Vermont Vows Magazine

From florists to cake makers to photographers, the best way to ensure that you're working with true professionals that "get you" is to sit down and meet with them, the old-fashioned way: face-to-face.

More excellent tips from the wedding pros on planning:

-Meet your photographer. Even if you've fallen in love with a photographer's style, make sure you also like the actual photographer. You'll be spending a lot of time together on your wedding day, after all!

Cake is the flavor centerpiece of a wedding; concocting it should be a delectable experience. Borrow ideas from Vermont's inspired professionals to create one that's truly you.

1) Use mini chalkboards to identify and rate the fillings and flavors in your wedding cupcakes, suggests Occasions Catering.

The Hemitage Inn is excited to offer the 'Ski for Free at Mount Snow' promotion!

This special offer is available beginning today & will be offered until Mount Snow closes for the season - stay at The Hermitage Inn & your lift ticket is free! This offer applies only to rack room rates, & a maximum of 2 lift tickets per room is permitted.

The Spa at The Essex, Vermont's Culinary Resort and Spa is offering a special promotion exclusively for friends of The Clothes Exchange.

Visit The Spa between August 16th and the 20th and receive 50% off all spa treatments and take advantage of a host of other offers including free pilates and yoga.

Call today to reserve your appointment. See image for details.

Confused about wedding etiquette in the 21st century? We turned to Anna Post to lay down the law for the modern bride; even in the modern era, some essential values remain.

To have a fabulous reception today involves more than choosing a venue, planning the menu, hiring musicians or a DJ, and arranging for cake and decorations. Here are some helpful tidbits:

As you're preparing to write the first chapter of your own history as a married couple, consider the possibilities of Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, VT.

Like many of Vermont's best villages, Fairlee is a charming mix of big-city amenities and rustic charm. Hugging the shores of the lake, Lake Morey Resort is an extraordinarily beautiful venue with enchanting vistas around every curve of the picturesque landscape. Every view is more breathtaking than the one before.

Whether restored to like-new condition, or majestically weathered by time and the elements, there is something about a barn that speaks to us. With their elegant post and beam architecture, ancient wood, and soaring ceilings, barns possess an undeniable poetry - they are truly the cathedrals of the countryside. No wonder so many couples marrying in Vermont choose a barn as the site for their celebration.

When it comes to wedding decorations, experience counts for a lot, whether it's uncovering bargains or dealing with the unexpected. Nancy Murray of A Schoolhouse Garden is one floral designer who knows how to find the best for her brides.

*Be flexible about seasonal blooms. Remember that seasonal blooms may have higher demand, making them more expensive than other flowers might be. Trust your designer to offer lower-priced alternatives.

{1} Vintage styles are popular now because they give your wedding a timeless look that won't feel dated when you look back at your wedding photos on your tenth anniversary.

{2} If you're having trouble coming up with an idea for your bouquet, bring a picture of your dress to your florist, suggests Allison Ellis of Floral Artistry.