The B Weddings & Celebrations Issue

Life in the Berkshires | Weddings & Celebrations 2023

Celebrate in Style!

Beautiful Berkshires-inspired weddings and parties PLUS:

PLANNING GUIDE

with venues, caterers, florists, and more

from the publisher and editor

Far left: Michelle Petricca and Amy Conway; Above: Melanie and Kevin Moran with hosts Kate and Hans Morris; Left: Fred Rutberg and Taylor Linscott Lamme and Kristian Sexton

THIS ISSUE IS DEDICATED TO CELEBRATIONS— which is

fitting because we at The B are in the mood to celebrate.

Since we launched this magazine earlier this year, we have been welcomed so warmly by the community. It is truly gratifying every time someone says, “The B really captures The Berkshires.” We couldn’t get a better compliment.

The following pages of this special issue are filled with ideas, inspiration, and sources for celebrations of your own milestones—weddings, girls’ weekends, family reunions, and parties for every other occasion. In that spirit, we thought we’d show you some photos from a recent pre-holiday get-together at the beautiful barn of Hans and Kate Morris celebrating The B and The Berkshire Eagle (it won another Newspaper of the Year award!).

Our next issue will be out in early 2024. Want to make sure a copy lands in your mailbox? Please subscribe at berkshireeagle.com/theb. In the meantime, follow us @theb.berkshires to stay connected. Thank you for being here for The B—see you next year! We can’t wait.

MICHELLE THORPE PETRICCA Publisher petricca@berkshireeagle.com

AMY CONWAY Editor aconway@berkshireeagle.com

Above left: Jennifer Bianco, Ian Cuillerier and Bertrand Garbassi; Above right: Gregory Crewdson, Kristy Edmunds, and Juliane Hiam; Right: Steven Favreau, Jules Appleby, Dennis Wyrzykowski, and Paul Appleby

Left: Shirley Edgerton and Judith Monachina Turn the page for more pics!

Weddings & Celebrations 2023 • THE B

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contributors: The B's Saints & Eccentrics SHIRA SAVADA (Contributing Weddings Editor) The former Real Weddings Editor of Martha Stewart Weddings, Savada has spent much of her career immersed in the world of weddings and editorial, also working with Domino, Harper’s Bazaar, Carats & Cake, and a multitude of talented event professionals over the past five years through her consulting company, shiramisu. shiramisu.com FRANCESCA OLSEN (“The Beauty of Berkshiregrown Blooms”) is a writer and consultant with more than a decade of experience in marketing and communications, from branding to digital strategy.

In addition to her professional work, she is a textile artist and has recently produced a series of quilts about surviving cancer. francescaolsen.com

The barn was a warm and welcoming spot—and we enjoyed the hors d’oeuvres and charcuterie from SoMa Catering.

Above: Amy and Sarah Steven; Left: Allen Harris and Paula Kohler; Below: Oren Cass and Roger Cohn

CAROLE OWENS (“A Tale of Two Weddings”) is an author of 12 books, including “The Berkshire Cottages: A Vanishing Era,” and more than 100 magazine articles for Parade Magazine, Boston Globe Magazine, Ladies’ Home Journal, and New England Travel and Leisure. She lives in Stockbridge and writes a regular column in The Berkshire Eagle.

NEIL TURITZ (“How Sweet It Is”) moved to the Berkshires last year from New York City, along with his wife. They have since welcomed a son. Turitz is a screenwriter, author, filmmaker, journalist, and creator of “6 Word Reviews” (@6wordreviews) on Instagram.

Above: Roger Cohn and Hans Morris; Right: Lauren and Gary Lavariere

SUBSCRIBE TO THE B! berkshireeagle.com/theb or scan the QR code.

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THE B • Weddings & Celebrations 2023

MIKE COBB (“Envelope, Please”) is a writer and a musician from Norfolk, Connecticut. He enjoys walking in the woods with his wife, daughter, and cockapoo Sammy. His work has been published in Village Voice, NYC Jazz Record, Berkshire Magazine, Lakeville Journal, Chronogram, and more.

FELIX CARROLL (“A Brilliant Return”) has twice been named Writer of the Year by the New York Press Association, and has received other journalism awards, as well. He has been a staff writer for The Berkshire Eagle, Cape Cod Times, and Albany Times Union. He lives in Housatonic.

He’s a South County firefighter, and he plays a gold sparkle drum kit.

Taste the flavor of local orchards here at Big Y. Bring home a bottle or two from Black Birch Vineyard and experience their authentic, hand-pressed signature wines.

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Weddings & Celebrations 2023

Features

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How Sweet It Is

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48

At Nine Cakes in Hudson, dessert becomes a whimsical work of art.

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36

Envelope, Please Make your mark on an event with letterpress stationery— created right here in Hillsdale.

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A Brilliant Return Jewelry designer Tim McClelland creates heirloom-quality pieces.

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Making Memories Advice on hiring an event photographer —from an event photographer.

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42

52

The Beauty of Berkshire-grown Blooms Local farm-fresh flowers make an event extra special.

Celebrations Plus!

THE B’S GUIDE TO VENUES & VENDORS

See page 71

In every issue: The Local Life 11 | Voices & Views 25 | Last Look 80

48 In Living Color 52 Somethings Blue 56 The Art of Love 60 Grand Gestures 66 One Fine Day

On the cover: A wedding at Wheatleigh in Lenox, see page 60 P H OTO: DA NI FINE PHOTOGRAP H Y; FLOWERS: N ICOLETTE CAMIL L E F LO R A L D ESI GN

Weddings & Celebrations 2023 • THE B

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Looking for a truly unique setting for your wedding?

Our Gilded Age “cottage” offers an elegant yet intimate setting, evocative of an historic bygone era.

VOL. 1, ISSUE 5 Weddings & Celebrations 2023 The mansion offers an unforgettable backdrop for wedding ceremonies, receptions, engagement and wedding photos, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers and breakfasts or brunches among other possibilities.

PUBLISHER

EDITOR IN CHIEF

mpetricca@berkshireeagle.com

aconway@berkshireeagle.com

Michelle Thorpe Petricca DESIGN DIRECTOR

Julie Hammill

julie@hammilldesign.com COPY EDITOR

Amy Krzanik CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS

104 Walker St., Lenox MA 01240 (413) 637-3206 | GildedAge.org Contact marsha@gildedage.org

Courtney Maum Pops Peterson

Amy Conway

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

William Li

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ben Garver Gillian Jones-Heck Stephanie Zollshan

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Kate Abbott

The B is a publication of New England Newspapers Inc. PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

Fredric D. Rutberg | frutberg@berkshireeagle.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Kevin Moran | kmoran@berkshireeagle.com CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER

Gary Lavariere | glavariere@berkshireeagle.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR

John Supple | jsupple@berkshireeagle.com OPERATIONS MANAGER

Chuck Danforth | cdanforth@berkshireeagle.com DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SERVICES

Kate Teutsch | kteutsch@berkshireeagle.com DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SALES

Cheryl Gajewski | cmcclusky@berkshireeagle.com REGIONAL MARKET DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE

Jim Gibbons | jgibbons@berkshireeagle.com SALES SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Alex Richards | arichards@berkshireeagle.com ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR

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Jo Duran | jduran@berkshireeagle.com Eileen Marran | emarran@berkshireeagle.com Maggie Mitchell | mmitchell@shoppersguideinc.com Tristany Saldo | tsaldo@berkshireeagle.com Jennifer Storti | jstorti@berkshireeagle.com

For subscription issues, call 800-245-0254

The

Local Life Exploring Our Towns for the Best of the Berkshires

Big Green Truck Mobile Pizza Oven See next page for details.

P H OTO : B I G G R E E N T R U C K

Weddings & Celebrations 2023 • THE B

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the local life: Around Town

Have Food and Drink, Will Travel With food trucks, mobile bars, even traveling fire, there are more and more ways the party can come to you. Innovative chefs and mixologists are bringing Berkshire flavors around the region. Here are just a few standouts.

Big Green Truck Pizza

SoMa

Restored International Harvesters serve wood-fired pizza in Litchfield County (and the rest of Connecticut) along with salad, espresso, and gelato, and the choice of a beer or wine add-on (or a separate beverage truck!). biggreentruckpizza.com

Wood-fired pizza and other options take to the road from West Stockbridge, as Loretta Tenuta creates locally sourced seasonal menus. somacatering.com

La Chalupa Y La Enchilada If you’ve stopped in at Balderdash Cellars, or a farmers market in Pittsfield or Lenox, you may have seen Cain Serrano serving tacos, quesadillas, salads, chalupas, empanadas, and burritos. Originally from Tlaxcala, Mexico, he has lived in the Berkshires for more than 20 years and worked in many well-known restaurants, including Church Street Café, Bistro Zinc, and Café Lucia, all in Lenox, before he launched his own food truck.

Another Round Bar This mobile bar from Dalton offers cocktails, wine, and beer, a full bar trailer, and food to go along with the drinks, brought by wedding planner Danielle Pellerin of 5 Senses Events & Design and her husband Ryan. anotherroundbar.com

Heirloom Fire

Higher Bar Passion fruit? Bourbon, apple cider, and ginger? Jeremy Kenny, native of the Berkshires and for many years the mind behind Rouge Restaurant in West Stockbridge, has launched a tap truck and a traveling bar with fresh juices, and custom bitters and syrups. He also offers private cocktail workshops if you’d like to learn to make your own. higher-bar.com

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THE B • Weddings & Celebrations 2023

Chef James Gop curates events with fresh, seasonal foods from farms in the region, and a unique sustainably minded experience; he sets up a traveling kitchen to create a meal cooked directly over hardwood flame. heirloomfire.com

H I G H E R B A R : A M A N D A K P H OTO G R A P H Y; A N OT H E R R O U N D : S T E P H R A P I S A R D A ; B I G G R E E N T R U C K P H OTO C O U R T E SY O F B I G G R E E N T R U C K ; H E I R LO O M F I R E C O U R T E SY O F H E I R LO O M F I R E

By Kate Abbott

Is planning your WEDDING OR EVENT causing you stress?

Are you looking for the PERFECT GIFT for yourself or someone else?

DJ BFG hosted an 80s/90s dance party at The Colonial Theatre in November.

NOW BOOKING events of all kinds!

Music Matters

Life of the Party There’s an art to keeping the crowd and the energy moving. DJ BFG shares how she gets it done.

P H OTO : V L A D I M I R Z E L E N Y

The guitar chords sound a call to action, then there’s the bass, the beat, and the voice—Signed, sealed, delivered, I’m yours— and the crowd is on their feet and dancing to Stevie Wonder.

“That’s the strongest kickoff song in pop music, as far as I’m concerned,” said DJ BFG, aka Gabby Squailia, who has been spinning professionally at all kinds of events for 20 years, in the Berkshires and across the state.

“Weddings are no longer a single-solution musical experience,” she said. Which is where her expertise comes in.

It used to be that pop songs came in waves, she said—Top 40 tunes or songs from a new hit album, like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” in the 1980s or Nirvana’s “Nevermind” in the 1990s. Musical genres and eras rarely mixed. But that pattern has changed, in part because technology lets groups of friends evolve communal playlists and share their tastes. And, in the Berkshires, there are “different musical demographics in different areas. What works in one town may not work the next town over,” Squailia said.

Couples will often come to her with their own playlist, and she will talk with them about their music, and their guests. That’s the starting point. At the event, she will layer in musical styles, responding to the audience and the feeling in the room. “The critical skill [is knowing] what will work in the moment. As the vibe and emotional

VOTED BEST WEDDING PLANNER 2 YEARS IN A ROW!

state changes, I work with it.”

She plays with a sense of improvisation, and enjoys requests, trying to figure out how to slide a new song into the queue. She moves from one song seamlessly into the next, easing the transitions, laying rhythm or voice from the next song over the last notes of the previous one to tease the room with what’s about to happen.

