Vermont Bride Gala

 

 Gorgeous shot of the entrance to the barn.

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of participating in the Vermont Bride Gala at Boyden Valley Winery. It was a gorgeous blue skied afternoon and the foliage was just starting to hit peak colors.

I had never been inside the barn at Boyden Valley before {although I am very familiar with their wine!} and it was gorgeous! I only wish that it had been available for events when Matt and I were married- which was five years ago today!

So it is fitting for me to share these wonderful photos of this fabulous event that took place in a barn, on the anniversary of my own fabulous event that took place in a barn.

 

 Bold and hip sitting area arranged by Vermont Tent Company

It was a smaller bridal show, but the wow factor was not at all diminished. All of the vendors that were there brought it in spades. Gorgeous colors and textures. Delicious smells and mood pumping music. The theme of the day was Alice in Wonderland and everyone did an amazing job of making that them resonate throughout the day.

Here is a pic I took of my table, right inside the door as the guest's arrived and across from the wonderful Fiori Bridal. My position couldn't have been better and I met many charming couples and their families. Of course every baby that walked by me I had to google at and I probably mentioned 'I have a one year old at home...' a dozen times. That's motherhood for ya!

 

The deep red and purple color scheme on this table done by Vermont Tent Company was very striking.

This tablescape was done by Vermont Tents and Events and also featured Gold Vellum Menus and White Rabbit Placecards from Truly Noted. I love the teacup flower arrangements and I am stealing the idea for my niece's 1st birthday party {which will also be Alice in Wonderland themed}.

 

Close-up of the Gold Vellum Menus and White Rabbit Placecards.

 

Loved this display of tasty cakes by BakeAria

Overall it was a spectacular event and a beautiful Fall day. Can't wait to participate in next year's Gala!

Catch The Spirit

On Tuesday night I had the pleasure of dining on the Spirit of Ethan Allen dinner cruise on Lake Champlain. I have lived in the Burlington area for almost a decade but had never made it on any of their famed cruises. Lucky for me, my work decided it was the perfect retreat for a sales conference and we were all invited to come along.

We lucked out and it was a gorgeous day- sunny and yet mild compared to what the temperature had been lately.



The Spirit of Ethan Allen does a nightly dinner cruise, with a different theme each night, but you can also book space on the cruise for a wedding or function and have them cater an entirely different menu. I was excited to see what it was like and to taste the food and check out the interior of the ship.


You can choose whether or not you want to have your ceremony on board the ship as well as your reception. If you do book the boat for your reception than a ceremony is included, free of charge, in the package- so it is something to consider. Also, there are many decks on the boat that offer stunning panoramic views of the lake and surrounding mountains that would make for a breathtaking ceremony. This is a pic on the forward deck of the boat, which is normally outfitted with tables and chairs and has a casual bar feeling to it.




We had dinner on the lower deck of the boat, which is where you initially come into after you board. There were several other rooms above that were reserved for special parties, that I am sure would be where a wedding event would take place. The walls were all windows which allowed for amazing views all around of the water, boats passing by, and the mountains.




The night that I dined aboard The Spirit was Italian Night, or Mangia Mia as they call it. For appetizers we had an Antipasto plate with pickeled and roasted veggies, several different kinds of cheeses, and some bread. We also got some flatbread pizza topped with fresh mozzerella, black olives and cilantro. It was all very tasty! For dinner we had the choice between four entrees. I got the Frutti di Mare which was an assortment of scallops, shrimp, calamari, and white fish in a tasty tomato based broth with potatoes. To finish the evening we had some Tiramisu which was really good- light and fluffy with a perfect balance of chocolate and espresso.


Of course the real reason the Spirit of Ethan Allen makes a great choice for weddings is the views of the Adirondacks and Green Mountains, especially at sunset. We were lucky that it was the perfect evening for viewing the sunset, and I happened to be seated on the right side of the boat next to a window! I got so many amazing views of the sun setting behind the mountains.

For more information on booking the Spirit of Ethan Allen for your wedding, or Sunday brunch buffet (which I hear is amazing- gotta check that one out next!), view their website here.

My Favorite Part Might Have Been The Chocolate Fountain

This thing of beauty is what I got to gaze at all last night at the Burlington Evening Bridal Show. The smell permeated the entire floor I was on and it was all I could do to not abandon my table and go scarf down some Rice Krispie Treats covered with warm chocolate.

But seriously, I couldn't have asked for a better neighbor than the 'Chocolate Fountain Girl', as I liked to call her. She was incredibly generous and offered up all of the left-overs after the brides had filtered out to the prize drawing on the first floor. Yum.

I had a fabulous time at my first real wedding show and I felt like my table turned out better than I had hoped and I didn't feel out of place amongst the more seasoned professionals around me. I also got to see Echo for the first time and I was really impressed by the space! We were on the third, or top floor, of the building and right next to the outdoor terrace.



Here is the main part of my display with my fabulous new banner I just had made! My table came with a white tablecloth but I also brought a chocolate brown cloth to put over the top to create some interest and depth of color. I think it worked out great!



Here are my inspiration boards- unfortunately one of the easels I brought was missing some key parts and wasn't usable, but Dorothy, my awesome Mother-In-Law, came up with this stool-covered-with-an-extra-table-cloth and it worked out great!



