Hadley Leach and Jon Glazer, who split their time between Sandisfield and New York City, on their wedding day at MASS MoCA in North Adams. Opposite, from top, an enchanting wedding at Stonover Farm with Laney Davidson and Cameron Bye. A winter wedding wonderland, and Hadley Leach and Jon Glazer skipped the traditional wedding party and opted for a parade of children waving ribbons down the aisle, followed by Jon ' s two adult sons.( Dear Edith and Lily)
forever in my mind.” For Kylee, that moment of walking down the aisle with her daughters was“ a moment that felt like healing in motion.” The two say their wedding was a day of celebration of love, and of becoming. They’ ve both struggled with acceptance after coming out, and Kylee says she spent years trying to be what she thought was expected of her.“ After years of shielding them from judgment, standing with( my daughters) by my side was symbolic of everything we’ ve created together: love, safety, and visibility,” says Kylee.“ It felt like reclaiming the kind of love story we never saw reflected growing up.” Jillian Schuster, owner of Jillian J Events in Monterey, says that when it comes to planning weddings everyone is different in terms of style, budget, and vision. For some couples, that process can last up to 18 months. In general, Schuster has seen a shift away from formality over the years— family-style dinners or stations instead of plated dinners at the reception, for instance. For family-style dinners, servers still bring food to the table— but instead of pre-plated portions, there are five or six platters at each table to pass around for a communal feel. Schuster also has seen couples— even those with bigger budgets— incorporating DIY elements, particularly for decor or flowers if the couple has a friend or family member who is talented with floral arrangements or decorating and really wants to help out, for instance. She also has seen a shift away from the traditional guest book to options that are“ a little more fun.”“ I had one couple do a telephone guest book where guests could actually leave voicemails and messages for the couple to listen to later on,” Schuster says.“ I had another couple do a coffee-table book that guests were writing notes in.” One couple had a postcard station and had guests write postcards to the couple.
Another fun idea is when couples incorporate the use of clear umbrellas when rain is in the forecast. When Russell-based photographer Ben Arcangeli, owner of Soul Capture Photography, shot a wedding this summer, it started downpouring in the middle of the ceremony. Because the bride and groom had given all the guests clear umbrellas ahead of time, everyone opened them in unison when the rain hit— including the bride and groom— creating a dramatic, picture-perfect effect, reminiscent of a scene out of Bridgerton, Arcangeli says. And the clear umbrellas didn’ t ruin anyone’ s view. For hairstyles on the big day, hair and makeup artist Lari Manz of Chatham, New York, says that the most requested hairstyle is half up with curls or waves cascading down the back and around the face.“ The low bun is still popular, but the upswept style with the hair sitting at the crown is beginning to become more popular,” Manz says. For makeup, more brides are asking for natural looks with minimal makeup, with the occasional bride asking for a full glam look. For my own wedding this past June, I decided to take an untraditional approach to hair and makeup by doing my own. I’ ve always enjoyed playing with styles, and this gave me an opportunity to spend months researching
48 // BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE Holiday 2023 2025