She enjoys the challenge of charting her course, moving from new wave and disco to Paul Simon’s “I Know What I Know,” Boney M.’s bass-thumping “Rasputin,” or a Bollywood pop song.

And she will plan where she wants the evening to wind up. The Talking Heads’ “This Must Be the Place”—the first song played at her own wedding—is often the last song she plays at the end of the night.

Home, is where I want to be, but I guess I’m already there.—K.A.

Dance with DJ BFG Looking for lights and music on a cold, dark night? Come to Dalton’s Stationery Factory for a monthly DJ BFG Music Factory dance party (December 15, January 19, and onward); or check out the Disco Party with Berkshire Theatre Group at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield on February 2. stationery-factory.com berkshiretheatregroup.org

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Life in the Berkshires just got better.

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the local life: Pay It Forward Giving Back

Feel-good Gifts Want to wrap a sense of meaning and purpose into a gift? Many of our local organizations and small businesses offer memberships, classes, merchandise, and clever ways to donate. Here are just a few suggestions.

By Heather Campbell

Feasts for celebrations big & small!

Name a Cow! This is a perfect gift for animal lovers.

When you sponsor a calf at Lee’s High Lawn Farm, you’ll get to name and feed her (stop in for ice cream at the Creamery while you’re there). And as a thank you, you’ll receive a High Lawn Farm Sampler Box filled with an assortment of farmstead cheeses, a jar of ghee, and slow-churned butter. highlawnfarm.com | $400

Send Local Treats Berkshire Packs with a Purpose from Only In My Dreams are themed around many of our local nonprofits (Railroad Street Youth Project, Berkshire Immigrant Center, WAM Theatre, and more) and include a donation directly to the organization.

Each pack is filled with delicious products sourced directly from creators, many of whom are Berkshire locals. onlyinmydreamsevents.com/berkshire-packs | $75

Help Farmers, Enjoy Flowers

Shop our locally owned Family of Businesses:

BELLA FLORA MAZZEO’S MEAT & SEAFOOD THE CHEF’S SHOP

LOCATED ALONG RTE 7 PITTSFIELD & GB @GUIDOSFRESHMARKETPLACE

When you pay for flowers in advance through the Flower CSA at Hillsdale’s Tiny Hearts Farm, you help growers shoulder the early season expenses at a time when farm revenues are low— and you ensure beautiful bouquets come spring. tinyheartsfarm.com | Starting at $250

C O W : S T E P H A N I E Z O L L S H A N ; LO C A L T R E AT S : O N LY I N M Y D R E A M S E V E N T S ; F LO W E R : S H U T T E R S TO C K

740 Williams Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201 www.bluSalonSpas.com (413) 344-4429 * Hair * Nails * Facial * Massage * Waxing *

Celebrate Creativity Support artists and a nonprofit when you shop at Berkshire Art Center’s two galleries (Stockbridge and Pittsfield) or online. Choose from locally created ceramics, paintings, and jewelry. Or, let your gift getter unleash their inner artist when you give them a gift certificate for a class or an Art Night Out. berkshireartcenter.org | Prices vary

Tapas & Fine Dining

Take Time for Tea Your gift from ExtraSpecialTeas is also a gift to a community you can feel good about supporting. When you send your loved one the delicious tea blends, gluten-free goodies, dog treats, or inspiring signature items, your purchase also benefits a business where people with intellectual differences can work in an inclusive environment to learn, create, and grow. extraspecialteas.org | Prices vary

47 PARK ST., ADAMS, MA 413-776-7121 | FIREHOUSECAFE.NET

Bring the Museum Home

E A R R I N G S : B E R K S H I R E A R T C E N T E R ; T E A : E X T R A S P E C I A L T E A S ; P R I N T: N O R M A N R O C K W E L L M U S E U M

Norman Rockwell captured daily humor, big moments, and hard realities. Lovers of his work and Stockbridge’s Norman Rockwell Museum are sure to appreciate a limited edition signed print, which comes with an authenticity certificate. store.nrm.org | Prices vary

Celebrate 2023 with Animal Inn!

Expand Lives Through Literacy Become a main character in one of LitNet’s success stories: When you donate, you get to choose books for learners, and you’ll receive a bookplate as an acknowledgment of your gift. litnetsb.org/books-for-learners | $25 and up

Build Community “Brick” by Brick

Bricks represent structure, strength, and security, and when you buy a symbolic brick through Construct, you’ll impact critical areas of housing insecurity that are often overlooked, helping your neighbors start over, regain their footing, and thrive. At $25 each, they make great hostess gifts. constructberkshires.org | Brick donations start at $25

Visit Animal Inn and let your fur babies show why Shannon & her team are voted Best in the Berkshires year after er year! y Providing award winning Boarding, Daycare & Grooming!

120 Hubbard Ave, Pittsfield, MA Text or Call 413-442-3472

the local life: Food & Drink Dreaming of Summer

Celebrate the Local Bounty Canyon Ranch is just getting started—Lenox’s renowned resort and spa hosted two sold-out Harvest Dinners this past season, and are looking forward to an expanded series in 2024. The dinners— which welcome the general public as well as guests staying at Canyon Ranch—showcase the culinary talents of resident Chef Julien Ardouin alongside the Canyon Ranch culinary team, complemented by guest chefs who will bring their own expertise. Look for the series to start next spring.

In high summer, the first dinner highlighted talents and ingredients from Chatham Bars Inn, with Chef Ardouin and the team from Berkshire Catering Co. working aside the guest chefs.

The fall dinner featured Michelin-starred Chef Charlie Mitchell (right) from Clover Hill, Brooklyn—and wines from Dare Bottleshop in Lenox.

TA B L E / T E N T: S H E L B I E M O N K R E S ; C H E F S : D E N N I S FA R R I S

canyonranch.com

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THE B • Weddings & Celebrations 2023

the local life: Food & Drink Design Your Own Drink

Signature Sips If you want to raise a glass with personal flair, you might fill it with a cocktail created just for you.

INVENTION OF A COCKTAIL Billy Jack Paul, mixologist at MoonCloud in Great Barrington, tells the story of his “cocktail portrait painting process.”

My strategy in developing a cocktail for a wedding or event is to interview our special guests and learn about them in an effort to illustrate their personal theme. Who are you, where have you been, where are you headed? And, with those stories, I can paint a portrait in the form of a cocktail.

This is also how I create our original cocktail menu at MoonCloud, where I will approach a particular theme— maybe a historical reference, a movie or literary reference— and create a cast of spirits. I let those ingredients play the character roles to fully develop any given theme.

For instance, if I am to build a cocktail for a couple to enjoy on the eve of their nuptials, getting to know them breathes an air of creativity.

Let’s say they met in the Berkshires. One is from Colorado, an arborist with a love of trees. Let’s incorporate maple, Cinchona, cinnamon bark, or a stone pine liqueur.

Their betrothed shares an affinity for the early Italian renaissance—Botticelli, Medici, the Uffizi—so let’s incorporate a rich-bold Amaro and an aperitif vermouth.

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THE B • Weddings & Celebrations 2023

We’ll call it “Happily Ever.” And it just so happens, Aunt Ginny is paying for the whole thing, and she likes gin ... so, gin.

“Happily Ever” 1.5 oz Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ethereal Gin .75 oz Cocchi Rosa aperitif .75 oz Amontillado sherry .5 oz Amaro Lucano .5 oz local maple syrup (1/1 with hot water) 1 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice 2 dashes Angostura bitters Serve Tiki-style over pebble ice with a nasturtium on top, which will add a little spice when eaten with a sip of the cocktail. —Billy Jack Paul

P H OTO : E L E N A M O R TA L I

Many parties offer a favorite drink of the hosts as the signature cocktail. But for something truly special, it’s worth working with a mixologist on a never-before-sipped drink.

For William Winn, general manager of Berkshire Mountain Distillers, a new cocktail often begins with a central spirit.

For an event or a wedding, “I’ll start by asking them what they like to drink,” he said, and go from there to explore flavors.

When people plan weddings in the Berkshires, they are choosing the character of the hills, he said. So, to infuse an event with that feeling, he finds out what draws people here, whether it’s the creative spirit or the natural beauty.

The time of year also plays a role: In summer, he might lean toward refreshing and cool, with fruit from local orchards. In winter he might catch spice in a glass.

If you’re looking for inspiration (and recipes), check out Berkshire Mountain Distillers’ Cultural Cocktails, created for local creative organizations. Shakered Not Stirred, anyone? (Yes, that one was for Hancock Shaker Village.)—K.A.

They’ve scheduled their wedding for autumn in Great Barrington. And their honeymoon is planned for Spain, so I’m thinking about sherry. We want to create something bright and refreshing, but not too boozy, while still enveloping the warming flavors of fall.

Trending

Make It Micro A small wedding with just a handful of guests has some big benefits.

P H OTO : S H U T T E R S TO C K

What if you could talk to—really talk to— every guest at your wedding, sit around a fire pit together, or dance the summit of Mount Greylock with your closest friends?

With a microwedding—an intimate event with 10 to 50 people—you can.

“It’s like people building tiny houses,” said Oskar Hallig, co-founder, with husband Mike Zippel, of Only in My Dreams Events in South Egremont. “It’s the same wedding, just smaller.”

Looking through photos from his own wedding of 250 guests, he said large events have their own glories, but the crowd blurs couples are keeping the same budget and in his memory now. When people choose to refocusing. Planning for a smaller group celebrate with a tight group of people who can widen their choices in food, flowers, are important to them, they can take more decorations, and venue. time to connect.

“When it’s The Berkshires are one “When it’s smaller, of the most beautiful places the group is more of a smaller, the in the world, Hallig said, moving, beating heart,” group is more and many people want to be said Sarah Pritchard, events outside. They may choose a coordinator at the Williams of a moving, for its natural beauty or Inn in Williamstown. beating heart.” place because it matters to them—a She and Hallig have seen favorite restaurant, the place this movement emerging where they met on their first date, or post COVID, out of necessity, and where they used to play as a child. He also continuing, as couples focus less on tradition sees more people holding events in their and expectations and more on what—and own homes or the home of a friend. who—is really important to them.

A smaller group is easier to fit into “Be brave,” Pritchard said. “Choose to those types of places, or to manage invite those whose faces light up when they in unpredictable situations. At the see you. Choose to celebrate with people Williams Inn, Pritchard recently guided who will be there with you through the a microwedding through a microstorm— good, the bad, and the ugly.” people came inside in good spirits to Some couples have found that a smaller roast marshmallows. The storm became event can give them more flexibility. They part of the experience. can give more time to each guest, in their Every moment can matter, no matter preparations and on the day. They have how unexpected, Hallig said, and people room for creativity and attention to detail. can laugh together: “You’re giving yourself A smaller event can cost less, Hallig said, the gift of presence.”—K.A. though he and Pritchard agree that some

the local life: Style Getting Glam

Salon Secrets

it doesn’t hold curl on a regular day, it won’t magically change for your wedding day. My favorite hair accessories are flowers. A favorite?

Gardenia is gorgeous and white, and so beautifully fragrant.

Six top local stylists on looking and feeling your best on a big day.

Mark Johnson

Sonya Heimann

SEVEN salon.spa, Stockbridge sevensalonspa.com

Editorial hairstylist and makeup artist sonyaheimann.com Ask yourself how you feel the most beautiful. With your hair down and flowing? Or away, so you don’t have to fuss over it? The most important, when it comes to your hair, is to be honest with yourself about what your hair can do. If

The “sleek low bun” has been a favorite for a few seasons now with brides, as well as on the runway, either with or without tendrils. This hairstyle holds up well throughout the day and evening, regardless of weather conditions.

It also allows for great placement of a dramatic veil. Adding a hair

accessory, such as a pearl or rhinestone clip/ comb just above the bun, adds extra glamour.

