stand served in cones. Both were served with personalized wooden mini spoons with our own personalized quotes on them.  We also had S’mores that were cooked outside at the fire pit.

We had a firework show just for our wedding. The first time we came to Stowe as a couple, we saw a firework show on the mountain and we really wanted to recreate this for our guests.

My advice: We planned our wedding in 4 months.  I did my research every morning and evening and I got a little bit done every day. There are so many resources at our fingertips. You don’t need years of planning in order to make it perfect. The most important thing is to find great people to work with that are creative and really understand your vision. They should be able to help guide you on the path to having your perfect dream wedding.

 

Lauren’s RECOMMENDED VENDORS

Photographer: Kathleen Landwehrle Photography.  Kathleen is so amazing. Calm, relaxed, creative. We really didn’t give Kathleen any directions and we couldn’t be happier with our pictures. She just knew exactly where to take us.

Venue & Food: Stowe Mountain Resort, Spruce Base Camp. The venue has incredibly high ceilings with the amazing wood beams. The floor to ceiling windows looking at the mountains within the circular room are jaw dropping! Lacy Walsh was amazing. We really wanted our wedding to just be a happy casual party where people could walk around and interact with each other and just have fun. Lacy was creative, patient, friendly and made everything easy. My whole family, including myself, are huge foodies! We really didn’t want typical wedding food or a sit down meal. The food was one of our biggest priorities and Chef Aaron was so great and used all market fresh ingredients as local as possible. The way they set up the serving stations with the chalkboards, wood planks, etc. made it so rustic and chic. They really understood our vision.

Florist: Nancy’s School House Garden.  Nancy is amazing at what she does. Our flowers and room décor was just out of this world. She understood exactly what I wanted. She was sensational and so easy to work with.

Cake: Vermont Sweet Tooth.  Marion was so sweet and thoughtful. Not only was the cake the most beautiful and special cake I have ever seen, but it was allergy free and so delicious!

Guest Lodging: Stowe Mountain Lodge. Sensationally amazing! The entire hotel is spectacular. The façade, the majestic lodge style lobby, the gorgeous rooms and the incredible service. One of the nicest hotels in the world! Also a 10 second walk to our venue.

Invitations, Programs, Welcome Bags, Drink Tags:  Andrea Abramovitch, Printcess Designs  //   Musicians: Vermont Symphony Orchestra, string trio.

Honeymoon Location:  Hawaii and L.A. –  Four Seasons, Maui  //  Fairmont Orchid, Big Island  //  Grand Hyatt, Kauia //  London Hotel, L.A