Ashley + Harter

Keeping Love in the Spotlight

Ashley + Harter

very couple wants to give their wedding day a unique spin – something that their guests will remember. Ashley Lanyon and Harter Clingman were no exception, though as two creatives, they may have had an advantage in coming up with ways to add their own signature stamp to their “I dos.”

Both company members at Peninsula Players Theatre in Fish Creek for several years, Lanyon and Clingman knew they wanted their “home away from home” to play a special role in their celebration. But how that would unfold wasn’t exactly clear when the couple started planning shortly after becoming engaged in October 2019. In fact, Lanyon recalled being unable to envision their wedding day.

“I had this very weird feeling in early 2020, like I couldn’t visualize what the wedding would become,” she said.

Initially, the couple thought they would have a guest list of about 150 people, complete with all the traditional trimmings – a tented reception, seated dinner, rehearsal dinner, the usual speeches.

“Instead, the celebration became about honoring our own values as a couple,” Clingman said.

That meant editing the guest list to include only those people the couple knew personally.

“Our goal was to look out and only see people we knew, loved and felt supported by,” Clingman said.

When it came to navigating the plusones or significant others included on some of their invitations, Lanyon and Clingman used FaceTime to get to know those people ahead of time.

“Of course, all of that was turned on its head,” Lanyon said.

Like so many couples who became engaged in 2019, Lanyon and Clingman found themselves planning a wedding in the middle of a global pandemic, which meant scrapping their original plans and instead holding two events: a small commitment ceremony at Lanyon’s childhood home in Minnesota during the summer of 2020, followed by a larger gathering with family and friends in Door County in 2021.

“I think the easiest part of planning our wedding [during that time] was knowing it needed to happen,” Clingman recalled.

What they didn’t expect was the gi their wedding’s micro guest list would give them.

“Wow, was it amazing to know that every single person present was someone very near and dear to us,” Lanyon said.

The small-scale a air also a orded the couple big opportunities to make the day highly personalized, including a “ring-warming ceremony” and a variety show put on by their friends.

“We didn’t have our wedding bands made in time for our 2020 ceremony,” Lanyon said, “so honoring them [by] passing them between all our friends in attendance was a lovely way to involve something ceremonial.” And at the reception, friends – actors, musicians, comedians – entertained with songs, poems, stand-up acts and speeches. Cocktails, lawn games and dinner rounded out the highly customized celebration.

“We spent a lot of time [while planning] talking about how intentional we wanted to be with our time,” Lanyon said.

That mindful mindset extended to selecting their vendors. From the rural and relaxed setting of Garden Gables to the locally sourced dinner catered by Door County Underground, each aspect of the day was selected in an e ort to support and create a carefully curated representation of Door County.

“We love hiking and the outdoors; we love great food; we love small businesses; we love theater, music and visual art,” Clingman said. “These are all the things Door County has in abundance.”

Looking back on their wedding day, Lanyon now understands why she initially struggled to picture the day – and she couldn’t be more thankful.

“I have since come to understand that this was because everything was going to change,” she said, “and very much for the better.”

Vendors

Wedding Planner: Shannon Mead Events Ceremony/Reception Venue: Garden Gables Catering/Dinner: Door County Underground, Cultured DC, Charlie’s Smoke House, Piggly Wiggly, Tadych’s Econofoods Cake/Dessert: Door County Underground Photographer: xoMe Studio Videographer: Legacy Photography & Videography Florist: Folklore Flowers Tent Rental/Additional Décor: Elite Tent Rentals, Relics Rentals, Ruby Design, Dream Lighting Welcome Dinner Venue/Catering: Roots Inn and Kitchen Bartenders/Bar Service: Garden Gables

Something Borrowed, Something ‘Peri’?

How to incorporate the Pantone Color of the Year into your wedding

“Displaying a carefree con dence and a daring curiosity that animates our creative spirit, inquisitive and intriguing PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri helps us to embrace this altered landscape of possibilities, opening us up to a new vision as we rewrite our lives.”

That all sounds pretty promising for two people starting a new life together, and for creative and dynamic couples, Pantone’s 2022 Color of the Year was made just for you.

The vivid shade, with its unique blend of red and blue, takes two shades that are seemingly diametrically opposed

Ashley Lanyon and Harter Clingman (see page 24) were initially married in an intimate commitment ceremony in 2020. For the couple’s larger 2021 celebration with family and friends, Lanyon chose to repurpose the dress she wore for their commitment ceremony, but with a twist. For the Door County celebration, Lanyon had the bottom of her customized Rebecca Schoneveld wedding dress dip-dyed by Wayfarer Bride. Photo by xoMe Studio. Accessorize with Pantone’s Color of the Year. This handkerchief adds a vibrant pop of energetic color against groom Clingman’s perfectly tailored blue suit. Photo by xoMe Studio.

and brings them together to create something new and forward looking.