Alicia Powers Four One Three Salon, Pittsfield fouronethreesalon.com My go-to hairstyle for a night out would be with hot roller curls—they’re easy to set and forget while you do your makeup, and they always deliver the most voluminous blowout-like curls. My one little secret is that I use dry texture spray at my root and on the ends for a beachy finished look without the hairspray crunch. The best dry texture spray around: Verb Volume Dry Texture Spray.

You’ll thank me later.

Brandi Scalise Blu Salon & Spa, Pittsfield blusalonspas.com It’s a bunch of little things and a lot of emotion that go into that special day.

Most people have an idea or a photo of what they are looking for and we create a hairstyle that makes them feel confident.

And with makeup, we do our best to make them feel comfortable in their own skin.

instead focus on highlighting your favorite features. As for product recommendations, one of my favorites is the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, which will help you remove all that water-resistant makeup at the end of a long reception!

Kelly Visconti Honey & Hair Salon, Hudson, NY honeyandhairsalon.com

Liz Washer Makeup Artistry by Liz bridalbyliz.com

For blondes, get a hairline touch-up close to your event date to avoid dark patches when you pull your hair up. For brunettes, hair accessories/pins/

Despite what social media tells us, makeup should never be applied in a formulaic, paint-by-numbers way, as no two faces are alike. Don’t get hung up on trends that were designed to push products, and

clips always pop on a dark base and enhance your overall look. One recommendation: A favorite scent line—Maya Fragrances—and they just released a candle, too!

Sabrina Marie Fortier Sabrina Marie Makeup Artistry, North Adams sabrinamariemakeup.com My best advice for any bride: You want to look like you, just enhanced. Don’t go overboard with the makeup, and don’t do anything too trendy that you may regret five to 10 years from now.

Pictures last a lifetime. —K.A.

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We provide:

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the local life: Get the Goods

Shop Local

Let’s Stay In Anticipating a season of chilly nights and cozy meals with friends, we asked Abby Webster of Sett in Great Barrington to create three welcoming table settings. They’re so inviting, we’re pulling up a chair. Engaged couple alert: Sett also has a gift registry! sett.onemercantile.com

Woodsy and Whimsical (Above) Laura Zindel Red Fox Bistro Plate, $35 each;

Laura Zindel Double Acorn Sauce Bowl, $26 each; Forte White Wine Glass, $78 set of 8; WRF Handmade Ceramic Dinner Plate in Ash, $62 each; Pewter Songbirds Salt & Pepper Shakers, $64 for set; Linen Napkins in Olive, $48 set of 4; Linen Table Runner in Eucalyptus on Natural, $46-$56; Paige Hand-blown Glass Tumbler in Smokey Green, $20 each; Epoque Flatware, $96.50 for 5-pc. place setting; Etched Glass Votive in Silver, $8 each

Go for the Gold (Below) Acrylic Charger Plate in Gold, $8 each; Davistudio

Prints Charming (Above) Element Stoneware Small Plate in Posy, $12 each; Block Print Cotton Napkins in Alice Stripes Storm, $34 set of 4; Navi Marigold Cotton Tablecloth, $54 for 62" square; Quiet Sun Cotton Table Runner, $42 for 16" x 70"; Arezzo Brushed Flatware, $50 for 5-pc. setting; Midnight Rim Ceramic Dinner Plate, $12 each; Perle Glass Tumbler in Amethyst, $23 each; Birch Laminate Tray in Alice Blues, $72; Handpainted Ceramic Tiny Bowl in Round Q, $8 each; Makaua Palm Leaf Oval Bread Basket in Chocolate, $30 each; Mini Wooden Spoon, $2.50 each

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P H OTO S : S T E P H A N I E Z O L L S H A N

Handmade Ceramic Dinner Plate in White, $76 each; Coffee Bean Block Print Cotton Napkins, $24 set of 4; Bistrot Flatware in Dune Ivory, $112 for 5-pc. place setting; Classical Faux Leather Placemat in Black, $11 each; Opus Stainless Steel Sugar Bowl with Wire Twist, $55; Deep Purple Linen Table Runner, $35; Caskata Bread Plate (center) in Fez, $79 set of 4; Caskata Dinner Plate in Casablanca (left), $40 each; Bourbon Street Etched Martini Coupe, $25 each, and Cocktail Glass, $19 each; (Gold faux botanicals available at craft stores)

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For many couples, planning their wedding is the largest-scale event they’ve ever had to manage. With so many moving parts, it’s important to have vendors like Mazzone Hospitality on your roster to take the stress off and ensure the day runs smoothly.

The Capital District-based catering company has been trusted with the menus of countless events in their four decades of business, from tying the knot to corporate galas and charity fundraisers. When considering the menu for your special day, Sales Managers Abigail Wilson and Kinley Baran say “Personal preferences, time of year, and venue all play a part in selecting your menu! We always encourage you to think of your menu as a whole, so that you have the best flow from cocktail hour all the way to dessert while still offering a wide variety of options.”

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Mazzone Hospitality works with a number of venues exclusively around the Capital Region.

Their off-premise catering division plans events from backyards in Lenox to upscale Hudson Valley barns to Vermont country inns and everywhere in between. They serve their clients by building remarkable culinary creations for every occasion, and by utilizing their in-house designer to give each setup its own special flair.

The team at Mazzone Hospitality makes

sure their clients feel great by meeting with them every step of the way, especially when it comes to weddings: “We make sure that the day goes smoothly by removing any uncertainty.” said Wilson and Baran, “We are available throughout the entire process to make sure that you feel confident in the day you planned. Our week-of final meeting helps ease those pre-wedding jitters by walking through the day and answering any outstanding questions.”

When organizing to impress for the holidays or any special event, Mazzone can handle the job from hors d’oeuvres to desserts; they’re one of the only full-service catering companies in the region who have a bakery in-house. There is no shortage of resources in the Mazzone Hospitality kitchen to make your day a complete success, no matter the occasion.

P H OTO : @Y T K P H OTO G R A P H Y

Mazzone Hospitality brings Flavor and Flair to Every Event

Voices & Views These Stories Can Only Come from the Berkshires

Stonover Farm Lenox Our columnist, Pops Peterson, wrote about his wedding day at this bucolic location. Turn the page for his story.

P H OTO : T R I C I A M C C O R M A C K P H OTO G R A P H Y

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voices & views: Pops’ Corner

A Beautiful Comedy of Errors After 13 years, our columnist shares the secret of what went wrong with his nuptials—and in the end, what really matters.

By Pops Peterson

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The couple at Stonover Farm in 2010

“By all accounts, our celebration of love and commitment was simply glorious!” ceremony we’d attended in a cathedral in New York, was not registered to perform weddings in Massachusetts, just New York! Everyone I saw on the street, every client who came into the salon who congratulated me and wished me happiness, stuck another dagger into my heart with their blessings. I held my tongue while feigning pride and joy rather than admit to this farce. The pastor apologized and of course we forgave them. They promised to come back to the Berkshires as soon as they could get the proper papers and have a do-over, but they couldn’t do this for a month and a half!

Then came the longest, most awkward stretch of time I’ve ever endured— technically a continuation of our engagement, which also came about backwards. Mark and I had been together for 20 years. When we met, in 1990, the idea of a same-sex marriage seemed as absurd as flying elephants. It was a given that we’d never be able to fully—legally—live our lives with honor, integrity, and openness. A dear aunt had even banned Mark from her house. We opened our business in such a progressive community—the Berkshires— but we still felt we must hide from vendors and potential employees the true nature of our relationship. An incident at the DMV, when I was not allowed to sign a certain paper over a vehicle because we weren’t legally married, was just a hint of what could happen to us even though we had been living together, sharing everything, faithfully, for decades. What if this had been a life-ordeath emergency?

P H OTO S C O U R T E SY O F P O P S P E T E R S O N

Our wedding was the talk of the town on June 5, 2010. We weren’t the most famous blue bloods in the Berkshires, but there were several reasons tongues were wagging like frisky puppy tails. For one, we were not just the rare gay couple exchanging vows in a high-profile venue, Stonover, we were also an interracial gay couple, curiosity of curiosities. And, perhaps most importantly, one of the two grooms happened to be Mark Johnson of SEVEN salon.spa, who’d blabbed about nothing but his wedding plans to the hundreds of stylish heads in his chair for the previous six months.

Each highlight and cut was told of the 4-course catering menu by Marketplace; the bluegrass band we booked for the cocktails, Housatonic Philharmonic; the swinging jazz band we hired for the dining hour, Wanda Houston; and the arrogant NYC DJ, name withheld, whom we imported for the boogie bash in the newly refurbished Stonover barn, which we lit up like a psychedelic disco, light show courtesy of Drew Suto.

By all accounts, our celebration of love and commitment was simply glorious! But now, after 13 years, I am confessing publicly, dear reader, that the whole event turned out to be a fraud! After all the pomp, the music, the prayers, all the thousands of miles traveled by friends and relatives, all the jubilation, the love and support of the whole community not to mention enough cash spent for a year at Harvard, the dream that came true for me and my love…turned out not to be legal!

I discovered this horror myself two days later, looking over the paperwork. The lifelong friend who married us, a nondenominational pastor whose ordination

Then, on February 1, 2008, a miracle happened: New York State (we live just across the border) decided to recognize same-sex marriages from other states! All we had to do was hold the wedding in Massachusetts, and we’d be all set. So we decided we would definitely get married. The question: Who was going to propose to whom?

Facebook was new on the scene in 2009 and Mark and I were in a heavy competition to accumulate the most friends. He bristled at my relationship status, which I had set to “single,” and urged me to change it to “in a relationship” or “it’s complicated.”

I changed it to “engaged,” figuring that when he accepted the status change, the public at large would see it and we would be official. As it turned out, although Facebook didn’t release a relationship status with a mother, brother or other relative until that relative verified it was true, for engagements they just let it fly! Within minutes, I was showered with congratulatory messages and emojis. Then somebody commented, “Does Mark know? There’s nothing about it on his page!”

Mark changed his status as soon as he found out, and on June 5, 2010, we were married—just not legally. An interminable six weeks later, our friend the pastor returned to the Berkshires, fully authorized. We finally signed our papers and were pronounced husband and husband in Rouge Restaurant on July 11.

All these years later, both of our anniversary dates come and go, and we don’t acknowledge either of them. It’s too confusing, and what’s in a date, anyway? All that matters is the love we share and the legal rights we enjoy as a married couple, with a legally married non-binary child, a legal daughter-inlaw, and a gorgeous grandson. Our family is growing, and I’ve never known so much love. B

“WE’RE REALLY TRYING TO DEVELOP A CAPACIT Y FOR REVERENCE IN OUR STUDENTS. WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO FEEL A SENSE THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME SORT OF MYSTERY…JUST BEYOND WHAT THEY’RE UNDERSTANDING YET…SOMETHING THAT’S MUCH BIGGER THAN THEMSELVES.” KARIN ALMQUIST, SCHOOL DIRECTOR

H AW O RTN A EL VA L ELYL .EO RG S CHHAOW OT L .H HE OV RN Y.O RG

for all life’s moments w i ld f lo w e r s g r e at b a r r i n g t o n

Their family today: Mark, grandson Zenith, daughter-in-law Katherine, child Monroe, and Pops

ewildflowersflorist.com | wallflowerflowerwalls.com 413-528-3004

voices & views: Neighbor to Neighbor

Keep it Simple When it comes to party planning, say “I Do” to streamlined fun.

For someone who makes a living as a writer, I have a robust background in event planning.

My first gig was at a Manhattan PR firm where one of our designers wanted to show his winter lineup on ice-skating male models, but he didn’t want to host the show at a public rink because it wouldn’t be intimate or edgy, so I was tasked with installing a custom plexiglass skating rink inside a warehouse which was as taxing as it sounds.

