Best of 2022: Just Married Moments

Posted on January 24, 2023

Can you believe this is our final installment in our Best of 2022 series?! It’s been an amazing year, and we can’t think of a better way to wrap things up than a look at one of our favorite parts of any wedding: those precious just married moments.

Editorial Picks for Just Married Moments

The emotions of being pronounced newlywed is unparalleled, and while many of these features could fit under several categories, we think this important moment deserves to be celebrated in it’s own right! Check out our editorial picks for the best just married moments of the year, and see who you picked for your favorite in our Readers Choice Awards below!

Smiles & Sunshine

Everything about this moment at Sterling Ridge Resort is bright and sunny: the weather, the traditional Bengali wedding attire, the sunflower wedding arch by Flower Power VT, and of course, the couple’s beaming smiles.

Photo: Elizabeth Rogers Photography

Cruisin’ Together

These two outfitted their old military style jeep with a “just married” sign, and took off for a drive together after the ceremony. You can feel that just married excitement in this clip!

Film: EightZero2 Productions

Party Parade

Following their ceremony at Inn at Weathersfield, this couple led their guests in a parade to their reception! This is such a fun way to get the party started!

Photo: GarrenTee Photography

Sunset Dip

This photo is all romance! The couple stole away for some evening portraits, and the groom practically swept his bride off her feet! Won’t lie, we’re swooning a bit.

Photo: Love Wins Photography

The Flip

This couple walked into their Mansfield Barn ready to start the party with a very impressive flip and a shot! Talk about a memorable, fun entrance! We can only imagine how fun the rest of the night must have been!

Lifted High

One of the most iconic moments at a Sugarbush Resort is the “Just Married” private chairlift ride after your ceremony! It’s an amazing opportunity to soak in the day privately with your partner, and get some killer photos!

Photo: Oliver Parini Photography

The Aisle Kiss (Readers Choice Winner)

This couple was so excited to be married, they barely made it to the end of the aisle before stealing another kiss! Too sweet!

Photo: Courtney Cania

Sparkling First Dance

NJOY Weddings & Events planned this stunning Indian wedding celebration, which featured one of the most epic first dances we’ve ever seen! Sparklers and smoke surround the elegant couple, but they only have eyes for each other…this just married moment is straight out of a movie!

Photo: Virdee Films

Arriving in Style

This couple arrived to their Farmhouse Flowers VT in style on a motorcycle complete with streamers! We love this fun, unique entrance!

Wildly in Love

I love the expressions on their faces following their Wild Sugar Homestead ceremony! You can just feel their “oh my gosh, we did it!” excitement. Such a beautiful moment of pure joy.

Photo: Hallie Jade Pictures

Romance in the River

This couple stole away for a private moment during their Lareau Farm Inn wedding to explore the area together. It’s a great reminder to take a few minutes on your wedding day with just your partner to check in, soak it in, and steal a kiss!

Photo: Colette Kulig Photography

Confetti Blast

This post-ceremony confetti blast at ECHO is one of the most epic we’ve ever seen! The colors, the applause, the passionate embrace…we’re giddy just looking at it!

Photo: Sam Simons

Streaming Love

This couple ran through a tunnel of streamers after their ceremony, resulting in some huge smile and amazing photos! This is a great, unique alternative to a flower toss!

Photo: Hannah Photography

A Cheeky Farewell

The bride’s makeup, courtesy of Jennifer Perellie, was the only thing left on for this late night, naked pond dive! It’s a cheeky, very fun, and (we’re guessing) refreshing way to end a wedding night and celebrate the start of the next chapter!

Photo: Carl Heyerdahl

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Best of 2022: Favorite First Looks

Posted on January 12, 2023

The emotions surrounding a first look are some of the most powerful on your wedding day. Whether it’s with your partner, a parent, or close friends, that first peak at your completed look as a bride or groom is filled with so much anticipation and joy! It was hard to narrow down our favorite first looks from 2022, but we’ve selected our editorial picks.

Check them out and see who you crowned your Readers Choice Awards below!

All Smiles

This bride’s smile as she approaches for the first look is completely contagious! You can’t help but join in her excitement.

Photo: Ben Hudson Photography

Love on the Lake

The look of joy on this bride’s face as she sees her partner for the first time says it all. Moments like this (at the beautiful Lake Bomoseen Lodge) remind me why first looks are such a powerful, intimate moment.

Photo: Eli Holmes

Brought to Tears

This couple brought each other to tears without a word during their emotional first look. Absolutely priceless!

Photo: Keith MacDonald Photography

All Grown Up (Readers Choice Award)

This dad was brought to tears when he sees his daughter for the first time on her wedding day, and honestly, so am I watching this clip!

