REAL WEDDINGS: Kristen & David

The Romance... In short: unplanned, at a bar, through mutual friends, on a Tuesday. It happened to be Kristen’s birthday, and she says it’s still the best birthday present ever. Turns out each of us were wingmen, unbeknownst to us…it worked out for us!

The Proposal... Spectacular and diligently planned. Dave surprised me on a random Wednesday when I was coming off an overnight shift. He said he was taking a personal day. We went for a walk and lunch together in Central Park. We headed to one of the gazebos overlooking the pond where Dave pulled out a bottle of wine from his bag and 2 glasses. Real smooth! We sipped on our wine and relaxed while gazing at the city skyline. I really had no idea. I was just excited that he was off on a Wednesday! Then, he started saying something sweet about loving me, etc etc and got down on one knee and popped the question! I immediately said “yes!” We enjoyed the moment, both of us just bursting with love and excitement. However, we had to get going…apparently, we had a flight to D.C. – the city where we first met. He even had called my work and scheduled vacation days for me. We packed a bag quickly and headed to the airport, through security, and to the gate, facetiming family as we went. Well, as we arrived at the gate, I told him it was the wrong one. Dave, this says “Charles de Gaulle” as I looked around for a nearby sign with the appropriate destination of Washington, D.C. He just looked at me and said “Did I say D.C.? I meant Paris.” We walked onto the plane 2 minutes later for a redeye flight to Paris. We woke up in the city of love, engaged. We were able to spend a wonderful long weekend together, basking in this special time and stuffing ourselves with all of the croissants au chocolat. He did well.

Why Vermont... Vermont is a state with so much natural beauty. We both have a love of mountains and the outdoors so it was the perfect spot. It’s also conveniently a few hours from our home in NYC.

The Venue... We searched ALL over the Northeast and ended up hearing about Mountain Top Inn by word of mouth. When we visited, we knew it was everything we were picturing for our celebration and booked the date immediately. We wanted to have a weekend away from it all with our friends and family all in one place. We were all able to spend a long weekend together with hiking, horseback riding, and dinners outdoors together with lots of laughter and fresh mountain air.

Fav Moments... One of the best decisions we made was to schedule just a few minutes to take a step back together to soak it all in. Some friends had recommended it to us. Ahead of time, we asked our photographer and coordinator to schedule this into our reception timeline. We knew, if it was up to us, we would not be able to tear ourselves away from the party. So, they tapped us on the shoulder and we snuck out during sunset to take some amazing photos and have a few minutes to ourselves. This was a really welcomed breath for us! And we captured some of our favorite photos. Of course, we ran back to the party afterwards. Also! Our band did a music line procession from our cocktail hour and into our reception – it was the best way to get the dance party started!

Wedding Advice... Plan the wedding that you two want! Try not to be persuaded by anything else. And really, just have a blast and take in every moment.

FEATURED PROFESSIONALS PHOTOGRAPHER: Kate Callahan Photography VENUE, ACCOMMODATIONS, BAR SERVICES, CATERER, CEREMONY, REHEARSAL DINNER, WEDDING COORDINATOR, SPA SERVICES, HAIR & MAKEUP: Mountain Top Inn & Resort, www.mountaintopinn.com ICE CREAM CATERING: Ben & Jerry's (Ice Cream Cart), www.benjerry.com VIDEOGRAPHER: Stop Go Love FLORAL DESIGN: New Leaf Organics PHOTO BOOTH RENTAL: Stop Go Love INVITATIONS, & STATIONERY: Zazzle EVENT RENTALS: The Linen Shop At Occasions MUSICIANS: The Love Revival Orchestra WEDDING GOWN DESIGNER: Matthew Christopher WEDDING GOWN STORE, & ALTERATIONS: The Wedding Shoppe BRIDESMAID DRESSES: Jenny Yoo GROOM, & GROOMSMEN’S FORMAL WEAR: The Black Tux WEDDING REGISTRY & GIFTS: Zola, Crate and Barrel