THE NATURAL BEAUTY, plethora of cultural institutions, and location between New York City and Boston have long made the Berkshires a desirable place for weddings. While today’ s celebrations have kept many of the traditional elements— parents walking children down the aisle, reception toasts, and dancing— newer trends have emerged.
THE NATURAL BEAUTY, plethora of cultural institutions, and location between New York City and Boston have long made the Berkshires a desirable place for weddings. While today’ s celebrations have kept many of the traditional elements— parents walking children down the aisle, reception toasts, and dancing— newer trends have emerged.
When it comes to the famous guideline— something old, new, borrowed, and blue— couples today don’ t typically try to incorporate all those elements into a wedding, according to Jessy Turner, wedding planner and owner of Birdhouse Event Planning and Consulting in Richmond. And gone are the days of the garter and bouquet tosses— Turner says she never sees those happen anymore. And fewer couples are offering wedding favors, which Turner says often get left behind anyway. But some traditions have stood the test of time— and have even changed with the times.“ We ' re oftentimes now seeing both parents walking the bride down the aisle,” Turner says.“ I think that’ s cool; we ' re getting away from this patriarchal idea of what weddings are and more that they ' re about love.” She also encourages couples not to think about the parents“ giving away” their child, but rather walking them to their next phase of life. Lainey Davidson, who married Cameron Bye at Stonover Farm in Lenox this past May, had both her mother and father walk her down the aisle. She says her mom“ absolutely shined in her role as queen regent,” as the couple opted to have a“ weird medieval fairytale” wedding of their dreams, complete with guests in costumes. There’ s also been a shift in wedding parties— some couples choose just a maid of honor and best man— or no wedding party at all. Some still have bridesmaids and groomsmen, but after they enter with the wedding
party, they take their seats in the audience rather than stand at the front alongside the bride and groom. Others put a whole new spin on the wedding party, like Hadley Leach and Jon Glazer. The couple, who split their time between Sandisfield and New York City, were married in October at MASS MoCA in North Adams.“ We skipped the traditional wedding party of bridesmaids and groomsmen and opted for a parade of children waving ribbons down the aisle, followed by Jon ' s two adult sons, Matthew and Sam, who joined us under the chuppah as ring bearers,” Leach says. At the ceremony, most couples today are opting to have a loved one officiate their wedding and to write their own vows— or they exchange vows privately during the first look before joining their guests for the wedding celebration. Leach and Glazer also put their own twist on a traditional Jewish ceremony. They chose to have not one but two close friends officiate.“ They delivered such an incredibly personal and moving ceremony,” Leach says.“ We adapted a Jewish tradition in which the bride circles the groom seven times to one in which we each circled each other three times and then circled together once. While we circled, Jon ' s sister, Jill Dubin, sang a verse of‘ All You Need Is Love’ by the Beatles a cappella with a few friends and family joining the next verse and then everyone for the chorus. We couldn ' t have felt more loved in that moment.” While most couples choose to do a“ first
Lainey Davidson and Cameron Bye of Becket held their wedding at Stonover Farm in Lenox last May.( Dear Edith and Lily)
look”— a private moment to spend time together before the ceremony, when photos are often taken— some still prefer to keep with tradition and see their beloved for the first time that day at the altar, including Kylee and Margarita“ Del” Delaporta, who got married in October at Ice House Hill Farm in Richmond.“ My favorite part was turning around and seeing Kylee walk down with the girls,” says Del, whose wife has two daughters from a previous marriage.“ That image is
Opposite, Hadley Leach married Jon Glazer in the fall season in the Berkshires. Above, Chelsea and Joe Brown at Catamount Mountain Resort.( Dear Edith and Lily)
Holiday Spring 2025 2023 BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE // 47