Thoughts on Getting Married Young

A lot of people who don't know Michael and I tell me that 21 is too young to be engaged.

"You should be out there living your life!" they say. But what they don't realize is that I am indeed living my life to the fullest - only instead of going it solo, I get to have my best friend right by my side the entire time.

Choosing to get married young is definitely not for everyone, but Michael and I know that we are ready to share our lives together. Sure, we don't have steady careers, but Michael and I aren't really the type of people who would chose money and security over happiness. No, we do not have a house, but we plan on building one together from the ground up. It is true that we will certainly experience personal growth and change as we grow older. Lucky for us that we have the opportunity to grow up together instead of growing apart. Yes, we are young, but Michael and I know who we are as individuals. We also know who we are as a couple. We know our strengths, and our weakness. We have seen the best and the worst in each other. We have laughed and cried together. We have fought on multiple occasions, and have always made up a few moments later. We talk about the future, and look forward to its endless possibilities. We understand that our marriage will be an endless cycle of up's and down's, but that the joy we bring to each other will always outweigh the hard times.

The most important thing about us is not that we are young. The most important thing about Michael and I is that we are so deeply, madly, and truly in love with each other, that there is no way our marriage could ever fail. I cannot imagine my life without him, simply because he is the biggest and best part of my life. He is my other half, my soul mate. My sun and my stars. And I simply cannot wait to marry this amazing, patient, handsome, and wonderful man next September.

Alexandra Roberts, our wedding photographer, did an engagement photoshoot session with Michael and I on Sunday! We had been e-mailing back and forth for a while about what date worked best for both of us, and where exactly the shoot should be held. Eventually, we decided on a Sunday evening in early June near the old mill at the Fenton River. Although I had been looking forward to the session for a few weeks prior... I have to say.... it was INCREDIBLY awkward at first. I have never been a fan of being in front of the camera, and Michael is just plain terrified of people looking at him. Needless to say, we were definitely both nervous for how it was going to go. Luckily, Alex was able to help us relax and get us used to the camera being constantly in our faces. I really enjoyed talking and laughing with Alex as she told us where to go, how to position ourselves, and what to do with our hands. Even Michael said he was having a good time! (Did you notice, I even got him to "dress up" in a white button-down shirt... but going to Target with him to buy it is a whole other story!)

Towards the end of the shoot, Michael and I brought Alex to Horsebarn Hill at UConn to show her our old stomping grounds where we first got to know each other last summer. On our way over to campus, the three of us saw the UConn horses run wild across the big open grazing field - a sight Michael nor I had ever seen in all our years there. It was magical. Once there, we introduced her to the cows and gave her a bottle of our homemade brew. She even took some photos of us on the hill, which is where this sneak peak photo was taken.

And the date is set!

Photo of our venue, the West Mountain Inn from tripadvisor.com

Today Michael and I finally set our wedding date!! 

We originally thought the wedding was going to be held on October 3rd 2015, but I really wanted my campus pastor Lucas to marry us, and he was not available on that date due to RUF Fall conference. So we went with a week earlier, on Saturday September 26, 2015. This way we can still get married in early fall, and have Lucas marry us. I could seriously not be happier. I finally get to marry my best friend in 594 days! :P

Photo of our venue, The West Mountain Inn, from www.kellykollar.com

A Vermont Weekend

Originally, I thought that Michael and I would choose a wedding venue situated somewhere within the Adirondack Mountains of New York - the place where we took our first backpacking trip just this past Summer. Unfortunately, it appears that tons of newly engaged New Yorkers have the same idea! Couples from the city flock upstate to reserve a wedding venue in a more country atmosphere, especially now that the great outdoors and rustic life are "trendy" with the city folk. While I am sure this is great for the local upstate economy, it does drive the total cost of a traditional "country" wedding up towards a more urbanized budget. And let me tell you from living in New York City for a year right after high school, city prices are wayyyy past a country girl's budget! Needless to say, Michael and I decided to continue our search for the perfect wedding venue elsewhere.

