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Whatever your style, tastes, and budget, you can create the perfect wedding celebration. Here, three couples share memories of their big day.
A Taste Wedding Portrait
Haydee & Marc Parella | Castle in the Clouds
September 21, 2007
Photographs by MAC Photography
 As you might imagine, Castle in the Clouds sits high atop a mountain, in Moultonborough, New Hampshire. Its lofty perch offers a panorama of breathtaking Lakes Region views. From hillsides ablaze with autumn color to lakes shimmering in the distance and the White Mountains rising to the north, every vantage point draws the eye. Built in 1913–1914 by Tom and Olive Plant, this romantic retreat is a true castle, complete with stone turrets. The perfect venue for a fall wedding, it matched Haydee and Marc’s dreams of romance.
“We wanted to get married somewhere nice but were having a hard time coming up with ideas,” says Haydee Parella. “Since my family is from Florida, we particularly wanted a wedding venue that captured the essence of New Hampshire. I was searching on Google, and stumbled upon Castle in the Clouds. It was beautiful, affordable, and had key services such as catering right on the premises. We went for a visit, and were immediately hooked.”
The couple planned an intimate wedding with fewer than 100 guests. The Castle’s quaint red trolley ferried family and friends from the main parking lot up the winding road to the castle itself. By 4:00 p.m., late golden light brushed the hillsides, setting the fall colors ablaze, and a soft, blue mist was blurring the mountains to the north. There, next to the garden pond, with the last of the fall roses in full bloom and the vivid colors of fall sweeping as far as the eye could see, the couple were married.
 “It was a breathtakingly beautiful day,” says Haydee. “Lake Winnepesaukee stretched right below us. You could see for miles.”
As expected, guests were transfixed by the stunning vistas, so cocktails were served outside on the stone patio. For dinner, guests adjourned to the upstairs hall with its open beams and large windows that captured the view. The couple’s wedding colors were black and white with red accents, and the decor picked up the theme. Bouquets of deep red roses in ribbon-wrapped vases adorned each table, where snowy linens made the perfect backdrop to a sprinkling of rose petals.
Haydee wanted the food to be special, and guests dined on an elegant dinner of chicken artichoke, filet mignon, and lamb. Instead of a traditional cake, she chose a New England classic—strawberry shortcake, which the culinary staff transformed into a delightful tower of cake, berries, and cream.
Guests were given bottles of a special wine created by Haydee and Marc at Vintner’s Cellar Winery in Portsmouth, with pictures of Castle in the Clouds on the labels.
“The wedding was just what we wanted—everyone was relaxed, everyone danced, and the whole day from start to finish was just beautiful,” says Haydee.
In a day filled with memorable moments, one stood out. “We had the photographs of me alone, and me with Marc taken before the ceremony,” she recalls. “I had just had my photo taken, and he came out. I hadn’t seen him all day, so it was special to finally have him there and have those few moments just to ourselves. We talked a bit, and it was just a sweet, intimate moment we shared before the wedding began.”
Location: Castle in the Clouds, Moultonborough, New Hampshire
Wedding Gown: Priscilla’s of Boston, Boston, Massachusetts
Florist: Cymbidium Floral, Exeter, New Hampshire
Invitations: Trends Gift Gallery, Exeter, New Hampshire
DJ: Get Down To Night, Salem, New Hampshire
Cake: Sweet Comfort Farm, Bedford, New Hampshire
Caterers: Hampshire Culinary Planning & Event Design,
Canterbury, New Hampshire
Wedding Favors: Vintner’s Cellars Wine, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Photographer: MAC Photography, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
A Taste Wedding Portrait
Katy & John Hobbs | The Red Barn at the Links at Outlook
October 27, 2007
Photographs by Jeremy Heflin Photography
 For a father, seeing his daughter married is one of the most emotional days of his life. Katy Hobbs tried to make things easier by choosing to have her wedding at one of Maine’s newest golf courses, a gesture she hoped would please her golfer dad. “I thought my wedding day might be a bit less painful if it was in a golf setting,” she laughs. “As it turned out, not only did he like the idea, but we wound up with the perfect venue.”
Katy and John chose The Red Barn at the Links at Outlook in South Berwick, Maine. Interestingly, The Red Barn wasn’t even built when they made their selection. “When we booked our wedding, they were taking reservations but the building hadn’t been constructed,” she explains. “We saw the artist’s rendering, and the location, and it looked fantastic. We decided to take a chance. Over the summer, we went by periodically to see how things were progressing. It was cool to watch the barn take shape, and to know that we would be one of the first couples to have a wedding there.”
When completed, The Red Barn offered rustic elegance. A slate floor marked the entryway, while inside were hardwood floors, open beams crossing a vaulted ceiling, and massive stone fireplaces. In appreciation of traditional New England craftsmanship, no screws or nails were used in the barn’s construction, only authentic post and beam.
 Katy and John wanted their wedding to have a dash of old-fashioned glamour and opted for a 1940s theme. Although Katy’s dress was not vintage, it echoed the styles of the period, and her hair was rolled into soft waves, a sort of Rita Hayworth look. John and the groomsmen wore their hair in pompadours, and wore white spats with their black shoes. Their tuxes and vests were also classic black, with ivory ties for contrast.
Decor was kept to a minimum, because in Katy’s words “the building was so spectacular,” but lush bouquets of fall flowers adorned the tables, which were decked in ivory linens.
