Kyla & Aaron’s Rainy Wedding Day

Kyla and Aaron’s rainy wedding day was a dream come true, as they chose the picturesque Grand Isle Lake House in Vermont to exchange their vows. Surrounded by their loved ones and just a few miles away from their childhood homes, this idyllic venue offered breathtaking views of Lake Champlain and the distant mountains. No rain shower could put a damper on this couple and their beautiful wedding day!

Kyla and Aaron chose an idyllic, historic Vermont lake house to say their vows, surrounded by their closest family and friends, only miles from where the pair grew up. The venue itself (Grand Isle Lake House) features a spacious wrap around porch and is set on a hill that overlooks Lake Champlain with views of the mountains in the distance; the entire family enjoyed lodging at the lake house the entire weekend, which allowed everyone to get ready and enjoy each other’s company under the same roof. Kyla opted for whimsical wildflower blooms in pastel hues to create a romantic, airy feel, and the mother of the bride planted and grew some of the flowers herself that were used throughout the reception decor.

The night before, the forecast was calling for dark skies and thunderstorms throughout the entire wedding day. But by some miracle, we had sunshine all day with small rainclouds that created an opportunity for romantic rainy day portraits and an intimate ceremony plan B on the covered porch overlooking the hills. The skies cleared just in time for cocktail hour, where guests enjoyed cocktails and small bites on the porch, while eventually wandering down to the lawn to mingle and play games. We were treated to the most gorgeous rainbow over the lake (one of my favorite images of the day is the shot of guests walking onto the lawn, with shock and awe as they first see the rainbow!) just before the bride and groom entered their reception for a night of laughs, dancing and fun. The day as a whole felt relaxed, deeply personal and ultra romantic – but the images convey that best! -Haley Foster Photography

Describe a hurdle you had to overcome in your relationship or during your wedding planning. Wedding planning is stressful, no matter how you slice or dice it. There were times that we didn’t see eye-to-eye, where something was more important to one than the other. At the end of the day we continued to take a step back to remind ourselves that the day was about our union and not just throwing a party for our guests. What part of your wedding day was/is most important to you? Having time together. You hear throughout the process how quickly the day goes by and how some couples feel like they don’t get to spend much time with their new husband/wife. We were intentional in building out timeline that we carved out time for us and made it a priority to try and not separate much throughout the day. We chose to read our vows to each other privately after our first look, which was also important to us to share that moment just the two of us.

We sat and ate dinner and had an appetizer plate made up for us by our caterer. Making sure we got to enjoy the food and drink we picked out was important.

Any special ways you incorporated your family or family history into your wedding day? We chose not to have large formal wedding parties and focused on including family. We had a Matron of Honor and a Best Man, and then our parents and siblings and their partners walked down the aisle and sat in the front seats. Kyla gifted her sister-in-laws, Mother, and mother-in-Law a piece of jewelry to wear and Aaron picked out ties for his brother-in-laws, Father, and father-in-law. We also had our siblings give a speech during dinner. There was a large emphasis on the whole immediate family being included during all events, which made it very special. What is the best thing you’ve learned from one another? How to be patient and how to compromise.

What was your favorite part about planning your wedding? Bringing our vision to life and being so hands on. We did a ton of DIY (including 90% of our wedding florals) and it was incredible to see the hard work pay off. The day was truly perfect to us. It was also fun planning a large event together and getting to know each other better through the planning process.

If you had one piece of advice for other couples, what would it be? Make decisions around your wedding that are best for the two of you, not for others. Photographer: Haley Foster Photography / https://haleyfosterphotography.com/ / @haleyfosterphoto
Venue: Grand Isle Lake House / https://letspretendcatering.com/grand-isle-lake-house / @grandislelakehousevt
Floral Designer: Bridgets Bouquets (ceremony & reception) / @bridgetsbouquets / and Kingsley Floral Co. (bouquets & bouts) / https://kingsleyfloralco.com/ / @kingsleyfloralco_
Dress Boutique: Madeline’s Daughter / https://madeleinesdaughter.com/ / @madelinesdaughter
Dress Designer: Alyssa Kristin / https://www.alyssakristin.com/ / @akristinbridal
Cake Designer: Blue House Bakeshop, Beatrix Hassler / https://www.bluehousebakeshop.com/ / @bluehousebakeshop
Makeup Artist SYH Makeup, Sarah Robinson / syhmakeup.com / @syhmakeup
Hair Stylist: Kelsey Rossini / https://www.krossinistylist.com/ / @krossinistylist
Rentals: Vermont Tent / https://www.vttent.com/ / @vermonttent
Film Lab Photovision / https://www.photovisionprints.com/ / @photovisionprints
DJ: Wedding DJ Vermont, Evan LeCompte / https://www.weddingdjvt.com/ / @weddingdjvt
Bar: Fluid Bar Service / https://www.fluidbarservice.com/ / @fluidbarservice
Catering: Let’s Pretend Catering / https://letspretendcatering.com/ / @letspretendcatering