Do you know what job prepared me for this level of tomfoolery? Being the official party promoter for Corona Extra in Paris.

That’s right: for three years in my twenties, I was tasked with painting the City of Lights yellow and getting discerning Parisians to pay a lot of francs for a notoriously light beer that I forced bar goers to drink out of the bottle, because being casual and low key was part of our whole brand.

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While the zone assigned to me was Paris, the north of France, instead of ten hours once a year I was dispatched to Marseille south to Marseille. Long story short: the to help our top salesman orchestrate the bus tour was a disaster because we had Great Corona Bus tour which involved no bus, and the long-suffering bar owners cramming a yellow double decker bus were furious that they’d ordered all this with hostesses in catsuits for a booze Mexican swill for naught. That fiasco cruise around the city where we’d alight at taught me a lot of things, but the most participating pubs with blow-up bottles of essential lesson was that when it comes Corona and Corona stickers and a lot of to any level of event planning: keep it other stuff that most adults don’t want. simple. Really simple. Whatever you are The third year of the bus tour, we worked picturing, keep it simpler than that. with a Belgian driver who had never been And finally, if there is a double decker to France. After a protracted conversation bus involved in your shindig, make sure that involved the Belgian insisting that it is roadworthy or he was by Marseille’s biggest better yet, do not plan “Whatever you anything that requires fountain and me insisting that I couldn’t see a Corona bus on the such a bus. Here’s are picturing, town square, I realized that this wishing you a successful keep it simpler season of love and fellow had driven an hour and a half from his house to Lille in celebration. B than that.”

I L LU S T R AT I O N : I A N E V E R H A R T

By Courtney Maum

FIVE TRUTHS I’VE LEARNED These tips from my party planning past can help you keep things flexible and fun whether you are planning a wedding or helping pay for one.

1 2

When it comes to food, one and done is best: In my experience, family style meals are preferable to multiple plated courses that anchor people to the table for too long of a wait.

Serve food with alcohol, always: You know how you

keep Uncle Jeff from going off rails with his Best Man speech? Serve hors d’oeuvres with cocktails! Full glasses and empty bellies are a recipe for disaster.

3

You can skimp on cake: By the time

dessert hour rolls around, most of the elders at the party will be ready for the sandman and the youngsters for the dance floor. With few exceptions, there’s little reason to blow your budget on dessert. Yes, guests will appreciate a little sugar after dinner but they don’t need to participate in a whole coronation for your cake. Consider a self-serve freezer of ice cream sandwiches or a dish of chocolate bars on every table or throw Rice Krispies squares from the dance floor to your guests.

4

But you can’t skimp on the music: When I think of events I either organized or attended that were duds, it wasn’t because of the food or the location (or the cake!), it was because of the music, or the lack thereof. Musical selections are the trickiest part of event planning. Hiring a live band is impressive, but live bands can be loud and taxing for your guests—are you supposed to holler at your tablemates to keep up conversation or watch the live performance? If you opt for live entertainment, book the band for a specific time span (cocktails or the dancing) instead of the whole night. A good DJ can pick up the slack making sure that each phase of the evening has music scaled to support it so you’re not listening to Lil’ Kim during dinner and Schubert during dancing.

Regardless of where the music is coming from, make sure to cater the tunes to all the generations present so the evening is one of connectivity and togetherness for everybody there.

5

Assigned seating is your friend: Well, it might not be

your friend, because you need time and energy to map out seating arrangements, but most people find it comforting to know where they’re sitting ahead of time, lest they suffer flashbacks to school field trips where they had to scramble for bus partners and ended up sitting alone.

Home i Lifestyle i Objets d’Art at The Red Lion Inn @theshop.aroundthecorner

413.298.1623 Ceramics by Local Artist Julia Keenan

The Premier Antiques and design destination

in the Berkshires

Call: 413-644-8848 or visit theberkshiregalleries.com @theberkshiregalleries.

Experts & Artisans We have so much talent close to home—here are just a few of our local pros.

Nine Cakes Hudson, NY White-on-white decorations make for a subtly sculptural classic cake. ninecakes.com P H OTO : N I N E C A K E S

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experts & artisans: Cake Designer

How Sweet It Is P H OTO : S T E P H A N I E Z O L L S H A N

At Nine Cakes in Hudson, Betsy Thorleifson bakes delicious works of art.

By Neil Turitz

For someone who counts wedding cakes as a cornerstone of her business, Betsy Thorleifson was not terribly enthusiastic about making her first one, back in the spring of 2009.

“I immediately said, ‘No, no, that sounds really stressful,’” she recalled. But her next thought was, “Well, why not?” Before long, her work was so popular that new customers were bringing in pictures of her own cakes as references, without even realizing it.

Her secret: it wasn’t just how the cakes looked. At that time, many bakers were focused on the cake being a “beautiful centerpiece and nothing else,” she said. “I wanted people to talk about how gorgeous my cakes were, and also how great they tasted.”

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experts & artisans: Cake Designer

In style now: whimsical touches, glowing colors, and visual surprises

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The owner of Nine Cakes in Hudson, New York, Thorleifson opened her first bakery in Brooklyn in 2008, where she offered, yes, nine cakes to customers. She can only remember what two of them were, saying with a laugh, “Um … one was an almond pear. And there was a chocolate caramel with pine nuts, which was my favorite.” The rest are lost to time.

After falling in love with Hudson during a 2018 romantic getaway, she opened her second bakery there the following spring. The Brooklyn shop closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but by then, Thorleifson had already relocated with her husband and daughter.

“It’s beautiful here. I love the peace and quiet and the energy of it,” she said, noting that a return to the big city is not in the cards. “When the Brooklyn shop closed, we put everything in storage thinking, ‘Oh, we’ll get back to normal soon enough.

We’ll just find a new spot.’ But in the years since, I realized, I don’t want a second location. I just want to be here.”

Despite leaving New York City behind, she still counts it as a major part of her business. Once a week, the delivery people with whom she’s worked for years come to Hudson, where they load up for drop-offs in and around the city, as well as Long Island and Connecticut. She made one cake that was so tall—over six feet—it had to be delivered in separate pieces (it was for a WNBA player who wanted the confection to be taller than she was!).

Thorleifson’s cakes have her own spin, but she sees—and creates—trends. In style now: “Whimsical touches made out of sugar: little mushrooms, a cluster of kumquats, a sliced open fig with a bumblebee, ripening strawberries. Something that feels like a visual surprise once you get up close to look.

Enchanting details.”

That’s not all! She continued, “And color! Not just going with the traditional white. A soft glowing blush, peach, or warm taupe color all create a softer backdrop for the rest of the cake design. In candlelight, the cakes just glow and feel romantic.” B

A jar of marinara sauce can’t be closer to homemade than this one.

HANDCRAFTED IN THE BERKSHIRES

C A K E S : N I N E C A K E S ; OT H E R P H OTO S : S T E P H A N I E Z O L L S H A N

MADE

IN

NOR T H A DA MS

Available at fine food stores + oomatesoros.com Coupon code: THEBMAG for 15% off

experts & artisans: Letterpress Stationer

Envelope, Please And the winner is...anyone who has Jane Buck design and print stationery for them.

By Michael Cobb • Photographs by Stephanie Zollshan “I love working with these big old machines,” said Jane Buck of the Chandler & Price platen presses—one from 1890, the other from 1920—in her Hillsdale, New York, print shop.

Her antique equipment allows her to create designs that appeal to people who appreciate the beauty of handmade things and are looking for something one-of-a-kind. “There’s a magic to it. It enables me to provide a completely bespoke experience,” she said.

Originally from Nottinghamshire, England, Buck always loved drawing from nature. She

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studied art and fashion at university and taught herself screen printing. After meeting Simon, her American-born, New Zealandraised man, they moved to New York City in 1999 and married shortly after.

In 2005, Buck started Foxy & Winston, a line of stationery named for her parents.

She owned a store by the same name in Red Hook, Brooklyn, where she was printing greeting cards using vivid gouache with silkscreen. Receiving more requests for custom work, Buck knew she “needed to learn

“There’s a magic to it. It enables me to provide a completely bespoke experience.”

letterpress to print the type of projects coming my way,” she said. She took a class, then took a leap and moved to Hillsdale with Simon and their two dogs in 2018. “It’s in the middle of nowhere but in the center of everything, close to Hudson and Great Barrington. We love taking our beagles to Roeliff Jansen Park,” she said.

Once she found a space in town—which now goes by the name Hudson Valley Letterpress—she acquired the antique presses. Buck begins most of her designs by sketching with a pencil. “Clients often want me to draw the wedding venue, so I focus on architectural features, coming up with a simplified version to make it personal to them.” Birth announcements are some of Buck’s favorite work because they often include animals, insects, and botanicals, which she loves to draw.

She also creates personal and business stationery, but her main bread and butter is wedding suites.

Once the client is happy with the design, Buck sends it off to be made into a polymer plate for printing. “On its return, I attach it to the press and go to print,” she said. As she operates the machines, the raised design of the plate gets inked, then pressed into cotton rag stock, creating the “debossed” effect that gives letterpress printing its pleasing tactile quality. “Every job is a different and fun challenge,” she said. “Kind of like letterpress.” B Weddings & Celebrations 2023 • THE B

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experts & artisans: Jewelry Designer

A Brilliant Return Back in his jewel box of a building in Great Barrington, Tim McClelland handcrafts exquisite rings, bracelets, and more—the old-fashioned way.

By Felix Carroll

P H OTO : S T E P H A N I E Z O L L S H A N

On a cold, clear evening in late 2022, Tim McClelland fired up an app on his phone to pinpoint the timing and trajectory of the International Space Station. For good reason, he stepped outside to spy it hurtling across the heavens like a diamond in the darkness.

Its inhabitants included an astronaut who was a client of McClelland’s and had taken along some precious cargo: pinecone-shaped

pendants designed and made by McClelland that she would later gift to loved ones.

True story.

“That was a huge honor,” he said.

In his 50-plus years fabricating fine jewelry—using ancient methods to create rings, necklaces, bracelets, cufflinks, earrings, and pendants whose aesthetic runs from the traditional to the avant

garde—there have been many other honors, too. McClelland’s creations have adorned earthly stars roving the red carpets of Cannes and Hollywood. Prestige retailers such as Bergdorf Goodman and Barney’s New York have sold his creations.

Among his biggest honors includes what happened this past November: He officially opened the doors to his newest

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T I M : S T E P H A N I E Z O L L S H A N ; R I N G S : S TA R R D I G I TA L

Heirloom quality rings from the Wildflower Collection

endeavor, the retail showroom and workshop TW McClelland & Daughters, in Great Barrington. Those “daughters” would be Sadie and Emma. Along with his wife, Carrie Harper, this business mostly constitutes a family affair—and a homecoming in more ways than one. Located in a jewel-box-shaped building at 597 Main St., this was the original location of McTeigue & McClelland, the renowned jewelry business he co-founded, which closed four years ago following a 25-year run.

“I’m back!” said McClelland, 66, mock dramatically (in truth, he can’t conceal his giddiness).

At 6 foot, 3 inches tall, and with hands the size of canned hams, McClelland looks more like a former point guard than a man who dons magnifying eyewear to create miniature sculptures in the form of intricate jewelry.

To explain his career choice, he defaults to an obvious explanation: His is a “vocation”; he was “called.” He has tender childhood memories in Michigan where he shared intimate moments with his grandmother marveling at the cleverness and lunacy of her eccentric jewelry collection. When he was 15, he saw fellow students in a rudimentary jewelry-making class casting silver coins into a small sculpture. Then and there he wanted to both understand the process and engage in it.

