A Neutral Color Palette and Plenty of Flowers Set the Tone for This Wedding in the Green Mountains of Vermont

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3 days ago

The brides wanted their wedding guests to feel like they were in an elegant Italian villa in New England.
You could say that Julia Casey and Micaela Capozzo were fated to end up together: The two were randomly paired as lab partners during their first semester of graduate school at the University of Vermont in 2019, and their friendship grew as they spent time together pursuing their Doctorates in Physical Therapy. Halfway through the program, their dynamic shifted. Julia bought Micaela a drink at a local bar and the rest was history. 'It was like a switch flipped in that little bar and we both knew that we were each other's person,' Julia says. 'We both had such a sure sense of 'knowing' and we were absolutely inseparable from that day.'
Julia proposed first during a rainy morning hike at Lake Minnetonka in Banff National Park in June of 2023. A month later, Micaela popped the question in return on a date at Monteluce Winery in Dahlonega, Georgia, with a custom crossword puzzle.
Choosing their wedding venue was easy. They decided to tie the knot on Julia's family's property in Stowe, Vermont. "Micaela and I met and fell in love in Vermont, so we knew we wanted to get married there,' Julia says. 'Vermont is such a special place for us, and having gotten married on the property makes it that much more special.' They set the date for August 24, 2024, and invited 140 guests to join them for an earthy, natural celebration inspired by an elegant Italian villa planned by Lindsey Leichthammer Events. Read on to see the details of their unforgettable celebration, from parasol umbrellas at the ceremony to a family-style dinner reception in photos by Amanda Young.
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The couple worked with Rachel Browdy at RH Design House on their wedding invitations and day-of paper goods. Their invite suite was printed on a creamy off-white cardstock with sage green calligraphy-style script. The brides added custom wax seals stamped with their initials and tucked everything into sage envelopes finished with an illustrated envelope liner.
On the morning of their wedding day, Julia and Micaela met for a first look, which was one of their favorite moments of the entire day. 'We wanted to do a first look so we could be really intentional and present seeing each other for the first time,' Julia says. 'We chose to read our private vows during this time and it was incredibly special.'
The brides admit that they were both surprised by the dresses their partner chose. Julia wore an Ines di Santo sheath wedding dress with a halter neckline, plunging keyhole, and illusion back. 'I thought I loved the very first dress I had tried on, but when I tried on the dress I ended up picking, everything else seemed to pale in comparison, and I knew this was the one,' she says. She finished her look with her mom's pearl Tiffany earrings and bracelet and a natural makeup look.
Micaela wore an A-line wedding dress from Paloma Blanca with a long train. She customized the dress with buttons down the back and added a cathedral-length raw hemmed veil. 'I loved the idea of a long train with an even longer veil for a big 'wow moment',' she says. 'The bottom of my dress got very muddy but it makes me smile to look back on because it shows how much fun I had on my wedding day.' She styled her bridal look with Badgley Mischka heels and her mom's earrings. 'Julia had surprised me with matching Nikes with our wedding date on the back, and we changed into them after the ceremony!' Micaela adds. She added hair extensions to achieve voluminous curls and asked her makeup artist for an elevated look for the day.
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The couple's outdoor ceremony featured views of Mt. Mansfield as their backdrop. Wooden chairs were set up for guests facing a grounded ceremony arch of white, cream, and pink florals. For relief from the sun, umbrellas were added to the space and guests were given woven fans and white parasols.
Julia and her dad walked down the aisle to an electric violinist's live rendition of Shania Twain's 'You're Still the One.' Then, Micaela and her dad entered to 'Tuesdays' by Jake Scott.
Julia's sister, Amelia, officiated the ceremony. The couple exchanged personal vows they wrote for each other, including 'not just reasons we love each other, but promises that we plan on keeping to each other,' Julia says.
The newlyweds celebrated back up the aisle to "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" by Natalie Cole. Guests were given paper cones made from their invitation stationery filled with flower petals to toss during the recessional.
