Author Archives: Kathryn

Mighty Mini Music Maven

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Generally I tend to focus on the part of a wedding where I’m doing a lot of the talking and the couple is busy getting wed to each other.  But sometimes, other bits of enchantment catch my attention, and this photo is a beautiful illustration of just such a moment.

We were at Mills Riverside Park in Jericho, Vermont waiting for Ethan and Alicia to arrive. Well, actually, Ethan was already there. We were really waiting for Alicia to arrive. But I never like to blame the bride.

Anyway, the band played for a while before things got rolling, with a lovely set that included some of my favorite Sing-along-ables, including One Love, One Heart and Here Comes the Sun.

Much as I was enjoying the concert, this little guy was utterly into it.  He stood there, as documented in this photo, staring at the musicians, for a good 20 minutes until his mom had to pick him up because Alicia was about to walk down the aisle.

I would give a serious chunk of change to be able to travel into the future and see whether or not this micro-dude becomes a rock star.

Until Bananas Turn To Ink

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A wedding should be a celebration that fits the people getting married and you really helped us achieve that. It has been a joy working with you. Â - Deanna and Guy

Guy and Deanna came all the way from St. Louis to get married at a rented farmhouse in beautiful Craftsbury, Vermont.  They had about 10 friends and family there with them, and we did the ceremony out underneath a couple of old apple trees called “The Married Couple” by the owners of the farmhouse.

At the end of the ceremony, Deanna and Guy handed out little books called Until Bananas Turn To Ink.  It’s a love poem written by William M. Perry for his wife and runs along the lines of:

Until bananas turn to ink
I’ll keep you in my heart.
Till helium begins to sink
I’ll hope we never part.
Until pillows grow on trees
And the ocean turns to glue
And polar bears raise honeybees
I always will love you.

It’s very sweet and whimsical, and the entire assembled gang read it out loud, each person taking a line.  It was a terrific moment of easy group participation, and highly recommended for anyone looking to get their wedding guests more involved in the ceremony.

Rock Star Princess

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"You helped make our wedding amazing! thank you for your professionalism and great attitude. your vows were perfect! Oh, and thank you for calling me a rock star princess- my friends thought I planned that!" - Tamsn

I hadn’t met Tamsn and Renny in person before the wedding, but once I got to the ceremony site at beautiful Button Bay State Park, and found Renny setting up the ceremony site himself, I immediately liked him.

Tamsn I met when she came down the isle – by herself – looking like she’d just won an Oscar, but was trying to play it cool.  She had on this strapless, bell-shaped fairy dress and long rhinestone earrings with stars on the ends.  Totally endearing and scrumptious!

So when I got to the part of the vows where I ask each partner if they’re ready to marry the other, I referred to Tamsn as a “rock star princess.”

Apparently it went over pretty well.

Midnight At The Treehouse

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“We want to thank you again so much for everything Kathryn. Marriage is amazing and you helped us to make it all happen.”

Dee and Shannon met on line in 2nd Life, and managed to translate their romance to the Real World (although it took Shannon 3 solid months of asking Dee out before she finally said yes).

They’d originally contacted me about getting married next summer, but decided at the last minute that it was time to get married NOW!  So they piled themselves and their dog into their car, and drove 17 hours from Indiana to Burlington.

Their big goal was to get married at midnight in the now-famous treehouse at Oakledge Park, and brought a battalion of candles with them with which to light the ceremony.

When we got to the treehouse, it was empty but for a gigantic growler of beer and a large, beautifully intricate, blown glass bong.  We wondered who would have been so blasted out of their mind (or scared off) as to forget both the beer and the bong!

Then, just as we’d lit the candles and were about to start the ceremony, a young guy came riding into the treehouse on his bike, apologized for the interruption, grabbed his Implements of Destruction, and wheeled back out into the night.

The rest of the ceremony proceeded without further incident, Dee and Shannon went back to the hotel, caught a few tiny winks of sleep, piled back into the car, and drove the marathon home.

They just sent me this photo, and I’m so glad to know they made it back safely, and are loving the Married Life!

What Lies Beneath

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We just wanted to say a huge thank you! The wedding was beautiful and we couldn’t have asked for more. We got many compliments about you from friends and family. We feel so lucky to have found you and know you were the perfect match for us. Our day was perfect beginning to end, so thank you for the role that you played in making that possible!!!!

Stephanie and Elizabeth were friends for ages before discovering that something was happening between them, and lo and behold they were falling in love!

They had a beautiful rooftop ceremony at the Sunset Ballroom in Shelburne complete with a handfasting…

As well as speaking vows they wrote themselves…

And exchanging roses as the beginning of a relationship ritual which they hope will last a lifetime…

But what I didn’t know until I saw the photo gallery from the ceremony was that lurking underneath all the hair and makeup and beautiful dresses and flowers and shining smiles was some seriously rompy sassiness!

These gals are amazing together, and I wish them all love and happiness and years and years of stripey socks!

Adventures in Literalism

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Debbie and Steve - They look like a cute matched set, don't they?

I got a call this morning from Jackie, who’s the business manager for my chiropractor.  She said her best friend Debbie was ready to get married and wanted to do it now.  Today. Immediately.

I said that I was going to be home until 4:30, and that if Debbie could get herself and her guy (whose named turned out to be Steve) to my house by 4, I’d be happy to marry them.