In 1975, McClelland enrolled in Boston University, where he studied metalsmithing and dove deep into modern, free-spirited jewelry design. On the other side of the city—on the other side of the artistic spectrum—he took an apprenticeship with the venerable jeweler Shreve, Crump & Low where, on creaky wooden benches among Old World artisans, he became erudite in European traditions and began a lifelong love affair with the technical and artistic particulars of masterpieces by the likes of René Lalique and Benvenuto Cellini.

He moved to New York City, and worked for years as a freelance designer, creator, and restorer for gem traders, auction houses, diamond dealers, and private clients. In 1996, with his young family, he moved to the Berkshires where he developed jewelry suitable to a rural, artsy clientele—eschewing poweredup bling for lower-key, even light-hearted, designs inspired by nature, “the teacher of all design,” he said. He particularly takes great delight in his heirloom-quality engagement

Celebrate with

P H OTO : S A D I E M C C L E L L A N D

rings, part of his “Wildflower Collection.” A decades-long endeavor, the collection doesn’t simply showcase stones as the main event.

Rather, the stones share top billing with finely detailed and integrated metal work for which he holds design patents.

Of course, much has changed in jewelrymaking in recent years, but you wouldn’t know it climbing down into his workshop.

Nowhere will you see the 3-D printing and computer-aided design techniques now thoroughly embraced by the world’s top jewelry makers. Rather, here you’ll see actual jewelers.

McClelland is joined by Barbara Crocker and Steve Hyer. Together, the three of them utilize sketch books and metalsmithing and engineering methods first developed back in the age of antiquity. That is to say: fire, crucibles, raw metal, hammers, anvils, files, and rolling mills. They heat, bend, pound, assemble, and polish, just like René Lalique did—and Georg Jensen, Fabergé, and Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Why stick with the old ways?

“Because they are better,” McClelland said. “These pieces will last for generations.

They’re beautiful, and they won’t fall apart.”

“The future,” he said, “will belong to those who value authenticity.”

Maybe that sounds starry-eyed? Can you blame him?

Consider his medium relies on precious metals formed billions of years ago through supernovas or the collision of stars—way beyond the orbital path of the International Space Station, way beyond the constellation of master jewelers within which McClelland comfortably resides. B

Gifts for the bride and groom, wedding party and guests. fluffalpaca.com 319 Main St., Great Barrington

experts & artisans: Photographer

Making Memories Before you hire a photographer, ask yourself these three questions, says Tricia McCormack (and she’s one of the Berkshires’ top pros, so she should know!).

By Tricia McCormack

1

Do you like their style and editing?

If you are drawn to a certain photographer, ask yourself what it is you like about the images. Are the photos bright, dimensional, airy, true to life? Or are they dark, moody, and evoking more of an artsy vibe?

Consistent editing is key. When researching wedding photographers, go beyond their portfolio (the images they showcase on their website) and seek out past weddings on blogs, websites, and social media. That style of theirs that originally appealed to you? You should see it in more than one wedding or event. This will reveal consistency (or lack thereof) from wedding to wedding and year to year. Getting a peek at a real gallery from a past couple is a great way to see the day from start to finish.

Are you and your photographer a good fit?

This professional is likely to spend eight or more hours with you! One way to find out if you are compatible is to jump on a call or Zoom. Even better, schedule an engagement session (a practice run for photos is a good idea). Things to check off your “are we a match?” list include responsiveness, organization, personality, and how they approach the wedding day. Reading customer reviews (or hiring someone from a friend’s recommendation) is also incredibly valuable. Reviews give an insight into what the experience will be like. Is your photographer someone who will show up on your wedding day and make it feel special? Do people feel calm around them? Can you trust that they are capturing all of the big and small moments?

Getting a good vibe from a photographer is one thing, but reading testimonials from real life couples will answer so many of these questions.

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P H OTO S : T R I C I A M C C O R M A C K P H OTO G R A P H Y

2

“The same moment can be captured in two unique ways. Time is precious during an event.”

3

Do you want a second photographer?

This is such a common question. For large weddings— over 100 people—many pros will suggest having two photographers. This means you’ll get double the coverage and double the variety. The same moment can be captured in two unique ways. Time is precious during an event. Having another photographer can significantly increase the efficiency of the timeline and ensures every moment is documented (even those in-between moments). Your photographer has the ability to be in two places at once! B

McCormack photographed Lauren and Jason’s Berkshire wedding at August Moon. Planner: Magdalena Events; flowers, Stems Flower Design.

SMILES GUARANTEED Photo booths allow people to be themselves—to be silly, to be sentimental, and to be wholly present in the moment. They’re a fun addition to weddings, holiday parties, corporate events, birthdays, anniversaries, or showers. And photo booths are at once nostalgic and super hightech—they can make videos and use all kinds of effects, but when in doubt, keep it simple. Here’s my favorite way to photo booth: Make it black and white: simple, timeless, and everyone always looks great Skip the props: keep the focus entirely on the people Don’t forget to print: Send everyone home with the classic photo-booth strip berkshirephotobooth.com

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experts & artisans: Growers & Florists

The Beauty of Berkshire-grown Blooms Use local flowers at your big event and you’ll not only have gorgeous displays, you’ll support our local farmers.

By Francesca Olsen • Photographs by Stephanie Zollshan

A selection of blooms found in Full Well Farm’s late-summer CSA bucket

When I was planning my 2019 wedding, I tapped my local CSA (community-supported agriculture) farmer to help me with growing flowers for centerpieces. I worked with them almost a year in advance of my mid-September wedding, and my mom, a horticulturist, helped fill in any gaps. I had my favorite local florist create some bouquets, and the combination was exactly what I wanted: casual, bohemian, lovely.

There are lots of farms in the Berkshires who will work with couples, either

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providing buckets of blooms (for you to arrange yourself) or designing and creating the arrangements and look for an event, matching color palettes, making bouquets, and more—at lots of different price points. Some more traditional florists also source local flowers.

If you’re looking for a bespoke experience, talk to Tu Le of 328 North Farm, a half-acre spot in Williamstown that has been gaining a reputation for both its food and its flowers. Le, whose background

is in fashion and industrial design, works with couples looking for a way to tell their story in the details.

“It’s a really collaborative effort. I give couples deadlines and homework, and I dig deep. What scent, what song, what little things invoke the feeling of when they first met?” he said. “My job is to translate their celebration of joy in an aesthetic way. It’s not just doing flowers for a wedding.”

On the farm, Le grows throughout the year, with a greenhouse, bulbs, and many

Tu Le, owner of 328 North

“We want to show them

perennials. For an August something that they’ve wedding in North Adams, he grew tomatoes and never seen before.” bougainvillea; in the spring, there are peonies, hyacinths, and more. He works with other farms on sourcing interesting floral types that add to the variety available.

“I look at what other people are doing and we fill in the gaps,” Le said. “We walk our clients to things—they want roses and carnations and we say, ‘but have you seen these?’ We want to show them something they have never seen before.”

At Full Well Farm in Adams, couples can work with Meg Bantle to pick flowers by the bucketful. “It’s a DIY model, where clients reach out to us about buying wholesale quantities of flowers for weddings or other events,” they said. “It’s flexible, and people use flowers for more than just weddings. It’s also a little more affordable—you’re not actually paying for the florist part, you’re paying for the flowers.”

Bantle will also help with color palette coordination and help estimate how many buckets you’ll need for your event space.

Depending on the time of year (growing season is generally

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experts & artisans: Growers & Florists “Integrating as much of the Berkshires into your event as you can feels resonant.”

June–October) you’ll find zinnias, ranunculus, dahlias, lisianthus, sunflowers, rudbeckia, nigella, lots of ornamental grasses, foxglove, and snapdragons, among other varieties.

Bantle started Full Well Farm on land their grandparents once ran as a dairy farm. “I definitely think there are more farmer-florists than there were even five years ago,” they said. “It’s a continuation of the local agriculture movement in general. Flowers you’re getting at a grocery store are often imported, grown by underpaid workers, flown in from an ocean away—all the impacts that drive people to buy local food also apply to flowers.”

Planning in advance is your best bet for local flowers.

Le usually works with couples 12 to 18 months in advance. For a July 2023 wedding at 328 North, “I planted in October,” Le said. Full Well has a shorter lead time since their operation is more DIY. Bantle said they always find it moving to grow flowers for people who are celebrating here.

“It has always felt special,” they Check out Berkshire said. “Integrating as much of the Grown’s Food and Berkshires into your event as you Farms map for local flowers and more! can feels resonant.” B

Owners Meg Bantle and Laura Tupper-Palches

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Celebrations

Mayflower Inn Washington, CT For this October wedding at Mayflower Inn in Washington, Connecticut, florist Yumiko Fletcher of Hana Floral Design created a stunning chuppah using fall foliage along with pee gee hydrangeas, blue delphinium, lavender clematis, burgundy snapdragon, and white dahlias.

Photographed by Leila Brewster; event planning by True Event

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IN LIVING COLOR

By Amy Conway Photographs by Romanello Studios Annie Selke and Jim Crane were married on a warm August day, but their engagement began on a delightfully chilly note: They were having brunch at Café Boulud at Blantyre; it was 11 a.m., a little early for a cocktail, thought Annie, but Jim encouraged her to order her favorite one. And in a proposal very much worth raising a glass to, her ring was frozen inside the ice.

As founder of the Annie Selke Companies, Annie is known for joyful color and prints, and chose a bright, Indiainspired palette of pink, orange, and gold to set the tone for an exuberant event.

After she fell in love with some patterned napkins on Etsy, all the details fell into place: Bolts of fabric were shipped from India to drape the tent; flower garlands were strung overhead; Annie found a beautifully vibrant dress (and had a pocket square made for Jim from a snippet of the fabric taken during alterations).

The ebullient mood was fitting not just for the couple, but for all 80 of their guests. The wedding took place when the world was opening up following the COVID pandemic, and everyone was ready to celebrate. “People just had the best time,” said Annie. There was no coaxing necessary to get everyone on their feet as the band struck up the notes of the firstdance song—fittingly, “Oh Happy Day.”

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Clockwise from top left: Annie and Jim were married by a close friend in an intimate ceremony on the stone patio they call “the chapel”; “it’s a spiritual space,” she said. Tablecloths in three different hues anchored the settings. Annie and her daughter Charlotte Barkley.

Late-summer flowers made a gorgeous bouquet.

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The details Photography Romanello Studios romanellostudios.com

Flowers Township Four townshipfour.com

Catering Brian Alberg thebreakroomgw.com

Band The Rhythm Dogs bluemoontalent.com

Lighting/Tent Draping Event Illuminations event-illuminations.com

Tent Rental Classical Tents classicaltents.com

Tablecloth Rentals Peak Event Services peakeventservices.com

Napkins and Vintage Stamps Etsy etsy.com

Letterpress Invitations Bella Figura bellafigura.com

Calligraphy Erin Mutty nobhilljane.com

Bride’s Attire Dress: ETRO Headpiece: thefeatheredhead.com __________________

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Near right to far right: The family-style meal was served on lazy Susans, and each guest had gold tongs to help themselves.

Annie and friend Kelley Vickery. On the dance floor: Guests Hans Morris and former governor Deval Patrick.

Left: Giant floral arrangements and fabric draping transformed the tent.

Right: A letterpress invitation suite was finished with pink calligraphy and vintage stamps.

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SOME THINGS BLUE

By Neil Turitz • Photographs by Kim-Trang Blair These two families were meant to become one—though it did take longer than some would have hoped. Decades before Alison Ricciardi and Patrick Lynch were married on August 6, 2022, at St. Mary’s Church in Hudson, New York, their grandmothers were best friends in Staten Island.

Alison’s father Steven, and Patrick’s mother Elisabeth, grew up across the street from each other, each shouldering the hopes of their mothers that the two would unite the families. Steven and Elisabeth were never anything but friends, but when Patrick saw the annual Christmas card from Steven and his family, he knew that Steven’s daughter Alison was the one for him, and would tell anyone who would listen, “I’m going to marry that girl.”

