Sally and Luke were married on July 6, 2019 at The Toad Hill Farm in Franconia, NH in a rainy mountaintop ceremony surrounded by friends and family from all over the country. They opted to not have any wedding party, and their beautiful ceremony felt very private, sheltered under a large umbrella and officiated by her mother. The rain did not last however, and the rest of the evening was spent eating, dancing, and enjoying the incredible mountain views at the farm. This wedding stuck me with its simplicity and pared-down approach which I found inspirational. With a few well chosen vendors, this wedding brought together all of the best parts of a wedding celebration without all the static and noise that comes with copious amounts of details and stuff. There were no signs, no displays, no knicknacks, just a wonderful gathering place for friends and family.
Inspirational style takeaways from this wedding:
- A well chosen venue with gorgeous scenery provided the setting that needed no additional decorations.
- A very talented florist tied the whole look together without being over the top. The bride’s gorgeous statement bouquet was a focal point in all the portraits, the beautiful arbor was decorated simply and beautifully, the tabletops were a simple greenery swag punctuated with peonies that matched the bouquet, and finally, the dessert table was accessorized with more peonies that brought the whole look together.
- The day was kept simple with no bridal party. This kept the focus on just the bride and groom, and streamlined the day.
- Simple white cupcakes were all that was needed for dessert. The florist provided the flowers that pulled the color scheme all together at the dessert table.
- A wonderful caterer and a fantastic live band made sure that guests enjoyed the best parts of a wedding: the food and entertainment.
The Ceremony
Due to the incoming rain showers, Sally and Luke opted to swap their cocktail hour and ceremony to try to avoid the rain. Unfortunately it didn’t work out that way and the rain started just as Sally made her way up the hill with her father, and continued through their sweet vows. However right at the end, Luke was able to put down the umbrella just as they were pronounced husband and wife. And from then on the rain held off!
Portraits & Reception
This was such a laid back and stress free wedding, that even though the day’s schedule had been turned upside down because of the weather, there was still ample time for portraits and more cocktail hour before dinner. I had a few minutes with Sally and Luke for some portraits, and then dinner, toasts, and dancing began. All in all, it was a relaxing 6 hours of coverage and we accomplished everything we needed.
The tented reception was just beautiful, with the long wood farm tables draped with a garland of greenery and peonies.
A wonderful dinner was served by Chef Joe’s to an appreciative crowd. The salads were beautifully plated, and the buffet was delicious.
We snuck out for a few quick late evening portraits just as the sun was dipping low……
After dinner, it was time to party! I had a little bit of time left in my day to capture these fun dance photos. I know the Silver Arrow Band kept the party going well after I left for the night!
Talented Vendors for This Wedding
- Tarrnation Flower Farm @tarrnationflowers
- Chef Joe’s Catering @thechefjoe
- Henny B’s Cakes and Cupcakes @hennybcakes
- Silver Arrow Band @silverarrowband
- Fresh Salon and Day Spa @freshsalonanddayspa
- The Toad Hill Farm Venue @thetoadhillfarm
- Erika Follansbee Photography @erikafollansbee