Amelia (Gilman) & Brett Clairmont

How we met

If you had asked me if I knew right away that Brett was going to be my husband, I would have said no. He wasn’t my type: tall, blonde hair, blue eyes. Brett was average height, light brown hair, and hazel eyes. My brother-in-law, Mark, spent 15 minutes trying to locate him because he was so adamant that I meet this guy.

We met, shook hands, exchanged small talk, and I walked away.
Where I met Brett isn’t your usual meeting place for a social introduction. I met Brett at Camp Johnson where he was going through pre-mobilization for his deployment with Mark to Iraq...

In the next month that followed, my brother-in-law spoke to me about Brett and had asked me to send him some type of care package. His excuse was that he felt bad for the guy, and that he only got mail from his mother. I explained to Mark that I would do it, but was doing it to be friendly and supportive for one of his friends. Mark said it was just a morale booster and would brighten Brett’s day. It just so happened to be February when I put together a care package. I made some brownies, put in some gourmet cookies, found a couple guy magazines and sent them to Brett.

By the time I had gotten all of this ready for Brett, I had received an e-mail from him. My brother-in-law had given him my e-mail address. The link between Brett and I was Mark. He was determined to get us talking. I e-mailed back, small chat, but it was good small chat. It sparked my interest.

Then something happened that changed both of our lives. We lost a good friend to both of us, in combat in Iraq, 1st Lt. Mark Dooley... Click here to read the full story...

Spring 2011 Issue Vermont Bride

Brand new Spring Issue of Vermont Bride Magazine is just around the corner!

Cover bride is Jeanna (Bowen) Brochu. Photograph by Around The Bend Photography.

Includes three Love Stories plus:

28 Feature Articles and Regular Items in the Spring 2011 Issue!

1. Get Ready, Get Set, Lose the Weight the Healthy, Fun, and Simple Way By Megan Daigle
2. Weight Loss Contest — from Simplify Your Health Now
3. Lose Weight Before Your Wedding Day By Megan Daigle
4. Elements of a Perfect Wedding From Five Elements Salon & Day Spa
5. Your Wedding Your Way: Go Green, and Save Green By Dr. Rev. Michael Caldwell
6. The Informed Traveler Special Places and Best Times to Go By Carrie McDougall
7. There is Nothing Quite as Special as a Wedding Under A Tent
8. From Celebration Rentals
9. A Stress Free VIsit to the Salon By Kim Scofield
10. The New White: The Green Wedding By Karen Sturtevant
11. Spotlight on Wedding Flowers: Gerbera Daisy By Karen Sturtevant
12. From One Spring Bride to Another By Susanna Keefer
13. The FIT SPOT: Fitness and Nutrition Tips for Preparing for the BIG DAY By Toria Cornett
14. Music for Your Wedding: Selecting Unique Music for Your Wedding By Lisa Carlson
15. Choosing A Wedding Photographer By Joe & Linda Crosby
16. Bachelors and Bachelorette Parties: Making them Memorable By Pat Esden
17. Cleaning Your Financial House By Benjamin Nostrand
18. We’re Ready to Look at Homes! By Gayle Oberg
19. Your Jewish Wedding By Rabbi Howard A. Cohen
20. Fine Pewter: Handcrafted in Vermont
21. Spa Corner: Relax, Renew and Restore Before Your Wedding By Sara Daly
22. Ceremony Sound Tips for Brides By Grant Allendorf
23. 2011 Tax Law Changes Passed at the Last Minute! (and what this means for couples) By Roger A. Schoenbeck
24. Technology from a young love perspective By Kayla Sturtevant
    
25. Inside Vermont Bride Staff Notes
26. Vermont Bride Photographers Showcase
27. Bridal Resource Guide Spring 2011
28. Accommodations Chart

See our gallery of of past issues- click here!

Aromatherapy

By Karen Sturtevant

We hardly notice the smells of an ordinary day as we work at our many roles. It’s when an out of the ordinary scent assaults our limbic system do we consciously become aware that something is different.

Walking in the bakery on a Sunday morning, we suddenly have a craving for those sinful scrumptious cinnamon buns. Guests may not remember that your living room was a mess when they arrived unannounced, but they will remember the smell of the chocolate chunk cookings baking.

The science of scent is an idea that is catching on.

Ylang ylang brings out sensual, romantic, alluring and amorous feelings.

For the honeymoon, pack oils of ylang ylang, rose absolute, jasmine or patchouli for passion and romance. Relax with sandalwood, frankincense, and myrrh and purify with tea tree and eucalyptus.

Experiment with different oils to find your favorites to help bring you to a more peaceful, relaxed state or to a more alert and energized state of mind. Oils can beautify your days and promote well-being and joy. Every facet of life can be enchanted with nature’s gift of essential oils. We all can use a little help now and then.

Click here for Karen Sturtevant's full article and more tips on using scents to enrich your life, your wedding planning, and your marriage...

Music For Your Wedding

by Lisa Carlson

Flash forward in time. It’s your 10th, 25th, or maybe 50th anniversary and you’re looking back on your wedding day. You chuckle together about the flower girl who unexpectedly stopped half way down the aisle, mesmerized by all the people, and the sweet if slightly embarrassing words shared about you by your minister or rabbi or officiant. You look at the lilacs growing outside the window of your home, smell the scent, and revel in the same soft purple grace you enjoyed at your wedding. When you hum your special song, or play the recording on the stereo, and dance through the halls of your home, your breath catches as you remember the moment of your walk down the aisle, the moment the musicians played your special song in the middle of the ceremony, or your first dance together as a married couple, and the music that filled the room on that day.
Music can be one of the most significant factors which will establish the ambiance, and color the memories, of your wedding day. With so many options available to today’s couples, where do you start in making music choices that will resonate for both of you – and leave memories that will still catch your breath on your 50th anniversary?

