[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/april-claire-summer-vermont-barn-wedding\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/april-claire-summer-vermont-barn-wedding\/","headline":"April + Claire: Summer Vermont Barn Wedding","name":"April + Claire: Summer Vermont Barn Wedding","description":"April and Claire's barn wedding","datePublished":"2015-06-01","dateModified":"2016-02-24","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/admin\/#Person","name":"Equally Wed","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/admin\/","identifier":787,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Equally Wed","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/april-claire-real-wedding-lesbian-ceremony-2.jpg","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/april-claire-real-wedding-lesbian-ceremony-2.jpg","height":439,"width":659},"url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/april-claire-summer-vermont-barn-wedding\/","about":["Real LGBTQ+ Weddings from Equally Wed"],"wordCount":1171,"keywords":[" lesbian"," lesbian wedding","barn","barn wedding","Boston","broom","cream","Etsy","femme","flowers","hora","Jewish wedding","Nicole Miller","ruby","same-sex wedding","Vermont","women's suit"],"articleBody":"[title maintitle=”” subtitle=”Infusing Jewish traditions with their own flair, April and Claire created a wedding day sprinkled with personal touches, making it truly their own”]With a rustic barn already in their venue vision, the Massachusetts couple headed north, searching for the perfect location. \u201cWe knew that we wanted to get married in Vermont because April went to college at UVM and since we\u2019ve been together we\u2019ve spent a lot of time in up there. We also knew that we wanted to get married in a barn. We actually didn\u2019t look anywhere else,\u201d says Claire. Filled with the charm of a traditional dairy barn, the event space at The West Monitor Barn provided plenty of room for their 130 guest list. \u201cThis particular barn is home to the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps which hires young people to work and study together under adult leadership to complete high-priority conservation projects such as state park management, trail maintenance, and backcountry construction,\u201d she explains. \u00a0\u00a0 Thanks to April\u2019s Jewish upbringing, the culture\u2019s traditions had become an integral piece of their relationship. The lovebirds exchanged vows beneath a beautiful chuppah handcrafted by April\u2019s dad and his college friends. Their dear friend presided over the ceremony, even incorporating the Shehecheyanu, a blessing that is recited during a long-awaited occasion. “In\u00a0many of the weddings I\u2019ve been to, the ceremony is either too religious or lacking religious and grasping at meaning,\u201d explains Claire. \u201cEvery piece of our ceremony had meaning to it, and a meaning that was apt to two people starting their lives together. Our officiant and friend was largely responsible for this, as she did a great job explaining how each piece of the ceremony had meaning.\u201d The ring exchange was very traditional, and at the end of the ceremony, Claire stomped on the glass that April\u2019s mom had given to them for the occasion.April wore an elegant form-fitting strapless Nicole Miller gown featuring a sweetheart neckline, paired with TOMS wedges, \u201cThey were so comfortable!\u201d she says with a laugh. Her veil and earrings were both purchased from Etsy. Meanwhile, Claire looked striking in a custom charcoal gray three-piece suit from 9Tailors in Boston, paired with handsome Frye wingtips. \u201cI wanted a gray suit so I could wear it again to other events. I\u2019ve already worn it to another wedding,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u00a0 After a blissful two-year romance, Claire proposed at the beach in Provincetown, Mass., with a custom palladium ring featuring a stunning ruby stone that April had previously created by a jeweler on Etsy. \u201cShe\u2019s a unique individual and I was happy that this ring matched her personality,\u201d says Claire.\u00a0The pastoral barn featuring rough-hewn lumber and carriage barn lamps, gave the couple all of the inspiration they desired. \u201cWe tried not to get too carried away with the tiny details because the barn is so incredibly beautiful,\u201d says April. Tables were swathed in rustic sage green cloth and cream-colored napkins, and highlighted with freshly picked wildflowers in mason jars, plucked from Raven Ridge Farm. \u201cFortunately we were able to find some family members that were willing to help create the centerpieces,\u201d says Claire. \u201cPicking our own flowers was a fun activity and a major cost savings.\u201d To educate guests on their same-sex wedding terminology, they created a glossary on their wedding website. Listed in the dictionary, with definitions, were broom (Equally Wed founder Maria Palladino’s term for butch bride), bridesman (April\u2019s man of honor) and broomsmaids (Claire\u2019s female attendants). \u201cWe got great feedback from everyone!\u201d says Claire. \u201cI think it really helped friends and family we were still trying to figure out what this wedding was going to look like.\u201d\u00a0Knowing that their wedding party attendants\u2019 style and budget varied, they merely gave them a color and left the rest up to them. \u201cThey\u2019re all so different as people and in their style that it was easier for them to do the dirty work,\u201d explains April. \u201cWe wanted them to buy and wear whatever was their style and in their budget. Plus, we think it\u2019s semi-ridiculous to ask friends to buy a specific dress that they will never wear again and like the idea of having people wearing similar outfits but still slightly different.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0Guests were served a menu straight from the heart of New England with an elegant twist. Passed hors d\u2019oeuvres consisted of savory tartlets, cheesy quinoa bites and mini grilled cheese with Vermont cheddar served with chilled gazpacho sippers set guests up for the feast that followed. Family-style salads with farm fresh field greens, summer sweet corn, heirloom tomatoes and feta, drizzled with a summer herb vinaigrette were set on the tables, followed by a buffet for the main course. Guests enjoyed Caprese salad, couscous and summer vegetable salad, marinated and roasted vegetables, roasted potatoes with garlic and fresh herbs, mouthwatering flank steak expertly marinated with soy, Thai chili and lemongrass dressing, and grilled chicken served with a trio of sauces. An old mailbox was set up for guests to place their cards, and jelly jars featuring guests\u2019 names doubled as a seat assignment and water glass.\u00a0For dessert, and in lieu of a wedding cake, mini cupcakes were passed out in an array of flavors to choose from: red velvet, carrot cake, chocolate and vanilla.The bride and broom found their DJ through a friend. \u201cHe was not your typical wedding DJ \u2026 he played some sick music!\u201d exclaims Claire. They kept it simple, choosing to limit the traditions to the hora, father-daughter dances, and the couple\u2019s first dance, which they swayed to the tune of Lovely Day by Bill Withers. \u201cWe didn\u2019t want anything else to interfere with the dance floor.\u201d \u00a0  Throughout the evening, guests snapped silly shots in the photo booth, provided by\u00a0Photobooth Planet, and as pictures came out, they were put into a guestbook which the guests then signed. \u201cWe loved going in it with all of our friends and family and we used the pictures for our guest book,\u201d says Claire.\u00a0\u201cI think everyone who came wanted to be especially supportive because it was a gay wedding, and for most people, including April and I, it was our first gay wedding,\u201d Claire explains. \u201cSo everyone was wearing their heart on their sleeve. When the ceremony turned out to be an emotional cry-fest, those outward facing hearts just opened up and became soggy with tears.\u201d\u00a0At the end of the day, the couple knew what was important and made that priority. \u201cDon\u2019t adhere to traditions if they don\u2019t fit you. Seriously keep it simple. Focus on the ceremony, that\u2019s really what you are there for,\u201d advises Claire. \u201cThen crush it with open bar,\u201d she adds with a smile.  VENDORS Photography: Anne Skidmore Photography Venue: The West Monitor Barn Catering: Cloud 9 CaterersFloral: Raven Ridge FarmMusic: DJ AddamPhotobooth: Photobooth PlanetAttire: Nicole Miller from Betsy Jenney; 9TailorsJewelry: Etsy "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"April + Claire: Summer Vermont Barn Wedding","item":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/april-claire-summer-vermont-barn-wedding\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]