Real Wedding: Emily & Adam
Bar: Green Mountain Bar Service
Concessions: North Country Specialty Foods
Coordination: Kim Haigis
Hair & Makeup: Erin McKenna
Not every blind date results in a love story, but Emily Robinson and Adam Davis are two of the lucky few.
Set up by a mutual friend who had a feeling they would hit it off, Emily and Adam knew right away there was a connection. They had both recently moved to Vermont from Boston and had a lot in common. Following their successful first date, the couple saw each other often, and even traveled to two weddings together that summer. It was at a friend's wedding in Vermont that the couple shared their first “I love you.” On their way home from another wedding in Connecticut, Adam asked Emily to move in with him. Shortly after that they were living together, and later that year they jumped at the opportunity to purchase Adam’s grandmother’s home in South Burlington. Deliriously happy and deeply in love, the couple was well on their way to living happily ever after.
Never very good at keeping secrets, Adam could barely contain himself once he had purchased Emily’s ring from a shop in Boston. Before he proposed, however, he wanted to speak with Emily’s father. “I called saying I had an important question regarding his daughter, and he probably already knew what it was about,” says Adam. Emily’s father, without missing a beat, jokingly replied, “Who is this?” The two shared a good laugh, and that night, Adam dropped by Emily’s parent's home and got the blessing he was hoping for.
“We had plans to spend that night together and have a nice dinner out,” says Emily. “But when I got home, I suggested we go boating with my brother instead.” Less than excited with the change in plans, Adam was unable to contain himself any longer. Dropping down to one knee, he asked Emily to be his wife. Always one to speak her mind, Emily immediately accepted with an enthusiastic, “Shut up! Are you kidding me?” and the couple spent the remainder of the evening celebrating with champagne and calling friends and family to share the good news.
Since Emily works in the wedding industry with Cloud 9 Caterers, it was important for her wedding to be different from all the others she had been a part of. Her father owns a booth at the Champlain Valley Exposition, and many of Emily’s family members and friends had helped staff the booth for the annual fair over the years. Emily and Adam decided a vintage carnival theme would be not only unique, sophisticated, and fun, but also a great way to incorporate her family. With the help of her mother, Emily planned an amazing outdoor celebration on the shores of Lake Champlain in Burlington. With tents set up in true carnival fashion, guests enjoyed fair-worthy foods like cotton candy, fried dough, and popcorn, as well as a photobooth, hand-rolled cigars, and even a dunking booth with a sign reading, “Soak This Bloke.” Cupcake and candy bar stations were also set up, satisfying even the most powerful sweet tooth.
Immediately following the ceremony, Emily and Adam surprised their guests with an air stunt show over the lake, “It was amazing, and such a treat for our guests,” says Emily. The bride and groom got a surprise of their own when Emily’s dad, a former musician, jumped onstage with the band and sang a song dedicated to Emily and her mother, Judy.
Although the sky had been threatening to rain all day, the clouds mercifully parted that evening, gracing everyone with a gorgeous sunset over the lake. As Emily and Adam enjoyed a private moment watching the sun sink over the Adirondacks, they both knew that their wedding day had been everything they could have ever imagined.
Emily & Adam's Advice
#1 Stay organized. The more vendors you have, the more crucial it is to maintain some state of organization to keep it all together & make sure everyone is taken care of!