Emma & Jim's Midsummer Wedding at the Strafford Town House and Gobeille Farm in Strafford, VT

It’s not often we get to photograph the wedding of someone else in the industry, and when we first met Emma in 2019 - then working as a venue coordinator in Vermont - we definitely never expected to have the honor of photographing her own wedding years later. Though she may not take credit for it, Emma’s wedding day ran like a well oiled machine and we can’t really say we’re surprised. She and Jim clearly spent heaps of time on all of the behind the scenes aspects of wedding planning that only come with years of experience in doing just that for other folks.

From the start of the day in ‘down town’ South Strafford to the ceremony at the Strafford Town House to the reception just down the road at Gobeille Hill Farm, the entire wedding day felt like a summation of not just Emma’s time growing up in Vermont but also the life she and Jim had begun to build together in New England. Strafford is such a small town and it’s not every day someone gets married in the main square. Folks driving by slowed down to see if they could catch a glimpse of the couple, and Emma told us she knew most, if not everyone, in town. The flowers in Emma’s bouquet, Jim’s boutonnière, and their golden retriever Judge’s floral wreath were grown nearby with Vermont wildflowers and to top it all off, their wedding ceremony was held in the same room Emma’s parents were married in all those years ago.

This is all to say nothing of the weather; we stayed in a yurt around 20 minutes from Strafford and woke up to quite a violent thunderstorm ripping through the region. As the ceremony approached, sunlight peeked intermittently between low clouds, heavy with summer rain. As guests gathered in the main room at the Town House, the skies seemed to part and light flooded in through the late 1700s era glass, filling the room with warmth. Centuries of town history saturate the walls there, evidenced by hundred plus year old carvings in the pews upstairs. As the ceremony concluded and Emma and Jim exited hand in hand, a drizzle started back up and gifted us some incredibly dramatic light to play with. Call it serendipity, call it blind luck, but the rain seemed to stop and start in unison with our timeline, allowing us to get the photos we needed in the light we wanted before starting again. That’s just how it works in Vermont in the summertime - constantly keeping us on our toes when the conditions can change in an instant.

The live band, big and bright barn space, pizza and taco trucks, Hawaiian shirt handout, donuts and pies, all of it came together to create a vibe that was light hearted and high-energy. Emma and Jim, surrounded by their friends and family, were beaming. It was so lovely to witness them be so happy and we could see the satisfaction on their faces, knowing they’d pulled it off without a hitch - despite the looming summer storm.

Venue: Strafford Town House / Gobeille Farm
Florals: Cloca Mora Floral (bouquets) / Cedar Circle Farm (reception)
Catering: Caja Madera (tacos) / Vermont Pie & Pasta (pizza) / Babe’s Bar (drinks)
Invites/Signage: Designed by bride
Dress: Hayley Paige
Hair: Planet Hair
Makeup: CDH Makeup Artistry
Band: A House on Fire