Micro-Wedding at Maquam Barn + Winery | Milton, Vermont

Bobbie and John’s micro-wedding on June 13, 2020 at the new Maquam Barn and Winery was not what they initially envisioned for their wedding day. Like many couples, their original plans were halted due to the coronavirus pandemic that has upended lives across the globe. While they held out hope for as long as possible to still tie the knot at Basin Harbor as initially planned, Bobbie started fearing the worst and couldn’t get a nightmare news headline out of her head, “Wedding guests contract COVID at doctors’ wedding”. Yes, both Bobbie and John are doctors, and many of their family members and closest friends also work in health care. As the reality of the pandemic settled in, Bobbie’s perspective was very much appreciated. While wedding planning can be all-consuming, she struggled to focus on planning a party when so many people were suffering and losing loved ones. Her priorities are clearly in the right order. 

Once Bobbie and John canceled their plans at Basin Harbor, they decided to say “I do” in John’s parents’ backyard in Canton, Massachusetts. After a few weeks, this plan was also aborted because they felt it was irresponsible to gather as the number of COVID patients continued to rise. They felt overwhelmed asking their families to fly from all over the country to celebrate. By the middle of May, Bobbie had resigned to reach out to the city clerk to obtain a marriage license while John took his neurosurgery boards.

While I was more than willing to document their wedding moment however it ended up looking, I couldn’t help but ask if Bobbie would let me take over. I have friends in the wedding industry who I knew I could reach out to to make the moment a little more special than showing up to the courthouse parking lot in sweats to seal the deal. Bobbie agreed, and the rest is history. 

My friends Shaun and Darcy recently opened their wedding venue, Maquam Barn and Winery, in Milton, Vermont, and I asked if we could use their gorgeous property to hold the ceremony. I recently worked with Tipsy Tulip Designs and reached out to Emily to see if she could pull together some florals for the event. Emily’s work is incredible and she exceeded my expectations when I gave her very little guidance to work with! Not only did she create a stunning bouquet and boutonniere as promised, but she also surprised Bobbie and John with a beautifully decorated arbor to provide the finishing touch to the wedding scene. My close friend, Megan Manahan Bliss, agreed to perform the ceremony, and her heartfelt words brought tears to Bobbie’s eyes as she read a message from Bobbie’s grandmother who couldn’t be in attendance. Jason, Megan’s husband, became our “go-to” guy, running to grab the takeout dinner from Blue Paddle Bistro, providing his karaoke equipment as the speaker system, and holding the phone to Zoom in family members when Bobbie and John spontaneously danced their first dance and listened to the speeches their siblings prepared. 

This wedding was incredibly special. Not because it almost didn’t happen but because it proves that while all the bells and whistles are nice, they are absolutely not necessary. The love that was felt and the memories that were made on June 13th were greater than any 200 person wedding I’ve photographed.