addison county weddings

How’s it going?We asked four local couples

a few questions about their wedding experiences. See Page 5.

ContentsStaying sane through the wedding planning process ........................... 2Turn a bridesmaid’s dress into a perfect wedding gown ..................... 4Ask the experts: We get answers from four area brides ..................... 5Keeping it local: Creating a ‘made in Vermont’ wedding ..................... 9Military couples can win a free winter wedding ............................... 10Married to the right ideals: Green weddings ........................................ 11Is a wedding loan for you? Some angles to consider ......................... 12Save-the-date card etiquette .................................................................. 13Get wedding ready: Look and feel your best on the big day ............. 14Some bridal traditions date back centuries .......................................... 14

— Addison Independent, ~Addison County Weddings~ Thursday, January 24, 2013

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By CHRISTY LYNNTo most people who believe in the in-

stitution, weddings are joyous occasions meant, at their core, to be celebrations of the love and commitment shared between two people. So why must planning a wed-ding cause so much stress, agony, and emo-tional turmoil? The answer is that it mustn’t. Planning a wedding can be just as fun and re-warding as the day of the wedding itself. By following some simple, but astute guidelines, you can help kick the distress out the door and reintroduce the pleasure to the process. These six tips to wedding planning can help get things started off smoothly.

1) Set goals — Identifying what matters most to you early will help you prioritize the planning steps and help ensure that you have the time (and budget) for those most-impor-tant details, even if they come later in the plan-ning process. It is stressful to wear your wallet thin and realize that the most important item on your list hasn’t been dealt with yet.

2) Who cares — It helps to identify early in the planning process which family or friends really care about details of the wedding. Have conversations with those people early to dis-cuss their wishes and whether it is going to fit with your plan. Even if you don’t agree, time helps heal some of those wounds and it is best to take care of those conversations before emotions are too high nearer to the time of the

event. Compromise is important and often de-tails inspired by others can turn out to be bet-ter for you too.

3) Pick a team — Choose a small group of trusted friends or family members that will help advise you in your decision-making. This group should be made up of others that will focus on you and your wedding, not how they would do things if they were the ones getting married. Check in with members of this team regularly, and ask them to keep you in check also as you progress in the planning.

4) Set a budget — Even if your budget is a bit flexible, according to popular wedding planning website theknot.com, setting finan-cial goals at the onset is a good way to keep yourself in check and make sure you don’t get too carried away. Money can go quickly in wedding planning, but with a keen eye on your budget and an open and creative mind, planning a wedding does not have to set you into financial distress. Blowing a budget is one of the most stressful troubles encountered in the planning process, but on the other hand pulling off a wedding at or under budget can feel incredible. Ideas invented to keep costs down can be far more satis-fying than purchases made without restraint or cost consideration.

5) Be happy with your

choices — With all the media hype around weddings, it is easy to get caught up in pho-tos of weddings far more glamorous and or-nate than yours may be. Use those images for suggestions and ideas, but don’t beat yourself up for not meeting Hollywood standards. Be happy with your own beautiful dress, or your neighbor’s donated wildflowers, or your great-grandmother’s ring. The affair will be much more beautiful for everyone if you are satisfied and proud of your efforts and results.

6) Don’t lose sight of others — We have all heard the term “bridezilla”, which refers to the crazed brides that are so self-centered that they lose sight of the world out-side of their wedding. One of the most beautiful things about weddings is that they mean something

special and celebratory to everyone who attends. When you are planning your wedding, take pleasure in the deci-sions made for your guests and remember that there would be no wedding if it were just about you.

Staying sane through the wedding planning process

Addison Independent, ~Addison County Weddings~ Thursday, January 24, 2013 — PAGE 3

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By EMILY FREDRIXAssociated Press

I’m practical. Never dreamed of having a lavish gown. Didn’t want to endure a long hunt for bargains.

So four little words from the saleswoman spoke to me: “Bridesmaid dress. In white.”

Yes, I’m wearing a bridesmaid dress to my own wedding. It’s simple, elegant, relatively cheap and easy. Talk about putting the “bride” in bridesmaid.

When I showed up at my local Macy’s bridal salon on my first day of dress shopping, I ex-plained that I wanted something elegant, good for an outdoor summer wedding, at a price that wouldn’t rival the liquor bill.

What the saleswoman suggested is a little-known trick that can save hundreds of dol-lars or more on a wedding dress. Perhaps even better, you can customize your wedding dress however you like it; bridesmaid dresses are usually basic — satin or silk, without the beads, lace and other frills on many traditional gowns.