The two connected after college, and have been together ever since. Now living in Denver, Patrick working for an independent brewery and Alison as a senior account executive at a marketing firm, the two wanted to tie the knot somewhere close to their New Jersey families, but far enough away to make it a destination. On their first visit to Hudson, with its mix of outdoorsy and artsy vibes, they knew it was ideal—and are already looking forward to walking around the town with their own children one day.

Opposite: Alison and Patrick’s first dance—to Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day”—took place under dramatic flower arrangements.

Clockwise from top: The joyous newlyweds.

The wedding’s blue color scheme was reflected in the bridesmaids’ dresses, the floral arrangements, and the invitations.

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The details Venues St. Mary’s Church/Holy Trinity holytrinityhudson.org Basilica Hudson basilicahudson.org

Catering C.U.B Catering local111.com

Event Planning Jeanne Stark of Hudson Valley Ceremonies hudsonvalleyceremonies.com

Photography Kim-Trang Photography kimtrang.com

Flowers Floral Fantasies by Sara floralfantasiesbysara.com Tent/Rentals Columbia Tent & Event Rentals columbiatent.com

Music Daddy Pop daddypop.com Hair and Makeup La Tua Bella latuabella.com

Stationery Clover & Lamb cloverandlamb.com __________________ The ceremony took place at St. Mary’s Church/Holy Trinity.

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Left: The bridal party, in shades of blue. Below: The tables—set for 275 guests—look dreamy.

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The couple shines against a Sol LeWitt backdrop at MASS MoCA. Rebecca, left, wore an Adrianna Papelldesigned gown with a cape and train by David Josef, who also created the bustle for Marianna, who wore a gown by Badgley Mischka.

THE ART OF LOVE They say timing is everything, and this is especially true in love. People meet at the wrong time, a connection is missed, opportunities are lost. But when fate allows, and the timing is right, perfection can be the result. That aptly describes the union of Marianna Mapes and Rebecca Harris, whose initial OKCupid match went unfulfilled when financial planner Marianna, frustrated and fed up with dating, disabled her account. When she returned to the app a few months later,

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corporate attorney Rebecca wasn’t going to miss her chance. Almost exactly three years after their first date, they walked down the aisle together at MASS MoCA. The museum was a favorite destination of Marianna’s while attending Smith College.

She would often escape there on weekends or summer breaks to recharge her batteries and get herself centered. So when the Boston residents were thinking of potential venues for their nuptials, it was the only place they

By Neil Turitz Photographs by Tricia McCormack & Lisa Finneran

seriously considered. The couple embraced Jewish wedding traditions: getting married under a chuppah, baking 40 challahs for the weekend, and making challah covers, many of which went home with the guests. When it came to the most famous Jewish wedding tradition, the breaking of the glass, both brides took part. The shards were blended into the mezuzah affixed to the right door frame of their home.

Their complementary bouquets were filled with dahlias, mums, and ranunculus.

Above: Nephew Zovi sprinkled fragrant lavender buds as he walked down the aisle.

Right: There were 140 guests in the Spencer Finch Gallery, under the “Cosmic Latte” lighting array.

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The brides chose their color palette in conjunction with the museum’s installations, in particular the Sol LeWitt Gallery and the Joe Wardwell mural in Building 6.

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The details Venue MASS MoCA massmoca.org

Photography Tricia McCormack Photography Tricia McCormack & Lisa Finneran triciamccormack.com Members of the wedding band, the Band Method, led the recessional after the ceremony.

Below: The three-tiered almond cake, from Simply Sweet in Pittsfield, had a chocolate ganache coating and was adorned with a gold drip.

Wedding Designer and Planner Danecca & Co daneccaandco.com

Catering Brian Alberg thebreakroomgw.com

Flowers Hybl Fannin Design vermontweddingflowerdesigner.com

Cake Simply Sweet @simplysweetberkshires

Music The Band Method thebandmethod.com

Gowns Bloomingdale’s and Vows Bridal bloomingdales.com, vowsbridal.com

Cape and Bustle David Josef @davidjoseffashion

Hair and Makeup Sabrina Marie Makeup Artistry sabrinamariemakeup.com Michelle Anne Hair Design michelleannehairdesign.com __________________

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GRAND GESTURES

By Amy Conway • Photographs by AJ Tamari

Thais Glazman and Sander Houk were drawn to the beauty of Wheatleigh’s natural setting and architecture.

Romance and reverence, literature and film, hints of gothic whimsy. Those were the words that came to mind for Thais Glazman and Sander Houk in planning their September 9, 2023, wedding at Wheatleigh, the 1890s Italianate villa in Lenox. Not everyone would describe their wedding that way— but this wasn’t just any wedding.

Thais and Sander met a decade ago, at Bennington College, and have been together ever since. They usually shy away from being the center of attention, preferring instead to shine a light on the people they care about. For their wedding, they had to take center stage but still wanted to be true to themselves. The couple used to live in Hudson, New York, but have relocated in Brooklyn where they work in retail and hospitality (and Thais’ parents, Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg, own The Maker Hotel in Hudson). They considered every detail. The result: A warm, intimate, fun, and impossibly stylish event—with, yes, some hints of gothic whimsy.

The love was palpable all weekend. In fact, said Thais, it is traditional at Russian weddings to shout “Gorko!” as a toast to get the bride and groom to kiss—and they had a friend who made that her personal mission.

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This page: Thais wore Vera Wang Haute Couture, custom made from an archive sample called “Joelle.” She also wore vintage shoes that her mother had worn on her own wedding day, and her father walked her down the aisle before the Jewish ceremony. Sander wore a Celine velvet jacket, Lanvin wool-silk pants, and Versace boots.

Nicolette Owen of Brooklyn’s Nicolette Camille Design created all the botanicals for the weekend, including Thais’ bouquet in a subtle palette of dusty rose and raisin tones with burnt sugar, buff, and beige garden roses, cherry caramel phlox, foxglove, brown lisianthus, panicled hydrangea, chocolate ranunculus, and heuchera leaves.

Opposite: Into the woods: The fairy-tale setting beckoned the bride.

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The 75 guests enjoyed a leisurely threecourse meal inspired by the end-of-summer harvest; during dinner, many friends and family members gave spontaneous toasts and blessings.

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The details Venue and Catering Wheatleigh wheatleigh.com

Planner Tara Consolati Events taraconsolati.com

Photography AJ Tamari ajtamari.com

Detail Photography Dani Fine Photography danifinephotography.com

Cantor/Artist Daphna Mor

Custom Chuppah 49 design

49metals.com Flowers Nicolette Camille nicolettecamille.com On the tables, patterned china, lush flowers, candelabras, and ripe fruit strewn across the appliquelace tablecloths give the scene the look of an Old Master painting.

Below: After dinner, “there was so much dancing,” Thais said.

Rentals and Tents Peak Event Services peakeventservices.com Borrowed BLU borrowedblu.com

Maison de Carine maisondecarine.com Nuage Designs nuagedesigns.com

Entertainment Elan Artists, Sheila Ford’s Harlem Review elanartists.com Tshidi Matale (DJ) Additional Catering Oysters XO oystersxo.com

Cake/Desserts Lady M Cakes ladym.com __________________

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ONE FINE DAY

By Amy Conway • Photographs by Abigail Fenton

Make that three very fine days—Jane Iredale, founder of Jane Iredale Cosmetics, invited more than a dozen beauty influencers for a stay in the Berkshires this past summer to experience her iconic brand’s headquarters and the surroundings that inspire her. Turns out, Iredale was also inspired by her guests. These young women, she said, “are living examples of what you can accomplish if your passion is strong enough and in the right place.” The beauty mavens themselves were certainly in the right place this weekend. Take a peek at what Iredale had in store for them— the ultimate insiders’ Berkshires getaway.

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The guests enjoyed a posh picnic at Tanglewood, complete with comfy seating, wine, flowers and candles, and plenty of snacks from @GourmetCaterersBoston.

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JANE’S GARDEN PARTY Everyone gathered for good conversation and lunch from @CraftedCateringAndEvents among the fragrant blooms in Jane’s garden (Cookie was in attendance, too).

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SHAKE THINGS UP Rather than simply having cocktails together, the guests took mixology lessons from the pros @AnotherRoundBar to create their own drinks one afternoon.

THE PROS KNOW The Jane Iredale educators—including Nechelle Turner, shown here—spent time with the influencers at the brand’s HQ to do tutorials, talk product development, and let them in on upcoming launches.

The guests @lisajmakeup @makeupbygeenahunt @gisele.ayora @jenniferjuanira @diaryoftroubledskin @jaleesajaikaran @fadeeva_hashem @amberdowty_ @alyssalorraineartist @maryamnyc @beautybyrositax @newyorkerglow

The details Event Design and Planning Danecca and Co @Danecca_Co

Venue and Accommodations The Kemble @TheKembleBerkshires

Photography Abigail Fenton Photography @its.abigailfenton

Flowers and Decor Avela Floral Design @Avela.Floral

Catering Gourmet Caterers @GourmetCaterersBoston Crafted Catering and Events @CraftedCateringAndEvents

Mixology Lessons Another Round Bar @AnotherRoundBar

Cocktails Higher Bar @Higher.Bar

Gifts and Extras Annie Selke (robes, linens, pillows) @AnnieSelke Lucid Lavender Co. (lavender oil)

by Ally Marie Brown @lucidlavenderco DINNER AL FRESCO Draped dramatically, The Kemble patio made an elegant and intimate spot for cocktails from @Higher.Bar and dinner made with local ingredients by @CraftedCateringAndEvents.

Mahaiwe Tent (items for tablescapes) @mahaiwetent __________________

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Venues & Vendors The Berkshires’ best for all your celebrations

Bridlewood Dressage Hillsdale, NY At this working horse farm and event venue in Hillsdale, New York, Erica and Shane said their vows before an arch that the groom made himself (he is the owner of Lost Mountain Woodcraft). The bride’s sister, Lindsay, happens to own Mahaiwe Tent—and yes, the couple did have a spectacular tent for the event as well.

Photographed by Elaina Mortali

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venues & vendors: Wedding & Event Guide

The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home, Lenox

Ready, Set, Plan!

The Berkshires—and beyond—is a glorious place to celebrate, with extraordinary venues and talented planners, caterers, florists, and other pros to make your event magical.

MASSACHUSETTS The Dream Away Lodge Becket | thedreamawaylodge.com Capacity: 150 Hidden away in the woods of Becket, The Dream Away Lodge has an artsy, eclectic aesthetic and an even more colorful history. Outdoor events can take advantage of the legendary Wedding Rock as well as the wildflower labyrinth, stone fire pit and expansive gardens. Indoors, guests can enjoy the Music Room, a cozy lounge and frequent concert venue that has hosted such stars as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Arlo Guthrie.

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The Stationery Factory Dalton | stationery-factory.com Capacity: 300+ Located in a converted industrial building once used by Crane & Co., The Stationery Factory features three different event spaces—one of which includes a professional-quality concert stage with sound and lighting equipment—as well as a commercial kitchen for use by the caterer of your choice.

The Boylston Rooms Easthampton | boylstonrooms.com Capacity: 200 Located in a former textile mill in the Pioneer Valley, the Boylston Rooms provide high

ceilings, tall windows, and a whitewashed brick background on which to build your own industrial-chic wedding.

Hinterland Hall Lanesborough | hinterlandhall.com Capacity: 125 Originally built in 1836 as St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, today’s Hinterland Hall has been artfully restored to combine historic features—like the 450-pipe organ, stained glass windows, and church bell, all dating back to the second half of the 19th century— with luxurious modern amenities.

