Spring Bridal 2011

Spring

Inside:
Wedding Day Kisses Pages 8 & 9. Interfaith Couples Page 13.

Bridal

MARGARET AND ANDY BOJANOWSKI made a grand entrance at their wedding last September at the Eddy Farm for Horse and Rider in Middlebury. The couple also transported their guests to the wedding site in hay wagons

Lucky Wedding Day Foods Page 4. Themed Weddings Page 6.

Couple brews up their own wedding
Bojanowskis let their style show through
By ANDREA SUOZZO MIDDLEBURY — Margaret Allard and Andy Bojanowski got serious about wedding preparations a few months before the date, with a long summer day spent boiling grains and hops. That July day, Andy and a friend began preparing and mixing the ingredients for a centerpiece of the wedding “The reception, and wedding by the time was us. It September rolled was things around they had brewed 40 gallons we like to of beer and 10 do.” more of hard cider — Margaret for the Middlebury Bojanowski wedding. They dubbed the event “Andy and Margaret’s Party in the Pasture.” Andy said he began brewing 12 or 15 years ago, but this time it was different. “We tried to serve the best stuff we’ve ever made,” he said. And what a collection it was on offering for the Sept. 4, 2010, wedding. (See Bojanowski, Page 2)

AT THE SQUARE dance reception that followed the wedding, Andy and Margaret Bojanowski offered guests 40 gallons of home-brewed beer and 10 gallons of home-brewed hard cider.
Photo by Eric Bojanowski

PAGE 2 — Bridal • A special publication of The Addison Independent • June 9, 2011

On the big day, take time to smell the roses...
Floral Design for Weddings & Events

(802) 388-3900
Our new location 8 Bakery Lane Downtown Middlebury

[email protected] • www.blossombasketvt.com

The Blossom Basket

NOVA, ANDY AND Margaret Bojanowski’s infant daughter, was a guest of honor at the couple’s wedding.

Bojanowski
(Continued from Page 1) year old, could be closer to family. They moved After the ceremony, the Bojanowskis served up to Middlebury last winter after Margaret, 30, Life Sentence English Barley Wine, Margaret’s got a job as farm manager at the Eddy Farm for Honey Ginger Ale, Eddy Farmhouse (a Belgian Horse and Rider. Andy, 27, now works for the facilities department at Middlebury College. saison), and Wedding Day IPA. The two set out to plan their September A menu of sorts described each brew for indecisive guests. It read, in part: “Getting wedding using the resources they had, not least their family and friends. married? Have an IPA. Married? “We put a lot of trust into a lot of Have an IPA. Been married? Have people,” said Andy. an IPA. To hell with marriage? Have “We’re But that, he added, gave family an IPA.” vegetarians, The homebrewed drinks set so we had a and friends buy-in to the event, with each person contributing a the tone for the wedding, which piece of the whole. And since so Andy described as “country chic.” vegetarian many folks were helping out, the The guests assembled on a field wedding.” — Andy event became a four-day affair at the Eddy Farm off South Street Bojanowski with people camping out all over Extension, and sat on hay bales. the grounds. The reception back in a tent featured The ceremony was small, in a square dancing. The event had a pastoral feel, but the couple field with a view of the mountains. Guests said it was more than just the theme to a party, rode a set of borrowed hay wagons from the house out to the field, where hay bales were it reflected their personalities and interests. “The wedding was us. It was things we like set up in an amphitheater pattern, covered with red bandanas and facing a wooden archway. to do,” said Margaret. Margaret grew up in South Burlington, and The bridesmaids wore simple lavender Andy in western New York, and the couple dresses from J.Crew, and the groomsmen, like moved back to the East Coast from Oregon so the groom, wore khaki pants, white shirts, that they and their daughter, Nova, now one (See Ceremony, Page 3)

Bridal • A special publication of The Addison Independent • June 9, 2011 — PAGE 3

Ceremony
(Continued from Page 2) matching lavender ties and suspenders (the groom also sported a stylish leather vest). Margaret’s traditional white gown came from David’s Bridal, the bridesmaids’ from J.Crew. Maid of honor Robin Tibbals wore a darker shade of purple. The bridesmaids included Andy’s sisters Julie and Stephanie, and friends Jess Wisloski and Megan Hulette. Adam Gullo was best man with Andy’s cousin Eric Bojanowski, Margaret’s brother, Greg Allard, and friends Griffin Henry and William McDougall as groomsmen. The couple rode in on horses and performed a song “It was a in place of vows — a lastlabor of minute addition, they said, since both were dragging love.” — Andy their feet on actually writing Bojanowski the vows. The meal that followed was simple country fare catered by Almost Home Market in Bristol, with a “beanhole” that Andy and Margaret cooked as the centerpiece. In deference to a coastal Maine tradition, the couple dug a big hole and slow-cooked pots of beans for the 24 hours preceding the meal. “We’re vegetarians, so we had a vegetarian wedding,” said Andy. After the meal, though, the party began. The biggest expense of the wedding was a bluegrass band from Buffalo, N.Y., for the square dance, which ran well into the night. To keep costs down, the couple limited the ceremony and meal to a small group, then invited friends and neighbors to dance and drink homebrewed beer.

Guests on hay bales were treated to a panoramic view of the Green Mountains as andy sang a song for his bride at the Bojanowskis’ wedding in Middlebury last september.

