Real Wedding: Holly & Steve
Stratton, Vermont
Photographer(s): Decisive Moment Photo Journalism Floral Design: Bondville Bloomist
For months, Steven Hynes searched for the perfect moment to propose to his girlfriend, Holly Krehel. He had been madly in love with Holly since they met in college, and Steve says, "I knew that if I didn't get my future with my girlfriend secured, I would go crazy." He was equipped with a diamond ring at family gatherings, holiday outings, and romantic dinner dates. For Steve, each of these opportunities seemed cliché, but he could not wait any longer.
One summer morning, Steve woke up with a purpose for the day: to make Holly his fiancé. His excitement, combined with nerves, actually made him physically sick. When Holly recognized that he wasn't feeling well, she tried to make Steve cancel their plans and rest in bed. Steve refused, though, determinedly planning to propose to her on a hike at Stratton Mountain that day. When they got to the mountain, Steve kept running ahead to exercise his jittery legs and to see how far they were from their final destination (and proposal).
When they finally got there, he had the opportunity to say to Holly what he had been reciting for a long time. "I love you more than anyone else on this earth. You mean the world to me and I'm honored to have you in my life. You drive me crazy, but you also make me happy, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Will you marry me, Holly Ann Krehel?" Holly was surprised and thrilled. "The proposal was beyond perfect, and more than I ever could have hoped for," she remembers.
Every aspect of Holly and Steve's September wedding reflected their happy personalities, and excitement to celebrate their love with their friends and families. For good luck, they incorporated several wedding traditions. Holly and Steve did not see each other the day of the wedding, until she walked down the aisle. They did a garter toss, a bouquet toss, had a traditional first dance, and had a father-daughter dance.
Their wedding also featured many customized details. Holly and Steve wrote the entire ceremony themselves, and did not hear each other's vows until the ceremony. Instead of a traditional guestbook, the couple asked guests to eternalize good-wishes by signing a pair of wooden skis, reflecting one of Steve's favorite pastimes. They decorated with shades of brown, which Holly says was intentional because, "we wanted the bright fall colors that would be in our flowers to ‘pop!'" Holly wore a bright pair of Converse sneakers at the reception, allowing her to dance comfortably, and they gave their guests bottles of Maple Syrup as a favor.
Holly's favorite moment of the day was making eye contact with Steve as she walked down the aisle. "Though I know there were other people there, I couldn't tell you who because all I could see was him," she remembers. Their guests, though, loved the sushi bar displayed during their cocktail hour, and especially enjoyed the unlimited candy bar offered at their reception.
"The day was perfect," Holly attests. The couple was surprised with a rainstorm, and Holly's family thought she was going to be upset, but when she was told that the wedding would need to be moved indoors, she was too excited to be upset. Holly just smiled and joked, "I still get to marry him, right?" Maintaining such a calm demeanor is a necessity for a wedding day, Holly believes. "Don't try to plan for every moment-you can't!" she advises, reminding other brides to keep smiling.
As a gift from their moms, Holly and Steve received a Cinderella snow globe, engraved with their names and wedding date. It plays the song "So This is Love," but Holly and Steve don't need to be reminded of what love is-they've been "head-over-heels" since the beginning.