P H OTO : T R I C I A M C C O R M A C K P H OTO G R A P H Y

Venues

YourVision, Devonfield Inn Lee | devonfield.com | Capacity: 50 The Devonfield Inn focuses on small events with a high attention to detail. Their popular elopement package is an all-in-one option covering everything from the officiant and bridal bouquet to a romantic wedding night stay in a luxury suite and private breakfast in your room.

Kitchens  Bathrooms  Additions Windows  Siding  Roofing  Decks

Canyon Ranch Lenox | canyonranch.com | Capacity: 150 Originally known as Bellefontaine Mansion, this Gilded Age estate now functions as a health and wellness center, offering both impressive historic architecture and a modern spa and fitness facilities.

Miraval Lenox | miravalresorts.com Capacity: Varies The renowned wellness resort’s property, with its Gilded Age Wyndhurst Mansion, makes a beautiful setting for a celebration. The pros there can even help plan a mindful wedding, complete with intention setting and meaningful moments for both the couple and their guests.

The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home Lenox | edithwharton.org | Capacity: 250 Edith Wharton’s Lenox estate, with its nearly 50 acres of spectacular gardens and preserved Gilded Age mansion interior, is one of New England’s most picturesque venues, even starring in an Annie Leibovitz photo spread for Vogue magazine. The estate is closed to the public during weddings, allowing guests to freely wander both the grounds and the house. Whether you appreciate great American literature, historic architecture, or just beautiful views, The Mount is a truly exceptional location.

Shakespeare & Company Lenox | shakespeare.org | Capacity: 450 Couples with a flair for the dramatic will find it at Shakespeare & Company. In addition to hosting events on both indoor and outdoor stages as ceremony and reception venues, the theater company offers access to dressing rooms, bar and lounge areas, and even the opportunity to rent costumes, props, and scenery.

Stonover Farm Lenox | stonoverfarm.com | Capacity: 175 Weddings at Stonover Farm take place in and around the property’s historic barn, with accommodations available in the c.1890 farmhouse-turned-luxury-inn for multi-day events.

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venues & vendors: Wedding & Event Guide Tanglewood Lenox | bso.org | Capacity: Up to 400 The sprawling grounds of Tanglewood offer both indoor and outdoor spaces to choose from, including picturesque spots overlooking Stockbridge Bowl and bright, airy studios in the Linde Center for Music and Learning.

Ventfort Hall Lenox | gildedage.org | Capacity: 110 When not hosting elegant weddings, Ventfort Hall operates as a museum of the Berkshires’ Gilded Age. Couples can opt for the great hall, dining room, library or billiard room, all lavishly furnished just as they would have been at the turn of the century.

Wheatleigh Lenox | wheatleigh.com Capacity: 150 Wheatleigh is a palazzo-inspired, Italian-revival resort surrounded by classic Berkshire scenery. Catering is provided by the hotel’s own awardwinning kitchen.

Greylock Valley Estate New Ashford greylockvalleyestate.com Capacity: varies Dating back to the 18th century, Greylock Valley Estate includes some of the oldest surviving farm buildings in Berkshire County.

The main house, sheep barn, and carriage barn have been renovated as cozy, quirky guest housing, while the grounds have taken on a new life hosting outdoor weddings.

Gedney Farm New Marlborough | gedneyfarm.com Capacity: 250 Gedney Farm is 50 acres of pastures and meadows dotted with Normandy-style barns, first built at the turn of the century and since updated with modern amenities and made fully accessible.

Greylock WORKS North Adams | greylockworks.com Capacity: Up to 800 Located at the heart of downtown North Adams in a former manufacturing complex, Greylock WORKS embraces the city’s industrial

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past with details like exposed beams and weathered brickwork. The campus includes multiple event spaces of different sizes to accommodate a variety of party sizes.

MASS MoCA North Adams | massmoca.org Capacity: Up to 400 MASS MoCA hosts weddings in three of its galleries, which maintain the industrial aesthetic of the buildings’ manufacturing past while showcasing modern art, guaranteed to make a lasting visual impression.

Hancock Shaker Village Pittsfield | hancockshakervillage.org Capacity: 300 Hancock Shaker Village’s iconic Round Stone Barn makes a one-of-a-kind backdrop for any event. In addition to the heirloom gardens, the Timber Frame Barn and Believer’s Room are both available for events, as is the large Event Tent.

Hotel on North Pittsfield | hotelonnorth.com Capacity: Varies This 45-room boutique hotel in downtown Pittsfield combines vintage charm with modern style and amenities.

Balderdash Cellars Richmond | balderdashcellars.com Capacity: 110 This boutique winery’s focus is producing ultra-premium wines from grapes grown by world-class California vineyards—but it also hosts events with gorgeous views.

Hilltop Orchards & Furnace Brook Winery Richmond | hilltoporchards.com Capacity: 50 A family-owned, working farm on 187 acres, Hilltop Orchards also operates a winery, cidery, and tasting room. As the name suggests, it’s perched above the surrounding hills, making for some incredible views.

Inn at Kenmore Hall Richmond | theinnatkenmorehall.com Capacity: 200 The Inn at Kenmore Hall is a 1792 Georgian home tucked away on 20 acres of quiet fields and forests, with indoor and outdoor options to choose from.

Race Brook Lodge Sheffield | rblodge.com Capacity: 200+ A true woodland retreat, Race Brook Lodge is a rustic venue surrounded by hiking trails, waterfalls, and outdoor gathering spaces. Indoor and outdoor spots are available, as well as on-site lodging for guests.

Berkshire Botanical Garden Stockbridge | berkshirebotanical.org Capacity: 125 In addition to over 24 acres of floral artistry, Berkshire Botanical Garden offers the use of its 18thcentury Center House, complete with teaching kitchen, botanical library, and photo-ready living wall installation.

Chesterwood Stockbridge | chesterwood.org Capacity: 275 The historic home of Daniel Chester French, sculptor of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., offers European-inspired historic gardens for outdoor ceremonies.

The Red Lion Inn Stockbridge | redlioninn.com Capacity: varies Celebrating its 250th anniversary, this iconic venue has rich history, loads of charm, and multiple options for events of almost any size.

Winbrooke Tyringham | winbrooke.com Capacity: varies This restored 1905 manor takes full advantage of the breathtaking Tyringham scenery with a Grand Portico, Terrace Lawn, and Overlook with Adirondack chairs and fire pits for relaxing at the end of a long day.

Inside, the home features a charming library bar and spacious Great Room, as well as multiple luxury guest suites.

Bloom Meadows Williamstown | bloommeadows.com Capacity: 170 Featuring rustic beams and bright white shiplap, the Bloom Barn at Bloom Meadows provides contemporary elegance while maintaining the charm of a New England farm.

The Williams Inn Williamstown | williamsinn.com Capacity: 150 Taking its design inspiration from classic stone and timber farmhouses, The Williams Inn was recently rebuilt with more modern touches. Comprehensive wedding packages include everything from catering and bartenders to tables, tastings, and overnight accommodations for guests.

NEW YORK Gather Greene Coxsackie | gathergreene.com Capacity: 250 Designed with large-scale, multi-day events in mind, Gather Greene is a nature retreat spread across 100 acres, with luxury accommodations for up to 34 guests on the grounds.

In addition to the main pavilion, ceremony options include a quiet space in the forest, a ridge clearing, a deck overlooking the mountains, and a shale quarry.

A Private Estate Events Germantown | aprivateestate.com Capacity: 275 Located at the edge of a National Register Historic District, this 19thcentury estate includes multiple outdoor locations overlooking the Hudson River, as well as two renovated and modernized barn event spaces, and on-site housing in the Carriage House and Creekside Cabin.

The BARN at Liberty Farms Ghent | thebarnatlibertyfarms.com Capacity: 150 Once used to house thoroughbred horses, the Barn is located on a 300-acre working organic farm and equestrian center. While the interior has been renovated to a bright, open event space, eight of the original stallion stalls remain, which can

be repurposed as lounge areas, coffee or dessert stations, photo booths, or even bars.

Hudson-Chatham Winery Ghent | hudsonchathamwinery.com Capacity: 200 Originally a dairy farm, Hudson-Chatham is the first winery in Columbia County, with an ecofriendly philosophy and a focus on sustainable wine making. It’s also a stunning venue for outdoor events, with both covered and uncovered spaces available across 15 acres.

Locust Hill Barn Ghent | locusthillbarn.com | Capacity: 300 Locust Hill Barn sits at the top of a hill surrounded by quaint fruit orchards and cow pastures. Inside, skylights and large windows bring a bright and modern feel to the rustic wooden walls.

Catamount Mountain Resort Hillsdale | catamountski.com | Capacity: 300+ The sweeping mountain views are the star attraction at Catamount Mountain Resort, but the newly renovated Berkshire Lodge, with its wrought iron chandeliers, panoramic windows, and attached Tavern, makes for a delightful retreat when it’s time to come in from the outdoors.

Taconic Ridge Farm Hillsdale | taconicridgefarm.com | Capacity: 200 Situated on 22 rustic acres just over the Massachusetts border, Taconic Ridge Farm consists of a 19th-century farmhouse, guest cottage, and multiple historic outbuildings. The barn serves as the primary event space, boasting 31-foot ceilings, exposed wood beams, and sunset views.

The Caboose Hudson Hudson | thecaboosehudson.com The Caboose opened in September 2023 to great fanfare. Built in a former coal barn across the street from the Hudson train station, the 6,500-square-foot space is carbon-neutral, with on-site solar panels and a native culinary garden. Catering is provided by Kitty’s, next door.

Hudson Hall Hudson | hudsonhall.org | Capacity: 250 If you’re looking to really put on a show, you couldn’t do much better than this historic opera house, home to the oldest surviving theater in New York State. As a bonus, the stage was recently outfitted with HD video streaming and recording equipment, opening up the festivities to virtual guests, as well.

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Weddings With theatrical Flair

The Hudson Milliner Art Salon Hudson | thehudsonmilliner.com | Capacity: 80 Befitting its name, this former hat shop is rich with visual details, from the rotation of work by local artists on the walls to the original tin ceiling to the art nouveau style “dragonfly” awning out back.

Livingston Weddings at Oak Hill Hudson | livingstonweddings.com | Capacity: 200 Built in the late 18th century by the prominent Livingston family, Oak Hill has been passed down through the generations ever since. The venue features waterfront views for outdoor ceremonies and the lovingly preserved Livingston barn for indoor revelry.

Photo by Emma Rogan Photography.

Learn more at SHAKESPEARE.ORG/RENTALS

BridleWood Dressage & Equestrian Center Hillsdale | bridlewooddressage.com | Capacity: 150 Hillsdale’s oldest operating equestrian facility has recently taken on a new role as a scenic outdoor event venue, boasting spectacular views of the Berkshire mountains and peaceful horse pastures. The on-site produce farm also operates its own floral design studio, Bridlewood Blooms, for the freshest of locally sourced flowers.

CONNECTICUT Lime Rock Park Lakeville | limerock.com | Capacity: 300+ This scenic race track was a favorite of Hollywood star and part-time race car driver Paul Newman. The 1.5-mile course twists and turns through grassy, tree-dotted hills at the bottom of a former quarry. Couples can opt for a ceremony on-track (at the finish line, of course) and enjoy a reception fueled by Lime Rock’s own on-site catering company.

Litchfield Inn by David Alan Litchfield | litchfieldinnct.com | Capacity: 150 The Litchfield Inn’s colonial-style formal gardens make for a classic ceremony backdrop. For the reception, space is available for a tent outdoors, or inside in the elegant and easily customized Banquet Hall. The David Alan Hospitality Group, the Inn’s official caterer, serves up personalized menus with a focus on sustainability and local ingredients.

Winvian Farm Morris | winvian.com | Capacity: 250 Built in 1775 by an eccentric doctor known to bring a coffin along on his house calls, Winvian Farm reflects both the rich history and quirky charm of its past. The original 1775 home has been updated with modern amenities for indoor receptions, with patios available for outdoor seating, as well. The Farm’s own restaurant provides seed-to-table catering options.