“We figured, ‘Come and dance — it doesn’t cost us anything,’” said Andy. “We drank every last drop of every one of the kegs.” The couple had purchased 12 cases of Mason jars to use as cups instead of renting glassware. “We have lots of canners in our family,

so at the end we just gave them away,” said Andy. All told, the couple estimates that the wedding cost less than $5,000, plus lots of elbow grease. “It was a labor of love,” said Andy. And in the end, everyone involved had fun.

“Personally, I think our wedding was the best wedding I’ve been to,” said Margaret. “It was a good time. And we had so many people tell us it was the best wedding they’d ever been to.” Reporter Andrea Suozzo is at andreas@ addisonindependent.com.

Tents & Party Rentals
YOU HANDLE WHERE YOUR GUESTS WILL SIT, WE’LL HANDLE WHERE THEY SLEEP.
Courtyard provides your guests with the amenities they need at a price that’s sure to please. • 89 spacious guest rooms and suites • Some suites with jetted tubs and fireplaces • Indoor pool, whirlpool and fitness center • Cable TV with HBO • Complimentary high-speed internet access Courtyard by Marriott-Middlebury 309 Court Street Middlebury, VT 05753
Alfresco can provide all the rental equipment you’ll need for your wedding or other special party or event. We can help you have a beautifully coordinated event, while keeping everything within your budget. • Tents • Tables • Chairs • Dance Floors • Lighting • Linens • China • Heaters • Catering Equipment Call or email us to discuss your needs and get a no-obligation quote for your event.
[email protected]

802-443-8368
Tents & Party Rentals

(802-443-TENT)

To reserve your wedding block, contact the Sales Department at (802) 388-7600 X404 or toll free at (800) 388-7775

w w w. a l fr e s c o w e d d i n g s . c o m
Steve & Lin Hammond • 121 Munger Street • Middlebury Vermont ,

Wedding blocks are based upon availability. Please contact the Sales Department for more information.

PAGE 4 — Bridal • A special publication of The Addison Independent • June 9, 2011

TONY’S MOBILE SOUND SHOW
Tony Lamoureux Toll Free: 888-821-3511

Who knows? Choosing the right foods may bring luck
By MELISSA KOSSLER DUTTON Dolgin said. For The Associated Press “The Chinese also believe that eating Brides and grooms hoping to add some spring rolls will bring wealth and prosperity,” good fortune to their marriages have some she said. “Due to its color and size, it is also interesting options when planning a wedding thought to resemble gold bars.” feast. Moroccan couples also eat fish because it’s Many cultures around the globe have an ancient symbol of fertility, she said. identified foods for newlyweds that Fish appears on the menu at many weddings, supposedly will bring good luck, fertility or added Pam Frese, a professor of anthropology other blessings. at the College of Wooster in Ohio. Fish and The foods range from fried crickets to other white meats, such as turkey and chicken, candied almonds to fish. are common wedding foods because of old Attaching symbolism to food is a common beliefs that women had whiter blood than practice throughout the world, said Amy men, she said. White meats were thought Bentley, associate professor of food studies at to strengthen women’s blood, so they were New York University. served at weddings to energize the bride. “All rituals and holidays and celebrations “It was extra strength to her on her wedding involve food,” she said. “This is somewhat night so she can become a mother,” Frese universal.” said. In Mexico, brides and grooms sometimes In Caribbean countries, special attention dine on fried crickets, lentil soup, is paid to the groom’s sexual and a bean, rice and agave dish, performance on the wedding night, “The cake said Beatriz Mejia, director of said Caitlin Austin, a spokeswoman celebrations at One and Only has power. for Grace Bay Club in the Turks and Palmilla resort in Los Cabos, It promises Caicos. Grooms are encouraged to Mexico. The crickets and the rice eat the pistil of a conch “to increase dish are said to bring fertility and reproductheir drive,” she said. “The conch’s good luck, and the soup is associated tivity.” pistil is viewed by locals as nature’s with good luck and good fortune, — Rebecca Viagra.” she said. Conch meat also is commonly Dolgin The resort has seen growing served to wedding guests because interest from couples outside of islanders believe it’s an aphrodisiac, Mexico in the foods and traditions of the she said. region, she said. Wedding cake, one of the oldest elements “Couples today are seeking a more of a wedding banquet, also has connections to personalized and authentic experience when luck and fertility. “The traditionally accepted they host a destination wedding that is reflected practice is for the bride to have the first bite; in both the food and venue,” she said. otherwise, she’d be childless and barren,” Brides and grooms discussing their Dolgin said. celebrations on the wedding website TheKnot. Early English cakes were fruitcakes, and com also seem more interested than before in brides used to count the number of raisins in incorporating traditional elements into their their piece of cake to see how many children plans, said Rebecca Dolgin, an executive they would bear, Frese said. editor for the site. “Couples reaching into their “The cake has power,” she said. “It promises own culture is more popular now,” she said. reproductivity.” “Incorporating culture is creating a buzz on Wedding cakes changed in texture and the message boards.” appearance in the 1920s, when lighter cakes Often, foods are considered lucky because with fluffy, creamy frosting became more of shape, color or taste, Dolgin explained. popular. But the symbolism remained, Dolgin Italians serve almonds at weddings because said. The white cake represented the bride’s their bittersweet taste represents life, she said. purity. The decorations of flowers and other The almonds are sugarcoated to wish the signs of spring are meant to represent birth and couple more sweetness than bitterness. new life, she said. Common at a Chinese wedding is whole “It’s this little bubble of nature in the middle fish, because the Chinese word for fish of a wedding,” Frese said. “It’s the promise of sounds similar to the word for abundance, fertility that’s embedded in spring.”