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The couple chose a sailcloth tent for their reception, and its entrance was decorated with greenery, potted plants, lanterns, ground florals, and barrels displaying pots and organic floral arrangements. Guests found their seating assignments on escort cards that were displayed in faux wooden planters filled with moss.
With an elegant Italian villa as their inspiration, the brides and their planner decided to decorate the tent with hanging pendant lamps, wooden flooring in a natural oak shade, and a checkered dance floor. The tent's structural poles were strategically decorated with branches to look like trees in the center of the space.
'The seating chart was probably the hardest part of our planning process,' Julia says. 'We had a mix of small round tables, large round tables, small rectangle tables, and large rectangle tables. We loved this look but it did require a lot of time and attention to the seating chart.' Lounge areas were also interspersed throughout the space, and they incorporated various textures, from soft couches to woven chairs and stone accent tables.
While some tables were dressed in floor-length white linens, others were simply topped with gauzy runners. Each tablescape featured blush and ivory taper candles in textured glass hurricanes, various neutral-hued floral centerpieces in stone vessels, and crystal glassware. 'Rachel Browdy with RH Design created linen menus for us and hand calligraphed stone tiles for place cards,' Micaela says.
Julia and Micaela made sure espresso martinis were flowing all night, and they served two other signature cocktails, too: a Mexican Mule and a Maple Old-Fashioned. "Our favorite drink to make at home or order when we go out is a Mexican Mule and we wanted to have an additional drink for our brothers and dad's, as they all enjoy a good maple old fashioned,' Julia explains.
Julia and Micaela like to try a little of everything when they dine out, so they chose to serve a family-style dinner that allowed guests to graze. Family members and friends enjoyed main dishes of beef sirloin, slow roasted salmon, and roasted chicken. 'I know everyone talks about not getting a chance to eat on your wedding day but Micaela and I made sure we ate!' Julia laughs. 'It was absolutely incredible.'
The couple shared a choreographed first dance in front of their guests to Filmore's "Other Girl." They spent the month before the wedding practicing their pre-planned moves with a teacher. 'We were nervous about it but knew it would be fun no matter what,' Julia says. After their first look, they snuck into the tent for a practice run. 'Micaela and I got to run through our entire dance with the band playing our song, and just us in the tent,' Julia says. 'It's something we will never forget.'
Julia had a father-daughter to Will Dempsey's 'Best Parts of Me' and Micaela shared a dance with her dad to Riley Roth's 'When God Made You My Father."
The newlyweds cut into a three-tiered wedding cake decorated with with fresh flowers, which features layers of gluten-free triple chocolate salted caramel cake with vanilla buttercream. Guests also enjoyed a variety of small desserts decorated with cutouts of the couple, including strawberry shortcake in a jar, mini blueberry hand pies, chocolate chip cookies, and donuts.
For late-night snacks, the couple had a soft pretzel station, a pizza station, and pommes frites. 'This was a great way to wrap up the night, with our guests walking around eating pizza and pretzels,' Julia says. 'We also hired Shy Guy Gelato, which was a big hit!'
Julia and Micaela spent their honeymoon traveling through Greece. To couples planning their wedding, they recommend soaking it all in. 'Our piece of advice is as much as it is difficult, try not to stress and enjoy every single minute of this process!" they say.Real Weddings Credits
Photographer Amanda Young Photography
Planning and Design Lindsey Leichthammer
Makeup Elizabeth England Studios
Flowers Clayton Floral
Invitations and Paper Products RH Design
Music Generation Events
Catering Vermont Farms Catering
Cake Cronin Cakes & Sweets
Gelato Shy Guy Gelato
Rentals Vermont Tent Company, Kadeema
Lighting Griffin and Griffin Lighting
Videographer Matt Garza of New England CreativeUp Next: The Complete Guide to Planning a Wedding
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