And at anywhere from $100 to $300, there’s no traditional price tag either. Get a brides-maid dress in white, ivory or whatever color you want. Wear it as is. Or glam it up with ac-cessories and have a unique — and cost-effec-tive — look.

It’s called a wedding dress hack, I’d later find out.

Happy with my plan, I couldn’t help looking at the women sorting through the expensive gowns at the store. Why would they want to spend thousands on a dress for one day? They could spend far less, still look amazing and save the rest for their honey-moon or a house. Why didn’t I feel their urge to splurge? Was something wrong with me?

Not at all, says Meg Keene, author of “A Prac-tical Wedding: Creative Ideas for Planning a Beautiful, Affordable, and Meaningful Cel-ebration.” I simply hadn’t bought into the wedding myth, she says.

The myth is why so many weddings keep getting bigger (hello Kar-

dashians) and prices keep going up. Women see the glamour and feel they are supposed to have it, regardless of cost, says Keene, who started the blog “A Practical Wedding” when planning her own nuptials in 2008.

Dresses are among the biggest costs of a wedding, averaging nearly $1,200, according to The Wedding Report, Inc., which tracks in-dustry spending. And don’t forget accessories, headpieces and veils. An extra $250, please.

The average U.S. wedding now costs more than $26,000.

“There’s now this industry around wed-dings,” Keene says. “If the word ‘wedding’ is attached, people will pay.”

It doesn’t have to be that way, especially for dresses. There are so many other options: bridesmaid dresses, prom dresses, vintage, renting, borrowing and making.

Women like me who seek out alternatives sometimes wonder if they’ll look like a bride. But, says Keene, there’s no ones way to look.

“You remember how your wedding felt, not how it looked,” says Keene, who wore a $250 vintage dress to her wedding.

After deciding that I would customize a bridesmaid dress, I allowed myself one indul-gent experience at a designer wedding-gown studio so I could get ideas. After trying on half a dozen pouffy, fancy gowns, I knew that ivory looks just fine on me, a sweetheart neckline

works well, and an A-line cut and strap-less are both flattering.

I took all that knowledge back to my original salon, to my saleswoman friend. In minutes, I found the dress. The sample was white with a black floral print, but in the mirror I envi-sioned myself in ivory. With a deep purple sash, maybe some silk flow-ers stitched onto it. And maybe some tulle underneath to give me some pouf. It’s all up to me.

Final price? The tag said $205, but after a bridal salon-wide sale of 15 percent off, it was $174.25, before tax.

Bam.Now I’m planning my acces-

sories. And talking glowingly about my wedding dress re-bellion.

The question I get is al-ways the same: “What about your bridesmaids? What are they wearing?”

Bridesmaids? I’m not having any.

We’ve decided to elope.

Customize a bridesmaid’s dress to make a perfect wedding gown


Liza: Ethan Raymond and I were high school sweethearts. We met through the wrestling pro-gram, where I joined the team as a manager. Ethan wrestled through his four years of college at Bridgewater State University, became a New England Champion and now coaches the Middle-bury Varsity wrestling program in addition to working for his father’s construction business. I graduated from Middlebury Union High School in 2008, attended UVM, and received my Bach-elor of Science in Elementary Education. I’m currently working as a Special Education Para-professional at Mary Hogan Elementary School and working at my family’s restaurant, Green Peppers.

Given that Ethan and I attended different col-leges in different states, we had to make time for travel to see each other. I attended the majority of Ethan’s wrestling events through the four years. With the amount of time we spent together, we grew together. By the time we finished college, we knew we wanted to spend the rest of our life together. Getting through the colleges years had taught us a lot, but mostly it helped us build our trust in each other and strengthened our relation-ship.

Ethan and I got engaged the day we picked up our puppy, Jax. Ethan coordinated the secret with our breeder and I was completely taken by sur-prise by his romantic letter stating the life changes that day was going to bring. Next thing I knew, he was down on one knee, dog by his side, holding the ring that only meant our seven year relation-ship was going to last a lifetime.

The big date is July 5, 2013. Although we’re having a big wedding, it’s mostly family and close family friends. The ceremony and reception will be taking place at the Old Lantern in Charlotte.

1. What aspect of being married are you most excited for?

Andrea: The commitment … the love, re-spect and security that we share now, is only going to grow as we are married.

JoAnn: After being a widow for the past two years, I’m glad to be with someone who loves me and wants to be with me.

