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Simon and I worked together on the planning, and, as I was only working part time that summer, I was able to do most of the footwork of pulling plans together. We designed our own invitations, and our wonderful artist friend Lonn painted a watercolor of an iris for them, and took care of all the printing. The simple design (a square card, with printing on the front, and a lavender reveal around the edge) set the tone for our simple, but special day to come.

We found a photographer with whom we felt comfortable, and whose work we liked. A friend's husband was looking to try out wedding video, so we hired him at a reasonable rate. We selected a site where we had attended a wedding a few years earlier. The owner referred us to a caterer, who introduced us to a cake baker, and, after talking with both of them, we felt that they would both be able to give us a quality product for a very reasonable price.

We were married in a simple but lovely ceremony at a quaint Bed and Breakfast in Hartland, Vermont, on September 4, 1994. We had approximately 70 guests for our outdoor ceremony and reception. Attention to detail was the theme that created a very special day for us and our friends and family.

We selected the B & B because my wedding dream was to be surrounded by flowers—"garden flowers, not florist flowers". This place had a charming garden, nestled between sloping hills, with sheep grazing on the hillside. We rented a white wedding tent, which held tables and chairs for the reception, and had the ceremony in the garden, with a rustic bridge as the backdrop.

Our attire was very simple and comfortable. Simon wore a nice shirt, necktie and nice slacks (this was dressed up - only the 3rd time I'd seen him in a tie!). I had a dress made for me; off-white, tea length with a pretty neckline and the tiniest bit of lace around the bodice. We both wore sandals, but at the last moment before walking down the grassy "aisle", I kicked mine off!

We were escorted by our families, in an arrangement that was symbolic of the "walk" we had each taken thus far in our lives: Simon walked with his parents, preceded by his brothers. He left them at their seats, and walked a little way by himself, before turning to wait for me. I followed my grandparents and siblings. My mother was escorted by my brother, and I followed, on my father's arm. I too, "dropped off" my family and walked alone a short distance to meet Simon, and we walked together to the front where the officiant was waiting to wed us.

We had three attendants: my sister, Laurie, and my childhood friend, Sue as my attendants, and Simon's close friend John as best man. Our ceremony included an address by the minister, telling our guests that we hoped our wedding would inspire others in their relationships. We had a "Flower Ceremony", for which several of our special friends were given a flower, and told it's meaning. The ceremony consisted of each of them telling their flower and it's meaning, and adding a related wish or hope for us in our marriage and life together. It was very touching and special; they were all pleased to be included in our ceremony, and we will always cherish the memory of the fond wishes made for us.

I did the flowers for the wedding, with help from a friend and Simon's mother. The garden was past it's peak, so we supplemented with wildflowers arranged in buckets and vases. Our bouquets were "handtied", made with a variety of pink, purple, white and yellow flowers from my garden and local farmstands. I bought small glass vases for each table and made a different arrangement for each of these. They were given as thank-you gifts after the wedding.

Another special friend, Scott, is a music director for a church, and readily agreed when we asked him to participate in our wedding day by providing the music. We decided upon an anthem, which would be sung by a quartet of friends. I was surprised during the ceremony when Scott announced that Simon had sent him an original poem a few months earlier, and asked him to set it to music. Not a dry eye remained (especially mine!) when they sang "I Love You Like You Are".

When the ceremony was finished, we turned and walked away from the guests, over the bridge. This provided us with a moment of privacy, which was powerfully emotional. We then greeted our guests.

Photos were taken, and everyone enjoyed the beautiful food. We had a "fancy" barbecue, with chicken, burgers and dogs, and a variety of salads. Our wedding cake was amazing - made to look like a basket of flowers - and incredibly delicious too!

We did not have dancing, but there was acoustic music playing over speakers, and badminton and croquet were enjoyed by many. We had spectacular weather - just what I had ordered! It was a wonderful afternoon! Several people requested that we do it again the next year!

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