“Maggie & Chris – we’ve got to give them as much praise as we can. They got it 100% right. Their day was beautifully accentuated with amazing style and class, incredible Green Mountain beauty, super fun loving friends and family, intricate design and crowd moving live soul music. Every made to order customized detail stood out strong! Their rings, the clothes, a typewriter for personalized messages, super fun photo booth – you name it. Having this incredible day nestled at the Riverside Farm in Pittsfield was an obvious choice. They provided an incredible space full of eye pleasing places to photograph. School House Gardens provided their usual floral excellence, Occasions Catering did an incredible job making sure everyone was fed in style while My Little Cupcake perfectly sweetened up the whole deal. Grippo Funk Band melted the crowd all night long and right before leaving we witnessed a striking sparkler send off. Congrats on both your love AND your wedding day perfection Maggie & Chris!” – Ampersand Wedding Photography

“I’ve heard many brides say their day was a blur… but truly I remember each and every little moment, from the blessing my yoga instructor said during my morning practice to the final toast my husbands grandfather made at our after reception. One outstanding moment was my walk down the aisle to my husband to be.

I chose to walk alone because in my heart that was what felt best. I stayed calm and collected all day getting ready, but as the bridal procession began their walk my knees began knocking and the butterflies in my stomach began fluttering. The walk from the farmhouse, across the field, to the arbor where I was to meet Chris was a long walk (probably 2 1/2 minutes). As the last of my bridal party had left the farmhouse, my nerves settled and I felt an overwhelming calm. I’m ready to marry my man! The song I chose to walk alone to was “Bliss” by Phish, a sweet instrumental that always gives me chills. I began my entrance, I was fearless and excited. As I got closer where our friends and family were seated, Chris came to meet me, I took his arm, he told me I was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. We happily walked up the final leg of the aisle together, arm in arm. Nothing could have felt so right. BLISS

..from start to finish I created every detail from our handmade save the dates to the extra long sparkers we used for the send off. I wrote the entire ceremony and we each wrote our own vows. We designed our programs, menus, and lots of different kinds of signage from old painted fence posts, chalkboards and stencil stamped burlap. My mother-in-law helped me find a vintage typewriter for guests type out their advice and best wishes and I found photos of all 4 of our grandparents on their wedding day.  

My thoughts on DIY: Don’t try to do it all yourself if you have people who know you and understand your vision, delegate! Wedding planning is very stressful if you are doing it completely on your own like I did. Your wedding can still have a lot of character and reflect both of you without getting glue gun happy!

Old- I wore my Grandmother Ann’s wedding veil, however I had it refurbished. It was a lace edged, 2 tier, cathedral length veil from 1947. I had it cut to elbow length and found some gorgeous 1920’s style hair clips to attach it to my head.

New- I got a tattoo with my big sister, a couple weeks before my wedding day. It is a mantra written in Sanskrit on the inside of my right bicep.

Borrowed-  My ring! My husband had my engagement ring custom made. He recycled some of his mothers diamonds to create the perfect ring for me. A beautiful, ethically sourced Malawi Sapphire surrounded by diamonds borrowed from his mother. 

Blue-  My shoes! I am a petite 5’2 lady so I always can get away with wearing high heels to stand with my burly 6’5 husband. I found a super cute 1920’s style shoe in light blue they were about 4 inches and super comfortable. I had no problem in the grass or getting down on the dance floor. I wore them all night long. Happy feet!

1. Stay Calm and Trust the Universe.  (another mantra I continue to live by)

2. Whatever amount of time you have is enough. Work with what you’ve got! 

3. Try your best not to get overwhelmed, ask for help, talk it out. Everyone wants to help, sometimes they just don’t know how. Also talk to your vendors, I didn’t have a wedding planner but my vendors were more than happy to help me feel confident that things were going run smoothly on my wedding day.

4. Accept that there will be errors. I planned every little detail and all the big ones too from types of seating to linens to flowers, transportation, food, music, etc. Things get lost in the shuffle for sure and in the end it really didn’t matter.” – Maggie, the bride

photography: Ampersand Wedding Photography // venue: Riverside Farm, Pittsfield Vermont // dress: Claire Pettibone // bridesmaid dresses: Amsale // grooms suits: Alton Lane // ties: Tie Crafters // shoes: Allen Edmunds // groomsmen: Brooks Brothers “Gatsby Collection” // engagement ring: Lisa Linhart // wedding bands: Vanessa Lianne // favors: Vermont Maple Syrup from the Begin family sugarhouse, Pittsfield, VT (Trees were tapped less than a mile away from the venue!) // florist: A Schoolhouse Garden // cake: My Little Cupcake // invitations: Paper Source // band: Grippo Funk Band // caterer: Occasions Catering // hair: Cailyne Crowder // transportation: Gramps Shuttle Service