Rustic lovers rejoice in this handmade Vermont barn wedding captured by Jaclyn Schmitz Photography. I love the embroidery hoop backdrops for both the ceremony and head table. It is such an easy DIY that makes a big impact style-wise. The bride also incorporated a lot of her grandmother’s items throughout the ceremony and reception, making her feel present even though she wasn’t able to attend.
When we began to think about wedding planning the “themes” or “style” that spoke to us were rustic, simple, and vintage. We knew from the beginning that we wanted to incorporate localvore items into our design. We choose our venue because it was close to home and for the opportunity- your rental allows you to have the venue for the entire week before and space for guests to camp if desired. We opted for neutral, earth tones, with a hint of blush accents, and small pops of color- such as the billy balls on the tables or our robes.
We love Vermont, and the close knit, local, “craft” feel. I feel that the localvore idea and trying to choose vendors that were native to Vermont, or that we knew personally was important to us. Incorporating the details that I am so into, with the feel and satisfaction for our guests was very important. We wanted to keep our stress levels down and enjoy our day and our guests. So balancing my desire for perfection and detail, with simplicity was key.
We had really wanted to have a moment before the ceremony and before the reception to visit with our guests. Far too often I’ve seen the bride and the group unable to visit with all of their guests because they are so busy. The choice to have the cocktail hour before the ceremony was amazing and allowed us a little extra time to visit. We had lawn games, and served Citizen Cider, Switchback and hors d’oeuvres. It felt relaxed and fun- I loved seeing everyone enjoying themselves, and it was just a little different from the traditional wedding timeline.
One of my absolute favorite details were the french door which we displayed behind us during the ceremony. I saw these on craigslist and HAD to have them. I spent the time to sand them and refinished them to give them a more rustic feel. I loved those doors. Behind the head table, and behind us during the ceremony I took embroidery hoops and placed lace and other chiffon fabric in them to bring out some texture and color.
There were a few items that belonged to my grandmother and were important for me to incorporate. Not necessarily because of the items themselves, but because of the colors and the memory. My grandmother always had these amazing blue glass items in her house, whether they were dishes, decorative balls or tiny glass birds, and having that pop of color meant a lot. During the ceremony our rings were kept in this tiny heart shaped porcelain box- that was white with tiny blue flowers. The cake stand was this amazing blue glass, and on the tables and around the venue you could see little blue glass birds, or other bird decor that reminded me of her. Also the tea cups and saucers brought out the same blue colors and reminded me of her old china that she always kept displayed.
The other items that were special to me were the old books from my other grandmother. There is something about the smell and look of the old books that spoke to the vintage theme we were looking for. My grandmother grew up very poor, had a difficult life, started her family young and yet she still made sure to finish college, and have a career. Books were always so important to her- a way to escape reality, to soak up the knowledge, learn and I remember always admiring her for these strengths and motivation to move herself ahead in the world. She wasn’t able to be there, so it was special to me to have those books there.
I also really loved the cigar bar! I loved the way it looked, and after dinner there was a moment when all of our friends were outside laughing, joking around and smoking cigars. It was fantastic and so much fun.
Photography | Jaclyn Schmitz Photography | Venue | Franklin County Field Days | Florals | Village Green Florist | Desserts | Sweetie Pies | Catering | American Flatbread | Rentals | Vermont Tent Company | Paper Goods | Lindsay Francescutti | DJ | Wedding DJ VT | Gown | Amy Kuschel from Sewly Yours Bridal | Veil | Miss Allaneous | Makeup | Mirror Mirror | Bridesmaid Dresses | David’s Bridal | Groomswear | Needleman’s Bridal and Formal | Cigar Bar | Garcia’s Tobacco Shop | Favors | Howrigan Honey Hill Farm | Barrels | Rustic Oak Rental | Table Numbers | Revival Studio
