Vermont Vows Magazine

Neither Chayah Lichtig nor Mike Crowley was looking for love when the two first met, but that’s exactly what they got—unwavering, unbelievable, true love. Mike had just moved from North Carolina to Boston, where Chayah was in graduate school. However, Chayah wasn’t overly fond of the city and was looking forward to a move to California the following year. Until then, she found herself wanting to pass some time during summer break and so joined match.com.
Mike, who wanted to get out more, had done the same. Soon, they connected on the site and it wasn’t long before their first date. One date was all the couple needed to know they had found something special. “When Mike crashed his bike on the way home from our second date—he claims he was ‘a little distracted’ and not really paying attention to where he was going—and limped back to my house for Band-Aids and ice, we knew it was forever,” says Chayah. After just four and a half months, the pair had talked numerous times about getting married, and after six months, they found themselves engaged. When Mike asked her to join him on a hike, she was pretty sure she knew what was going to happen—and excitedly told all her friends. “That day, we went to brunch with friends. We were brainstorming where to go on this hike, and it was amusing to hear everyone’s suggestions, knowing they were all envisioning our engagement,” she says. Sure enough, when the couple reached the summit, Mike asked Chayah to be his wife. Eager to make their wedding as meaningful as possible, the couple incorporated many personal elements, beginning with writing their own vows. “We really appreciated the chance to make our wedding be about our marriage and what matters to us, rather than it being the formality that needs to occur between our engagement and the party,” says Chayah. The overall decor reflected their vision of something earthy, natural, and in touch with their surroundings. Their floral design, mostly derived locally, was rich in deep red, gold, ivory, sage green, and hints of turquoise. The colors had originally been provoked by the fall foliage, which was all the inspiration Chayah and Mike really needed. They also went on many hunts for vintage plates, teacups, and saucers for the reception.