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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
October 15, 2005
Middlebury, VT
The historic Waybury Inn
It was the first happy hour for the new hires of the Pediatric Psychopharmacology Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in the summer of 2002 (my first ever happy hour), and all the eager young research assistants had ventured over to the notorious Beacon Hill Pub. Mr. Joel Grossbard, chair of office social activities, took the liberty of introducing the incoming class to the established veterans. Steph had been a research coordinator at MGH for 2 years. I later came to find out it was "He's too young for me!" at first sight for Steph, but I was smitten. As we stood by the jukebox discussing which Counting Crows song to pick, I surreptitiously scanned her ring finger, relieved to see it vacant. After failing to get either her last name, phone number, e-mail address, or any other contact information aside from the fact that she worked at MGH, I had to resort to gym stalking and clever social networking tactics to track her down again. The second “date” (a group dinner at a sushi restaurant in Coolidge Corner) took, however, and the rest is history.
November 7, 2004. I had just finished running the NYC Marathon (my first), with Steph at my side the final 12 miles. I had come a long way, but my journey had just begun. A volunteer removed the clip from my sneaker while another placed a medal around my neck. I made my way over to the baggage truck to collect my personal effects, and then searched for my cheering section. I heard my mom before I saw her; that trademark cheer etched into my brain from all of my soccer and baseball games while I was younger. I hugged my brother, best friend, aunt, and on down the line, thanking them all for their support. Then, while giving my dad a great big bear hug, my mom slipped the hardware to me behind his back. Just as she was about to get all upset about his lack of attention, I handed Steph the tiny present with a note on top that read "I have a question for you..." Steph noticed her mother was standing behind me with a huge smile on her face, which was quite a surprise since her mother was supposed to be in Vermont. As I handed the present to her and dropped to one knee (which is no small feat after having just run 26.2 miles), I said, "I never could have done this without you, and I never want to have to do anything without you ever again. Stephanie Renee Racette, will you marry me?" She said yes, and before we knew it there was a nor'easter of confetti pouring down all around us, some network camera man was filming, and a circle of complete strangers were all taking pictures!!
Many of my most memorable details are from the weeks and months leading up to the wedding. Life is much more enjoyable when you enjoy the journey as well as the destination. I remember going up to Vermont with Steph to meet her mom (Dye) and check out possible reception venues. The Waybury Inn was a possible rehearsal dinner site, but we thought they wouldn’t be able to handle a large reception (174 showed up).
Steph, Dye, and I joined Tracey (Waybury proprietor) in the pub to discuss our vision for a rehearsal dinner, but something happened along the way. As we presented our rough vision to Tracey over some mugs of hot apple cider and chocolate lava cake, we saw something in her that just felt right. Tracey had an infectious energy and a passion for food and good old-fashioned hospitality, the likes of which we had never seen. Most importantly, she shared our love affair with cheese.
We ended up having a resplendent Mexican fiesta themed rehearsal dinner at the Waybury, with an after party for over 100 people. Dave, our trusted bartender, made fantastic mojitos and margaritas as our guests broke open piñatas and snacked on nachos, sweet potato fries, and jalapeno poppers. The next day, the tent was transformed into an elegant country ballroom for the reception. We even had a sit down brunch on Sunday morning for all of our guests.
I remember the outstanding service of Bill Fuller (Middlebury Transit). “Just tell me where you need to be and we’ll make it happen,” Bill told me. No detail was overlooked, from coolers and flutes for the champagne to holding umbrellas for his passengers (oh yeah, it rained the entire week of our wedding). Bill was a pleasure as he whisked our wedding party all about town.
Then there were the exquisite floral creations of Randi Nonni (The Silver Toad). Her passion for her craft radiated from each of her creations. Her ability to extrapolate, from such meager grains of thought about what a person wants, such beautiful arrangements, is truly a unique gift. The apple basket centerpieces were the perfect blend of Vermont country charm and wedding day elegance. Steph's calla bouquet was absolutely breathtaking (though, not more so than she of course), and the hanging hydrangeas on the pews were just the perfect touch.
The reception dance floor was like the Green Line after a Sox game at Fenway thanks to the infectious energy of Robert Holmes and Love Bomb. I have never seen more people dance at a wedding than that night.
All of the most memorable details of our wedding weekend are safely tucked away in our wedding album set, thanks to the extraordinary work of Jordan Silverman. From the engagement photos on the shores of Lake Champlain, to the post-wedding photo shoot by Otter Creek, Jordan was fantastic. He worked carefully with us to capture the essence of our wedding, not just the traditional family portraits.
Find good people who love what they do and do it well, good things will follow. Use them and great things will follow. Once we found Tracey and gave her license to work her magic, the rest of the wedding planning was a cakewalk. She has surrounded herself with good people who share her passion, and the results are truly amazing.
Weddings involve a myriad of choices at every turn. Like Barry Schwartz says, the more choices you have, the harder it is to make a decision. If you are a maximizer, it’s even more difficult. The key is to know when good enough is good enough. My mom likes to call it “analysis paralysis”. Since neither of us had planned a wedding before, Steph and I entrusted a seasoned professional to help us navigate the sea of choices. Once we decided on the Waybury, we knew everything would be okay.
Tracey, Charlene (wedding coordinator), Donna (chef), and the rest of the staff do impeccable work and are a joy to be around. Three years later, Steph and I still receive compliments about the wonderful food, the beautiful and creative flowers, the awesome band, and just the overall relaxing and welcoming feel of the whole event. Our guests felt like they had all come to visit us at our house in Vermont for the weekend rather than trucking up for a party at a banquet hall. When you are at the Waybury, you are treated like family. Ever since our meeting with Tracey in the pub that first night, the Waybury has been a second home to us. We return at least once a year to reconnect with our family and friends, and to visit with our Waybury family.
Rehearsal Dinner/Reception/Caterer: The Waybury Inn -802-388-4015 - www.wayburyinn.com
Photographer: Jordan Silverman Photography - www.jordansilverman.com
Videography: Peregrine Productions (Vince Franke) – www.peregrineproductions.com
Flowers: The Silver Toad - www.silvertoad.com
Music: Love Bomb (Robert Holmes, lead singer)
Ceremony: Middlebury United Methodist Church
Transportation: Middlebury Transit - www.middleburytransit.com (Bill and Sara Fuller)
Tuxedos: Thread Connections – www.threadconnections.com
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. |
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 [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. |
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