Here is a close up of the table. I had originally thought I was getting a six foot table but it ended up being five, but even if it had been a six I think I would have had enough stuff to fill it. There were several invitations that I wasn't able to display. And to think I was afraid I didn't have enough stuff?! Pshaw! You can also see the great roses that she picked up at Costco to brighten up the display. I can't even tell you how many people asked us if we did flowers! They were so amazed when we told them we got them at Costco! (Hopefully the florist set up diagonal from us didn't mind)



This was another one of our vendor neighbors- The Spirit of Ethan Allen Cruise. They had some pretty tasty treats to give out, but I didn't get a chance to sample much.



Right next to us was Fiori Bridal, my favorite wedding gown shop of all time! They also had some models walking around with different gowns on- a sort of walking fashion show. They were all gorgeous! I kept thinking, what a fun job to wear amazing wedding dresses all night- how do you get that gig?



Down on the first floor was my friend Calais with Stowe Mountain Resort! It was great to see some familiar faces. Her display had these great hurricane glasses filled with some dark grains and white candles.



This was a jeweler on the second floor. Her stuff was really pretty, but I didn't have much time to look at everyone elses stuff.



These cupcakes were on display on the table next to Calais. I was so tempted to take one before the show even started! But I was good and left them for the brides.



Last, but certainly not least, is this little cutie pie who was hanging out at the DJ's table. He is a Sheltie and was born blind and deaf, but he was the sweatest little thing. He hung out on the table during the whole show with these headphones around his neck! He was a definite hit with the ladies and everyone that went by had to stop and pet him. I am thinking this might be a good marketing tactic, perhaps I should bring my dog Nova to my next show? Ha!



Here is the view from the terrace on the third floor. This is part of the space that you can rent at Echo and a lot of people have their ceremony out there. It was a gorgeous view and I imagine on a clear day at sunset it's just magnificent!

So there you have it, my first wedding show! It is still a little early to know if it was a success or not, but I handed out more than half of my info cards and I got three full sheets of email addresses from brides. I also had someone make an appointment with me right there on the spot! Since most of the brides were planning for Summer 2010 weddings I am not sure how soon they will be looking to purchase invitations, but hopefully I will have the opportunity to do some more shows to really get my name out there.

Now I am super tired after staying up to finish a rush invitation order so I am going to bed!

Stowe Mountain Resort

Clockwise from top-left: post-and-beam ceiling in Spruce Camp, outside the Toll House, dining area and view out to the deck at the Cliff House, the staircase leading up to the stone patio at Spruce Camp.

This past Friday I had the pleasure of touring the wedding facilities at the Stowe Mountain Resort in Stowe, Vermont. Stowe is the quintessential Vermont town with a high-end twist- beautiful mountainscapes, charming covered bridges, but superb shopping and fine dining abound in this small town nestled at the base of Mount Mansfield.

Now, I must confess, that when I was first looking into wedding venues I did not inquire with Stowe, fearing they were well above my price range, but I was very much mistaken. With all the glamorous amenities and magnificent scenery you would think Stowe would be in the top ten most expensive wedding venues in Norther Vermont – au contraire! Stowe has so many options for venues (ten to be exact) around their property that there is something for every budget.

Calais on the gondola ride back down the mountain.

But before I get ahead of myself I must talk about the best thing Stowe has to offer – Calais Lovejoy. Calais and I met at the VT Vows Wedding Affair last November and I was at once drawn in by her warmth and sincerity. She is the Wedding Coordinator for most of the venues at Stowe and let me tell you, this girl knows her stuff! As she gave me a tour around the grounds (which took almost two hours- that is how much stuff there is to see there!) all I could think of was how much less stressed out I would have been if I had been lucky enough to have her helping me with my wedding! A personal wedding coordinator, something that most of us would not even dream of being able to afford, comes with the standard package at Stowe – that alone would have sold me!

Don't think that getting married at Stowe is only for outdoorsy types that want to get married at the top of a mountain with the sun setting in the background (although the Cliff House looks amazing- even for the city girls). There is also the gorgeous post-and-beam Spruce Camp with stunning architecture and a native stone fireplace – one inside and a second one outside on the stone patio. And if you want something a little more traditional and ballroom-esque there is the Toll House a little farther down the road, complete with a charming terrace garden hidden in the back perfect for your ceremony and cocktail reception.

Spruce Camp with the mountain in the background.

It's not all about scenery at Stowe, though, with their NECI trained chefs even the food I have had in their cafeteria after a day of snowboarding is to die for. I can't imagine how great their event food is. Of course with entreés like Chevré & Spinach Stuffed Grilled Chicken Breast with Charred Sweet Pepper Coulis and Pan Roasted Duck Breast with Caramelized Onion Smashed Potatoes it sounds like the sky is the limit where cusine is concerned.

The bottom line is that I have done a lot of wedding research in the last few years and I was shocked at how affordable Stowe was- especially considering that you get a wedding planner in the deal, something that would cost you several hundred to a thousand dollars if you hired an outside person. Since most of us are planning on a tight budget these days, it is more important then ever to get more bang for your buck and all-inclusive deals tend to be just that. At Stowe you get the all-in-one package without the stale Hotel Ballroom vibe and that is worth shouting from the mountain top about.

You can contact Calais at: 802-253-3666 or clovejoy@stowe.com