But used as a fashion color, Very Peri’s energetic personality may be more of a trendsetter than some couples want to immortalize in their wedding photos. If that’s the case, the key is incorporating it in the details: subtle nods that enhance, not detract, from what should really be center stage that day.

Maximize the Ability to Accessorize

Because of Very Peri’s bold con dence, you don’t need a lot of it to make a statement. Think small, but intentionally placed pops of color within argyle or geometric patterned socks, embroidered on the trim of a pocket handkerchief, as the focal point of a hair comb or even in a piece of jewelry. All are subtle, yet striking ways to make this year’s crème de la color really stand out. So go ahead: Take a chance on Very Peri this wedding season. You might nd true love all over again.

“Tie” It All Together

Pairing a light gray, charcoal gray or even tan suit with a white dress shirt and a solid necktie or bow tie in the striking Color of the Year is a sure bet. Or, consider showing o this year’s winner with a necktie or bowtie in a fun paisley or geometric print set against a periwinkle-inspired gingham, checked or striped dress shirt. The trendy combination makes the look both complete and distinctive.

Think Accents

A gray or charcoal suit with ne purple or lavender pinstripes – or, for the more adventurous, a suit with a purple background o set by gray or lavender pinstripes – is one way to show o Pantone’s pick without risking the groom or groomsmen striking too close

Photo by xoMe Studio

of a resemblance to Willy Wonka. That’s not to say that a monochromatic look can’t be done, especially when you match it with sleek straight or tapered trousers and a single-breasted jacket. Keep the lapels narrow for a nished look that’s even more mod.

Bridesmaids may have it a little easier because hues that closely resemble Very Peri have been trending for the past few years. Consider incorporating a muted version of the color into bridesmaid dresses or even a splash of it as part of the bride’s attire.

Flowers are an easy way to add a splash of Very Peri (or any color of the year). Incorporate them into bouquets or boutonnieres to make an eye-catching statement, or for a toned-down approach, weave the color into pieces of the reception’s fl oral décor.

Wedding Hair Prep

Look flawless all day long

It’s your wedding day, and you know all eyes will be on you. So of course you want to make sure every part of your ensemble looks photo ready, your hair included. Here’s what you need to know to keep your style salon fresh from day to night.

Be Inspired

If you’re having trouble deciding on how to style those locks, take a cue from what you’ll be wearing. • Classic chic

If wearing a dress with higher lace or a halter-style neckline, consider pulling long hair up to the middle back of the head to show off the dress’s detail. A sleek ponytail, effortless low bun or smooth blowout are also solid choices.

• Hopeless romantic If the motif is more romantic and loose, consider showcasing tousled waves or framing your face with soft texture. • Boho vibes

Think loose braids, flower crowns (which are making a comeback) and undone updos.

Complement, Don’t Compete

Do you want to feel like a comfortable, but more glammed-up version of yourself? Do you want to look in the mirror and be totally wowed? Or do you want to find yourself somewhere in between? Whichever look you’re after, your hair should complement it, not compete with it. Now is also not the time to try a new cut or wildly different hair color. Try to finalize any hair-color goals at least six weeks prior to the nuptials.

Don’t Stress about Long Tresses

Although many bridal hairstyles depict long, windswept waves or loose, romantic updos, long hair isn’t a prerequisite for wedding-day hair that wows. But if you’re after a longer hair

Bride Brooke Rawlins (pictured here and at right) opted for loose waves (later pulled back into a half up style) to complement the rest of the wedding’s low-key vibes. Photos by Artemis Photography.

style, here are a few tips to make it happen. • Fake it till you make it Unless you want to wear your hair all down or make it signi cantly longer, hair extensions might be the perfect hair hack to add fullness, length and volume. Tip: Opt for extensions made from human hair so they can be colored and heat styled to match your own hair. • Grow it out

If you do decide to grow out your hair, regular trims and curbing heat-styling habits can keep your hair in better condition while it grows.

Get Inspired

A picture really does speak a thousand words, especially if you lack the right vocabulary to convey to your stylist the look you’re a er. • Do your research Ask yourself what you’ve seen that you really like, and begin gathering images. Just keep in mind that the photo is inspiration, not an instruction manual. Your hair’s individual color, texture, length and density all play into the nished product.

Take Your Tresses for a Test Drive

Once you settle on a style you like, do a trial run. If you’re able to book multiple trial-run appointments, take pictures of each one so you can compare which looked, felt and lasted the best. Also take any hair adornments or your veil to get the full e ect.