That somewhere else turned out to exist in the heart of the north country; the beautiful state of Vermont. We spent the weekend looking into two possible venues that I thought looked pretty nice online (thank you rusticbride.com, you have truly been a lifesaver). Saturday morning we drove up from Connecticut to a small town called Arlington, VT to take a tour of the West Mountain Inn. Driving up to Vermont is always beautiful, no matter what the current season. Instead of taking I-91 up, we drove across Massachusetts and up through NY to connect to Route 7, which we followed all the way to Arlington. As soon as Michael and I turned off the main "highway", we followed a little dirt road up a steep hill. About five minutes later, a white New England style farmhouse surrounded by picturesque mountains came into view. This place is exactly what I've been looking for, I thought.

View of the ceremony site. The boy in the photo is standing in the middle of the labyrinth garden. I can't wait to see what this backyard will look like when everything is in bloom!

Amie, the owner of the West Mountain Inn, gave of a tour of the 150 acre property. Her family had owned the property for generations, but her parents had only recently turned the farmhouse into an inn about thirty years ago. The farmhouse consisted of fourteen quaint little rooms with beautiful antique decor. There were two ceremony sites, one beside the labyrinth gardens with a stunning mountain backdrop (above photo) and another by a big sugar maple tree surrounded by woods. The reception area was a gorgeous lit-up barn that was as old as the property itself.  By the end of the tour, I was in love. I knew that this would be place that Michael and I would get married.

Although I was convinced that the West Mountain Inn was "the one," Michael and I still had one more venue to visit the next day. We had planned to spend Saturday night at the Swiss Farm Inn in Pittsfield, Vermont, which claimed to have the "world's best breakfast." That meant we still had to drive an additional hour north before nightfall. On our way to bed & breakfast, Michael and I stopped at The Vermont Cheese House (http://thevermontcheesehouse.com/) in Arlington which featured local cheese, maple syrup, honey, and jam. Michael purchased smoked cheddar cheese, grade B maple syrup, and maple soda. I bought two types of jam (black raspberry and apple) and pine needle soap.

When we finally made it to the Swiss Farm Inn, we were both exhausted. We took a quick nap, and then headed downstairs to the dining room area for dinner at 6pm. Michael and I sat at a table with a family (a mother skiing with her two children) and a hilarious couple named Keer and Helena, who were also skiing for the weekend. After we had all eaten a delicious dinner of minestrone soup, salad, chicken parm, steamed vegetables, and chocolate cake (SO much food!), Keer and Michael went upstairs to bring down the bottles of whiskey they had both brought with them on the trip. Keer had brought a scotch that actually wasn't too peaty. Michael and I shared our Buffalo Trace which turned out to be a hit. Drinks were sipped, laughs were had, and friends were made. It was the perfect ending to a long day of traveling.

In the morning we had another delicious meal. I ordered cinnamon vanilla french toast and Michael ordered blueberry pancakes. The staff really was not kidding when they claimed that they served the world's best breakfast. I ate more food that morning than I usually consume in three days. After checking out of the inn, Michael and I started our drive north again to Waistfield, Vermont - the location of our second venue tour. On the way there, we passed by Moss Glen Falls on Route 100. Naturally, we had to pull over and check the place out. There were actually two waterfalls within a few feet each other. I was able to con another visitor into taking a picture of Michael and I in front of the larger of the two. Then we headed back to the car and continued north.

Moss Glenn Falls in Granville/Stowe, VT.

The second place we visited was the Skinner Barn in Waistfield, VT. Although the barn was beautiful, the property did not have the same kind of homey backyard-feel charm that I feel in love with at the West Mountain Inn. On the way back to Connecticut that Sunday evening, Michael and I discussed the pros and cons of each. It did not take us long to agree that the West Mountain Inn had everything we were looking for: striking mountain views, a barn reception area, and nearby accommodations for friends and family. We had finally made a decision! Our wedding will be held at the West Mountain Inn in Arlington Vermont, hopefully sometime in September or October 2015. Now to start budgeting...