Tony has entertained over 200 hundred wedding receptions since 1989. If you are looking for the best music entertainment for your wedding, you have found it with Tony. His energy, state of the art equipment, and full selection of music will inspire your guests to tap their feet and get up to dance!

Consultation

Tony offers free consultations to plan you big day. He has seen what works well and can give very helpful advice. Excellent references available. “Thank you so much for “Just wanted to say thanks again everything. You really pulled for the awesome job you did our wedding together and DJing our wedding! We knew made everything happen so you’d do a great job with the wonderfully.” music, and we were so impressed - Ryan and Krystal with how you keep things flowing.” - Erin & Chris

Service

As Master of Ceremonies, Tony will coordinate with all of your wedding professionals (photographer, caterers, etc.) to ensure the timely progression of your special moments. He has the experience to observe your guests to play the music they love. Tony is not just a DJ, he is your entertaiment!

Costs & Terms

Tony will give you the finest entertainment around at a Vermont price you can afford.

Call now for reservations! www.tonysmobilesoundshow.com

Throwing rice is an old tradition
(MS) — There are many traditions for weddings that can be traced back thousands of years to early civilization. One enduring tradition is to throw rice at the newly betrothed. For the safety of birds and other animal life, rice has been switched to birdseed in recent times. Some wedding traditions are based on very real needs of ancient times. Others are based on superstitions or existing etiquette at the time they were initially practiced. Throwing rice remains a timeless tradition that many couples still enjoy. Everyone attending the wedding gets to participate in throwing rice, or whatever is being used in lieu of rice, be it birdseed, confetti or even bubbles. Couples can even borrow from traditions in other countries. In France, people throw wheat, a symbol of bounty, after the ceremony. Italians toss candy and sugared nuts over couples, for sweetness in marriage. Rice was traditionally used to symbolize fertility and prosperity. Wheat was also very much used in ancient wedding ceremonies for the same reasons. When guests threw rice at the bride and groom at a wedding, they were symbolically wishing them a lifetime full of children and good fortune. Some cultures even ate a meal of rice before the wedding to guarantee further prosperity. Different cultures have long harbored different perspectives on throwing rice. Some even believed it fed the evil spirits that, though uninvited, crashed the wedding. It was thought that well-fed spirits would not wreak havoc on the happy day. Rice and wheat were also thought to represent virginity and wholesomeness by some. A virginal bride used to wear white and carried a stalk of wheat. Single women rushed after the bride hoping to get a few pieces of rice so they would be the next person to walk down the aisle. Despite its foundation in superstition, throwing rice has remained a staple of weddings today.

Bridal • A special publication of The Addison Independent • June 9, 2011 — PAGE 5

Cake topper can be a nice keepsake
By HILLARY SPEED (AP) — The only part of a wedding cake that doesn’t get eaten, preserved in the freezer, or smudged across a bride or groom’s face is the cake topper. Why not make it something worth saving? From wooden figurines to monogrammed eggs in a nest to teacups from Grandma’s china cabinet, cake toppers at weddings have become more personalized. Increasingly, couples are working with artists to design the perfect cake topper, unique to them. “The cake topper is one of the few things that will be part of the wedding that the couple will take home afterward and maybe display in their house,” said Portland, Ore.-based artist Hilary Pfeifer, who designs customized cake toppers. “It’s not just a plastic topper that they use for that day; it becomes an icon in their house afterward,” she said. Pfeifer’s cake toppers are made of reclaimed wood and painted with acrylic. They are typically animals, and often are customized to fit a couple’s taste and interest. These creations can run the gamut from colorful elephants for a circus-themed wedding, to a pair of robots with a robot dog, to a duck bride and groom wearing Converse sneakers. She has made cake-topper alligators, deer, squirrels, giraffes, flamingos, turtles, penguins, monsters, space monkeys, flying pigs and more. Often they are turned into sports mascots. (See Toppers, Page 7)

In the swing

A bluegrAss bAnd from upstate new York keeps guests moving at the reception following Margaret and Andy bojanowski’s wedding last september. The wedding took place right on the grounds of the couple’s home, at the eddy Farm for Horse and rider in Middlebury.

HollyHocks
flowers & designs

weddings . receptions . parties
5 Green St., Vergennes, VT 05491 www.hollyhocksflowersvt.com

(802) 877-6663

PAGE 6 — Bridal • A special publication of The Addison Independent • June 9, 2011

ForFor Your All All Your ForForAll Your All Your Bridal Needs Bridal Needs Bridal Needs Bridal Needs

Themed wedding puts unique zing on your special occasion
• Choose an accent: There may be one concept of your theme that you’d like to build upon, such as snowflakes. However, instead of paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, which would be more reminiscent of a classroom instead of a reception room, think about other subtle ways to incorporate the accent. Delicate doilies under the china could hint at snowflakes. Italian pizzelle cookies dusted with powdered sugar look like snowflakes and are very tasty. Instead of Jordan almonds in favors, use large nonpareils. Ask the venue to create a signature cocktail that’s white and frosty. • Rely on flowers and lighting: Flowers, foliage and other natural accents can add a special touch to your wedding. Nature provides so many different hued and shaped flowers that can work effortlessly into your theme. Hydrangea or snowball plants (also called Guelder rose) form large puffs of flowers that resemble snowballs and are aptly named. Delicate alyssum and even the common baby’s breath can be tucked into floral arrangements to add a snowflake appeal. Lighting is something couples often overlook. Famed party planner David Tutera often uses lighting to set the mood at the events he plans. Changing the color or the scope of the lighting for different parts of your reception can create different moods. • Choose festive foods: Foods don’t necessarily need to look like themed elements (mashed potato ski slopes). However, you can touch on the theme by using seasonal foods such as winter squashes, hearty foods or seasonal fruits. Creating a theme doesn’t have to be ostentatious or evoke feelings of a kids’ birthday party. Subtle touches that are cohesive will provide the desired mood.