I had no idea if they were going to go through with it, but right around 2, a car came up the driveway and out stepped Jackie, Steve, Debbie, and Debbie’s daughter Brittany.

It was a pretty straightforward ceremony, right up until the part with the rings.  I think Steve must have been a little nervous because when I said, “Steve, please offer Debbie your ring,” he just handed it to her.  Like you’d give someone your car keys.

So much for fancy, ceremonial language.  I had to say, “No.  Put it on her finger.”

Fortunately the rest of the wedding passed without incident, Steve and Debbie made it to the kissing part at the end, and Brittany absconded with the fancy floral file folder I’d given them to hold the ceremony text (I always give the couple a nice printout to keep).

It was the first time anyone had ever done that, but not so different from when I start feeding people their vows line by line, and they (it’s usually the groom) repeat them looking at me instead of their Affianced Love.  I always have to say, “No.  Look at HER.”

Funny – that one has happened so many times you might think I’m married to a whole bunch of guys!

Soft As An Easy Chair…

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Deb and Karen

Deb and Karen had already been together 35 years, bought a house, and raised a daughter, Chelsea.  But when Chelsea took off for Thailand, these gals decided it was time to shake things up and re-invent their lives.  And that meant, among other big changes, getting married!

Their 4th of July ceremony was in their gorgeous backyard amidst a riot of midsummer flowers (and some rather riotous friends and family, I can tell you!).

The sweetest part for me (other than discovering the wonders of sparkling blood orange juice) was when Deb and Karen made their entrance.  Etta James’ “At Last,” a perennial wedding favorite, had been playing as we all waited in the yard for the Brides (with Chelsea on the laptop Skyping in from Parts Unknown).

And then, suddenly, we heard the sweet, sweet tones of Miz Streisand Herself singing “Evergreen.”  About the time Barbra got to “fresh as the morning air,” Deb and Karen came out of the house from separate entrances, met in the middle, and, gazing into each others’ eyes, sang the whole song together before joining us to exchange their vows.

Honestly, I kind of felt at that point, the ceremony was pretty much over, and anything I could possibly say would be totally redundant.

And really, they’ve set the Love and Romance Bar pretty high!  Ask yourself, could and your partner of 35 years look each other in the eye and sing your favorite song to each other without once cracking up?  Or without giving each other an ironic look?

Go ahead.  Try it.  I dare you…

Karen and Deb

Opposites Attract

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“Thank you for making our day so special. It was an absolutely perfect day.”    Photo by Lindsay Raymondjack

Donna (on the left) and Lisa weren’t sure they were going to make it to Vermont for their wedding because Donna’s home town got wiped out by one of those legendary Southern tornados. But Donna was determined to overcome any obstacles placed in her path and get herself hitched up to this gorgeous gal.

Turns out, they’d been facing obstacles since they first got together, since Donna is a cop and Lisa is a lawyer.  Apparently, these are two groups who, in their community, tend not to mix socially.  It’s very Montagues and Capulets.  So much so that Lisa says if she ever gets stopped for speeding, the LAST thing she should do is tell the cop she’s a lawyer.

Also, when they first met, Lisa says Donna had no idea she was hitting on her, and it took a while for the message to get through.  Through won out though.

Lisa’s also cracked me up when she said, after having spent several days in Burlington, “It’s casual Friday here every day!”

Too true.  You can wear heels and a dress here, but people will look at you funny.

DIY Bride

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Emily Serving Her Own Cake

Emily and her fiance Jim came to get married in Vermont because they love to travel and see new places.  While they wanted a formal sort of wedding, they didn’t want a giant, fancy event, as they said they’d rather spend the money on traveling.

So they booked a room at the Stone Hill Inn in Stowe, which caters to eloping couples who want elegance without the chaos of a big wedding, and brought me out to Do The Deed.

Wanting to save money on a photographer as well, Emily just set up a tripod with a camera, hid the remote control in her bouquet, and snapped photos of the ceremony – even while she was speaking her vows!

But that’s not all.  She also did it while wearing the highest heels ever seen on a woman since Sex and the City.  Turns out Emily is one TINY gal, and when she took off her shoes I positively towered over her.  Given that I’m barely scraping 5′, I had to thank her for the rare chance to feel tall and willowy.

Strangers In A Friendly Land

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Kim and Kira

This past Thursday, I was on my way up to the beautiful and historic Bread Loaf Writer’s Colony to spent the weekend teaching at the New England Young Writer’s Conference, when I got a message from Kimberly.  She and her girlfriend Kira were up from Mississippi, vacationing in Essex, and really wanting to get married on Friday the 13th.  Was there any chance I could help them out?

I got back to her and said I’d be teaching all weekend, but if they could make their way to Ripton at noon, I’d be able to marry them on my lunch break.  They thought that sounded like a fine idea, and a great adventure.

When my students heard about what I’d be up to, they offered to write a poem for the wedding ceremony, and also serve as the attendants and audience, since Kim and Kira wouldn’t have their friends and family there to support them.  I checked in with the gals, who were delighted and honored by the idea.  So when Kim and Kira showed up the next day, they had about 15 highly artsy adolescents there to help support them and send them on their way.

Marion reading the poem

I loved the fact that Kim and Kira had never been to Vermont before, and some of my students had never heard a real live Southern accent before – much less seen two women get married!

Thanks to the kids for their generosity and creativity, and to Kim and Kira for opening up their ceremony to a group of unknown teenagers!