Real Wedding: Heather & Patrick
Event Rentals: Events Unlimited
Though they do not live in the area, Heather Kelly and Patrick McCloskey’s love for snow makes them true Vermonters at heart. It was on the first day of winter, as snow was falling lightly outside her window, when Heather awoke to Patrick carefully placing a diamond ring on her finger, sweetly asking her to be his wife. She had been harboring a sneaking suspicion for weeks that Patrick was going to propose — he had already confessed to asking her father for his blessing. Maybe it was the snow, or the first day of her favorite season, but she suddenly knew she had never been more sure of anything. The two celebrated their engagement by enjoying a leisurely breakfast in bed before venturing outside to play in the snow amidst the swirling flakes, more in love than ever.
Heather and Patrick met in 2001, while Heather was engrossed in her studies at the Culinary Institute of America. Introduced by mutual friends, both Heather and Patrick shared many of the same interests. They had the same love for food, the outdoors, entertaining, and spending time with their families. However, the timing was off. Both were involved in relationships at the time, but they remained good friends and really got to know each other over the course of five years before officially becoming a couple. When they finally got together, they knew that they had found something real. “Being with him was even better than I had dreamed of,” says Heather. “There was no doubt that this was the man I was going to marry.”
Heather and Patrick’s shared love for winter meant that choosing their wedding date would be easy. They embarked on planning for their December wedding, envisioning a wintery and semi-traditional celebration that incorporated lots of personal elements and expressed their personalities. Heather lived in Woodstock, Vermont, while attending culinary school, and both she and Patrick were in love with the area — especially during the colder winter months. They agreed they wanted their families to enjoy a destination weekend away from their lives in New York. After looking at several local venues, the two were blown away by the spectacular mountain and pond views, comfort, and privacy of the luxury chalet homes at
The Mountain Top Inn & Resort and immediately knew it was the perfect place for their big day.
The couple’s winter wedding plans went as usual until the night of their rehearsal dinner, when many of the guests were caught in a brief white-out snow storm while traveling. With so much of their history stemming from the winter season, it seemed only natural that something like that would arise so close to the wedding. Despite the storm, all the guests arrived safely, excited to see the wonderful weekend Heather and Patrick had planned. Both the bride and groom are from Irish Catholic families and agreed it was important to have a traditional Catholic ceremony at Christ the King Parish in Rutland. To show their shared Irish heritage, Heather’s two young nephews wore traditional kilts to the ceremony, and Heather also placed Patrick’s grandmother’s beautiful antique brooch on her bouquet.
In celebration of both the upcoming holidays and the winter season, the bride walked down the aisle to a quiet rendition of
“Silent Night.” “Seeing Patrick waiting for me at the altar was my favorite moment of the day,” she says. The couple opted not to have a bridal party, choosing instead to invite some family members to stand with them at the altar as they said their vows. Surrounded by their treasured loved ones as they promised their “I do’s,” the couple knew they could not have asked for a more perfect and intimate winter wedding celebration.
Heather & Patrick's Advice
#1 Remember what is really important to you while planning your wedding day - it will help you keep your priorities straight when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
#2 Embrace the day even if things don’t go exactly the way you planned. No wedding is going to be 100% perfect. Sometimes the best moments are the unexpected ones.