Liza: We’ve been together through so many milestones in our life already; we’re excited to finally be reaching this one! This is something

that we’ve talked about and is now reality; it just makes life feel so real!

Rachel: I am really excited to have children. I grew up with four older siblings, several of whom have kids and it has been so much fun to watch them grow! I can’t wait to start a family with Neil.2. What has been/was the most fun or rewarding part of the planning pro-cess?

Andrea: The most rewarding part of the plan-

ning process was looking and back and realiz-ing that it all went according to plan, everything was beautiful, and everyone had fun.

JoAnn: I loved it all. God answered any ob-stacle we had along the way and that was very exciting to see, the answers to our prayers.

Liza: Getting to finally put into action all the things we’ve talked about having take place at our wedding. Also, with all the planning, it’s given us the opportunity to spend more time with family and friends who are in our wed-

ding party. You have to take the time out of your schedule to plan, but it’s so worth it when you get to spend the time with the people you love most! I think dress trying has been the ul-timate highlight, whether it was trying on bridal gowns in crazy styles or watching my brides-maids jump into dresses that range from bright pink to rainforest tree frog camo!

Rachel: Since we aren’t getting married for over two years, we haven’t done much planning

Ask the experts A window into the wedding planning process from four area bridesFor some insights into what planning a wedding is really like, the Addison Independent reached out to several couples who recently married or became engaged. Each

couple answered a few questions about the process to help give hope or warning to others planning their own nuptials. Each has a unique perspective to share.

Andrea and Cody Quesnel married this past fall on their farm in Whiting.

JoAnne and Kenneth Meyers married on Dec. 15 after a long friendship.

Rachel Benjamin and Neil Solis are preparing to tie the knot in 2015.

Liza Perrin and Ethan Raymond are preparing for their wedding in July of 2013.

(See Q&A Page 7)

Andrea: Cody and I met many years ago … I was graduating sixth grade when I moved to Whiting and joined 4-H. At that time Cody’s parents were the 4-H leaders, so naturally I was introduced to Cody when I joined the club. Two short years later, I moved from Whiting and lost contact with Cody. Years later we re-connected as friends, went out a couple times as friends and it went from there. We started dating, and on the day that marked our one-year together, Cody got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was a definite yes, not only was I in love with him, but so was my daughter. By that point in our relationship I couldn’t imagine our lives without Cody.

Cody grew up on his family farm and worked there as well so it was no surprise that we want-ed to be married on the farm. We picked out a field away from the main road, with a beautiful fall backdrop on one side, and the mountains on the other. The wedding party and I rode in a hay wagon to the field where our immediate families and Cody waited. Our ceremony was sweet and simple: We exchanged our vows in a field. Our wedding party consisted of fam-ily and close friends: his brothers, one of his sisters, my sister, our daughter, my childhood friend and his best friend. Our reception was held in Middlebury, where we were announced to our entire families and friends; we ate food our family and friends had prepared, we laughed as our shy and nervous maid of honor and best man delivered their speeches, and we danced the night away.

JoAnn: We have known each other for al-most 20 years. I went twice to Israel with Ken and his former wife, Jean, and have kept in contact through the years. His wife died a year ago and my former husband, Dwight, died two years ago, both had cancer.

Rachel: Neil Solis is from Evansville, Ind. He came to Vermont in May 2007 to work as a chef at the Basin Harbor Club in Vergennes. He has worked at several restaurants in Ver-mont since then, including Café Shelburne, The Starry Night Café, and the Inn at Shel-burne Farms. He is currently the Executive Chef at El Cortijo in Burlington.

Rachel Benjamin is from Middlebury and graduated from St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y., in 2009. Rachel is a full-time student at UVM, pursuing her Masters of Sci-ence in Mathematics.

Rachel and Neil met while working at the Basin Harbor Club during the summer of 2007. After Rachel graduated from college, they went on a two-month trip to Europe where they vis-ited France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Neth-erlands and Denmark. They now live in South Hero, Vt., where they enjoying hiking, cross-country skiing, foraging wild mushrooms, gardening and swimming with their German shepherd Hunter. Rachel and Neil plan to get married in the summer of 2015, most likely in Vermont.


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yet. Neil proposed at the beginning of an 18-hour road trip to Indiana, and we talked about our wedding for most of the car ride. I would say that was the most fun part of the planning process so far!

