A Whimsical Travel-Inspired Wedding at the Barn at Gibbet Hill in Groton, Massachusetts

After living continents apart, in London, England, and Sydney, Australia, travel enthusiasts Mariah Bliss (29 and a copywriter) and Matthew Fleming (30 and a director of marketing) ended up in the right place at the right time: Boston. The couple met on Match.com and quickly hit it off, spending their first date at the Foundry in Somerville, Massachusetts, bonding over their shared love of travel and adventure. Matthew popped the question on a snowy night in December. “It was beautiful, simple and romantic,” Mariah says. “In fact, Matt was so excited that he forgot to get down on one knee, so he redid the proposal.” The couple planned a festive late-spring affair at the Barn at Gibbet Hill in Groton, Massachusetts, filled with playful touches that spoke to their upbeat personalities and love of travel. Whim Events took care of all the decor details, dressing up the elegant barn with fresh bunches of colorful wildflowers, a nod to the venue’s striking natural setting, and travel-inspired elements like compass escort cards, miniature globe table numbers and whimsical arrow cutout signs. Courtney Hathaway designed all the couple’s stationery and calligrapher Yennygrams created the eye-catching chalkboard signs found throughout the rustic post and beam barn. The decor wasn’t the only place that Mariah and Matthew’s fun-loving personalities could be found; they carefully considered the menu and music too. Mariah and her father surprised everyone with a choreographed dance to “The Time Warp” from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and the newlyweds treated guests to a late-night snack of freshly made cider doughnuts. A tip from Mariah: “Get a wedding planner. Our event stylists acted as our wedding planner and they made the whole process stress-free. Another piece of advice: Divvy up the tasks evenly. A lot of brides may feel pressure to do it all themselves, but include your future husband—he really does want to help.”