Fine Catering & Events

(MS) — Fairytale wedding or modern twist? Many bridesand grooms-tobe have been thinking about their ideal wedh h WeddingWedding Gowns Wedding Wedding Gowns Gowns hh Gowns ding for years. may h h Bridesmaid GownsGowns Some BridesmaidBridesmaid Gowns hh Gowns Bridesmaid have strong ideas h h TuxedoTuxedo Rentals Tuxedo Rentals Rentals about wedding ideas, comTuxedo hhRentals plete with scrapbooks feah h Mother of the Bride/ Bride/ turing color schemes and Mother of the Bride/ the Bride/ hh Mother of Mother of the wardrobe choices. Groom Dresses Dresses GroomGroom Dresses Dresses Groom Themed weddings have grown h h Prom h Prom Gowns Prom Gowns Gowns hGowns Prom in popularity — as couples want h h FlowerFlower Girl Dresses Flower Girl Flower Girl Dresses to do what they can to set their event apart from Girl Dresses hh Dresses the scores of other weddings guests have attended. The key to themed weddings is to creh h Bridalh Bridal Gifts Bridal h Gifts Gifts Gifts Bridal ate a balance between tradition and elements h h Jewelry Jewelry Jewelry h h Jewelry that tie into the theme. This way the wedding is classy instead of over-the-top — unless, h h Invitations InvitationsInvitations hh Invitations however, over-the-top is what’s desired. • Decide on your theme: Develop a clear h h Veils h Veils Veils h Veils idea of what you’d like the theme to be. h h Shoesh Shoes Shoesh Shoes Themes can range from tie-ins to seasons to specific interests, such as sports or hobbies, to a particular color scheme. Once you have a firm concept of your theme, you can plan and shop around it. For the purpose of illustration, BRIDAL & FORmAL& FORmAL WEAR let’s use a winter theme as an example. BRIDAL BRIDAL WEAR & BRIDAL &WEAR FORmAL FORmAL WEAR 4325 Main St.,St., Main Henry, Port Henry, NY518-546-7499 Port Henry, NY NY518-546-7499 518-546-7499 4325 Main 4325 Main St., • Henry, NY • • 4325 Port St., Port • 518-546-7499 • Introduce your theme with stationery: Mon-Fri 10-5, SatSat10-5,Sunday’s 11-3 until May 11-3 Your May Mon-Fri 10-5, 10-3 10-5, Sunday’s Sunday’s 11-3 until May Mon-Fri & Sat 10-3 & & Sunday’s Mon-Fri 10-3 & Sat 10-3 11-3 until May until save-the-date cards or wedding invitations will present the theme to your guests, and could be the building block for the entire wedding. A winter-themed wedding may feature a whimsical font of swirly patterned type evoking the feel of winter wind. Delicate polka dots could hint at falling snow. Avoid snowmen and ski boots. • Keep it simple: A winter theme may be achieved simply with color. Draperies, flowers, seat covers, table linens, etc. in a frosty blue, silver or white will touch upon the feel of winter. There’s no need to clutter up the space with knickknacks that make the theme overwhelming. Remember, you want the event to still be traditional, with touches of the theme throughout.

We’ve We’veyou covered... got you covered... We’veWe’ve got you covered... got got you covered...

The Fashion Corner TheThe Fashion Corner Fashion Corner The Fashion Corner

Here are some memorable ways you can pop that special question
For social & corporate events of any size!
(MS) — Many people, men and slides before the previews that can women alike, are on the prowl for The key to a be purchased. unusual and memorable ways to successful, • If you’re sports fans, let the propose marriage to their loved ones. out-of-thescoreboard do the talking or make The proposal can be simple, with ordinary arrangements with the public address just the two of you and a few props, marriage announcer at a sporting event. or it can be based on an elaborate • Skywriting or a plane flying scheme requiring complex planning proposal is a banner is an old-fashioned and the element romantic way to propose. You can and numerous accomplices. The key to a successful, out-of- of surprise. both have an intimate and private the-ordinary marriage proposal is the marriage proposal, while still element of surprise, so fitting a proposal into proclaiming your love to the world. “normal” or everyday activities helps to keep • Hang up a series of signs along the road your intended off guard. Here are some ideas your loved one regularly travels on their way that may inspire you to create an enduring and to work or school, proclaiming your love and treasured memory for decades to come. spelling out your intentions while you wait by Public Performances the last sign with a ring. If you’re feeling brave and are fairly sure The Game of Love the answer will be “yes,” consider popping the Take a chance and make your big move question in front of hundreds, if not thousands during a quiet evening of playing games or of onlookers. solving puzzles. • Ask while at the movies, on the big screen. • Purchase a blank jigsaw puzzle and be (See Popping the question, Page 10) Most movie theaters have repeating advertising

453-5775
Find us on facebook!

