Maddie & Mark's Wedding Pt. 2 at Shelburne Vineyards in Vermont

One of our least favorite parts of our job is saying goodbye to folks we’ve grown close with after we have photographed their wedding and delivered their images. Thanks to the COVID pandemic, lots of couples we worked with in 2020 ended up hosting smaller, more intimate weddings - sometimes with just the two of them - with plans to host a larger party of sorts when it was safer to do so. Maddie and Mark had a tiny little wedding in Maddie’s parents’ backyard last September with just their closest friends and family, and decided that they would continue with their original plans at Shelburne Vineyard a year later if possible. When we arrived in Shelburne last Saturday, we were struck by how similar everything about the day felt: the quality of light, the temperature, the mood was just as we remembered it being almost exactly a year ago and it got us so excited to get the day started. Meeting Maddie and Mark at her parents’ house again we were introduced to a group of friends, some of whom we’d met previously but some we hadn’t. It felt like a really beautiful moment, getting to know a little bit more about these people we adored photographing last year through the people they surround themselves with, and their friends welcomed us into the party with open arms. Without the need for a formal ceremony the entire day took on a different energy, and we could sense it in how relaxed everyone was. It truly felt like the reunion that couldn’t happen last year, one that these two surely deserve after such a long period of not knowing whether it would end up happening or not. After Maddie and Mark exchanged anniversary gifts in her parents’ backyard, everyone headed to the vineyard and caught a beautiful sunset among the grapevines before settling in under the tent for a family style dinner. The mood for the rest of the night was casually elegant, thanks in part to Stitchdown Farms’ floral arrangements, The Hindquarter’s open flame grills wafting delicious smells into the tent, and of course Shelburne Vineyard’s own wines. It felt like a triumphant celebration of the present that acknowledged that we’re not in the clear yet, but also that we’re here still and that alone is worth celebrating.

Venue & Wine: Shelburne Vineyard
Catering: The Hindquarter
Florals: Stitchdown Farm
DJ: Tophat Entertainment
Tent: Vermont Tent Company
Cake: Mirabelle’s