EDITOR’S LETTER
“If we commit ourselves to one person for life this is not, as many people think, a rejection of freedom; rather it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is
Drink and be married:
not a possession, but participation…”
Seydoux, and Hancock
—Madeleine l’engle THE GENERATION CURRENTLY coming into that phase of their lives when pictures of engagement rings pop up on their Facebook feeds is also a generation that grew up when it was more likely than not to have divorced parents. It would be easy then to regard the institution with a cynical eye—and many do—yet still they take the proverbial plunge. There’s always a bit of magic in the ceremony of slipping on a ring and swearing to a life together, of which every picture in this month’s Wedding Issue shows a glimpse. The memories of celebrating the union of two people in love can be treasured forever (even if you find your vacations planned around “destination weddings” for several years running) and we’ve compiled ones that assuredly fit the bill. From a last-minute elopement to a four-day blowout, from a winter wonderland in the mountains to a sun-dappled spectacle by the sea, the variety of how people choose to mark their nuptials reflects the individuality of the couples themselves. After the party there’s the after-party, and after that there’s… the honeymoon! We take a look at where a couple might want to consider jetting off to, either to relax like a pampered sloth or go on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. (And if it’s Turks and Caicos that tempts you, make sure to stop by Da Conch Shack for some of the best local seafood.) Then again, we all know that 18 QUEST
Glimpses of the Hall, weddings featured inside.
the destination doesn’t really matter—even if the couple doesn’t remember where they went for their honeymoon, they certainly will always remember why. u
Lily Hoagland
ON THE COVER: Camilla Bradley and Joseph Alexander Bardenheier IV were married on March 28, 2015, in Big Sky, Montana, where the bride wore a dress of her own design. The couple had a second wedding in Newport, Rhode Island, in June. Photography by Kate Middleton.