Film: Beyond Bliss Films

Oh Damn!

I love this genuine look appreciation as the groom checks out his bride! Such a fun, sweet moment of desire caught on their wedding day.

Photo: Hannah Photography

A Daddy Daughter Moment

I love this moment between the groom and his daughter as they see each other for the first time on his wedding day at the Mansfield Barn. Such a sweet moment between parent and child!

Photo: Juniper Studios

The First Touch

A great first look alternative, this first touch allows the couple to connect before the ceremony, without actually seeing each other! It’s sweet, creative, and a lovely option for couples who want to have a traditional “down the aisle” moment.

Photo: Love Wins Photography

Shock and Awe

This photo made me absolutely beam when I first saw it. The groom’s surprise, the bride’s big smile … it’s such a sweet, pure moment of joy.

Photo: MoHo Photos

The Three Generations

This one had me tearing up. Weddings are a chance to honor your history, and I love that this bride took a moment with her mom and grandma for a first look to celebrate her family.

Photo: Jenna Brisson Photography

Hype Girls

Hype girls, bride squad …whatever you call them, these girls brought the love for their first look with the bride! Planner NJOY Weddings & Events thought of everything, including a champagne toast so the crew could celebrate.

Photo: Amy Bennett

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Check out our Ultimate Wedding Planning Guide for more inspiration and actionable tips (plus spreadsheets you can use to get organized immediately) to plan your dreamy Vermont wedding!

BEST OF 2021: DETAILS & DESIGN

Posted on December 16, 2021

From traditional and elegant to boho and casual, a couple’s style informs each design choice and detail on their wedding day. Here are a few of our favorite details and designs from 2021 Vermont weddings.

Love this post? We’re sharing our “semi finalist” picks on Instagram. Go check it out for even more inspiration!

Fresh & Floral

As a nod to the groom’s Georgia roots, Lindsey added whole and halved peaches into Clayton Floral’s amazing green garlands (also peep that archway installation – it’s UNBELIEVABLE), and painted custom place cards, menus and table numbers to include peaches as well. This Maquam Barn wedding is definitely a highlight of the year. (Photo: Julia Luckett Photography)

(Read the full wedding story)

The Bold & Beautiful

This “camp” inspired lakeside wedding designed by I Dews Design & Events was equal parts fun, beautiful, and sentimental. Their wedding incorporated nods to their family, including the groom’s grandfather’s UVM beer stein in their tablescapes. (Photo: Obsidian)

A Celebration of Cakes

Why have one cake when you can have a whole table of them? We love this display of multiple cakes (we especially love the gold brushstroke design) by The Goose Chase Cake Designs. It creates a huge visual impact and provides a variety of flavor options for guests! (Photo: Dear Edith & Lily)

Fresh & Festive

The chandeliers, the drapery, the neon sign and the pink tufted chairs … we can’t get enough of this design by Jaclyn Watson Events. It’s classically beautiful, but with a bit of a fresh update! (Photo: Rodeo & Co)

Elegance Under the Tent

NJOY Weddings & Events created a timeless, romantic reception tent for this Hildene wedding. We especially love how the tent glows after dark from the strands of twinkling lights that highlight the tent’s drapes. Total modern romance! (Photo: Corinne Parker)

Love-Inspired Logo

This couple, both graphic designers, designed their own (super cool) wedding logo, and made these candles – holders and all – as gifts for all their guests. (Photo: K Lenhart Photography)

A Stand Out Seating Chart

This seating chart floral display by Nectar and Root is one of the most unique, lovely design choices we’ve seen this year. It’s a small sample of the gorgeousness that is this wedding by Lindsey Leichthammer Events at the Inn at Grace Farm is gorgeous. (Photo: Jenna Brisson Photography)

(Read the full wedding story)

Love Notes

The bride, a teacher, asked her students to write down what love and marriage mean to them. The resulting cards are sweet, adorable, and unique additions to each table. (Photo: Love Wins Photography)

Dinner Party Goals

This al fresco dinner party at The Grafton Inn is stunning; we love the bright florals and lanterns down the center of the table. It’s casually elegant, and oh-so-fun. (Photo: Loveland Creative)

Paradise Found

We love how The Linen Shop’s neutral table liners show off the long farmhouse tables and lay the perfect backdrop for the lush greenery. Topped off with oodles of greenery and twinkling lights, and we feel like we’re in a garden paradise! (Photo: Cassi Claire)

A DIY Dream

Both wedding filmmaker Madison Anne Studio and photographer Juniper Studios highlighted this gorgeous boho wedding. The bride handmade many of the decor pieces, including the incredible crochet ceremony backdrop.