Contact us:

28 North Street, Bristol VT www.almosthomemarket.net
more photos and information at:

Bridal • A special publication of The Addison Independent • June 9, 2011 — PAGE 7

Toppers
(Continued from Page 5) “Having customers bring you ideas is great,” Pfeifer said. “It takes me places I wouldn’t have gone on my own.” Another artist who has worked with brides and grooms to customize cake toppers is Heather Ward-Migner, based in Asheville, N.C. WardMigner’s figurines are made of local poplar wood that are then cut, burned and painted with watercolors to create specific images. Her cake toppers have included couples on double bicycles, pairs of lovebirds, and a bride and groom in a yellow canoe. Typically, her wooden characters are based on a photograph, and closely resemble the actual couple — a far cry from the standardized cake toppers of yore. The effort that goes into creating such a personal memento contributes to its ultimate staying power. “I love thinking about how 100 years from now some bohemian college students might have their grandparents’ cake toppers displayed in their apartment,” Ward-Migner said. The customization of wedding cake toppers is still a niche trend, but one that has been growing, according to Anja Winikka, senior editor at TheKnot.com. “Your wedding cake as a whole is such a great way to add your own personality, and it’s a great way to make a statement at your wedding without going over the top,” Winikka said. “The cake topper falls into that category as well.” She has seen various handcrafted toppers recently. Lovebirds are a popular choice, she said, including options made out of felt, fabric, wood or other materials. Winikka has also seen the vintage craze enter the wedding-cake-topper arena. Couples are repurposing their parents’ and grandparents’ cake toppers as their own. You can also creatively use trinkets from your grandparents or tiny teacups from their china cabinet as your cake topper, she suggested. In the case of a cake or cupcake tower that isn’t suited to having a topper, the bridal couple can turn the entire cake table into a sort of display area with mementos or figurines that add personality, Winikka said. “I’ve definitely noticed that when a normal person thinks of a wedding cake topper, they think of the plastic bride and groom,” said wedding planner Laura Auer, whose company is about to plan its 300th wedding. “But I’ve probably seen that only five out of the 300 times. People want different skin tones, or they aren’t male-female couples, or they just don’t want old-school traditional bride-and-groom cake toppers.” Auer started her Brooklyn, N.Y.-based company, Blue Canary Events, in 2005, and has seen a trend toward unique cake toppers. In addition to art pieces custom-designed for the couple, she has noticed a lot of monogrammed cake toppers, sometimes very ornate — made of crystal or pretty much any other material. If the bride is taking her husband’s last name, it’s not proper etiquette to use that married name until after the couple has taken their vows, Auer said. So having it on the cake might be a fun way to introduce the new shared initial for the first time. Other popular options are edible or floral cake toppers — real decorative flowers, fruit or flowers made of frosting.

Specializing in Trends and Traditions

Weddings • Receptions • Parties
Located in The Little Red School House on Route 7 South, Middlebury
Carolee Ploof, Proprietor

Enjoy our beautiful deck or cozy inside for your We offer several packages and price Call for more information. options for all budgets! affordable Rehearsal Dinner.

Come on down and enjoy our great drink specials!

Bakery Lane • Middlebury, VT • [email protected] • 388-6724

You can’t beat our dinner and lunch specials!

Mister Up’s Restaurant is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

PAGE 8 — Bridal • A special publication of The Addison Independent • June 9, 2011

Wedding Day Kisses
RICHARD AND ALICE QUESNEL, AUG. 21, 2010, IN LINCOLN DOUG AND LIZA LLOYD, OCT. 7, 2007 AT MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE’S MEAD CHAPEL

Earlier this spring a rather famous English prince and his bride shared a Wedding Day kiss that made newspapers around the world. Those royals have nothing on Addison County’s happy brides and grooms. Here is a selection of smooches that local folks shared on their Wedding Days.

CHRIS AND MANDY DAVIS, NOV. 3, 2006, IN CASTLETON

CATHERINE AND TIM WILLSON, MARCH 17, 2001, IN NEW ZEALAND

GREG AND DEB BARINGER, FEB. 5, 1994, IN IDYLLWILD, CALIF.

JONATHAN AND MONA SULLIVAN, SEPT. 3, 2005, IN SANTA BARBARA, CALIF.

KYLIE AND MATT BRUCH, SEPT. 12, 2010, IN EAST MIDDLEBURY

Bridal • A special publication of The Addison Independent • June 9, 2011 — PAGE 9

JOHN AND MICHELLE (HAWKINS) LILLY, SEPT. 23, 2006, AT THE VERGENNES OPERA HOUSE

Historic, Convenient, Beautiful
Your event at Town Hall Theater. An easy walk to downtown inns and churches.
Middlebury, Vermont 802-388-1436 • [email protected]

Start your own tradition with the historic Middlebury Inn
DIANA ROSE (BARRETT) AND ROBERT MARVIN CLARK, MAY 22, 2010, IN BRIDPORT PARK

Banquet Facilities For up to 150 people Wedding receptions rehearsal dinners and FareWell Brunches located across From the toWn green 71 neWly reFurBished overnight rooms
For that special specializing in

WaterFalls day spa pampering

Middlebury Inn SInce 1827
DALE GODDARD AND CYNTHIA SMITH, JAN. 8, 2000, IN MIDDLEBURY HEATHER AND ROGER HAMILTON, JUNE 23, 2007, IN MIDDLEBURY

14 Court Square Middlebury, Vt 05753 800-842-4666 WWW.MiddleburyiNN.CoM

PAGE 10 — Bridal • A special publication of The Addison Independent • June 9, 2011

Quiet time

Andy And MArgAret Bojanowski share a moment before they ride in to their wedding, where the couple took musical vows in front of a small group of family and friends.
Photo by eric Bojanowski

Popping the question
(Continued from Page 6) creative. Work on the puzzle together with the ring ready the moment all the pieces fall into place. • A game of charades with family or a few close friends is a perfect way to pop the question without your partner ever seeing it coming. “Four words, the first word sounds like...” • There are different ways to spell it out using Scrabble tiles. Secretly pick out the right letters ahead of time and spill those special words from your tray, just as your partner reaches into the bag of tiles and pulls out a box containing the ring. The Great Outdoors Being outside, spending time together relaxing and sharing a common interest may be the perfect moment to surprise the one you love with the big question. • While out fishing, sailing or at the beach, let your partner discover a bottle you prepared with your proposal message tucked inside. • If golf is your game, have an accomplice ahead of you, hiding the ring at the 18th hole. When your intended reaches into the cup to retrieve their ball, you’ll be ready with those four magic words, “Will you marry me?”

