In less than five years, Maquam Barn and Winery has become one of the premier wedding venues in Vermont, with its location just north of Burlington and Winooski. The vineyard’s lush grape vines, as well as the renovated barn and views of the mountains, have made it a popular destination for locals and tourists alike as they plan their weddings. Today we’re excited to share with you a wedding that took place at Maquam last fall. With an incredible love story and every detail beautifully captured by Colette Kulig Photography, you’re in for a treat! Continue reading for all the details.
From Ohio to Australia to Vermont
Olivia is a Vermont native, whereas Nathan is from Australia. The couple met while attending Cleveland State University, where they were lab biology partners, and began dating in 2014. Cleveland is a seemingly random place for a couple from Australia and Vermont to meet, but Nathan had a swimming scholarship and Olivia moved the state to stay close to her brother. (Despite debating between college in NYC or Ohio, Olivia agrees that she made the right choice, because it led her to Nathan!)
After their graduation, the couple moved to Australia, which is where they’ve been for the past seven years. During their time in Australia, they have returned to Vermont every year or so to visit friends and family- and because of this, Olivia and Nathan always knew they wanted to get married in the Green Mountain State!
Olivia has fond memories of spending fall in Vermont, and since most of her family lived there still, it made more sense logistically to host the couple’s wedding there. Olivia toured many venues on a trip back home, so she could prepare a list of her favorites to share with Nathan. A lot of the venues she visited were very nice, but none of them felt like “the one” for her–until she visited Maquam Barn and Winery! Olivia wanted something that would perfectly showcase the beauty of Vermont to her guests, many of whom had traveled from abroad for the wedding. When her parents and Nathan visited the venue, they agreed as well and they booked it for their September 2023 wedding. The venue had everything the couple wanted: Vermont charm, stunning views, and a built in rain plan that Olivia and Nathan were happy with.
All the Details of their Fall Wedding Day
Olivia and Nathan love hosting events and party planning, so when planning their wedding, they wanted to have as many small details as possible to excite their guests. For their initial planning, the couple created a variety of moodboards and collected fabric swatches as inspiration. Olivia’s vision for the wedding slowly developed over the course of 1.5 years, allowing her to refine those small details until they were perfect. As a whole, the couple wanted to focus on how they wanted their wedding guests to feel during their big day, which helped them design the perfect flow for their wedding.
The wedding was meticulously planned by Vermont wedding planner Meg Dews of IDewDesigns, who brought Olivia’s mood boards to life, and created a 3D rendering of the venue to ensure that the wedding was everything the couple envisioned. Although the couple did most of the wedding planning themselves, they still recommend that anyone use a month of coordinator like Megan to ensure that their day is as perfect as theirs!
On the day of their wedding, the couple got ready separately, and Olivia took advantage of Maquam’s beautiful, modernized Bridal Suite to have her makeup done by Mirror Mirror and her hair done by Crystal Doyle. The couple stuck to a classic, polished look for their wedding party, with the bridesmaids in cream-colored dresses and the groomsmen in black tuxes.
Colette Kulig did a beautiful job of capturing all of the well-thought-out details through her photography, including the joyful nature of the guests. We love how the couple appreciated how far people had traveled to celebrate them by writing individual letters to the guests that discussed a special memory or what they meant to the couple.
For their ceremony, the couple was married underneath a rustic arbor lined with white flowers and some pops of blue to add color. Emily at Tipsy Tulip Designs did a fantastic job of fulfilling the couple’s wish to incorporate wildflowers and greenery into their floral arrangements. When asking Emily to reflect on this special day, she mentioned that one of her favorite parts of the wedding was how the couple chose to bring in plants from local greenhouses as an extra nod to Vermont and its beauty.
Celebrating Love Across the World
After the wedding ceremony, the couple walked up the hill to Maquam’s barn to continue the festivities. Tables were beautifully decorated with more florals by Emily, continuing with the blue and white theme. The meal was catered by Let’s Pretend Catering, whose food was so delicious that many guests were asking for recipes! In addition to delicious food, the tablescape at their reception perfectly matched the rustic chic simplicity of the barn, and we love how the fresh pears added an extra pop of color.
Olivia and Nathan opted for a family-style dining experience, so that way their wedding guests could interact with people that they may have never met before. To break the ice, Nathan and Olivia gave introductions for everyone at each table, and explained how each individual in their wedding party had impacted their lives. Instead of a traditional guest book, the couple had their guests write them letters for their future anniversaries, making it so they had a couple of cards from their loved ones each year to open and read. (Love this idea!)
It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Nathan and Olivia to have all of their loved ones gathered in one place to connect with each other and celebrate them. Maquam Barn and Winery was the perfect place to show off the beauty of Vermont to all of Nathan and Olivia’s out-of-town guests, and the couple’s exceptional team of vendors brought every intricate detail of their vision to life, making the day truly unforgettable. Congratulations Nathan and Olivia!
Vendors:
Venue: Maquam Barn & Winery, Planner: I Dews Design, Photographer: Colette Kulig Photography, Catering: Let’s Pretend Catering , Baker: Sweet Simone’s, Florist: Tipsy Tulip Designs, Videographer: Envision Pictures, Makeup: Mirror Mirror, Hair: Crystal Doyle, DJ:DJ Maple Syrup, Live musician: Matthew Saraca, Stationary: Mine + Kindred.
Learn More About Vermont Wedding Venue Maquam Barn and Winery
Maquam Barn & Winery is a working winery located in Milton, Vermont with a magnificent, newly constructed barn, and sweeping vistas to backdrop your ceremony. You and your guests will enjoy every aspect of the property, including an operating vineyard, surrounding organic farmland, and sweeping views of the Adirondack Mountains from the fire pits on our expansive patio.
Stress Free Wedding Planning by I Dews Design & Events
I Dews Design & Events specializes in Vermont “backyard” weddings, budget management, DIY couples, and intimate celebrations and elopements! Along with full wedding planning, I Dews Design & Events also offer partial coordination and design services. Meg and her team work with all budgets, and visions, and look forward to making your dream Vermont wedding a reality.
Elegance in Every Frame: Learn More About Vermont Wedding Photographer Colette Kulig
Colette Kulig Photography is a Vermont wedding photographer who captures gorgeous images and crafts bespoke albums which couples treasure for years to come. Her style is a mix of advertising and portraiture, creating a modern collection, and her warm personality puts couples at ease!
Learn More About Tipsy Tulip Designs: Your Vermont Wedding Floral Specialist
Tipsy Tulip Designs is a wedding florist located in Milton, Vermont. Lead designer and owner, Emily, turned her lifelong passion for gardening and designing creative floral arrangements into a career. She works with couples to combine their personal styles with her own rustic, romantic designs to create floral arrangements, bouquets, and installations that will take your breath away!
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