Tell us a little about yourselves!
Haley grew up in northern Vermont, and Aaron was raised in Austin, Texas. We met at college over a decade ago – at the time, Haley danced six days a week and Aaron had a questionable mustache. We rambled through the ravines and orchards of New England, before graduating and moving west to Oakland, CA. We’ve been here since, weathering short- and longer-distance stints to accommodate school, jobs, and the pandemic. We cook together and make up games and go to yard sales. We proposed to each other in the Berkeley hills overlooking Lake Anza, then ate tacos at our favorite dive bar!
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
We both have a strong connection to Vermont and decided to get married in Burlington, at The Intervale Center, a non-profit dedicated to community food systems and sustainable agriculture. The Intervale manages a 36-acre campus of farmland, trails, and open space along the Winooski River and leases land to independent organic farms - including a few that grew food and flowers for our wedding!
This location allowed us to enjoy the beauty of the surrounding farmland, as well as the many great restaurants, bars, and amenities nearby in Burlington. For our afterparty, guests piled into a school bus and went to a vinyl disco set at our favorite bar five minutes away.
How many guests did you have?
120.
Tell us about your outfits.
Haley: I wore a tea-length Markarian dress with long “wing” details at the shoulders, and primarily vintage accessories from both my grandmothers. I also found an incredible pair of long silk green pants and leather strapless top a few weeks before the wedding at my favorite vintage shop in Oakland. I planned to wear it to our after party, but ended up changing into it partway through our reception, ready to really get down on the dance floor.
Aaron: I wore a blue suit from Theory, a Luca Faloni linen shirt with a band collar, and Lucchese cowboy boots that I bought many years ago at Allen’s Boots in Austin.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
We wanted our wedding to feel both wildly fun and deeply intimate.
We spent a lot of energy working on our ceremony and vows with our close friend and celebrant, Ari. Over the course of several months, we met individually and together with Ari, reflecting on our relationship, values, and reasons for getting married and having a wedding. It was important to us that our vows be mutual and personal. On one long walk in the woods, we came up with eight shared commitments, which were the foundation for our individual vows.
We both love food, cooking, and sharing meals with friends, so our celebratory dinner was also very important to us. We worked with our caterer to capture the feeling of a joyful, relaxed dinner party – lots of bright flavors and local ingredients, family-style service, end-to-end banquet tables, and an entirely vegetarian menu. Our chef grew most of the produce on his farm, and it was the best wedding food we’ve ever eaten!
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
Haley’s dad built our chuppah with local VT cedar wood. Haley and her mom quilted the chuppah top using silk from Haley’s maternal grandmother and cyanotype prints we created with flowers and leaves. June Farm did an amazing job fulfilling our floral vision, adorning the structure with strung flowers.
We also made sure to include playful moments throughout the weekend. Friends hosted an impromptu house party, our families surprised us with a goofy performance during the reception, and everyone learned a line dance to September by Earth Wind and Fire!
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Our photographer, Nicole Plett, was amazing. She is kind, incredibly skilled, and made us both feel comfortable and celebrated. Her photos capture the joy and magic of the event. She was the first vendor we secured as soon as we had a date set, and we couldn’t have been happier.
Photographer : Nicole Plett @nicole.marie.plett | Ceremony + Reception Location : The Intervale Center in Burlington, VT, USA @intervalecenter | Celebrant : The couple's friend, Ari | Planner : Randi Nonni @randinonnievents | Chuppah : Built by Haley’s dad with silk top made by Hayley and her mother | Flora : June Farm @junefarm_ | Catering + Beverages : Cloud 9 Caterers @cloud9caterers | Haley's Ceremony + Reception Dress : Markarian @markarian_nyc, jacket from Rodebjer @rodebjerofficial | Haley's After-Party Outfit : Vintage | Aaron's Suit : Theory @theory__ suit and Luca Faloni @lucafaloni linen shirt | Engagement Ring : Ursa Major @umajor | Haley's Shoes : Loeffler Randal @loefflerrandall | Aaron's Boots : Lucchese @lucchese | Earrings : J.Hannah @j.hannah | Vintage Rings : from Haley’s Maternal Grandmother | Antique Purse : from Paternal Grandmother