Real Wedding: Stephanie & Drew
Stowe, Vermont
There was never any question Stephanie and Drew would be married in Vermont. Although Drew is originally from Philadelphia and Stephanie grew up throughout the States, Vermont always felt like home to the couple. They met in Fairlee, Vermont in 2003 when Stephanie was working as a caretaker at the Hulbert Outdoor Center. Drew had taken a recreational leave from his job in finance and was staying in Fairlee for a Wilderness First responder course at the center, one step in his journey to becoming certified as a helicopter ski guide. Drew and Stephanie met over kitchen duty at the Hulbert Outdoor Center and began spending their quiet, winter nights together over cribbage for the duration of Drew's course. When his time at the center came to an end, he invited his new friends including Stephanie to his parent's house in Stowe.
Over the next several years Drew and Stephanie fell in love traveling around the world and climbing, hiking and skiing throughout the Green Mountains. In 2007 they decided to settle in a Philadelphia suburb for Stephanie's residency in anesthesiology. They still return to Vermont as much as possible with their chocolate lab, Tucker.
In November of 2009 on vacation in Stowe, Drew and Stephanie set out for a short hike. The weather was wet and muddy so they settled on a relatively short hike up Mt. Elmore. When they reached the summit, it was pouring rain and Tucker was sliding around the rocky slopes. Drew had packed a bottle of champagne, flutes and a ring but he wasn't sure that they would want to remember the proposal drenched and covered in mud, so he let the moment pass and the couple hiked back down the mountain.
After washing off, they headed to the Spa at Top Notch for a surprise couple's massage that Drew had intended to be a celebration for the engagement. Drew had to quickly (and quietly) inform the spa staff that the plan had changed, as they were prepared to congratulate the newly engaged couple. After a long massage, Drew, still in his bathrobe, got down on one knee, broke out the champagne, and proposed.
When planning their wedding, the most important thing for Stephanie and Drew was bringing the people they love the most to the place they love the most and enjoying the natural beauty of autumn in Vermont. Stephanie and Drew chose a pallet of autumn colors and a natural aesthetic. In the spirit of rustic elegance, they brought in some touches like tea light strung branches and chandeliers as well as hand-calligraphed invitations. Although, the misty autumn weather forced the couple to move the ceremony inside, Stephanie and Drew praise their host's ingenuity in quickly transforming the porch and terrace into ideal locations for their party and reception. The wedding took place at Edson Hill Manor which Stephanie and Drew say captures much of the New England charm they had fallen in love with.
With five nieces under the age of six, they had more than enough flowers girls. Four of them tossed autumn leaves from their baskets and one walked Tucker, the ring-bearing dog, down the aisle. Everyone enjoyed dancing at the reception, particularly Stephanie and Drew's three sets of grandparents who Stephanie says danced like couples 80 years younger. Enjoying the company of so many close friends and family members in such a meaningful setting was the perfect way for Stephanie and Drew to begin their married life.