Stay Camera Ready

Now that you’ve found the one, keep it looking fresh all day long by having a few key hair products on hand for touch-ups, and ask your stylist for touch-up tips, too. A travel-size bottle of hairspray, bobby pins and a smoothing brush can easily t in a purse or clutch. If you have a bridal suite acting as home base for the day, you can also opt to ll it with hair products.

Creating a Day to Remember

Tips for personalizing your wedding day

From signature cocktails to custom hashtags, couples get pretty creative with customizing their wedding day. Here, our feature couples and industry experts offer their ideas for creating memorable moments that perfectly capture your love story.

Design (or Personalize) Your Rings

It’s the piece of jewelry you’ll wear for a lifetime, so why not make it uniquely yours? Even if you don’t know the first thing about jewelry design, it’s not as difficult as you think to create a one-ofa-kind symbol of your love.

“I didn’t have many daydreams about my wedding growing up,” said Ashley Lanyon (see page 24), “but I had always envisioned the Adirondacks being involved somehow.”

That vision materialized in the shape of Lanyon's and husband Harter Clingman’s engagement and wedding bands. Both are engraved mountain ridgelines that are visible from the front porch of Lanyon’s family cabin in the Adirondacks.

For couples who want to have a hand in designing their wedding rings but still

want some element of surprise, follow the lead of Katie and Mark Helscher (see page 12).

With help from Samara Jewelry Designs in Sturgeon Bay, Katie joined Mark during the first part of designing her wedding ring before stepping out of the process to let Mark finish the design.

If you plan to design your own rings, start early to allow plenty of time.

Traditions: Keep ’em, Break ’em or Make ’em

Bride Mackenzie Straub (see page 50) grew up in an interfaith household, celebrating both Catholic and Jewish traditions. Though she and husband Andrew Markham created a nonreligious ceremony, they incorporated some Jewish traditions throughout the celebration, including breaking the glass at the end of the wedding ceremony and dancing the hora at the reception.

Regan Northrop and David Pagone kept some traditions – especially those surrounding the church ceremony – but skipped many of the customs surrounding the reception.

“We kept all the first dances, but other than that, we left out a lot of the cliché traditions – the bouquet toss, the garter toss – [things] we thought were more of a distraction from the dancing and fun,” Northrop said.

#Makeityours

Usually a play on the couple’s names, wedding hashtags help you organize photos from your wedding that guests share on social media. Use the same one for your entire wedding journey, or have different ones for the various events leading up to the big day, such as a wedding shower and bachelor/ bachelorette parties.

Start by brainstorming as a couple. Write down your names, your wedding date and a few fun facts about you as a couple. Then write down all the wedding or love-related phrases you can think of. Compare the two lists to see whether any elements intersect in a punny way.

And if you’re really at a loss for coming up with something clever, never fear – just head to one of the many online wedding-hashtag generators such as weddinghashers.com.

The Wedding Party

Choosing your wedding party can be one of the more important decisions of your wedding planning. If you’re having a hard time choosing, there’s good news: There’s no wrong or right way. Take a cue from what these couples did.

Five bridesmaids and six groomsmen made up the wedding party for Brooke Rawlins and Matt Sampson (see page 18). “[It was] an uneven number, but that didn’t matter to us,” Rawlins said.

“A good friend of mine told me that her bridesmaids were all people who had seen her through a certain season of life. I had this sentiment in my head when deciding who would stand by my side.

Northrop and Pagone did something similar.

“Dave has a ton of great friends from high school,” Northrop said, “so he knew he would have a big wedding party.”

Northrop, on the other hand, felt more comfortable asking only a few very good friends to be bridesmaids.

“We decided it would be okay that we weren’t balanced,” she said, “so I had five, and he had eight, along with two ushers.”

Other couples such as Straub and Markham chose to cast traditional titles and roles to the side, asking close friends of the opposite sex to stand by their side.

Straub’s side of the wedding party consisted of her sister Kylie as her maid of honor and best friends Jordan and Hannah as bridesmaids.

Photo by xoMe Studio

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Markham chose to include his best friend Cole as his best man and his best friend Rosa as a groomswoman.

“We truly had our most important people standing by our side that day,” Straub said.

Raise a Glass to Signature Drinks

One simple way to lend a personal touch to your wedding day is to serve a signature cocktail or mocktail.

When selecting a signature drink, Alex Cole, beverage specialist for Door County Event Planners, said the best place to start is with what you like to drink.

“When working with a couple to design their bar package, I like to tell them to not overthink it. What do you like to drink when you go out? O en the signature drinks we serve aren’t anything that unusual, but instead a fun twist on something the bride or groom likes to drink.”

Take the personalization a step further by adding a Door County twist.

“So that might be a Moscow Mule with Door County cherry vodka, or something as simple as a champagne toast with a fresh cherry in the glass and cherry avoring added in,” Cole said.