Thank you to everyone who submitted for the Best of 2021 series! Don’t forget to check out our “semi finalists” on Instagram, and sign up for our newsletter to get each Best of post emailed to you weekly this month!

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Quick recap: what is Vermont Weddings Best of 2021 Series?

A little backstory if you’re unfamiliar: we started the Best of series last year (2020) to highlight some of the amazing work by the talented teams in the Vermont wedding industry. It’s an opportunity to both celebrate a year’s worth of weddings and inspire couples who are planning a future Vermont wedding. (A quick note on the word “best”: the intention isn’t to make this a competition between weddings, but to share a small, but representative, sample of the weddings in Vermont this year. To that end, please know that we love each and every wedding that was submitted, and the final picks are carefully chosen based on a variety of factors to create a compelling series.)

Here’s what you can expect:

All December, we’ll be rolling out inspiring stories in various categories:

Read Now: Best of Engagements
Read Now: Best of Style
Read Now: Best of Flowers
Read Now: Best of Party Animals
Best of Design & Details
Best of Elopements
Best of Location
Best of Community

Plus, because the submissions were just THAT good, we’re sharing our “semi finalist” picks for each category on Instagram. That means you’ll want to follow us to see even more highlights, and come back to the blog each week to see the “best” picks in each category.

We recommend signing up for our newsletter – we’ll send you an email each week with the highlights so you won’t miss a thing. (Going forward we only send 1 – 2 emails a month.)

BEST OF 2021 ENGAGEMENTS

Posted on December 3, 2021

The Vermont Weddings Best of 2021 series starts today! Pop the champagne (like the first couple below) and let’s get into it.

What is Vermont Weddings Best of 2021 Series?

Here’s what you can expect:

All December, we’ll be rolling out inspiring stories in various categories:

Best of Engagements (that’s today!)
Best of Style
Best of Florals
Best of Party Animals
Best of Design & Details
Best of Elopements
Best of Location
Best of Community

We recommend signing up for our newsletter – we’ll send you an email each week with the highlights so you won’t miss a thing. (Going forward we only send 1 – 2 emails a month.)

Best of 2021 Vermont Engagements

Today we’re kicking off our Best of 2021 series with a look at a few of the best engagements of the year. Was it us, or was 2021 the year engagements got super epic?! It was nearly impossible to narrow down our picks in this category. From surprise engagements to beautifully curated shoots, here are our picks for the Best of 2021 Engagements this year.

The Champagne Pop

This couple looked like they had the most fun during their entire shoot, and this illuminated champagne spray? Epic. (Photo: GarrenTee Photography)

Further Reading: These Grooms-to-Be Had the Most Fun for Their Summer Evening Engagement Shoot

Flying High

This surprise engagement in a hot air balloon takes engagement photography to a whole new level. (Photo: Kelsey Regan Photography)

High(land) Fashion

This engagement session involved an adventurous couple and some Vermont highland cows. All together it’s such a fun, cool session! (Photo: Hallie Jade Pictures)

Further reading: Expert Advice for Your Winter Engagement

You Are My Sunshine

It’s hard to tell what’s glowing more: the bright sunflower, the golden hour sunshine, or the couples’ love for each other. (Photo: Allison Macy Photography)

Game On

This couple explored downtown Winooski for their Vermont urban engagement session, including a stop at the arcade bar, Archives. The resulting pictures make us all winners. (Photo: MoHo Photo)

Waterfall Wonder

Sorry TLC, but with views like this we will be chasing waterfalls. (Photo: Kate Seymour Photography)

Romantics in the Rain

Remember that iconic scene from The Notebook in the rain? Yeah, this shoot is giving us all those vibes. Super romantic. (Photo: Madison Anne Studio)

This Pic is Lit

This couple timed their hike perfectly to totally bask in the sunset’s golden glow. (Photo: Keith MacDonald Photography)

Boardwalk Bliss

This bride-to-be literally jumped in the air when her partner surprised her with a proposal on Burlington’s beautiful boardwalk. (Photo: Love Wins Photography)

Falling in Love

A blanket of golden leaves, sunlight through a canopy of foliage, a couple in love… what could be better? (Photo: Margaret Michael Photography)

Apple of My Eye

This session is so, so cute. It feels a little retro and nostalgic, but still very fresh. It’s total eye candy! (Photo: Jess Driver Photography)

Thank you to everyone who submitted for the Best of 2021 Engagements category! Don’t forget to check out our “semi finalists” on Instagram, and sign up for our newsletter to get each Best of post emailed to you weekly this month!