Five weeks to a Fabulous Affair

I decided not to post anything from my wedding, but a few people have changed my mind. So here are the details. To start, you must know originally I was to be married in January 2006. We planned a large black tie affair in heart of Stowe, only to postpone the wedding five months prior to the date. My dress was no longer going to fit, as I was pregnant. Though walking down the aisle with the ever so in-the-moment belly bump was an option, it was not me.
Fast forward to three years later and we have the family, a home and live in a beautiful spot. Of course, not to disappoint family and friends, we were planning to tie the know sometime in 2010. Plans changed again. Suddenly, I found myself with five weeks to plan my wedding. In the end, this was a very romantic, unbelievable affair with our closest friends and family and we loved every minute of our wedding.

Location hunting was not a problem, it was more of a negotiation. I convinced my fiance to have the ceremony and reception at home. The second floor of our house was unfinished and was a large open space with huge windows and an expansive view. To me, this space was a blank canvas with room for thirty people, a lounge and bar. Perfect! On our lower lawn, we had a great little nook that could be charming, and a perfect place to wed.

Invitations were done immediately. We used a square, 100% cotton Italian paper, matching envelopes and had a calligrapher hand write each invitation using her home made walnut ink. Our guests were greeted in hotel rooms with personalized bags filled with local treats welcoming and thanking them for attending our celebration on such short notice.

On the day of our wedding, amidst vendors arriving and taking control of my home, my favorite stylist arrived for a bit of pampering and to do my hair and make up. As guests arrived, they were treated to hot cider and a bon fire. Snow graced the mountain days before the wedding and we wanted to make our guests feel as comfortable as possible. Before proceeding to our ceremony "chuppa", made of tree branches and suspended crystals, guests were encouraged to take a mini glass of wine to partcipate in the wine ceremony.

I found a dress off the rack, a Maggie Sottero, brought it to a great seamstress and we made it a floor length gown that I loved. I was realistic as well. A custom dress cannot be, in most cases, found in five weeks. I did find a vintage mink stole from Bergdorf Goodman at a local antique store - and a steal at $69.00! I also found vintage toe clips to adorn the plum shoes I insisted on wearing. However, I did wear suede boots down the aisle! I made the programs from silk ribbon, a vow book (we wrote our own vows) and we asked our beloved family members to offer words of wisdom. Following the ceremony, we led our friends and family up the white lantern lined driveway and into the reception space I created.


The once basic plywood stairs were painted a chocolate/plum color, with an alternating cream step and caramel walls. The entire space was draped with a heavy satin fabric to create the illusion of a tent. Without electricity we relied on candles for lighting and used a combination of battery operated pillars, along with tapers and votives to create a very romantic glow throughout the room. I wanted very warm fall colors and to accentuate the "stick season" of November. The floors and surrounding beams were painted the same chocolate/plum color as the stairs and we rented mahogany ballroom chairs to compliment the decor. White square plates, white floor length linens with silk taupe overlays completed the look. My friend and floral designer extraordinaire, Danika Johnson, created gorgeous arrangements for the tables.

We had a total of thirty guests, which enabled us to stock a full bar and to have our favorite wines and champagne. Our caterer was given carte blanche on creating a fabulous meal using product from local farms, with the exception of seafood. We enjoyed a cocktail hour filled with passed appeziters, a Vermont cheese display and a sushi board. Dinner consisted of a series of small plates including; a trio of baked oysters, greens with roasted pears and cumin vinaigrette, seared scallops, crispy bacon and a duet of sweet pea/sweet potato puree and a teriyaki marinated tenderloin with a shitake mango sauce. All the courses were plated on either white square or white rectagular plates for presentation. A friend and talented guitarist arrived during dinner and played quitely while we ate and conversed. We decided to waive the wedding cake option and go for my favorite dessert - truffles. Small crystal pedestals, filled with truffles and other bite size treats, were placed on each dining table and around the house in various locations. I may still do the big black tie affair one day, but for now, this wedding was perfect and more than anyone, including myself, expected.