August 17, 2019
Durham, New Hampshire
Karen and Ryan met online, her username was “hikergirl” and that was a good sign for him. Three years after meeting, they were living in Salem, MA. The day they got engaged, they spent the afternoon walking around town and playing skee-ball at the arcade. Ryan managed to find a much quieter place at the Salem Willows Park, away from the crowds, with the ocean as their backdrop to pop the question.
The couple wanted their wedding somewhere more rural, in the woods, where they could gather all their family and friends. The Thompson Inn was the first venue they looked at. They liked that they could all stay on the property and where everything they needed was right there. Karen noted, “They shouldn’t have looked at other venues. I just fell in love right away!”
“Ryan wrote most of the ceremony which was really special,” says Karen. The couple also wrote their vows together. “We were sitting on the porch writing them, crying, but we did add some humor,” Karen added. They got married under a large tree. “During the ceremony, the officiant had us take a pause, listen to the breeze, and look around at everyone that was there,” says Ryan. After the reception they gathered with friends and family by a fire, there was a thunderstorm off in the distance and they were able to sit and take it all in. It was truly the low-key and relaxed wedding they wanted
Written by Andrea Cairns
{Wedding Recipe}
Photography:
Mike Sears Photography
Venue
The Thompson Inn & Cyderhouse, Durham, NH
Venue/Caterer
The Thompson Inn & Cyderhouse, Durham, NH
Cake/Desserts
Simply Elegant Cakes by Maryann Kane, Eliot, ME
Florist
Fruition Flowers, Newmarket, NH
Dress
Anne Barge from Musette Bridal, Boston, MA
Groomsmen Suits
Ralph Lauren
Hair
Katie Coppola Sweeney at First Avenue Salon, Peabody, MA
Make Up
Lyndsay Simon Beauty (artist was Ariana Leigh)
Wedding Bands/Engagement Ring Setting
Long’s Jewelers
Engagement Stone
East Boston Diamond Exchange
Invitations
Shutterfly
Officiant
Tucker Farms Events, Northwood, NH