Enjoy your memorable day...
...located on 5 beautifully landscaped acres, The Old Lantern is immediately adjacent to a scenic over look with views which are among the best in Vermont. Roland & Lisa, former owners of Roland’s Place, invite you to experience The Old Lantern.

Weddings • Special Events Bar Service & Catering Capacity up to 350 people
Charlotte, Vermont • 802.425.2120 • www.oldlantern.com

Bridal • A special publication of The Addison Independent • June 9, 2011 — PAGE 11

Let your expert florist guide you...
...from your engagement party to the Big Day!

american express

Call today for a consultation!
www.colesmiddleburyflowers.com
Fourth Generation Florist 21 MacIntyre Lane, Middlebury • 388-4003

DELIVERY AVAILABLE

trent campbell

Capture those special times with images from award-winning photographer Trent Campbell. For bookings, call 989-8369.

photography

Specializing in Destination Weddings of All Sizes
Let us help you plan your dream honeymoon!

photography

Ask us about Free Weddings, our Bridal Registry, and the Hurricane Guarantee!
american express

15 Washington St., Middlebury www.milnetravel.com

802-388-6600

PAGE 12 — Bridal • A special publication of The Addison Independent • June 9, 2011

Wedding venue
MARGARET AND ANDY Bojanowski enlisted the help of family and friends to prepare the grounds for a wedding, mowing an amphitheater and setting out hay bales for seats. The couple said they and their families put a lot of elbow grease into wedding preparations.
Photo by Eric Bojanowski

Create the perfect piece for the perfect day

Bridal directory
Portable Restroom Rentals
“We have the most distinguished powder room anywhere.”
Custom Bridal Jewelry for the Bride, Mother-of-the -Bride, Bridesmaids & more

Ideal for Weddings, Parties & Special Events
Dundon Portable Restroom Service

383 Exchange St. Middlebury • 388-2221

22A, Orwell • 948-2082

25 Stewart Lane • Middlebury • 802-388-9925 www.swifthouseinn.com

Small Weddings & Rehearsal Dinners

Frame
Your Special Day • Wedding Photos • Wedding Invitations • Custom Frame all your wedding memories

Make your party special

Otter Creek Custom Framing
3 Park Steet, Middlebury 388-2370

A party tent makes it special! ★ Weddings ★ Graduation ★ Birthday Parties ★ Barbecues

toM broughton rentals Jct. 22A & 125, Bridport, VT 05734 (802) 758-2494

Bridal • A special publication of The Addison Independent • June 9, 2011 — PAGE 13

Many marry a partner of a different religious faith
A quarter of U.S. weddings are interfaith affairs
By MELISSA KOSSLER DUTTON bris or other religious rite? (AP) — Catherine Coppari and Max Lipkin’s Once both partners have shared their wedding will include elements of both of their thoughts, they may have to work to find middle faiths. ground, said Ed Case, CEO of InterfaithFamily. In keeping with Coppari’s Roman Catholic com, which aims to help couples of mixed background, the minister will bless the religious backgrounds exploring Jewish life. rings. Lipkin will break a glass at the end The next question, then, is what they will do of the ceremony, as is customary at Jewish when they have children. weddings. Too often couples focus on getting through Coppari, 26, and Lipkin, 27, hope their the wedding rather than looking to the future, married life also will be a blending of both said Macomb, the New York minister. “They religions. It’s a topic the Brooklyn, N.Y., say, ‘We’ll talk about the children afterward.’ couple have spent hours discussing. No, no, no,” she said. “It’s always better to have the conversation” Questions about whether a child will have before the wedding, said Lipkin. “If a baptism, confirmation, bar or bat we didn’t have these conversations, mitzvah, and attend religious school down the road, it could cause “It takes a must be talked about ahead of time, very mature the experts said. problems.” More and more Americans are couple that “Who wins this argument — marrying outside their faith. Twenty- can be because it will be an argument,” five percent of U.S. households needs to be resolved, added Steve were mixed-faith in 2006, up from freely open McSwain, an interfaith activist and 15 percent in 1988, according to the and have a former minister in Louisville, Ky. General Social Survey released last willingness “You’ve got to iron these things year by the University of Chicago’s out.” to believe National Opinion Research Center. Often, those marrying into In 2008, the Pew Research Center and respect another faith are willing to released a survey saying 27 percent that no participate in religious celebrations of Americans who were married religion is that are important to their partner, or living with a partner were in Case added. more right religiously mixed relationships. But sometimes, they find Interfaith couples need to talk than any insurmountable differences in faith seriously before getting married other.” and observance, and break up. about how they will practice their “Breaking up is not a bad — Ed Case faiths, what religion they will teach resolution if in this guided process” their children and which holidays you’ve discovered you cannot work they will celebrate, according to religious through such issues, Case said. advisers who counsel them. Interfaith marriage is not for everyone, “You have to be fearless, and really talk about McSwain agreed. your religion and your view of God,” said the “It takes a very mature couple that can be Rev. Susanna Stefanachi Macomb, an interfaith freely open and have a willingness to believe minister and counselor in New York City. and respect that no religion is more right than Couples should develop a plan for pursuing any other,” he said. their religions, said Rabbi Stuart E. Davis of Also important is talking honestly and Overland Park, Kan. They must answer the respectfully with parents and other family question: “How will we household together?”, members about potentially difficult religious he said. Each should think hard about what is issues. Macomb offers these tips: important to them in their own religion. 1. Introduce your partner to your family Other questions that someone entering into when you recognize that the relationship is an interfaith marriage should ponder and serious. discuss: 2. Approach your parents as a team. Use • Are you comfortable following your “we” rather than “I” when discussing wedding religion on your own, or do you want your or life plans. partner to attend services with you? 3. Always back up your partner. • Are you OK with religious symbols in 4. Listen respectfully to your parents’ your home? concerns. • What will you do when invited to religious 5. Make it clear what your plans are ceremonies for friends and family? Are you regarding holidays, children and religious comfortable attending a Catholic Mass or a pursuits.