3. What has been/was the most chal-lenging part of the process?

Andrea: The most challenging part was trying to find a balance between what we envisioned and suggestions from others. We couldn’t in-clude everything, nor did we want to, but being able to combine ideas and put others to the side was difficult at times.

JoAnn: Being apart, he was in Florida and I was in New Hampshire most of the time.

Liza: Prioritizing everything that has to get done. If it wasn’t for a pre-designed timeline/checklist, I wouldn’t know which direction to go!

Rachel: One challenging part of the process is where to have our wedding. All of Neil’s family lives in Indiana and all of my family lives in Vermont. Since we live in Vermont too and so do most of our friends, we will prob-ably have our wedding here. However, we have considered getting married in the Outer Banks in North Carolina, where we vacation every year, since it is about the same distance for both

families. We’ll see how we feel in a couple of years!

4. Are you anticipating any major changes in your relationship after your wedding? If you are already married, please describe any changes you have experienced since your wedding.

Andrea: Our lives have not changed much since our wedding, but when you marry your best friend, your true love, and your confi-dant, what is there to change?

JoAnn: There will be adjustments be-cause he was married 58 years and I was mar-ried 17 years but both of us were widows, so there will be adjustments. He is moving up from Florida so that’s a major change geographically.

Liza: Well, we already live together and have for awhile and we’ve been together for seven years, so I can’t think of any major changes that we won’t be able to handle.

Neil: Now that we are engaged, one change in our relationship that I have noticed is that we are able to talk about “when” things are go-ing to happen in the future instead of just “if.” I think that once we are married, that sense of permanence will be even stronger as we move

toward buying a house, having chil-dren, etc. We will have the ability

to more freely and concretely discuss our future.

5. What have been/were the most helpful re-sources?

Andrea: Family! If it wasn’t for our family and friends we would have been lost.

They helped us in every way possible. Also thek-

not.com was a great re-source for the guest list; it al-

lows the bride to enter all guests, addresses and guests can reply right

there as well. The site automatically counts who has replied and who has yet to respond. The site also has many different checklists, a tool we used over and over.

JoAnn: Didn’t really use any resources.

I’ve been married before so just figured it out.Liza: Pinterest! There is so many options

out there and Pinterest.com has made it so easy to save things that we want to make our wedding unique and memorable. Also, “The Knot” website has been great with helping us stay on track. You can never go wrong with a hard copy planning binder either!

Rachel: The most helpful resources I have found throughout the planning process are my family and friends who are married! Two of my brothers got married during the summer of 2011; they and my sisters-in-law are great resources to help with planning since they re-cently went through the process.

Neil: My connections with the culinary community in Vermont will definitely be great resources for planning the food for our wed-ding.

6. In a single word, how would you describe your feelings about the wed-ding planning process?

Andrea: Fun. It’s your special day, you should have fun. Once the fun stops, the stress starts.

JoAnn: GREAT.Liza: Memorable.Rachel: Excited! It’s been hard to wait to

start planning….

Q&A(Continued from Page 5)


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By CHRISTY LYNNAddison County is undeniably one of the

most picturesque destinations in the North-east. Visitors travel for hundreds or thou-sands of miles to visit our rolling hills or our soft white-blanketed pastures of snow or our vibrant maple trees surrounding quaint, cozy villages.

As a wedding destination goes, Vermont is hard to beat.

So if you’re an Addison County couple getting ready to tie the knot, here’s an easy challenge: stay local. Commit to planning a wedding 100 percent exclusively hand-grown in Vermont. Want to see how easy it could be? Here are a few examples of all that our wonderful backyard has to offer. Wedding venue options are seemingly end-less. Churches and chapels are the center-pieces of many towns in Vermont, from the Congregational Church and Mead Chapel in Middlebury, to St. Peter’s in Vergennes, as well as many of the small parishes throughout the community. For those in-terested in outdoor venues, tent and event rental companies such as Alfresco Tents can set up anywhere you want to celebrate, whether it’s your own backyard or the shores of Lake Champlain. The Middlebury Inn, Tourterelle, Waybury Inn, and the Inn at Baldwin Creek are simply a few of the popular inns that regularly host weddings and include various package offers to help make the job easier. Perhaps you’re inter-ested in a more inclusive affair overlooking Lake Champlain? Basin Harbor Club has it all, and could be a wonderful choice for your big day.

Food is a celebrated part of life and cul-ture in the Green Mountain State, and can be honored and adored at a Vermont wed-ding. From local meats and dairy to fresh vegetables and fruits, our cuisine can help make your wedding day memorable and truly representative of life in this region. Perhaps talk to your favorite farms at the farmers market if you’re interested in a do-

it-yourself catering option, roast a pig, and pop a few bottles of Woodchuck’s sparkling cider.

