Chaipel & Mitch married on a beautiful fall day in September in New Haven, Vermont. You might recognize this location from Sarah & Tom’s Edelweiss-Inspired Wedding. Chaipel & Mitch are close friends with the home owners and when they offered up their property for the wedding, it seemed like the perfect spot to tie the knot!
“We chose our beautiful venue in New Haven, VT because Mitch grew up in Montpelier, VT and much of his family still lives in the area and I also have ties to VT having worked for VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations for many years. Our friends were gracious enough to allow us to be married on their property and have our reception at their quintessential VT barn. We couldn’t have imagined a more beautiful setting than VT in September.”
Once was in her Vera Wang gown, her family presented her with two special items for her to have on her wedding day.
“The handkerchief is a tradition in my family. It was something my mother held at her wedding in 1956 and then both of my sisters held it at their weddings, Anne in 1996 and Kate in 1999, and now me in 2018. One day I imagine passing that tradition down to my nieces.”
The second item was her father’s wedding ring.
“My father David passed away in August of 2016. In the spring of 2016, Mitch had a conversation with my dad about marrying me, so he knew that was our future before he died. We think of him every day and he would have loved to be at our wedding. My sister and mother surprised me with the idea of having me use his wedding ring on a chain as my something borrowed. My mother has worn his ring that way since we lost him (they were married for 60 years) and it was a special way to include him in our day. “
Meanwhile, Mitch’s wedding party made sure he was looking dapper for the ceremony.
“We wanted our wedding to be small and personal, and all about family. Mitch built the arbor we were married under from wood from the property in Westmoreland. We had so many family members participate: Mitch’s brother Bob married us, his brother Ed was a groomsman, and his nephew Dan was his best man. My sisters Anne and Kate were my bridesmaids and readings were done by Mitch’s daughters, Ivy and Fallon and my nieces Dorothy, Violet, and Claire. Our cake was made by Mitch’s niece Kate and our band was headed up by his nephew Chris. Lastly, my nephew Will walked me down the aisle and to top it all off our labradoodle Finn was our ring bearer!
The most emotional moments of the day were when Mitch and I first saw each other when I walked down the aisle. It was a moment we had been dreaming about for a long time.”
The reception was full of Italian and Scottish inspired touches.
“We had been on a walking vacation to the Amalfi Coast in 2016 and loved it so much we added a few Italian touches to our flower displays including lemons and Italian wooden wine crates, and we had our reception catered by Woodbelly Pizza out of Montpelier, who does mobile wood-fired pizza oven pizzas. It was a huge hit!
The flowers were really important to me and we used a local florist, New Leaf Organics, who did an absolutely amazing job. The flowers were all grown locally and we included lots of lavender and Scottish thistle, since my husband’s dad was very proud of his Scottish heritage. As a surprise for Mitch, I also had a local award-winning bagpiper play the recessional music at our ceremony and during cocktail hour!
Mitch and I also included photos of our dads at our reception. Both were in the Navy so we had one for of each of them from that time back in the 1950s and one photo of them doing something they love. Mitch’s dad was holding a fish he caught in Lake Champlain, a place that holds many happy memories for Mitch and my dad was eating oysters in Wellfleet on Cape Cod, a place that holds a special place in my family’s heart.
The wedding favors were hand etched wine glasses (over 75) with the word Amore, made by Mitch. Inside were chocolate mice from Burdick’s Chocolate in Walpole, NH, a favorite place of my dad’s and somewhere he often brought my nieces and nephew so happy memories for them as well.
The slate used for our signage was from my parents home in Westmoreland, NH where my sisters and I grew up and my parents lived for over 45 years.”
“Our wedding photos beautifully captured our day. Julia is an amazing photographer who is a master of her craft. She really took time to get to know us and asked questions in the days/weeks/months leading up to our wedding to make sure she understood all the details, logistics, and our vision. The day of she was thoroughly engaged and provided a calm and comfortable environment in all the wedding craziness. Ultimately she was able to take natural, candid images in the moment that perfectly reflected our day and all that’s important to us. We LOVED working with Julia and would highly recommend her!”
A highlight for me was when Mitch’s best friend Dan presented the couple with an entire lobster dinner as a punchline to his toast. “They know us so well and their words were so heart felt, it was a special moment that we will always remember. We felt so loved surrounded by our family and friends.”
I asked Chaipel & Mitch what advice they have for other couples planning a wedding.
“I would say to focus on a couple of things that mean a lot to you, for us it was flowers, food and photography, and make sure you work with companies/people that you truly have a connection with and trust with your vision and then stand back and let them do what they do best. At a certain point you also need to just roll with whatever happens. Everything works out in the end!”
Wedding Coordinator: Et Cetera Event Company // Florist: New Leaf Organics // Catering & Bar: Woodbelly // Chocolates: L.A. Burdicks // Band: Natural Selection // Chaipel’s Rings: Attleboro Jewelers // Earrings: Anne Sportun // Dress Designer: Vera Wang // Shoes: Kate Spade // Hair & Make Up: Capriccio Salon & Spa // Bridesmaids: David’s Bridal // Mitch’s Ring: Larson Jewelers // Groom Suit: Ralph Lauren // Groom Tie: Calvin Klein // Groom Shoes: Banana Republic // Groomsmen: Ralph Lauren
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