Lauren loves Doug. Doug loves Lauren. Lauren and Doug love to love each other and they love to laugh together. And I LOVED capturing their day! When we first met way back when at The Grafton Inn (also known as the Old Tavern at Grafton) for their engagement session, it was easy for me to be able to feel the connection that they have together. Engagement sessions really are a special treat for me since so many of my couples live across the country and are unable to come to Vermont before the wedding. In this photo from their e-session inside the Phelps Barn, I love that you can see their laughter even through a kiss….
Fast forward to August- a month of my life that I’ll NEVER forget! When Irene hit Vermont, one of the first things I thought about (other than worrying about my home which is along a river) was the locations of my Vermont weddings and whether they would make it through the storm okay. We talked about the “babbling brook” several times during their e-session and now I was worried about what that beautiful “babbling brook” (also known as the Saxtons River) had done to their ceremony site which was right along the river. Luckily, the heart of Grafton made it through the storm okay, as did the The Grafton Inn. It was just a few short weeks after the storm that I made the trek to Grafton. I was hesitant about what I was going to see since I hadn’t ventured far from our town after Irene hit. I was in many ways, scared of what I was going to see. With a map in hand, I set out an hour earlier than normal prepared with possible detour routes if something on the Google map had changed. It was heartbreaking to say the least driving through Jamaica, Vermont and driving on a makeshift road where homes once stood. The outskirts of Grafton were hit hard as well and I felt the devastation, but upon arriving in the center of town, all of those feelings went away! I was thankful that Lauren and Doug’s day would go on without a hitch and that in true Vermont spirit, the roads leading into town were repaired swiftly and quickly so that life could go on.
One of the things I love about Grafton, is that you feel like you’re completely cut off from the rest of the world…..almost like you’ve stepped back in time to a place where the only thing you worry about is what adventure you’re going to have that day.
I don’t know why, but this is one of my favorite photos to take of my brides shortly after they put their dress on. It may be because I remember doing the same thing the moment I put my dress on.
After Lauren was finished getting ready, it was time to head off for the first look and I won’t tell you again how much I love first looks!! Doug waited ever so patiently for his beautiful bride…
And boy was he surprised at her beauty….
I think that one of the things I loved most about seeing Lauren and Doug together, was the sparkle in their eyes whenever they looked at each other. It just makes me happy that I have the opportunity to capture that!
There are COUNTLESS spots to capture photos at the Inn’s property and if I had all of the time in the world, Lauren and Doug would have had really sore feet by the end of it! I guess since this is there wedding day though, they should actually get married instead of stand in front of my camera all day!
And then it was time to sign the Ketubah….
The ceremony site is so serene and peaceful and is the perfect place to vow to spend the rest of your life with someone!
I just love this photo. Part of it is that I thought that Doug’s grandmother was too sweet and the other is that I loved that Kathy (the fabulous innkeeper) made these STUNNING quilts and set them out for the guests since there was a slight chill in the air on this peaceful September day. It’s the little details that make the biggest impression on me!
It was such a lovely ceremony!!
I love how intimate the dining space is at the Inn…..very, very cozy and it feels like you’re eating at home…..only with much better food!!!
So as you can see, Lauren and Doug are two very happy people who just happen to be completely head over heels for each other which I think made for quite an amazing day! Thank you Lauren and Doug for allowing me to capture your day!!
I still have a couple more weddings that I need to blog from this year including one I forgot to blog from August! Next year looks like it’s going to be another fabulous year filled with some amazing weddings at some new locations for me that I’m super excited about including Jay Peak, The Barn at Boyden Farm, The Hermitage Inn and The Mountain Top Inn and Resort as well as back to some of my favorites including The Equinox, The Hubbell Homestead at Colgate Park, and The West Mountain Inn just to name a few! Hard to believe that 2011 is almost over with and I don’t know about you…..but I’m really looking forward to 2012!