Otter Creek Bakery features ornately decorated wedding cakes, tarts, and other custom delights, featuring local and hand-made ingredients and in many different flavors. Otter Creek Brewery, WhistlePig Rye, Woodchuck Hard Cider, and Lincoln Peak Winery are some of the local produc-ers of fine beer, wine, cider, and rye in the area, giving an idea of how easy an all-local bar could be at your event.

Rather than set up a gift registry listing only big-box stores that are rare in Vermont or only online, try a local registry. Send your family and friends to the local shops where you know the products and the store-keepers. Plus, you can save out-of-towners the hassle of lugging gifts from a distance. For invitations and printed material for your affair, visit the Little Pressroom or your very own Addison Independent for many beautiful designs or enlist one of the many local artists to design a theme unique to you.

OK, perhaps you will have to venture a little further than Addison County’s borders for wedding gowns and tuxedos, but there are several options in and around Burling-ton or Rutland, so you’ll be able to stay close. Come back to Addison County to ac-cessorize though, for we are home to some of the finest jewelry around from Autumn Gold to Danforth Pewter. Beau Ties Ltd. of Vermont can help finish the look for your groom and groomsmen, with an incredible

range of ties of all colors and styles. While you’re there, pick up matching pocket squares for great groomsmen gifts.

Make-up artists and hair stylists at many of the area salons are here to help you look your best on your wedding day, so don’t worry about having to travel far, they’ll have you covered!

All of this is to say that if you’re a cou-ple deciding how to begin planning for a wedding, don’t overlook your own known stores, services, and friends. Let these members of your community join in and help make your event all the more special and descriptive of your reasons to celebrate in this joyous occasion.

Keeping it local: creating a ‘made in Vermont’ wedding

Smiling bride Stephanie Patno navigates a snowy walkway at the Middlebury Inn, on her December 22 wedding day. Photo by Jacob Hannah

Newlyweds Stephanie and Aaron pose on the snowy steps of the Middlebury Inn under holiday decorations during their winter wedding.

Photo by Jacob Hannah

Newlyweds Stephanie Patno and Aaron Tourville celebrate their first dance as a married couple at their Middlebury Inn wedding reception.

Photo by Jacob Hannah


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Often, our country’s military personnel miss out on life’s most precious moments due to de-ployments, casualties and injuries. In gratitude for their service, A Salute to Our S o l -diers wedding give-away enables Vermont wed-ding vendors to give back just a little to the winning couple.

The couple that wins the contest will receive a Ver-mont wedding valued at $70,000. Vermont busi-nesses have been generous and the list of donating vendors continues to grow.

The contest began on Dec. 15 and is orga-nized by three Vermont businesses: VT En-

chanted Events, VermontWeddings.com and The Mountain Top Inn & Resort. Entries will be reviewed and one couple will be selected to receive a wedding package for up to

200 guests, hosted on Dec. 15, 2013 at The Mountain

Top Inn and Resort, in Chittenden, Vt.

Couples nationwide are encouraged to sub-mit their love stories at VermontWeddings.

com between now and April 1. The contest is

open to engaged and currently active, re-serve, or retired members of the United States Armed Forces – Army, Navy, Air Force, Ma-rines, Coast Guard, or National Guard.

Big number LIZA PERRIN, ETHAN RAYMOND and their puppy Jax hold each other up as

they prepare for themselves and their future wedding guests for the big day set for July 5, 2013.

Photo by Andie Guran

Military couples can enter to win a free winter wedding in Vermont


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Green weddings take off as more couples become eco-friendly

(MS) — Environmentally friendly ideals are now permeating all aspects of daily liv-ing. Many people want to take the concept further and ensure their nuptials — and sub-sequent reception — are good for the planet as well.

Although there are no firm statistics on the number of green weddings being held each year, emerging trends point to the growing interest in eco-conscious weddings. Individu-als who already do their best to recycle, reuse and reduce want to employ those same values on their wedding day.

There are many ways to employ a green mindset to wed-ding planning and execu-tion. Largely the carbon footprint of a wedding can be reduced simply by scal-ing back and avoid-ing over-consumption. Here are some ideas to think about.

1. Reduce travel. Research indicates that more than two-thirds of emissions in the U.S. are produced by energy consumption and transportation. By reducing guests’ need to travel far for a wedding or offering transpor-tation that can accommodate several people at once (like a bus), carbon emissions will be reduced.