Rivers Edge Photography

... capturing memories to last a lifetime
Owner/Photograper Lisa Whitman Ripton, Vermont (802) 388-0147

Specializing in a unique Barbecue dining experience for your special event!
Wedding, Graduation, Reunion or Family/Company Picnic. Let our courteous and professional Barbecue crew come to you and prepare~ pulled pork, chicken, ribs or even a whole hog. Relax and enjoy while we slow cook your meal on our portable smoker. You and your guests will be served buffet style with all the fixings. Contact us to schedule your event or for more details. 2749 Main St. • PO Box 130 • Crown Point, NY 12928

A friend can officiate at a wedding if they get an online ordination
By MONICA RHOR (AP) — Jessica Alexander’s wedding was everything she had envisioned: a private gathering by her summer house on an Iowa lake. There was a pink and purple color scheme, a butterfly motif, and a dessert bar rather than a full meal. And, wearing a short periwinkle dress designed “to show off her legs,” was Alexander’s minister and bridesmaid, AnnaMegan Raley, a close friend who was ordained online specifically to perform the ceremony. Raley, a blogger for the Houston Chronicle, didn’t even know she had been ordained until Alexander and her mother sprang the news at the bridal shower. They had already paid a $25 fee and filled out a form with her name and address, making her the Rev. Raley. “I thought it was a joke. I’m sure that I put it on Facebook and Twitter,” said Raley. “But I had heard about people getting ordained to perform weddings. So, I said: ‘Sure, I’d love to.’” Nontraditional? Perhaps. A growing trend? Definitely. More and more engaged couples are turning to friends or family members to perform (See Ordinations, Page 14)

518-597-3545
www.frenchmansrestaurant.com [email protected]

PAGE 14 — Bridal • A special publication of The Addison Independent • June 9, 2011

Just Because you Just Because you your day want want your day to be perfect... to be perfect...

Technologies throw some traditions out the window
(MS) — Imagine sending out professional vendors. Budgetpersonalized, colorful e-vites Instead of conscious couples may seriously inviting guests to a wedding keeping want to consider sending e-vites, ceremony and reception. Or receipts and which can save several hundreds plugging in an MP3 player with papers inside of dollars on printing costs and a pre-set wedding music playlist of a folder, postage. to get people dancing. How Another that saving items technology advantage be is more about recording the festivities might on handheld video cameras and in e-mail and environmentally responsible. uploading data instantly to a social conversing Eliminating wedding stationery networking site? Some or all of with vendors or hiring individuals who have to these technological conveniences electronically travel to and from the ceremony are already growing in popularity, creates a and reception, as is the case with revolutionizing the way couples a band or photographer, reduces plan and carry through with digital paper carbon emissions and saves trail that can energy. wedding plans along the way. Many couples are choosing make loose Technology can also help keep to eschew the formalities and ends a little things organized. Instead of traditions associated with easier to keeping receipts and papers inside weddings for the convenience of a folder, saving items in e-mail manage. that many digital or technological and conversing with vendors advancements can provide. electronically creates a digital Electronic wedding invitations are just one paper trail that can make loose ends a little of the many aspects of the wedding that have easier to manage. begun to embrace the digital age. Although there are some detractors who There are several advantages to enlisting the frown on employing technology when help of technology to execute a wedding. First planning a wedding because of the improper and foremost is the cost factor. The number etiquette implications, many modern couples of items that couples can do themselves will are embracing the convenience and cost greatly cut down on the expenses of hiring savings these technologies provide.

Just Flowers & Gifts Just Because Because Flowers & Gifts
11 Liberty Street, Bristol • 453-7700 11 Liberty Street, Bristol • 453-7700

Experience the charm and serenity of a horsedrawn carriage for your wedding.
Photo by Kym Ketcham

Wedding • Carriage Rides Wagon Rides • Sleigh Rides

A diamond ring is one tradition here to stay
(MS) — Most brides-to-be — roughly 75 percent — receive a diamond engagement ring, according to the National Association of Wedding Ministers. Sixty-seven percent of repeat brides also will receive a diamond engagement ring. After the question is “popped,” the average American couple spends 16 months being engaged.

