A barrel inspired the vintage farmer’s market mood for Erik and Danielle Rousseau’s late August wedding. They are my son and daughter-in-law. A sentimental reminder of her grandfather and his potato farm in northern Maine, the barrel became the couple’s cake stand. From that beginning, their appreciation for simplicity defined the day from ceremony to reception.
The Hebron Baptist Church in Hebron was selected for their ceremony. Like the barrel, the church held family history. Erik and his siblings, as well as Danielle’s sister, attended chapel there during their years as Hebron Academy students.
On the wedding day, sprays of wildflowers, compliments of a parishioner’s garden, and urns spilling with white blooms and ivy graced the church entrance. The doors were appointed with wreaths of birch tree rounds detailed with Queen Anne’s Lace.
Inside, stained-glass windows dressed the country church for the occasion. In lieu of programs, a homemade, oversized chalkboard, framed with twigs, ribbon and dried flowers, was displayed in the foyer. The maid of honor, an artist, lettered the board with a welcoming message, listing the bridal party and officiant names. “Everyone said it was so beautiful it could be art,” said Danielle.
The intimacy of the church wrapped itself around us. It was a true family affair with little children scooting nearer to the front to see what I am sure seemed a fairy tale. One eager guest was clearly heard saying, “So this is what real love looks like,” then asking, “Has he kissed her yet?”
“It was perfect,” said Erik. “We were so nervous and that just provided a moment of much needed levity.”
For the Martindale Country Club reception, Erik and Danielle gave their blessings to the moms, myself and Marie, to work their magic. They capitalized on end-of-season deals on flowering baskets in soft pink and white for the porches.
Parked at the entrance, an antique tricycle boasted a basket of hydrangeas and a decoupage sign reading, “Just Married.”
Inside the lobby, guests were greeted with a complimentary apple cider reception. A nearby table featured trellises in planters of purple mums. Fastened to the trellises with miniature clothes pins were the table assignments.
Instead of a photo booth, a “wedding” tree couple, designed by local artist Laurie Babin, welcomed guests. The sculptures donned vintage wedding attire, the bride in a vintage satin gown and my wedding veil. Guests were invited to have pictures taken with the “couple” to mark the occasion.
Florals were kept country-fresh. Ornamental cabbage nestled among pink roses, violet delphinium, and white hydrangea for the bride’s bouquet. Bridesmaids carried airy sprays of violet delphinium. The reception tables, laid with vintage linen, displayed centerpieces of stacked wood slices topped with ornamental cabbages of dark green and pink. Bottles holding individual blooms mirroring the bridal bouquet provided color accent. Guest favors, small succulents planted by Danielle and her MOH, each personalized with a handwritten thank-you tag, provided a finishing touch.
The head table was embellished for sparkle and fullness with pink Depression glass filled with flowers from my and Erik’s aunt’s gardens.
“Danielle wanted every table to look a little different and we succeeded in creating that look for her,” said Marie.
Vintage vignettes were set throughout the reception to create interest. The stair landing, adorned with a length of white voile and white paper lanterns, featured the wedding chalkboard transported from the church, antique shutters and live pine trees, transplanted by Marie.
The wedding cake vignette was the highlight. A live, white hydrangea “memory” tree provided backdrop; from its branches hung antique lockets with photographs of the bride and groom’s grandparents who had passed. In the forefront was the potato barrel, laid with white lace, cradling a white wedding cake designed to look like a flower unfurling its petals.
Stacks of weathered apple crates set with vintage white pitchers for the bridesmaids’ bouquets were arranged to create a cozy space for the cake cutting. Nearby, an old captain’s trunk received wedding gifts under a ceiling of intricately-detailed white star lanterns.
As a last minute detail, throughout the venue were silver frames of famous love quotes and poems. Both Erik and Danielle enjoy reading and I thought the frames would lend a personal touch. God is in the details; everywhere were surprises that we hoped would impart our families’ joy to the guests.
At the evening’s end, the Martindale staff said they had seen many receptions but Erik and Danielle’s was remarkably beautiful, not only for the decorations but for the genuine happiness of the guests. From children filling the dance floor to a family prank involving an “abducted” bride and a “booty dance” performed by the groom for a ransom, it was old-fashioned fun.
The photographer, Katherine Williams, commented more than once what a joy it was to witness such a genuine love between two people. On her website, she captured the mood through one of the frames quoting “Winnie-the-Pooh.”
“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.” For Erik and Danielle, it’s that simple.
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