Being from small towns in which our families grew up together, Jeff and I have known each other since we were young. We stained my Aunt & Uncle’s house together in our early teens, held jobs in high school that were right next door to each other, and were even in the same graduating class. After high school, our lives took us in separate directions; following a desire to travel, I found myself with friends in California. In 1995, the loss of my grandmother brought me back to VT. Although Jeff & I did not pursue anything beyond friendship at that time, he offered comfort & drove me back to my Grandfather’s house after the services. It meant a lot to me then and now means even more. You often hear people talking about how becoming more than friends could ruin a friendship; we say, “Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained”, look at us. I feel quite fortunate to be married to my lover & best friend.
Having hiked the entire Long Trail together in 2004, and building a house together in 2005, there was no doubt in either of our minds that we made a great team. Jeff had casually talked about getting married. I felt confident that a proposal would be coming at some point, but it was a complete surprise the day that it happened.
When Jeff and I first started spending larger quantities of time together, it was only as friends. We would hike up Elmore Mountain after work & talk about the things that were going on in our lives, work, friends, relationships, etc. Our hikes up Elmore became an almost every day occurrence. We both looked forward to meeting at the trailhead each afternoon. It was a wonderful opportunity for the two of us to get to know each other even better than before. It paved the way toward an understanding of what each of us expected from a relationship. We laugh about it now, but our hikes together are quite special to us and the conversations we had are priceless.
In April, I’d just returned from a 3-day seminar for Rotary. Jeff recommended that we take our dog, Oscar, for a hike up Elmore Mtn the following morning. Since we often hiked Elmore, I was not suspicious. When we reached the top of the mountain, Jeff got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. I was so overwhelmed with love and joy that I hugged him, laughed and cried. Of course I said, “Yes”!
The actual wedding ceremony was simple, just the way that we wanted it to be. Since Elmore Mountain is such as special place for us, we decided to get married there. Knowing that not all of our family members would be able to make the hike, we decided to have a private ceremony. It was the two of us, Oscar, Rob Gentle (our Justice of the Peace) and Orah Moore (our photographer). Heather, Rob and JP our friends, had given us a beautiful bouquet of flowers at our BBQ the night before our wedding. This worked perfectly as the bouquet for the top of the mountain. I’d purchased a second veil, just in case Oscar decided to share some of his mud with us. Jeff wore a white shirt & tie. It was perfect! The three of us (including Oscar), doing what helped create the foundation of our relationship ~ something that we loved doing together ~ being together and enjoying the outdoors.
They say that it’s good luck to have it rain on your wedding day. If that’s true, than Jeff & I are blessed to spend many lucky years together as husband and wife. The weather on the top of Elmore was lovely. A romantic fog rolled in and out over Lake Elmore. In the afternoon it rained extremely hard, making us grateful that we’d decided to do an indoor reception. Our wedding reception took place at the Town & Country Resort in Stowe, VT. The reception area looked beautiful when we arrived. We were fortunate to have family and friends who were willing to help with a variety of wedding tasks including: balloon decorations, party favors, picking up the flowers at the florists, greeting guests and having guests sign our wedding photo matte. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without them!
We each took on roles with our celebration to add our own special touch. Jeff took care of the party favors, which included personalized CDs with which my cousins helped. My personal touch was making our wedding cake. Knowing that everyone in our family had different preferences on cake, Jeff & I agreed on what we wanted for the various layers, which incorporated our immediate families favorites and gave our guests options.
My Grandpa Wescom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few months before our wedding. I hold dear to me our short dance together. The toast that we did as a couple ~ and even more special was the toast that Jeff did later in the evening that I knew nothing about. Watching the fog roll in and out over Lake Elmore as me stood at the top saying our vows. The vows that we wrote & the special touch that Rob added to our ceremony. Looking around the room at the Town & Country and seeing all of the important people in our lives & being grateful that they were there to celebrate with us. Each person added a special touch to our celebration and there are individual memories created for both Jeff & I that include each of them.
I’ve learned a lot through this experience. No matter how much you try to prepare for your wedding day, no matter how many things you do in advance, you need to be able to ask for assistance from friends & family. There will be last minute items and some things won’t go quite as planned. Just remember, they are all little things. The most important part is the union. It’s your day & it’s going to be what you make of it. Make it fun, add your personal touch, do the things that are important to both of you. Remember ~ You are making memories that will last a life time.
Ceremony.............................Elmore Mountain in Elmore, VT
Justice of the Peace..............Robert Gentle
Reception.............................Town & Country Resort in Stowe, VT
Center pieces........................Sharon Burns
Entertainment.....................Rumor Mill
Cake.....................................Bride
Hairstylist’s.........................Tilton & Company
Photographer ....................... Orah Moore Photography (www.haymakerpress.com)
Florist ............ Peck’s Flower Shop
(click_HERE_to_see_more_wonderful_floral_arrangements_by_Peck's_Flower_Shop)
Bridal Gown........................Fiori Bridal
Tuxedos................................Arthur’s Department Store
