Vermont Vows Magazine

During May of 2005, Katherine was with her brother, Neil, at P.J. Clarke's on New York City’s Upper East Side. She and Matt caught each other’s eye, and when Neil stepped out to make a call, Matt didn't hesitate to sidle up to Katherine to introduce himself. It was clear right away that they had chemistry—so much so that Matt asked Katherine if he could take her to dinner that very evening. “I explained I would need to take a rain check because I was spending time with my brother. However, Matt wasn’t taking no for an answer,” says Katherine. That evening, Matt took both Katherine and Neil out for a casual dinner. The following week, Matt and Katherine met for a “proper” first date, and the rest is history.

Two years later, Katherine and Matt moved to Hong Kong together and realized they were both ready for the next step. One evening, Katherine arrived home to find Matt busy in the kitchen, preparing a lamb dinner. “Matt and I often have nice dinners at home, so I thought nothing of it,” she says. Finally, Matt headed into the kitchen to take the lamb out of the oven. “He came around the corner and asked me to grab the tray. I turned quickly to help him, and there he was on one knee, asking me to marry him,” says Katherine. Needless to say, the meal was instantly forgotten.

The couple planned the entire wedding from their home in Hong Kong—with some help, of course. Both were clear on their overall vision for the day, imagining something mature, sophisticated, and traditional. Once they had the right wedding professionals in place, the rest was easy. While the decor at Friday’s “barn party” was vibrant with bright purples, rustic farm tables, and shabby chic china, Saturday’s reception was elegant and understated, employing gray, slate, blue, and cream tones, with some metallic accents. Each table was set with formal gold china; striped linens added a splash of refinement.  Personal details were important to the couple, who made sure to use the two sets of toasting glasses, passed down through Matt’s family for generations. Katherine also adorned her bouquet with her great-grandmother’s rosary. Each of the guests was presented with a personalized gift—which included Vermont maple syrup.