2. Home is where the heart is. Keeping weddings close to home is helpful. Those with big backyards or a park nearby can host the event at home or in a nearby park and re-duce dependence on large reception halls that use up large amounts of energy to operate. A home wedding also gives couples the oppor-tunity to shop around for locally produced, organic foods.

3. Shop for floral alternatives. Flowers would seem “green” in themselves. Howev-er, many blooms available at florist shops are grown in hothouses with the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, something that is not

very good for the environment at all. Brides opting for something more eco-conscious could consider alternative options, such as bouquets made of sustainable succulent plants and centerpieces full of organic fruits and wildflowers.

4. Choose an open registry. Instead of fine china that may never be used, many couples are opting for open registries that enable guests to gift everything from eco-friendly housewares to charitable donations to cash for down payments on a home.

5. Opt for mixed seating arrangements: In-stead of formal escort cards indicating firm seating arrangements, couples are saving pa-per by allowing guests to choose their own seats from mix-matched options, such as long, communal benches and comfy sofas.

6. Go with something old. Recycled gowns and

gently used items are good alter-

natives for eco-conscious brides. Many w e b s i t e s will match

up brides with others looking to

swap items at low or no cost.

7. Skip the paper. Though eti-quette experts frown on abandoning paper invitations for electronic ones, many couples are doing just that. For those who still prefer paper, print invitations on recycled paper. Re-duce other wedding stationery needs by post-ing information on a wedding website shared with family and friends.

8. Go small scale. Instead of inviting every last cousin and distant uncle, couples are opt-ing for more intimate affairs, including only the people they are closest to, which saves on cost and helps the environment.

9. Trim some of the wedding day fat. Some couples opt for an all-you-can-eat buffet and then a subsequent dessert bar later on in the evening. Stuffed guests may end up wasting more food than eating it. Instead of all-you-can, go for a more traditional meal.

10. Choose a charitable party favor. Instead of a party favor that collects dust on a shelf, couples are choosing to gift with organic products or a donation to a charitable organi-zation in the guests’ names.

Married to the right ideals


Engaged couples about to take a trip down the aisle are increasingly choosing to pay for the wedding themselves. Where it used to be tradition for the bride’s parents to handle the bill for the occasion, today the responsibility for funding has largely fallen into the hands of the prospective bride and groom. To meet the financial demands of the modern wed-ding, some individuals turn to loans for fi-nancing a portion of (or the entire) wedding. You may question whether this is a good idea.

As with any situation, there are pros and cons. The same can be said about a wed-ding loan. The following are some factors you will need to consider before taking out a loan.

One of the most important things to real-ize is that a wedding loan, like any loan, will need to be paid back and interest fees will be included. What that means is that, by the end of the payback period, you will have spent several thousand dollars more on the loans than the original principal amount when interest is added in. If you’re tak-ing out a loan because you’ve already gone above budget on wedding ex-penses, a loan may push that budget even further into the red.

That being said, there are some instances where a loan may be an option that works for a couple. For

example, couples who anticipate consider-able monetary gifts from guests attending the wedding can offset the cost of the loan with those gifts. Some couples might begin their professional careers after their wedding, which will increase their salary enough to repay the loan quickly. Others may actually have the money for the wedding, but want to use a loan as a way to establish strong joint credit as a new couple.

However, many couples take out loans be-cause they simply cannot afford their dream wedding. In a world where many people a l r e a d y l i v e be-

yond their means – financing cars, homes, retail purchases – a wedding loan may just be another shovelful of soil on a financial grave. The consensus among financial ex-perts is that it is better to scale back the wed-ding or postpone it until you can save money the old-fashioned way instead of taking out a loan.

But if a loan seems the only option, here are some tips.

• Shop around on a wedding loan, just as with any other loan. Find the

best rates and terms before settling

on a lend-er.

•

Decide how much you can afford to pay back within two to three years and how much the monthly payment will be. Then take out the loan only in that amount.

• Figure out which portions of the wed-ding can be scaled back to make the finances work.

• See if options like refinancing a home or borrowing from family would be better than taking out a loan.

• Look at banks, credit unions and even programs sponsored through your employer to compare rates on loans.

• Wedding loans may be secured or unse-cured. A home or car can serve as a form of security in a secured loan. Unsecured wed-ding loans do not require a form of security.

