Kate and Marty first connected over a work trip hosted at The Wilburton in Manchester, Vermont. Whether it was the welcoming charm of the inn or their dedication to their work within the local news, they were immediately inseparable. During their relationship, Kate and Marty would regularly visit Northshire for regular weekend getaways. Ultimately, they decided to purchase a house in Dorset and relocate their lives from Connecticut to Vermont. Without question, Kate and Marty utilized their wedding day to celebrate the beauty of Vermont and to amplify the ever-changing seasons of the place they first fell in love with. Hosted at The Wilburton, this historic inn honored the history of the area with sweeping mountain views and an eccentric “summer camp” feel for guests. Four long reception tables were designed to intentionally highlight each of the changing seasons of Vermont. To achieve this, each table was assigned a different season, a unique color palette, and its own decor and floral arrangements.
Kate selected vintage-style Vermont postcards to use as table numbers and even included seasonal poems set in each place setting. Kate wore a strapless wedding gown detailed with delicate vines, leaves, and wildflowers. The nude lining made for a soft contrast against the unique laces for an overall soft woodland feel. Accessories included a dainty beaded leaf necklace, a long flowing veil, and a bouquet of roses with outreaching greenery and ferns. Marty wore a soft neutral suit, evocative of the month of August, and mindful of coordinating with the tender feel of the afternoon. A beautifully elegant outdoor ceremony was held at the base of two grand trees. The couple gathered between pillars of white and peachy orange floral installations while the property offered no shortage of spectacular vantage points. Candles floated in fern-covered votives, while greenery was displayed from chandeliers. The couple even created a custom guest book titled “Seasons In Vermont,” which featured photos of the couple in each season. It made for a perfect keepsake signed by their guests and tied in beautifully with their poignant theme.
How did you meet?
Marty and I first connected during a work trip to Manchester, Vermont – at The Wilburton – in 2015. We became inseparable after that.
What is your proposal story?
Manchester and all of the Northshire became a regular weekend getaway for us after that. We loved everything about life there, which led to us start house-hunting in 2021. We took the leap, relocating from Connecticut to Dorset, Vermont, full-time that summer. We began building our dream life in this state. After buying our home and settling in, Marty proposed atop Haystack Mountain in North Pawlet on October 1, 2022. To us, The Wilburton was the only choice for our wedding venue, as it had played the ultimate role in our love story.
Tell us a little a bit about your wedding.
Vermont’s natural beauty – in every season. As we started planning I began thinking about how this celebration was a chance to share Vermont with our family and friends, many whom had never visiting before or were unsure about what we loved about living here. We wanted it to be a fully Vermont experience and The Wilburton provided that, with its sweeping mountain views, the “summer camp” feel of the property, the elegant wedding venue and marble dance floor, honoring the area’s history, and a big dose of eccentricity that we embrace in Vermont. Summer in this area is by far the most beautiful time and we celebrated that bounty – but I also gave a nod to the beauty of each season. With our four long reception tables I decided to make each represent a different “season” in Vermont. Each season has its own beauty and I wanted guests to experience that, even if they were just here for one weekend.
Tell us about your attire choices.
From the beginning, I knew I wanted a dress that connected back to natural beauty in some way, and made me think of Vermont. I found the perfect sheath-style dress by Calla Blanche. The gorgeous lace detailing includes delicate vines, wildflowers and leaves. The nude underlay of the dress also set this design off beautifully. I felt like an elegant woodland princess.
Marty wanted a great summer suit that was cool, tan and well fitted. McNeil and Reedy in Rutland helped us find the perfect suit. I showed them my dress and they helped Marty pick a tie that almost perfectly matched the detailing. We didn’t want too much color, so we kept his suit/tie in neutrals and it worked perfectly with my dress.
What was the most important to the two of you while planning?
Our florist Nancy Bishop ran with my idea of the four seasons at our four tables and outfitted each one so beautifully. I loved choosing and designing the seasonal poems at each place setting. It set a beautiful tone and the reverse side included a thank you note from us, as a couple. I also found vintage-style Vermont postcards for each season and included these as our table numbers.
Morning yoga on the lawn! Marty’s daughter, Abby, led the class first thing and it was a beautiful way to start the day. It was a misty morning and it burned off just as we started finished our practice, opening up the view.
Including a live guitarist for our ceremony set a beautiful tone and he played every request, including working with Marty’s other daughter, Elly, on a special song she performed for us during the ceremony.
The welcome bonfire and Hound Dogs food truck was a fun and festive welcome party. It was casual and felt like the most perfect summer experience. To go from that to an elegant wedding dinner the next night was perfect.
Not having a traditional wedding party. As a late-30s/almost 40 bride, I have been in many weddings but it didn’t feel right to have a big bridal party for us. As I am so close with my nieces and nephews, we made them our wedding party, along with Marty’s daughters, who walked him down the aisle. Mine and Marty’s friends were so happy to come and relax – and we did a quick “first look” with some of my girlfriends. It also made for a calmer wedding morning – and saved us time with photos!
An in memoriam table of loved ones who have passed. Sadly, both Marty and I have lost some beloved family members – including my father and Marty’s mother. Including and naming all these family members was important for us. We had a beautiful candlelit table with gold-framed photographs. We even included some beloved pets. It meant a lot to fellow family members and it felt like those family members were all there, celebrating and making the day so perfect.
What were your favorite parts of the day?
Our first dance. Marty and I had no ballroom dancing skills. We went for a lesson with Brigitte Hagerman at Mountain Community Arts in Londonderry – and she made us an incredible routine. It was so doable and was romantic to practice. Then, so exciting to perform it in front of everyone. It was a great moment!
Looking out my bridal suite window and seeing a team putting together our dream wedding together – it was surreal. The coordination at The Wilburton, provided by Meesha was impeccable. We didn’t have to worry about a thing and we enjoyed every moment.
We decided not to do a first look, so walking down the aisle to beautiful guitar music, seeing Marty and feeling those emotions was special and intense.
Elly’s song during the ceremony. She sang “Sweet Symphony” and it was incredible.
Please describe any DIY, handmade, or personal details.
As a Director of Communications/Marketing, I love the little details and making people feel welcome. I mentioned selecting and designing seasonal poems that were placed at each seat during the reception. I also designed our Guest Book, “Seasons in Vermont,” which featured photos of our life here, every time of year. It tied to our table theme and it is such a great keepsake.
Since we fell in love while both working in local news, I designed a little “front page” that I included in the welcome bags to guests. It also had important information like the overall schedule of the weekend. The other items in the welcome bags were things guests would need for a summer weekend in Vermont – all-natural bug spray, sunblock, water, maple candies, chips and Advil, of course.
I enjoyed designing other details – like naming and creating signage for our signature drinks. Mine was the Princess Bride (French 75) and we named Marty’s the Teetotaler’s Delight (Shirley temple) – because he doesn’t drink and it was a fun way to include that and be true to him.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?
Be as present as you can – especially during the ceremony. It’s your wedding day, enjoy it and feel all those emotions. As everyone says, ‘it goes by quickly,’ and you’ll want to remember everything.
It is your day but don’t get too wrapped up in your own experience when planning. We believe it’s important to think about your guests and family. If you put love into planning the details and thinking about the fun your guests should have – it comes back to you. We wanted to share this special weekend with our loved ones and they felt that – it’s still being talked about as the “best wedding ever.”