First, talk with your partner about what you like in music. Do you dream of a quartet serenading you down the aisle with your favorite classical music standards, or would you prefer a soloist or a duo with a Celtic lilt? Or perhaps you want to steer clear of traditional choices and pick some favorite pop or Broadway tunes. Do you have a special song already that you’d like to include in the ceremony? Or would you like to choose a special tune together that will become “your song?” What sort of musician would be best suited to play that tune? Do you have an ensemble in mind, or will you be finding a soloist or group of musicians that will play the repertoire you have in mind? Do you have any special memories of playing or hearing music in the past in a way that really influenced you? And what can you afford for music? The greater the number of musicians, the greater the price – so you’ll need to keep that in mind when choosing between a soloist, a duo, a quartet, or a full band. These are all important questions to explore together before you get too far in the planning!

Click here to read more...

Or click here for more about the author, flutist Lisa Carlson...

Love Story: Jaimie (Demars) & Richard Welcome

How we met

Rick and I were high school sweethearts. We met through mutual friends; we each went off to college but saw each other every weekend. Summers were great, since we got to see each other all the time. We began to talk about our future together and the direction in which we were headed. Rick makes me laugh and is the guy who doesn’t need to ever make a plan. I, on the other hand, am the organized planner!

Our engagement

We had decided to stay in Lamoille County and to build a home there. Rick and I looked at several pieces of land before settling on the perfect one for us. I continued to tell Rick that I wasn’t comfortable purchasing property with a “boyfriend.” He would shrug and agree. One week prior to purchasing the land and with me continuing to say I didn’t want to buy it with a “boyfriend,” Rick brought me up to the land to meet the realtor; we got there and no one was there.Rick suggested we walk out on the property and wait, which is what we did. We walked out to where we had planned on building our home and Rick got down on one knee and proposed. The realtor never did show up that evening! We then went to tell our parents and off to a romantic dinner that Rick had planned.
Rick and I were married on a perfect fall day in September at Harwood Ranch, my grandparents’ property in Elmore, Vermont, surrounded by our loving family and friends. Everything was picture-perfect.

Click here to read more of Jaime and Richard's love story...

Planning your Dream Wedding in Vermont

The first thing to do when planning an indoor or outdoor wedding is to let your imagination take over. What is the overall feel that you would like the event to have? Look through magazines, peruse websites, and think back to your dreams of your wedding as a child. Do you like soft romantic images or is your vision of an elegant country wedding?

Along with the anticipation of marrying your perfect mate, you are about to plan the biggest party of your life. While you are thinking about colors and bridesmaids and the scrumptious wedding cake, someone needs to ponder logistics, guest counts, a rain plan and square footage to make your event go off with out a glitch.

Click here to read the full article...

Or read more about this article's authors at Weddings Tents & Events

Spotlight on Wedding Flowers: Gardenia

by Karen Sturtevant

Meanings: Purity, Sweetness, Secret Love, Joy, You are Lovely.

Uses: Boutonnieres, (in France, it’s customary for the groom to wear a gardenia as his boutonniere), corsages, bouquets, cake decoration, hair accents, sewn/pinned on veil.

Gardenias are available year round. Quantities are limited in winter as the time period for blooming is 30 days or longer December - March. To ensure availability, order well in advance as gardenias are widely sought after wedding flowers.

Click here for the full article, including much helpful information about using gardenias for your wedding...

Or:

See the other Spotlight On Wedding Flowers articles by Karen Sturtevant online:

Spotlight on Roses

Spotlight on Stephanotis

Food, Glorious Fall Food!

Planning an Autumn wedding in Vermont?
Here's some food for thought from Susanna Keefer!

When you know where your food is coming from and how it is grown, you are enhancing a bond with your surroundings, your bodies, and ultimately with each other. You are also supporting the small farms and farmers who are preserving the natural and sustainable beauty which we proudly call Vermont. Furthermore, what could possibly taste better than local seasonal food?

Planning a fall wedding menu should be a collaboration between the couple and the caterer. Vermont boasts an incredible array of passionate and talented chefs who can customize a menu that reflects your tastes, honors your heritage and your family traditions. Most importantly this will represent and celebrate who you have become as a couple.

Click here for tips on glorious food ideas for a Vermont wedding in the fall...

Double Duty Gifts for Bridesmaids

by Pat Esden

A fun way for a bride to purchase gifts that will please her attendants is to choose items that can be used on the wedding day and enjoyed afterwards as well. Necklaces and earrings that match the attendants’ gowns are a traditional gift that fills this niche, but nowadays brides often go one step further by buying jewelry that can be used to decorate the stems of the attendants’ bouquets as well as serve for gifts afterward. Glamorous pins are ideal for this and easy for a florist to clip to the bouquets’ satin wraps. Pins aren’t the only item that can be used on bouquets.

Glittery key rings with fobs in the shape of the bridesmaids’ initials work wonderfully—and the letters will help distinguish which bouquet belongs to which attendant. Small engraved lockets or charms can also be used. And don’t forget jewels for the attendants’ hair. Rhinestone hairpins or decorative clips add sparkle to the wedding day and will be cherished forever.

Click here to read the rest of this article about double duty gifts for bridesmaids by Pat Esden, master floral designer of Esden Florists.