Wowowowow! It was the most gorgeous sunny and relatively warm October day in Morrisville, Vermont, as I approached the venue Zahra & Kunal's wedding! These two seriously hit the jackpot with the weather! I'd say just post-peak foliage, but the maples of Vermont still put on a show!
Zahra & Kunal were planning a destination wedding in Jordan until their plans were changed when covid hit (it's sad how we all know this story!). But in a selfish way, I am so glad that their plans changed and they were able to get married this fall in Vermont and that I was there to capture their story! They rented this GORGEOUS Airbnb called Mountain View Farm, complete with a red barn and pond, gorgeous interiors right on the Stowe/Morrisville line.
As soon as I walked in when Zahra was getting ready, I felt immediately at ease. Sisters, mothers, nieces, nephews, uncles, fathers, were all around the house, getting ready, chatting, making the whole event come together. You could just feel the connectedness of this group of people, immediately accepting and oozing with joy! It's one of those incredible things about smaller, micro-weddings. I feel there is this shared sense of community in putting this on together as a unit; everyone chips in, whether they had planned to or not. I really don't think I can say how much I love it! So I will keep saying it!
We did a first look and family portraits before guests arrived for the ceremony. They had a gorgeous wedding triangular-arch adorned with gorgeous dried flowers in front of these insanely colorful maple trees! Benches were lined up facing this beautiful scene! As a trend of 2020, they had baskets of masks and pashminas for those chilly fall breezes that turn eventually into chilly nights. And like so many weddings (not just smaller ceremonies) the couple added their special touches with friends and family providing music and master of ceremonies. They exchanged gorgeous flower garlands, a tradition in Indian marriages, which Kunal's mother adorned to each of them. I love seeing these traditions that I was not aware of before. In my family I went to church every Sunday, and although it was not my favorite time, I'm glad I know the meaning of rituals and customs, of which religions are so very good at doing. I find religion and culture fascinating, and photographing weddings allows me to see all kinds of beautiful traditions and ceremonies!
After the ceremony, guests were greeted by the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Truck! Zahra told me that she and her family have always had a thing for Ben & Jerry’s, so their presence was one of a no brainer! So it was like an ice-cream-social cocktail hour overlooking the beauty of the Green Mountains (or, if we are getting down to it, I believe the Worcester Mountain Range!)
After sampling maybe a few of Ben & Jerry’s offers, I mingled with their guests, took so many fun friend and family portraits (I mean, the light, the people, the place were all INSANE! THE BEST!), and watched these beautiful families come together as one. This group was so down for all the photos, which for me is such a joy! You’ll see what I mean.
They had a gorgeous tent set up behind the Airbnb adored with hay bales, lights, a DIY bar with all the delicious Vermont beers and ciders. They had games set up for socially distancing fun, an epic bouncy house, and delicious pizza (and I really mean THE MOST DELICIOUS PIZZA I HAVE TASTED) catered by Woodbelly Pizza out of Montpelier. IF YOU LIVE IN VERMONT AND HAVE NOT HAD THEIR PIZZA, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GET IT! TONIGHT! I’M STILL DREAMING ABOUT IT!
The beautiful couple had also planned a really cool Pictionary game. So think Pictionary meets Telephone meets Trivia. You would draw a clue and then pass it along to the next person if your circle (seated for covid, don’t worry folks!). It was so much fun and such an ingenious idea for a wedding activity for covid. Mad props to these two for being creative and thoughtful on their day! And the clues led to the final wedding surprise… that the couple was expecting the newest addition to their family! Woo Woo!
After the epic game of Pictionary, my scheduled time with Zahra, Kunal, and their families came to an end. To be honest, I didn’t want to leave! Not only because I wanted to keep photographing, but they were such a wonderful group of people to be around!
So sit back and enjoy Zahra and Kunal’s wedding day on this cold and beautiful February morning!