An Elegant DIY Wedding at Stratton Mountain Ski Resort in Stratton, Vermont
Ashley St. Peter (30 and a graphic designer) and Duncan Quirk (30 and a digital consultant) pulled off an early-fall wedding in their home state of Vermont with rustic charm and a touch of vintage flair. “I wanted things to look effortlessly detailed, because as a designer, my job is to pay attention to all details big or small and to make them work cohesively. And as a photographer, I knew certain details would make great photo-ops.” Inspired by Vermont’s breathtaking scenery, Ashley and Duncan decided on a palette of navy blue and white with pops of yellow and gold. “Navy is a great neutral and bold tone that worked well against the colors of Vermont in early September,” Ashley says.
The Chapel of the Snows, a quaint cottage-like chapel atop Stratton Mountain, played host to the ceremony. Ashley and Duncan kept the decor simple, draping burlap enveloped bundles of baby’s breath along the aisle, and adding handmade baby’s breath wreaths to the church doors. Arrangements of sunflowers, lilies and hydrangeas infused the charming space with freshness and a light floral scent. A string trio filled the air with soft classic tunes, and the couple personalized the service as much as possible to make their guests feel as though they were part of the ceremony. “We did a Wishing Well Unity Ceremony. All our guests were given a small polished stone that represented their individuality and their presence at our wedding,” Ashley says. “Everyone took out the stone and paused for a moment during the ceremony to make a wish or a blessing for happiness and goodwill for us and our marriage. Following the ceremony, we asked each guest to place the stone in the makeshift wishing well with their personal blessing for us and our new marriage.” The newlyweds then whisked their guests off to Stratton Mountain Club. “The space is beautiful with amazing stone fireplaces in each room and flows very nicely from one room to the next. To play up the room’s stately stone fireplace, the pair decorated the mantelpiece with vibrant blooms and colorful candies. Ashley and her mother created all the centerpieces themselves, weaving bouquets of dried baby’s breath into wreaths, which they wrapped around hurricane vases and pillar candles. In honor of their locale, Ashley and Daniel sent their guests home with bottles of Vermont maple syrup. Guests made a strong showing on the dance floor after dinner and struck a pose at the couple’s photo booth. “In lieu of a guest book, we created our first family heirloom,” Ashley says. “My mother is an amazing quilter, so we decided we would have guests sign a square swatch of fabric as a nice sentiment. From there, my mother took the swatches and created a beautiful quilt that we will be able to use for years to come.”
A tip from Ashley: “A good piece of advice I received while planning was this: Pick the three top things that you feel are the most important parts of a wedding; ours were photography, location and entertainment. From there you will know where you are willing to put the larger portions of your budget. From that list we knew the things that mattered the most to us, so we were able to understand what we would be willing to spend a little extra on and what we didn’t want to overspend on.” —Libby MacCarthy