Come online with the celebration of your engagement and wedding events! Vermont Bride Magazine wants to show your photos online.
Vermont Bride Magazine has an extensive online web presence along active accounts at Facebook, Twitter and Blogspot. Write and upload your information using our online share page form
You may have a vision of how you want the overall event to go, but keep some flexibility in your plans. You never know when a great idea will hit you that you can incorporate. Also, it is a big day where there are a lot of players at work. Little things can get forgotten or go wrong. Don't let it bother you. By Sabrina (Sikora) Dommenge
Colors that you like to look at should be part of your physical space, table cloths, napkins, flowers, candles.
They bring family, friends, and favorite or special places together to celebrate their commitment and create a lasting memory. Care is given to the food, music, flowers, passages read to commemorate faith, and the pledge given to each other. Read More
August 16, 2008
at Sleepy Hollow Inn & Event Barn
Huntington, VT
Our story officially began in California, where I was born and raised and where Rob (a country boy from Vermont) was living and finishing college, in the fall of 2004. A friend/co-worker of mine was dating a friend of Rob’s so we were first introduced on a group night out. I noticed Rob right away and later found out he had been asking about me since that first night, but it wasn’t until Rob showed up at one of my after-hours work functions dressed fully in theme as a pirate (and serving as the ultimate entertainment) that I knew he was definitely worth pursuing. I was unable to resist Rob’s unique charm and sense of humor and we clicked instantly. We had our first date the very next weekend and it wasn’t long before we were inseparable.
After a little over two years together I moved with Rob to Vermont. Moving across country solidified our commitment to each other, but Rob had always made it clear it was important to him to have his career set before we considered marriage. In late July Rob was in the final stages of the Border Patrol hiring process (but had not yet received his letter of acceptance), when we made plans to have a little getaway to Stowe. Little did I know this was about to become our engagement weekend. One of our plans had been to hike Mt. Mansfield but weather reports called for showers all weekend. In order to beat the storm Rob picked me up right after work on Friday and seemed strangely insistent that we hit the road right away to do the hike that night.
We made it to Mt. Mansfield, where it was still beautiful as the storm held out, hopped on the last gondola, and then began the rest of the gorgeous hike together. When we approached the top Rob pulled out a tape-recorder and played a tape he had made of clips from a few of our favorite movies. It was incredibly sweet but I had no idea this was about to become the biggest of his not so uncommon romantic gestures. When we reached the very top, we took in the most breathtaking view (which we surprisingly had all to ourselves), he told me he had a snack for me & handed me a box of Cracker Jacks. As he knelt down as if to grab something else from his bag I tore the top off the Cracker Jack box and felt my heart jump as I saw a gorgeous diamond ring staring right up at me. I immediately looked down at Rob to find him on bended knee asking me to marry him!
It was not difficult for us to decide to have the wedding in Vermont, as I had fallen in love with the state since the first time Rob brought me out to visit, but it is a huge aspect of what made our wedding so memorable. This was the first trip to Vermont for the majority of our (rather large) wedding party, not to mention all of my family. It was wonderful for everyone to see the place we plan to eventually raise our family and call home. Our venue allowed the entire wedding party to stay up at the location for the weekend of the wedding, which was a lot of fun and made our wedding feel like an intimate affair. All the help we received from friends and family leading up to the wedding not only made our day possible but also all the more personal and memorable.
Looking back it seems impossible to capture the most memorable aspects of the day as it was everything combined that made it so special and amazing! Although, some of the memories I recall and treasure most include: the anticipation of seeing Rob for the first time as I came down the aisle, my mom and sister helping me into my dress with my closest friends standing by, hearing the beautiful speech my sister prepared, and my aunt telling me how much Rob reminded her of my late father and that he would be proud to be watching over us on that day. Above all what I recall most vividly was standing there exchanging my vows with Rob and seeing the look in his eyes when he read me the most touching words I’ve ever heard.
My advice to future brides would be to not become consumed by trying to plan every detail of the day. You can make your wedding unique and memorable simply by adding a few personal touches to fit your personality, all the rest are just insignificant details that most people won’t remember in a week. Since we had so many out-of-towners attending we wanted our wedding to reflect what we love most about Vermont, its down-home country charm. Everyone kept telling us how much fun they had at the wedding because everything was so relaxed and geared toward just having a good time. Additionally, I’d advise brides to relax and trust in their vendors. They are professionals and really do know what they are doing and will lead you through the process so all you have to worry about is enjoying the day.
Yet another piece of advice I have involves something I was originally against but was talked into doing a few days prior to the wedding, which was having a dollar dance. I was originally concerned with making people feel compelled to shell out money to us but it ended up being so much fun and one of the only chances we had to have one-on-one time with the majority of our guests. My last bit of advice would be to enjoy the process from beginning to end because it will likely be one of the most memorable years of your life. Don’t lose sight of what the day is really about and be thankful for everyone willing to share in it!
Floral: Claussen's Florist & Green House, 800-287-2361, www.claussens.com
Photographer: The Portrait Gallery, 800-286-4418,www.portraitgallery-vt.com
Wedding Cake: Angel's Cakes, 802-881-2218, www.angelscakes.biz
Wedding Gown: A Maggie Sottero design from, Needleman’s Bridal & Formal, 800-924-GOWN, www.needlemansbridal.com
Ceremony/Reception Site: Sleepy Hollow Inn & Event Barn, 802-434-2283, www.skisleepyhollow.com
Hair: Bridge Street Hair Inc, (802) 434-2220, Richmond, VT (Makeup by bride's sister)
Tuxedos: Mens Wearhouse, 802-879-1592, www.menswearhouse.com
Wedding Planning Resource: Vermont Bride Magazine (click here for your FREE copy of VT Bride! )
Jewelry: rings by Kay Jewelers
DJ: Eric Phelps of Sleepless Knights Entertainment
Musician: ceremony music performed by violinist Peter F. Miller of "Professor Fairbanks"
Favors: Homemade by sister of the groom
Catering: Robert Santini of Bayview Catering
Read these Vermont Bride Featured Love Stories online! Love Story: Kellie (Goessinger) & JJ Oliver. Read the Love Story online here. Photo by Stoilov Studios, Vermont. |
||
 [Above] Sara (Forest) Sokolowski. Read the wedding Love Story online. Photo by Polis Photography. |
 [Above] Vyna Phuong Le and Phu Van Truong. Read the wedding Love Story online. Photo by RaidenShine Photography. |
|
