Mountain View and Rolling Fields: Kayla & Ethan's Summer Wedding | Sanbornton, New Hampshire
They got ready on the water in Belmont, on a lake that stayed gray and quiet all morning while everyone helped each other get dressed. By the time the ceremony started on the hill above the rolling fields, the sky had opened and the mountains were sharp behind the arch. Ethan cried before she reached him. Kayla smiled the whole way down. The party that followed had a unicorn, glow sticks, and a cupcake tower, and at some point they slipped outside while the tent glowed behind them and had one more moment to themselves. That was the whole day, start to finish.
The morning started at a lake house in Belmont, her side inside by the stone fireplace and his out on the porch steps. The dress hung from the screen door. The cufflinks were the kind you keep. Somewhere between the lip color and the beers on the steps, it started feeling real.
They set up the arch on the hill above the rolling fields, with the treeline and the distant mountains behind it. Her mother walked her down. Ethan watched her come and did not make it far before the tears came. They exchanged rings with the whole sky as a backdrop, kissed, and walked back through the people they love while everyone stood.
The bridesmaids had sage. The groomsmen had the guy in the cowboy hat. Bouquets went up. The field did its job.
After the party started, we walked them out into the field while the light was still good. The mountains held. The bouquet charms carried a photograph and a small heart that read forever by my side. They were not looking at the camera for most of it, which is when the best ones happen.
They came in from the field and into the tent as the lights came up. First dance to Forever and Ever, Amen. Speeches. His mom took the floor next, and she was beaming the entire time. Then the cupcake tower, the cake feeding, and one massive group photo before the unicorn showed up.
The unicorn arrived. Glow sticks appeared. Someone's dad found his moment. Kayla was in the middle of all of it with both arms up, which is exactly where she should have been.
They stepped outside while the tent was still going. The field grass was long, the sky had gone dramatic, and the tent glowed behind them with everyone still inside. A dip. A kiss. A black and white frame with the hills at dusk. That was the end of the day, and it was a good one.
A hill above the rolling fields, a wooden arch with the mountains behind it, and a tent full of people who showed up and stayed. Kayla wore his name on the hanger before she ever put on the dress. Ethan cried the moment he saw her. The rest of the night was pure party. Congratulations, Kayla and Ethan. The unicorn was a nice touch.
Planning a wedding in New Hampshire?
From the lakes of Belmont to the rolling fields above Sanbornton, we know what New Hampshire summer light does in an open field and how to be ready when it happens. If that sounds like the day you are planning, we would love to hear about it.