Martha's Vineyard Wedding - Becca & Mike - WellWed Cape Cod & The Islands - Spring / Summer 2011

{photography} Orchard Cove {reception site} private residence

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martha’s vineyard, massachusetts

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Having recently graduated from college, Becca and Mike were both braving the bright lights of Boston, scared out of their wits, when they met through Mike’s cousin Taylor, who had been a close friend of Becca’s in school. When Taylor introduced them, in Becca’s basement apartment, the sparks flew, but not in the conventional way. Instead, a playfully mocking banter ensued between them, with Becca poking fun at Mike’s clothes and Mike suggesting Becca should consider a different hairstyle. “The banter really snowballed from there,” says Becca. “And after several unhinged nights bowling downtown, a perfect pair within a giant group, the two of us were dating in no time.” Before they knew it, Becca and Mike were sharing a tiny Beacon Street studio apartment for one formative winter, undeniably in love.

While traveling together in Bar Harbor, Maine, Mike knew it was the perfect opportunity to propose. Becca was running in her first half-marathon, and the two were staying at a local bed and breakfast.

While Becca ran in the race, Mike worked with the inn’s chef to prepare a table of champagne, flowers, and candles in their room.

Meeting Becca at the finish line, Mike chatted with her as idly as possible, secretly feeling weak in the knees. As they approached the inn, Mike led her into the gardens with a question about the flowers. Becca, a gardener at heart, couldn’t resist the lush blooms.

Fumbling to find the ring in its hiding place within his camera bag, Mike swiveled to one knee, asking simply, “Bee, will you marry me?”

Naturally, she accepted.

Becca and Mike’s backyard wedding celebration was a lot like their love – sweet and simple yet utterly extraordinary.

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Months later, Becca and Mike were visiting Martha’s Vineyard on a rainy winter day for Becca’s mother’s birthday when she gazed into the backyard and found herself imagining a wedding there. She and Mike had already begun planning a celebration in a historic mansion in Vermont but had never been quite set with the idea. “I asked Mike how he felt about the change, and immediately he was into it. It was the piece that was missing,” says Becca. After that, everything seemed to fall into place for the couple, with their West Tisbury celebration planned for September.

Anyone holding an outdoor wedding inevitably has to come up with a rain plan, especially in the fickle New England climate. However, as Hurricane Earl approached the East Coast, the couple’s original rain plan — the Chillmark Community Center — was designated as the region’s emergency shelter. Many of the wedding guests had made the

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Catering: Truly Scrumptious Entertainment: Sound Xplosion soundxplosion.com Event Rentals: Seaside Celebrations seasidecelebrations.com Floral Design: Petal Floral Design petalfloraldesign.com Invitations: Bella Figura bellafigura.com photography: Orchard Cove Photography orchardcovephotography.com

Under sunny blue skies, Becca walked down the aisle that day wearing the same drop-pearl earrings and cathedral-length veil her sister had worn at her wedding. Taking their own spin on the seven blessings, family and friends of the bride and groom contributed one poem, three readings, a song, and original blessings from each of their parents. The reception made use of gold and champagne tones, with raspberry accents. Looking back, Becca remembers one of her favorite parts of the day as being serenaded not just once, but twice. Mike began by singing “Bring It on Home” by Sam Cooke while strumming on his guitar, and later, all of her bridesmaids circled her on the floor and sang along to her favorite song, “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips.

Dancing together in the light of the moon on their sweet and simple wedding day, Becca and Mike could not have asked for anything more.

becca & mike's Advice

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trip early to avoid the storm, but the couple fell asleep on the eve of the wedding to howling winds and sheet-like rain, with no idea what the next day would look like. As luck would have it, “On Saturday morning at 4:30 a.m., I woke up to find almost dry grass. It felt like a fantasy,” says Becca.

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