388-6232
1772 Hunt Rd., new Haven

Ordinations
Share your special news with our readers!
Submit your wedding or engagement announcement online at www.addisonindependent.com
didn’t know the couple or anything about them. (Continued from Page 13) their wedding ceremony. They say it is more It didn’t have a special feeling,” said Hensley, who estimates that his church has ordained personal, relatively stress-free and cheaper. 18 million people. About 3,000 to 5,000 are It is also surprisingly fast and simple. ordained every month, a number Getting ordained requires that has steadily increased over the little more than finding an online “Neither of last 10 years, Hensley said. ministry that performs ordinations, It takes about 24 hours for the and filling out a short form with us belong church to process an ordination your name and address. Some to a church, websites require a nominal fee for and we liked request, all of which are reviewed by a live person, he said. paperwork; others don’t charge the idea of Janis Jones, a 27-year-old anything. Prospective brides and grooms incorporating Chicago nurse, asked her older sister to perform her wedding this should look into the website and prayers and June. local marriage laws, however, to the religious “Neither of us belong to a make sure the ceremony would be aspect church, and we liked the idea of valid. Although online ordinations incorporating prayers and the are generally recognized, laws into the religious aspect into the ceremony, vary widely from state to state, ceremony, sometimes from county to county. but we didn’t but we didn’t want to be married by someone we don’t know at all Some states require ministers to and who didn’t know us,” said register after they are ordained. In want to be Jones, who has been dating her Louisiana, parishes ask for a letter married by fiancé, Eric Strand, for six years. of good standing from the church, someone we The couple turned to Jones’ while Las Vegas requires a four- don’t know at sister, Vicky Rappatta, who has page application and background all and who been happily married for 10 years, check. has a background in writing and Last year, about one in seven didn’t know had always been a motherly figure weddings were performed by a us.” friend of the couple, according to — Janis Jones to her younger sibling. “I was so honored and so moved The Wedding Report, a research that they wanted me to be such a firm. Andre Hensley, president of the non- huge part of their wedding. Now, I’m getting denominational Universal Life Church, which terrified,” joked Rappatta, who plans to write has been issuing ordination credentials since an original wedding prayer for the couple. Rappatta said she researched the legality 1962, believes more couples are turning to friends because of the Internet, which makes of the ordination process, including checking the process easier, and because of many with the county where her sister will be getting her marriage license. people’s lack of affiliation with a church. (See Online, Page 15) “I’ve gone to weddings where the ministers

Bridal • A special publication of The Addison Independent • June 9, 2011 — PAGE 15

Online
(Continued from Page 14) “The last thing I wanted to do was get a fake ordination,” said Rappatta, who got her credentials from American Marriage Ministries, whose website boasts “over 10,000 marriages performed!” Kirsten Nichols, whose October wedding was performed by her husband’s cousin, asked a co“If you worker who is an ordained find out minister to be on hand at the service — just in case. after “If you find out after the the fact fact that you are not legally that you married, it can definitely are not put a damper on things,” said Nichols, who lives in legally married, Montgomery County, Md. Nichols, who is Christian, it can and her husband, who was definite- raised Muslim, wanted a ly put a spiritual ceremony that would on us coming damper “focus God, not on together under the fact on that we are of two different things.” faiths.” At Alexander’s lakeside — Kirsten Nichols wedding in Iowa, her ministerbridesmaid Raley also served as personal attendant, and helped decorate for the reception — all of which lent an air of comfort and familiarity to the ceremony. “It helped that she was the one standing up there for us,” said Alexander, a fourth-grade teacher who lives in Rockwell, Texas, outside Dallas. “I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

All aboard
ANDY AND MARGARET Bojanowski pose with their daughter, Nova, surrounded by their wedding guests in one of the hay wagons. The wagons, borrowed from their neighbor, transported their guests between the wedding site and the reception site on the grounds of the Eddy Farm for Horse and Rider in Middlebury.

Two BroThers CATerING
Having a wedding? Two Brothers Tavern provides full bar and light food catering serviced at competitive rates - perfect for weddings, rehearsal dinners and engagements parties. Two Brothers Tavern will make your special event special!
86 Main Street, Middlebury • www.twobrotherStavern.coM • [email protected]

You’re Invited
Monday - Friday 8am-5pm to browse our selection of
• Wedding Invitations and Announcements • Thank You Cards and Accessories

to stop by

Two BroThers lounge renTals
Our beautiful mahogany lounge is perfect for showers, rehearsal dinners and post-reception parties. Full bar, complete dining services, music and dancing are available and can be catered to meet your needs. Two Brothers Tavern will make your special event special!
86 Main Street, Middlebury • www.twobrotherStavern.coM • [email protected]

PAGE 16 — Bridal • A special publication of The Addison Independent • June 9, 2011

d! guarantee From Rehearsal Dinner through the on Satisfacti Wedding Reception, Greg’s can

Catering
CATER your day.

Appetizers to Full Sit Down Meals... From BBQs and Pig Roasts, to more formal menus, Greg’s has been exceeding the expectations of Brides and Grooms for 30 years.
Our Catering team is here to help you with high quality, freshly prepared foods at the value Greg’s is known for. We’ll work with you to create your menu. Our catering staff has many years of experience serving our amazing selection of catered food from small intimate gatherings to large weddings. Contact a member of our catering staff for help planning your special day.

We’re proud to support local suppliers

Our Greg’s Catering Staff: Pastry Chef & Catering Manager, Tabitha, Chefs James & Diane

388-2162
[email protected]
We offer everything from delivery and set up service to clean up. Please let us know what we can do to best serve your needs and we’d be happy to help!

Greg’s Meat Market • 3 Elm Street, Middlebury • 388-2162 • www.gregsmarket.com