Love Story: Jennifer (Hough) and Tony Duda

July 31, 2010 Edson Hill Manor, Stowe, VT

Primary vendors for this wedding event:

Larry AsamPhotography
www.lasamphoto.com

Edson Hill Manor
www.edsonhillmanor.com

Peak Entertainment
www.peakdj.com

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...That afternoon, as we floated inside inner tubes together, he reached across to grasp my hand while I laughed. In that moment, we connected...

How they met:

We were two complete strangers; they were two determined match makers, when does that ever go right?
It was the first of July, and we all found ourselves at the Rusty Nail in downtown Stowe, VT. I was there with some friends, and had just received my drink when I saw them approach our table out of the corner of my eye.

They were arguing about Michael Moore’s newest film, they appeared to be a couple, and I had never seen them, when the female, blonde and about my age, turned to me and said, “What do you think, about the film?” Unbeknownst to me, they were scheming something, and I had just taken the bait. I engaged them in conversation, when a third party approached the table. They introduced him as Tony, he introduced himself as a tennis instructor. This was ironic and unfortunate for him, as I had already been approached by another such “tennis pro” that evening. Consequently, “Tony” did not find me too kind, nor did I find Tony too interesting.

What I did not realize was that Tony’s friends Jennifer and Kevin were on a mission and would stop at nothing. When Jennifer discovered I was a teacher, they knew they’d struck gold. Jennifer worked in the schools as well she said and we should get together. Could she have my phone number?

The next morning, I awoke to a message on my cell phone. It was Tony asking did I want to go boating on Lake Champlain with him. I partly realized I’d been duped and Jennifer had given him my number, but I accepted, mostly out of intrigue. Hours later, I found myself on Lake Champlain with Tony and his friend Kevin trying to start his friend Mike’s boat. The fact that the boat wasn’t his, that it had inches of rain in the bottom to bail out, and that we amused ourselves instead with the paddle boat made the afternoon magical. That afternoon, as we floated inside inner tubes together, he reached across to grasp my hand while I laughed. In that moment, we connected, to Kevin’s secret delight.

[See the image to the left enlarged]

Our Engagement:

Four years later, we were living in St. Petersburg, FL. It was a Saturday, and I was taking a major exam that day. I called Tony when I left the test site and explained I wasn’t sure if I had passed, “It could go either way,” I said. He asked if I would still like to go to the beach later like we had planned. “Sure,” I said, “right after a nap.” When I awoke, Tony reminded me we would get some dinner after sunset, so I got ready. We left a half an hour or so before sunset, headed towards Clearwater Beach.

We parked and padded out on the sand, sandals in hand. We stopped to look at the sunset and Tony, standing behind me with his arms around my waist, said with emotion in his voice: “You know you’re my best friend.” When I turned to him, he went down on one knee… after we established we were now fiancés, we stopped a couple to take a photo; Tony had remembered the camera. When it was discovered our batteries were dead, the two demanded their teenaged daughter hand over hers from her camera. “They need them more,” her father said. We laugh about it still.

The Planning:

When it came to planning our big day there were a few elements that were important to us, besides the fact that we celebrate in Vermont. First, we had to decide on a venue. We decided that since our guests were traveling so far already, it was important to find a venue to hold the ceremony and the reception in one place and that in addition the site had great views for guests and photographs. Our research took us to Edson Hill Manor in Stowe. Edson Hill has the feel of a private mansion. The manor is set up off a meandering dirt road surrounded by quiet, a horse farm, and a private lake. The grounds are impeccable, with rolling green spaces, a meadow, gardens, and most importantly a “weather weapon,” a large white tent complete with rustic stone flooring. Meeting Billy O’Neil, the owner and proprietor, clinched the decision for me. He was knowledgeable and professional and explained his planning services were included with the booking. I still say that our wedding at Edson Hill exceeded my expectations. The food was amazing: from the grilled salmon, to the tender roast beef, and the setting was both majestic and romantic. The slate dance floor surrounded by blooming flowers in the summer and lit with tiny white lights was just enchanting that night.

The natural beauty of Vermont in the summer is such that I realized when it came to the flowers, I wanted arrangements that complimented the environment, without competing with it. I also knew that I didn’t want traditional flowers like roses in the bouquets or on the tables. I had envisioned flowers you might find in a cottage garden. Juliet O’Neil, Billy’s wife, brought my vision to life.

For the ceremony she offered a larger copper stand to fit two large hanging plants and she arranged bunches of white hydrangea with moss to mark the chairs. This lent just the right amount of romance to the ceremony. For the tables she designed arrangements that mimicked my bouquet, a selection of purple and white sweet pea, lisianthus, lavender and hydrangea with scented geranium leaves all snug in antique looking moss pots.

It was equally important to us that we find a talented photographer to capture our special day for us. Local referrals led us to Larry Asam. I met Larry at his home in Waterbury, and after being in his house for only minutes and looking at his photographs, personal and professional, I felt completely at ease and inspired to hire him.

Our guests haven’t stopped talking about how beautiful the pictures are, and how easy he and his wife Kim were to work with.
What took the cake-literally, WAS the cake! Again, local referrals led me to Michelle Hines, of The Cakery, located in Jamie’s on Main in Stowe. Michelle’s cake (a carrot cake with white chocolate cream cheese icing) was so delicious, that even self-proclaimed “carrot cake haters” devoured every last morsel (to their date’s chagrin).

Memorable Moments:

We had a special guest book-box with cards inside for guests to write special wishes that we plan to read on our 10-year anniversary.

Our Justice of the Peace, Mitzi Speer, gave us such an incredibly unique ceremony that fit our personalities. Guests complimented us, saying it was the “perfect length” and “so original.” She really cared that the day felt like ours.

Our friends Sam and Laura Henderson drove all the way from Florida to celebrate our big day with us, and to sing our first dance song for us: “You’ll Accompany Me” by Bob Seger. They were accompanied by our friend Ken Defoor on the guitar. It was a moment we will never forget.

Billy O’Neil was generous enough to allow our party access to the downstairs bar and patio area for our after-party. It was wonderful for us that we could continue to celebrate even after the D.J. had stopped playing.

Advice for Future Brides:

Definitely plan in advance! Tony and I took care to tackle most of the details BEFORE the week of the wedding, so that we could enjoy our time with everyone in Vermont and relax!
We even had a memorable “lake day” on Lake Champlain where we gathered with friends that we hadn’t seen in years.

Also, be sure to choose competent vendors, chances are, everything will not go as planned on your big day, but you can prevent mishaps by choosing vendors you are confident can get the job done the way you want it, and sometimes spending more is worth it to ensure your piece of mind. Billy O’Neil, Larry Asam, and Michelle Hines are three vendors I would confidently recommend to even the most discriminating bride.

The End:

For Tony and me, our story came full circle when we found ourselves in Stowe, VT, on July 31st, 2010, listening to our best man, Kevin, engage the crowd with the story of how we first met, of how he and Jennifer conspired to bring us together that one night at The Rusty Nail.

The same story even I hadn’t learned...until Tony and I were together three years! We met in Vermont as strangers, and despite match making odds, six years later, in the town where we first met, were pronounced husband and wife.

[See an enlarged wedding photo from the Edson Hill Manor grounds, photo by Larry Asam Photography]

Read more love stories online here.

 

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