So, I’m taking a little break from the fabulous/not-so-fabulous contest to share a wedding that I shot a couple of weeks ago in Vermont. Just a warning….if you’ve already booked your wedding somewhere else, you might not even want to look at this. You will run the risk of forgetting all your plans made and deposits paid and having a snowy, February Vermont wedding. You think I’m kidding?

Some of you might recognize the groom in this wedding, it is the very talented Mark Thomson who has been my associate photographer from time to time since 2006. I first met Mark, and his lovely bride Emily, when they were in their very first class together at NESOP, for which I was a teaching assistant. So, you can imagine that I was beyond honored when they asked me to photograph their wedding.

So……..a few detail shots to get us rolling…..I had to capture a few of all of Em’s hard work while there was still all this yummy window light..

The ceremony and the reception were both at The Inn at the Round Barn Farm, which was just lovely. Here's Mark, playing the part of the handsome groom pretty darn well.

Also, a slight disclaimer....there will be kind of a ridiculous number of images in this post. I couldn't help it!! Not only did Emily knock herself out with the handmade favors, escort cards, candles, wreath, etc, etc.........(she went a little crazy with etsy !) since they were both photographers they were totally up for doing all kinds of funky portraits together.

So, just so there’s NO confusion on how to spell her new name……..

Can you see the little bird in her bouquet? Adorable. It was a bird theme...and there were little touches and details like that all throughout the day.

I love this one with the snowshoes of Emily waiting to go out to the barn for the ceremony.

See what I mean? Don't you want to be a snow bride? Lovely!!!

Mark's father performed the ceremony, I love how he is looking at him here right before they start.

The actual ceremony was so sweet, they wrote their own vows. I can't remember most of it, but I'm pretty sure Mark promised to never criticize Emily's driving!

Married!

Because I am such a photo dork, I saw this old wedding portrait and wanted to recreate it with Emily and Mark. I didn't tell them what I was doing, but they were like "Um, yeah....we're photographers....we figured it out..."

Cool wallpaper in the bathroom? Bring it on!

So, now for some delicious candlelight detail shots! We'll start with this one....more on this later...

They really wanted their dog to be there...so they made him part of the cupcake topper!

And, I have to say, Mark had some pretty smooth moves out on the dance floor! I had no idea!

They set up a photo booth with Mark's camera...complete with props. It was a total crack-up watching everyone do it, and the pictures are hysterical!

So, pretty often....clients tell me that their friends are going to "get crazy" on the dance floor. So did Mark. Sure, Mark....whatever you say. Small wedding, cozy barn...how crazy are they going to get? Pretty crazy.

So, back to the blank canvas. This was their alternative to a guest book...they just asked each guest to add a stroke or two, and here's what they came up with! (at least by the time I left.....)

Congratulations!!! Thank you so much for choosing me to be your photographer. And thank you to Mother Nature for making the following day perfect snow conditions for my one and only day snowboarding of the season - what a way to cap it off!

Can't get enough? You can see these images and then some on this slideshow.

details, details, details….
ceremony music – Lisa Carlson
reception – The Inn at the Round Barn Farm

(more to come…)

**photos may be shared on facebook, etc. please do not crop out logo, and give credit back to this site whenever possible. photos may not be printed from this page, it’s stealing, and also, bad karma.**

Next up is a message from Krista….she said this time last year she was looking through the entries of my last contest and found them helpful! She has lots of “fab” things, but also talks about guest list & budget, which can be the not-so-fun party of wedding planning.

Fabulous:
• THE most fabulous thing about our wedding was not the ‘stuff’ that went into making it our day. It was the people who surrounded us that day. The best advice we got prior to the wedding, from several people, was to ‘take it all in.’ We are so glad we did. I can’t remember my vows word-for-word, but I do remember the feeling I had holding my husband’s hand and saying ‘this is the best!’
• Finding trustworthy vendors. It made our wedding a lot easier to have vendors who demonstrated that they were good at what they do. We could trust them and not worry about micromanaging what they were going to offer us on our wedding day. Referrals go along way on this note.
• Etsy!! was my savior in making our wedding ‘special’ and affordable. I got our cake topper, hair pieces, bridesmaid gifts, flower girl gifts, escort card accessories, and probably more on this site. Don’t be shy about asking a vendor you like to do something “custom” for you; I’m so glad I asked.

• Letting go of those ‘fabulous’ little ideas I had in the beginning that just added work at the end. If it starts to make the wedding planning process stressful its not worth it! (Your guests don’t notice as much as you hope they will – so they won’t miss it.)
• Potted plant centerpieces. Our guests loved them, most still have them (4 months later) and they were a huge cost savings.

• Going for it during the cake cutting. You do it once, put a napkin over your clothes and get a little cake on your face. It made great pictures and even better memories.

• Sticking together. When points of conflict would arise (and they will) talk it out w/your future spouse and compromise on what is really important. Its true when they say wedding planning is a good test of your marriage to come.
• Waiting to go on our honeymoon. We didn’t take our honeymoon until about 3 months after our wedding. It wasn’t planned that way on purpose, but I’m so glad we didn’t have to pack up and leave right after our wedding. We were exhausted. We took a couple days off and did some mini road-trips, but saved the big trip for later. It was also great to have something to look forward to.

Not-so:
• We learned the hard way that despite everyone telling you ‘Its your wedding’, its really not. Your parents have expectations too. Its important to have a heart-to-heart with both sets of parents before you start making grand plans for your big day.
• Feeling pressure to buy right then and there. I found my dress unexpectedly on a lunch break one day. I loved it and was made to feel like not buying it right away would mean risking not being able to get it at all. It broke my heart and my Mom’s that she wasn’t there when I bought my dress. In reality, you have time and spending time with loved ones is ten times more important than a dress.
• Getting specifics on the budget PRIOR to starting to plan. Approximate isn’t good enough in this case. Planning the budget stinks and creates LOTS of awkward conversations. Just do it. It will make the planning process much easier if everyone is clear about who’s signing up to pay for what (and what they are willing to pay).
• Its hard to do a guest list so far in advance. Think twice about sending save the dates 9 months in advance if you aren’t having a destination wedding. People you are close with could change.

Thanks Krista!!