Real Wedding: Emily & Sam
Photography: Orchard Cove Reception Site: Ekwanok Country Club Cake: Grandma Miller’s
Entertainment: Cracked Ice Hair & Makeup: Ria St. Pierre Invitations: Paisley Quill
It’s hard to believe that Emily and Sam Lines’ relationship was anything but fate. A testament to how small Vermont can seem — in the best possible way — the pair were introduced by a high school friend of Emily’s whom Sam had met while at college in Middlebury. Their mutual friend had a feeling that Emily and Sam would get along, and he was right; the introduction proved to be the first chapter in the couple’s love story.
Unfortunately, Emily was about to graduate from the University of Vermont and planning to move to San Francisco. She and Sam stayed in touch, thinking someday they might end up living closer together. Sure enough, after a year in California, Emily moved to New York to be closer to her family — and to Sam, who had just returned from a stint in China and was moving to New York as well. Fate, it seemed, was on their side again.
Four blissful years later, Sam decided to go to graduate school in Michigan, forcing them to spend the next year dealing with the frustrations of a long-distance relationship. Emily was relieved when Sam came home for a long visit in the summer of 2009. They set off for Connecticut one day to meet Emily’s father for lunch, but Sam had a secret plan. After lunch, he unexpectedly drove her to his family’s home in South Londonderry, Vermont, and suggested they take a walk down a pretty dirt road leading to the house. “I had a little hunch something exciting was happening, I have to admit,” she says. As they walked, Emily noticed a wreath Sam had woven from wisteria vines, decorated with flowers to look like an engagement ring. Leading her to a small dock, Sam asked Emily to marry him, and she responded with an enthusiastic “Yes!”
Despite their time in big cities, Emily and Sam are both Vermonters at heart, and they wanted to embrace their beloved favorite state in their wedding. The ceremony took place in Emily’s grandparent’s picturesque backyard under a grove of birch trees. Inspired by the trees, the couple used the image of a birch on their stationery, attached birch trees to the tent poles at the reception, and had a gorgeous birch-inspired cake. The décor at the Ekwanok Country Club, their reception site, was already “quintessentially Vermont,” so they were careful not to go over the top with design elements. Emily chose the natural colors of ivory, cream, and light green, as well as burlap elements for a rustic appeal. “We wanted the feel to be rustic and homemade and never opulent or too ornate,” she says. The wooden plaques they used as table numbers were handmade by Sam and named after streets they had lived on. Emily and her mother sewed the whimsical napkins, and Emily’s cousin helped punch and glue the place cards.
The couple spent a lot of time choosing readings that they felt would invoke the joy of the day. Their minister, who is also Emily’s godfather, worked with them on creating inclusive, spiritual language. The result was an intimate ceremony that is still their favorite part of the day. As Emily explains it, “There was a moment during the ceremony when I was overcome with happiness and a feeling of being luckier than I could have ever imagined.” As the couple laughed at a joke the minister had made, their parents smiled at them from the front rows, the bridesmaids and groomsmen giggled by their sides, and their
dog, Bondi, barked to get their attention. Their disparate lives had finally come together, and there couldn’t have been a better time to say “I do.”
Emily & Sam’s Advice:
#1 If a bride doesn’t have a good sense of what she wants for her wedding when she gets engaged, she should take time
to do research before making any decisions.
#2 Find the right balance between your instincts & the advice of wedding professionals. Do your research to get a sense of what you want - then let your wedding vendors fine-tune the details.