• Personal loans, like wedding loans, gen-erally have low annual percentage rates. It may be worth it to take out the loan rather

than using a credit card for financing be-cause the card’s rates could be double.

Keep in mind that a wedding loan – even if it comes at a low interest rate – means you’re starting out your new life together with a large amount of debt for an event that lasts one day. Think about wheth-er the wedding of your dreams is worth using that joint check-ing account to pay off months of wedding debt.

Is a wedding loan for you? Some angles to consider

WeddingsAddison County


WeddingsAddison CountySave-the-date card etiquette

(MS) — More and more couples planning to walk down the aisle are embracing save-the-date cards to give guests adequate notice that there is a party on the horizon.

Save-the-date cards do more than let guests know when you’re getting hitched. The cards are a preliminary way to keep guests informed and let them know they are, in fact, on the guest list. These cards haven’t always been so popular, but have risen in popularity due to longer engage-ment periods, a growing number of destination weddings and the growing number of couples with guests from all over the country, if not the world. Considering people often plan business trips, vacations and other excursions several months in advance, save-the-date cards help se-cure a greater number of attendees at your wed-ding.

Save-the-date announcements can vary in many ways. They may be postcards or magnets that can be attached to a refrigerator door. Guests often take their cues regarding the level of for-mality of the wedding from the type of stationery couples choose.

When to send out the save-the-date announce-ments is important as well. As a general rule of thumb, it is wise to mail out the cards six months in advance for a standard wedding. If the wedding requires travel or extended overnight accommo-dations, you may want to mail them out eight months to a year in advance to give guests the time to investigate flight costs and hotel arrange-ments. A wedding also may necessitate planning a vacation or personal time off from work. There-

fore, ample advanced notice is advisable.Be sure to make your guest list in advance of

sending out save-the-date cards. Everyone who receives a card should also be sent an invita-tion prior to the wedding. Remember to include any members of your planned wedding party in the list of recipients. Just because a person has verbally confirmed attendance at your wedding doesn’t mean they should be excluded from sub-sequent announcements. Guests may talk to one another and it is best to avoid hurt feelings and any added drama before the wedding by treating everyone equally.

Be sure to include the wedding date, your names and the location of the wedding on the save-the-date cards. You do not need to offer RSVP information or detailed specifics at this time. You may want to include a Web site URL on the card so guests can check it frequently for updates on wedding information. Be sure to also include that a formal invitation will follow at a later date. You do not want to cause confusion by having guests think that the save-the-date card is the actual invitation. Also, make sure you ad-dress the save-the-date cards correctly to show your intentions with respect to guest invites. For example, be clear about whether children will be invited and whether a boyfriend, girlfriend or an-other guest can tag along.

Although save-the-date cards are not a neces-sity, they have become a popular part of wed-ding planning to eliminate confusion about in-vitations as well as help guests plan time off for your wedding.

SWAKLIZA PERRIN AND ETHAN RAYMOND share a kiss in front of a purple graffiti heart

on a barn wall at the Perrin farm in Middlebury. The couple is preparing for their wedding in July this year.

Photo by Andie Guran

WeddingsAddison County


(MS) — Chances are those who have attended a wedding have witnessed some popular traditions take place. The bride wears a veil, a court of wedding attendants accompanies the bride and groom, and birdseed, rice or flower petals are tossed. But have you ever wondered why? The wedding customs are ripe with tradition and harken back to days when superstition and myth often ruled the day.

Throwing rice: Today it has become de rigueur to blow bubbles, toss birdseed or release doves when the bride and groom leave the house of worship newly betrothed. That’s because savvy individuals found that raw rice can pose a hazard to birds pecking in the area. However, rice throwing is an old custom that dates back to the Middle Ages, when wheat or rice where thrown to

symbolize fertility for the couple.Bouquet: Nowadays, the bride carries a

beautiful bouquet of flowers. But the pur-pose of the bouquet held different mean-ings in the past. Saracen brides carried or-ange blossoms for fertility. Others carried a combination of herbs and flowers to ward off evil spirits with their aroma. Bouquets of dill were often carried; again for fertil-ity reasons, and after the ceremony, the dill was eaten to encourage lust.

Bridesmaids: There may be arguments over dresses and how many bridesmaids to have in a wedding party now, but in ancient times it was “the more the merrier.” That’s because bridesmaids were another measure to keep the bride safe against evil spirits. Essentially the bridesmaids were decoys for the spirits — dressing like the bride

to confuse the spirits or maybe help deter them to leave the bride be.

