Let’s hear about Jess and Jeff’s Hampshire College Wedding day experience.
September 18, 2022
We met on the dating app Coffee Meets Bagel
One evening I came out of the bedroom and there was a card sitting on the counter with my name on it. When I opened it, it had a clue in it! I answered the riddles in each card to find the next one. They were inside jokes that led me all over the house; to my favorite book, to our kittens’ little hidey-hole, outside and all around the property. (He had me running downstairs, outside, and back again!) Each card also had a random letter in the top corner. The last card asked me to unscramble all the letters. Once I did, they spelled out “Will you marry me?” Of course I was crying, and said yes before the words even left his mouth!
Everyone keeps asking this! It’s so hard to choose one moment. I loved seeing Jeff standing under the arbor my dad built, I enjoyed stuffing my face (elegantly of course) and getting to dance with my friends and family! But I think our favorite moment was seeing how happy our loved ones were. It was loud and full of laughter and we hope that means everyone had a fun time!
It’ll be six years this December!
Great! Our vendors were excellent and made our lives so easy. The wedding itself went by SO FAST! You spend the beginning of the day with nervous energy, butterflies in your stomach, full of excitement! And then all of a sudden it’s GO TIME, and everything happens so fast! I don’t think I stopped smiling the whole day. Jeff’s cheeks hurt, he never smiles that much usually
Start early on DIY decorations. The last few weeks are busy! Get married close to where you or your parents live. It’s helps cut down on driving and gives a staging location for people and decorations. Arrange a space for the grooms side to hang out and get ready while anyone who needs it gets hair and makeup done. Recognize what actually matters and what’s important to you. No one cares what color the napkins are.
Book an engagement photo shoot with the same photographer you plan to use for the wedding. Having an established relationship makes wedding day easier! You are more comfortable in front of the camera. Trust that the photographer is going to make you look good.
My dress ended up being the second one I tried on! I found it at Pamela Moore Bridal on Brattleboro, VT. I felt like an absolute princess when I had it on. Looking back at the album of me trying on dresses you can see my face change when I’m wearing my dress. Pam found a piece of decorative fabric and it elevated the dress by adding a bit of silver accent. We didn’t buy it that first day, but I kept dreaming about it so we (my mom, sister, and I) went back three weeks later and it was still perfect! I spent almost 45 mins just walking around the boutique and sitting down in it. And it HAS POCKETS! What’s not to love?!?
Fantastic! It was so easy. We put all our trust in your hands and just did what we were told.
We initially planned on not seeing each other. Jeff closed his eyes when he stumbled upon me in the morning and Jess hugged him from behind. Jess’s mom said we were allowed to see each other before we got dressed so we did see each other mid-morning! All the stress melted away when we were back together. Everything worked out great, but if we had done first look photos we would have had more time during cocktail hour for other photos or relaxing during the cocktail hour.
Practice smiling. Designate a person to wrangle family members during cocktail hour that are needed for family photos.
Soda water and baby powder for cleaning stains or dirt from dresses. Fan and lots of water.
Barbara from The Red Barn was so knowledgeable and helped organize everything for us. She made planning extremely easy and painless! We couldn’t have asked for a better venue and day of coordinator!
Becky from Floral Affairs designed all of the floral arrangements, from the eucalyptus rings and sweetheart table arrangement to the bouquets and arbor pieces . Many of the venue staff complimented my bouquet and one person said it was the most beautiful bouquet she had seen all season!
Jared from MARX Entertainment kept the party going on the dance floor. He was so friendly and the best DJ we could have hoped for!
We used Etsy shops for a lot of our bridal party gifts, Jess’s shoes, Jeff’s wedding band, and parents’ gifts. Jess’s veil was from Pamela Moore Bridal, the same boutique she found her dress at. We did a lot of DIY stuff for decorations and party favors using our 3D printer and Jess’s sister’s Cricut
We feared we would run late on our timeline but having Barbara as our Day of Coordinator meant she kept us on schedule! We were afraid we wouldn’t be able to eat enough but we ended up being too full to finish dinner! We were also nervous to say our vows in front of everyone but at the time, it was just the two of us, everyone else melted into the background and there was nothing to stress about!
Relax and don’t stress! Remember it’s a happy day when people are coming to celebrate your love and commitment to one another! Enjoy each moment because the day goes by so fast.
Ale-braised short ribs, pesto chicken, and butternut squash ravioli with asparagus and fingerling potatoes!
