Melanie and Max held their outdoor summer wedding ceremony  beneath a cloudless sky, surrounded by friends and family, framed by a floral filled arch and the gorgeous vistas at Maquam Barn & Winery in Vermont. Following a long-distance courtship, they were married and now reside in Vermont near the shores of Lake Champlain where their love story first began.

Thoughtful Details to Personalize the Wedding Day

Melanie and Max thoughtfully wove the story of their relationship throughout the details of their event. They share, “We did that in small ways like having our wedding planner, Lindsey Leichthammer, hand paint watercolor table numbers and place cards that had a peach theme as a nod to Max’s Georgia roots.”

We see another element of their story reflected in having their close friend Ryan officiate the ceremony. After all, Max and Melanie first met at Ryan’s wedding afterparty. Likewise, Ryan was there to capture photos of Max’s surprise engagement at Red Rocks Park overlooking the lake. Having played such an important role Ryan was the natural choice in what the couple describes as “a full circle moment.” Thus, he wed the two beneath a lush arbor of white hydrangea, blush pink chrysanthemum and champagne roses by Clayton Floral. The backdrop to such an opulent floral arch was an ocean of green bound by distant mountains, making the scene truly picture-perfect.

Those Georgia peaches would feature again beneath a lush hanging garland centerpiece, but visual details aren’t the only avenue to personalization. We can take yet another page from Max and Melanie’s planning playbook. The couple recounts, “we made the decision early on to have both of our parents walk us down the aisle. That was a very special moment to all of us.” The takeaway is: don’t be afraid to break from tradition to incorporate elements you find meaningful.

A Private Vow Reading under a Lush Floral Arbor

Additionally, they share that, “Hands down the best part of our wedding day was when we did a first look and a private vow reading. We both wanted to share our feelings on the deepest level and we knew that we wanted it to just be the two of us to experience that moment.” A private vow exchange offers the opportunity for the wedding couple to connect in whatever way they like best. 

“Throughout our relationship, near or far, we knew that we were meant to be together and the short term inconvenience of not living near each other would be worth it.” Now, Melanie and Max are back in Vermont where it all started late one night on Burlington’s Church Street. They share, “Funny enough, our first photo together is with 30 of our friends dressed up in Wild West clothes.”

You may recognize this wedding from Stowe Weddings & Green Mountain Weddings Magazine, Vermont Weddings and Max from his professional downhill bike career.

I’m so grateful to have been able to photograph Max and Melanie’s gorgeous wedding day. To have me capture your big day or any of the special moments along the way please get in touch!

Vendors:

Planning: Lindsey Leichthammer  // Venue: Maquam Barn & Winery // Food: Cloud 9 Caterers // Bar: Maquam Barn & Winery // Rentals: VT Tent // Chickadee Hill // Officiant: Ryan Bent // Music: Men in Black // Photography: Julia Luckett Photography // Videography: Todd Stoilov Still & Motion // Floral: Clayton Floral // Makeup: Mirror Mirror // Hair: AshleyM Colorist // Transport: Mountain Transit // Cake and Dessert: Sweet Simones // Ben & Jerry’s