Wedding rings: Wearing of wedding rings dates back to ancient Egypt. The round shape of a ring symbolizes eternal love. The ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand because it is believed this finger has a blood vessel that goes directly to the heart.

Wedding cake: The traditional wedding cake evolved from Roman times when the cake was originally made from wheat. It was broken over the bride’s head to ensure

fertility. All of the guests eat a piece for good luck. Single women used to place a piece of wedding cake under their pillows in the hopes of finding their own husbands.

Father accompanying the bride: This tra-dition symbolizes that the bride’s father endorses the choice in husbands and is pre-senting his daughter as a pure bride to that man.

Kissing the bride: In older times, a kiss symbolized a legal bond. Therefore, the bride and groom kissed to seal the deal on their betrothal.

Some bridal traditions are customs dating back centuries

Get wedding ready: look and feel your best on the big day

(ARA) – As a bride-to-be, you invest huge amounts of time, energy and money to make your big day unforgettable. Unfortunately, all of the stress associated with planning a wed-ding can take its toll, and you may neglect your own well-being in the chaos. Inadequate sleep, poor diet and high levels of stress can leave you feeling and looking less than fabu-lous, but with a few healthy and sustainable adjustments, you can look forward to your walk down the aisle.

GORGEOUS GREENSPressure to look perfect in your wedding

photos may lead you to fad diets that can leave you starving and irritable, not to mention pal-lid and worn down. Instead of restrictive diet-ing, celebrity nutritionist and author Kimberly Snyder says eating the right foods will result in weight loss, as well as improve the look of skin, hair and nails. In “The Beauty Detox Solution,” Snyder encourages a plant-based diet that draws beautifying nutrients from completely natural sources. Green smoothies are a great way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables on the go, Snyder says, and she en-courages all her clients to drink them.

“Green smoothies are absolutely one of the easiest ways to get the nutrition your body needs to be healthy and beautiful,” Snyder says. “Busy brides-to-be will appreciate how quick and easy these are to make, and they’ll love how green smoothies make them look and feel.”

SLEEPING BEAUTYFrom venue visits to cake tastings to bridal

showers, it might seem like there isn’t enough time to get all your wedding planning done. However, skimping on sleep can have seri-ous physical and mental consequences. Get-ting enough rest so that you can get through your seemingly never-ending list can be dif-ficult, but it’s vital to help you look and feel your best. For better, more restful sleep, try to stick to a bedtime routine at the same time every night. Try not to eat or drink within an hour of going to sleep, and avoid electronic

screens for 30 minutes before bed. You might enjoy a light activity – such as reading a book – directly before going to sleep to help clear your mind. Lastly, ensure that you continue to make sleep a priority, even as the special day nears.

POST-WORKOUT GLOWA wedding is a great motivator when it

comes to working out, and perhaps you have already joined a gym or invested in a personal trainer to get in shape for the occasion. Even if you aren’t worried about losing weight, exercise can do great things for busy brides-to-be. Snyder, an experienced yogi who has practiced around the world, encourages her clients and readers to explore yoga for better mental and physical health.

“Exercise releases stress-fighting hormones, and yoga in particular can be a rejuvenating escape from the day’s hectic happenings, no matter how new you are to the practice,” Sny-der says. “By combining strength-building poses and attention to inner self, you can both tone your muscles and achieve mental bliss. Yoga is a great way to get fit and stay focused so you can walk down the aisle looking serene and stunning.”

RADIANTLY RELAXED Unbridled mental stress can quickly lead to

physical consequences, and you don’t want to look haggard or tired on your special day. Physical activity, whether it’s a long run, ex-ercise class, or short jog around the block, releases hormones that will boost your mood for hours. And don’t underestimate the power of the senses: lighting stress-relief aromather-apy candles, soaking in a warm bath, and even treating yourself to a massage can help you relax as the wedding day approaches.

As you plan every detail of your wedding, remember to spend time on your own health and happiness. By paying attention to your physical and mental well-being throughout the planning process, you’re sure to be ready and radiant for your big day.

Field of dreamsANDREA AND CODY QUESNEL embraced many shared aspects of their lives in

their wedding ceremony in September 2012, including using a tractor to carry the wedding party to the ceremony site.

Photo by Dan Lovell

A cozy houseGUESTS SHARE IN the festivities at the Patno and Tourville wedding reception at

the Middlebury Inn. Newlyweds Stephanie and Aaron celebrated their wedding on December 22, 2012.

Photo by Jacob Hannah.


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