Caitlin & Nicholas
The Venue : “ We both have the same style when it comes to rustic , cozy , warm tones , so when we walked into Chamard Vineyards ’ Red Barrel Room , we knew it was perfect with its beautiful wood accents , farm tables , ceiling string lights , wall of wine and giant barrels ,” says Caitlin . “ Another main reason we looked at the vineyard was because it was dog friendly . Our golden , Waffle , was without a doubt going to be a part of our day .”
The Details : Caitlin was in her prime when it came to working out the minutia of her big day . “ I am a huge Disney fan and had a few Disney things incorporated into our decorations , including Carl and Ellie ’ s chairs from the movie Up for our cake topper and hidden Mickeys in each bridesmaid ’ s floral hoop .” The pretty faux floral hoops also doubled as favors she and her bridesmaids could repurpose as home decor . As for the guest favors , “ I purchased little corked glass bottles from Michaels and a ton of seasonings from Ocean State Job Lot — my mom and I mixed a bunch together to create ‘ Waffle Wedding Seasoning ,’” she says .
The Faux Look : After seeing funny first look photos from other weddings online , Caitlin knew she had to pull one over on Nick before she made her own debut — and that his brother would be the best man ( literally ) for the job . “ I was completely caught off guard when I turned around and saw him standing in a dress reaching in for a kiss ,” Nick says with a laugh . “ I thought about hitting him , but then I realized how good he looked .”
The Meet Cute : While Caitlin and Nick first locked eyes at a 2010 high school graduation party , they didn ’ t make things official until later that summer . “ Fun fact : we got married on our nine-year dating anniversary — so our one-year wedding anniversary was also our ten-year anniversary together as a couple ,” Caitlin says . “ We loved that we could keep August 11 as our date since it ’ s so special to us .”
The Engagement : Proposers , take note : No one can ever say no to a puppy . “ Surrounded by our closest family , Nick walked up to me holding a little golden retriever puppy ,” Caitlin recalls . “ After bawling my eyes out , he told me to look at her tag . It said , ‘ Will you marry me ?’ I had a golden retriever growing up , so this was super special to me .”
The Hiccup : The couple were excited to see their doughnut wall ( which Caitlin crafted from a wooden palette ) in action at the reception . The only problem ? The doughnut vendor never showed up . “ We didn ’ t find out until we were about to eat and one of my bridesmaids told me that the vineyard ’ s event coordinator , Amy , had ran to Dunkin and purchased all of the doughnuts they had ,” Caitlin says . “ We were so appreciative of her quick thinking . I knew she was getting married soon and that she loved the wall , so I gave it to her as a thank you and she ended up using it at her own wedding !”
The Highlights : “ Hands down , the fact that it was such an intimate weekend with our closest family and friends , including Waffle !” Caitlin says . “ Every second of that weekend was so special to us . We rented a big Airbnb that our family and some bridal party members stayed in . We had pizzas around the fire in the backyard the first night and followed up with more fires and fun the night of the wedding .”
104 | ENGAGED IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND 2022