Before and after the event, guests can stay in any of the Farm’s 18 unique cottages, take a dip in the pool, and enjoy the spa.

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19Main New Milford | 19main.com | Capacity: 150 Located in the heart of New Milford’s historic downtown, 19Main underwent extensive renovations before reopening as an event space in 2015, while retaining much of its early-1900s elegance. There are even three old-fashioned bank vaults left behind as a reminder of the building’s first life as a bank.

Candlelight Farms Inn New Milford | candlelightfarmsinn.com Capacity: 500 in the tent, 190 in the Hangar The Candlelight Farms Inn sits on a 640-acre estate with two distinct wedding venues: The Farm, consisting of a clubhouse, barn, common rooms in the inn, tented reception area, and two outdoor ceremony sites; and The Hangar, an antique wooden airplane hangar located beside a scenic pond. For big celebrations, the two venues can be combined.

Mine Hill Distillery Roxbury | minehilldistillery.com Capacity: varies; contact vendor The primary event space at Mine Hill Distillery is a converted train station dating back to 1872, with six doors and a wraparound porch to emphasize the openness of the space. For outdoor events, the Distillery includes 3.5 acres along the Shepaug River, including a dramatic waterfall view.

LionRock Farm Sharon | lionrockfarm.com | Capacity: 200 Founded in 1998, LionRock Farm features several picture-perfect spots to choose from across its 600 acres of rolling farmland. From the stately Ceremony Tree, to the rustic wooden pergola, to the classic barn and multiple potential tent locations, the venue can fit weddings of all styles and sizes.

Thee Ellsworth Manor Sharon | theeellsworthmanor.com | Capacity: 250 Situated atop one of the highest points in Litchfield County, Ellsworth Manor offers unbeatable views of the countryside below, including a 2,000-acre National Audubon Society nature preserve. Wedding packages can be customized to include everything from a horse-drawn carriage for the couple to overnight accommodations for guests in the two luxury homes on-site.

WI NVI AN: EMI LY GUDE

1754 House Woodbury | 1754house.com | Capacity: 150 The 1754 House has hosted travelers (and revelers) to western Connecticut for over 250 years. As a wedding venue, it offers two floors of potential private event space, with comprehensive packages covering everything from tables and chairs to fine catering by the inn’s own culinary team.

Winvian Farm, Morris, CT

Wedding Planners & Event Designers

Only in My Dreams Events South Egremont onlyinmydreamsevents.com

MASSACHUSETTS 42 North Weddings Ipswich 42northevents.com

Sara Kovel Events Boston sarakovelevents.com

Danecca and Co Pittsfield daneccaandco.com

Tara Consolati Events The Berkshires taraconsolati.com

Eutopia Events Hardwick eutopiaevents.com

NEW YORK Brita Olsen Creative New York City britaolsencreative.com

Mavinhouse Events Ipswich mavinhouse.com Nancy Sloan Alchek Events Lenox nancysloanalchek events.com

Kaleidoscope Events Victor plannedbykscope.com Kelly Strong Events Upstate New York kellystrongevents.com

Canvas Weddings New York City canvaswedding.com Intuition Event Coordination & Floral Design Latham intuitionevents.net

Magdalena Events & Design Craryville magdalenaevents.com Modern Kicks Kingston modern-kicks.com Monica Relyea Events Hyde Park monicarelyeaevents.com CONNECTICUT SHG Event Planning Canaan shgeventplanning.com

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venues & vendors: Wedding & Event Guide Caterers MASSACHUSETTS Berkshire Catering Co. North Adams berkshirecateringco.com Berkshire Palate Pittsfield berkshirepalate.com

Seth Mias Catering Leeds sethmias.com SoMa Catering West Stockbridge somacatering.com

Bluebird Flowers & Events Richmond bluebirdflowersandevents.com The Botaniste Easthampton thebotaniste.com

Brennan’s Catering & Events Washington brennanseventcatering.com

NEW YORK Crafted Catering and Events Troy craftedcatering andevents.com

Cakes in the Wild The Berkshires cakesinthewild.com

Georgia Ray’s Kitchen Hudson georgiarays.com

Guido’s Fresh Marketplace Pittsfield and Great Barrington guidosfreshmarketplace.com

Hunt & Harvest Millbrook hunt-harvest.com

Hand Crafted Stockbridge handcraftednyc.com

Lil’ Deb’s Oasis Hudson lildebsoasis.com

Heirloom Fire Richmond heirloomfire.com

Mazzone Hospitality Clifton Park mazzonehospitality.com

Kate Baldwin Food Richmond katebaldwinfood.com

Wood Fire Food Tarrytown woodfirefoodco.com

Leah of the Valley Floral Design Lee @leahofthevalley15

KJ Nosh Catering Company Pittsfield kjnosh.com

CONNECTICUT Executive Cuisine New Milford executivecuisinect.com

Sweethaven Farm & Flowers Ashfield sweethavenfarm.com

Gathering Board Charcuterie Co. Berlin gatheringboardct.com

Township Four Stockbridge townshipfour.com

The Marketplace Catering Sheffield marketplacekitchen.com MAX Ultimate Food Boston maxultimatefood.com Mezze Catering Williamstown mezzecatering.com The Old Inn on the Green New Marlborough oldinn.com Rita Welch Catering The Berkshires ritawelchcatering.com Savory Harvest Catering Pittsfield savoryharvestcatering.com

Z Catering Granby zcateringct.com

Florists MASSACHUSETTS Avela Floral Design Williamstown avelafloraldesign.com Badger’s Flowers & Co. Northampton badgersflowers.com Bella Flora Pittsfield and Great Barrington bellafloraberkshires.com

Carolyn Valenti Flowers Dalton @carolynvalentiflowers Cassandra Events West Stockbridge cassandraevents.com Evergreen Events Agawam evergreen.events Hybl Fannin Design North Adams vermontwedding flowerdesigner.com Jodi’s Seasonal Pittsfield facebook.com/jodisseasonal

Viale Florist Pittsfield vialeflorist.com Wildflowers Florist Great Barrington ewildflowersflorist.com NEW YORK Chatham Flowers & Gifts Chatham chathamflowersandgifts.com Classical Antiques and Floral Designs Hudson classical-antiques-and-floraldesigns.business.site

Cottage Rose Flowers Valatie cottageroseflowers.com Dark + Diamond Floral Design Ancram darkanddiamond.com Fleurtacious Designs Latham fleurtaciousdesigns.com Flower Scout Troy flower-scout.com Flowerkraut Hudson flowerkrauthudson.com Sprig & Social Hudson sprigandsocial.com Tiny Hearts Farm Copake/Hillsdale tinyheartsfarm.com White Lotus Floral Design Averill Park whitelotusfloraldesign.com CONNECTICUT Agnew Florist Watertown agnewflorist.com Floral Designs by Justine Bethlehem floraldesignsbyjustine.com Lily & Vine Floral Design Torrington lilyandvine.com Ruth Chase Flowers New Milford ruthchaseflowers.com Sarah Worden Natural Design Litchfield sarahwordennatural.com

Rentals MASSACHUSETTS Carr Hardware North Adams, Pittsfield, and Lee carrhardware.com

Classical Tents and Party Goods Pittsfield classicaltents.com Encore Audio Event Services Lenox berkshireweddingsound.com Mahaiwe Tent Great Barrington mahaiwetent.com Pioneer Valley Event Rentals Southwick pioneervalleyeventrentals.com Revolve Design Studio Connecticut and the Berkshires revolvefurnitureco.com Stagecoach Mobile Stage & Sound Williamstown stagecoachne.com NEW YORK Columbia Tent Rentals Ghent columbiatent.com North Country Vintage Rentals Millbrook northcountryvintage.com CONNECTICUT Expert Rental Torrington expertrentalct.com Revolve Design Studio Connecticut and the Berkshires revolvefurnitureco.com Squiggle Rentals squigglerentals.com Tents Unlimited Torringtontentsunlimited.com Together LLC New Hartford, Connecticut @togetherllc

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THE B • Weddings & Celebrations 2023

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Providing the Berkshires & beyond

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CATERING BY CHEF MIKE MONGEON

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11/21/23 10:01 AM

last look: A Moment in Time

A Tale of Two Weddings In the Gilded Age, a wedding was a clear indication of social position and pecuniary strength—as we see in this pair of nuptial events.

By Carole Owens Two daughters of the Berkshires, Nathalie Sedgwick and Emily Sloane, were married on the same day, April 5, 1899, but the events, like the families, were very different.

Nathalie’s family, the Sedgwicks, were leaders of society in Stockbridge, although they were poor by Gilded Age standards.

Emily was the daughter of Emily Vanderbilt Sloane of Elm Court, who was an heiress and leader of society in Lenox.

The difference in the tenor and cost of the two events was clear the day before the weddings. In the afternoon, Nathalie tore an unwanted flounce of lace from her gown and stitched it up herself. That evening, she danced with her groom, Bainbridge Colby, at the Casino (a place for socializing, not gambling) on Main Street in Stockbridge.

At her family’s mansion in New York, Emily hosted a luncheon and formal unveiling of her 200 wedding gifts. In the

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Nathalie Sedgwick’s marriage to Bainbridge Colby

evening, she attended a formal dinner in her honor, and her groom, John Henry Hammond, enjoyed a bachelor party at the University Club.

On the day of the wedding, Nathalie’s gifts—glasses and plates, salvers, vases, and a silver box from a rich uncle—sat on a table downstairs in the Sedgwick house on Main Street, watched over by the family dog.

Emily’s gifts included a diamond necklace and tiara; ruby and diamond pendant; and a pearl, diamond, and turquoise cluster pin.

They were watched over by liveried footmen.

Nathalie’s gown was sewn in Stockbridge by a local seamstress. Emily’s gown was made in Paris by couturier Charles Worth, and every detail—from “the deep flounces of the rarest quality lace” to the “richest satin”—was reported on the society page of the New York Times.

Both brides did select orange blossoms to fasten to their tulle veils, and both ceremonies began at 12 o’clock.

In New York, carriages lined the street in front of the church for Emily’s wedding— some with people to attend, others to gawk.

The New York Times reported, “In order to prevent crowding in the streets, a force of ten police officers will be stationed to keep the crowd back from the canopy.”

In Stockbridge, Nathalie lived only paces from St. Paul’s Church. Still, in accordance with the importance of the occa­sion, she rode to church in a carriage borrowed from the rector. The local paper reported, “In the church at twelve, all the village waited; the grocer, the butcher, and the dressmaker, and some good old Boston names.” The church organ struck up the traditional wedding march as Nathalie appeared in the doorway, preceded down the aisle by one flower girl.

In New York, an hour-long musical program played by a small orchestra preceded Emily’s arrival. As the great doors of the church swung open, fourteen bridesmaids and groomsmen walked ahead of the bride to three wedding marches.

The newly married Nathalie Sedgwick Colby had a wedding breakfast catered by Delmonico’s of New York “as it was a present from a cousin.” It was served on the lawn of the Sedgwick house.

Emily Sloane Hammond returned to 2 West 52nd Street and greeted her guests under a mammoth bell of lilies and ferns.

Guests were served breakfast in the picture gallery. The menu included filet de bœuf à la créole and pommes hollandaise.

After a Virginia reel on the lawn, Mr. and Mrs. Bainbridge Colby drove themselves to the train station and boarded a train for their honeymoon in Canada.

Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Hammond arrived at Grand Central Station with coachman and footman in livery. There, they boarded a private railroad car for Lenox. They honeymooned at Elm Court.

Given these events, it makes sense that Joseph Hodges Choate—the New York lawyer for whom Naumkeag was built— once said, “In Lenox, one is estimated; in Stockbridge, one is esteemed.” B

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