At the reception, guests dined on favorites such as prime rib and chicken piccata, accompanied by a vegan couscous. The cake was designed to resemble a stack of three leather books, with a chocolate fondant creating the book covers. The couple’s theme was “Today, Tomorrow, and Forever” and those words were etched into the “binding” of each book.
For mementos, guests received gifts that were meaningful to both the couple and Katy’s family. Katy’s father travels frequently to Asia, and her stepmother is from a village in the Philippines, so they selected handmade wooden boxes from that village. The boxes had brass plaques attached, engraved with “Today, Tomorrow, and Forever.” Inside the boxes were Jordan almonds and candy corn, in celebration of the fall season. The boxes were propped open at each place setting, with the place cards positioned inside.
After the ceremony, guests danced to Big Band sounds, as well as a mix of current music.
“Everything came together perfectly,” says Katy. “Our day was fun, nostalgic, and different. I wish I could have been a guest at my own wedding.”
 For Katy, the moment she and John said “I do” stands out as one she’ll remember forever. “In the days and hours leading up to the event, I felt like I was on a roller coaster,” she smiles. “You know how you can hear the cars going click, click, click as you ride up the incline? Finally, you hit the top, and whoosh! You’re off on this magic ride. That’s how I felt about my wedding—like things had been building and building, and finally here I was, actually getting married. I wanted to shout, ‘Wheee! Here we go!’”
She also recalls one last rendezvous with her girlfriends as a special memory. “Right after the receiving line a few of my closest friends sneaked outside with me to talk and have a private celebratory drink,” she says. “It was fun to have that time to ourselves. We laughed a lot and tried to absorb the fact that this was it, I was really married. It definitely marked a new chapter beginning in my life.”
Location: The Red Barn at the Links at Outlook, South Berwick, Maine
Wedding Gown: David’s Bridal, Appleton, Wisconsin
Florist: Joi Smith of Ambrosia Gardens, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Invitations: Michelle Rowan of Inventions, Dover, New Hampshire
DJ: Shawn Sanga, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Cake: Rogan’s Bakery, Exeter, New Hampshire
Caterer: The Red Barn
Wedding Favors: Rosemarie and Brenda Shepard, Katy’s stepmother and grandmother
Photographer: Jeremy Heflin Photography, Portsmouth,
New Hampshire
A Taste Wedding Portrait
Jenna & John Pelech | Wentworth by the Sea
October 7, 2007
Photographs by Robert Ortiz Photography
 The Wentworth by the Sea is one of New Hampshire’s last grand hotels. With white turrets rising above New Castle Harbor, it exudes classic elegance in every sweeping line. It was this connection to history and old-time New England that attracted Jenna and John Pelech.
“I wanted my wedding to be traditional,” she says. “I wanted that timeless elegance, and a place that captured the essence of New England. I didn’t want anything trendy or overdone. John and I also needed a place that could accommodate a large wedding—more than 200 guests—and the Wentworth is one of the few places that can do that.”
Both Jenna and John looked on their wedding as an opportunity to have a four-day celebration with family and friends, many of whom had come in from out of town. “We had so much fun during that time,” recalls Jenna. “It was overwhelming to have so many people I cared about around me, and for them to be there in my honor. I was very touched; I’ll never forget it.”
Jenna, her family, and the wedding party, took the trolley from their home to the church. As they rode through the streets of Portsmouth, the trolley driver played “Going to the Chapel,” which set a lighthearted mood. The trolley ride also gave Jenna and her dad some special time together. “It was nice to be able to chat with my dad before the ceremony,” she says. “We needed that moment.”
Jenna’s colors were classic white, red, and black. The bridesmaids wore black dresses and carried bouquets of tightly wrapped deep red roses with accents of light green hydrangeas, while Jenna carried a loose bouquet of calla lilies. The simple arrangement offset her dress, which was strapless with layers of ruching and a deep burgundy sash.
After the ceremony, guests adjourned to the Wentworth. Deep blue skies set off the hotel’s gleaming white facade and flags fluttered in the autumn breeze. Jenna and John posed for photos in front of a bank of chrysanthemums rich with fall colors, the hotel’s turrets rising behind them.
 The reception was held in the golden ballroom, glittering with crystal chandeliers and the tables crisp with white linens. The bouquets on the tables echoed those carried by the bridesmaids. Guests dined on an abundance of appetizers, including mini chicken and beef Wellingtons, brie and raspberry pillows, and Maine scallops wrapped in hickory-smoked bacon. A raspberry and champagne toast was served as the guests entered. Dinner was filet mignon, New England lobster tail, herb-crusted breast of chicken with wild mushroom sauce, and a vegan option of roasted vegetables.
The couple’s color theme carried through to the cake, which was four smooth tiers of white, with the couple’s initials intertwined in black at the top, black ribbons wrapped the base of each tier, and the cake was topped with a bouquet of wine red roses.
As a memento, guests received little bags of candy seashells as a reminder of their stay on the New Hampshire coast.
In a day filled with good spirits, the highlight may have been the entrances at the start of reception. “A friend of ours is an experienced sports announcer and he agreed to announce the families and key members of the wedding party,” laughs Jenna. “He made an event out of it, with special music and humorous commentary about each one. People really got into it and all the guests were practically in tears from laughing. By the time we entered, the whole place was on their feet clapping. It was an incredible moment, and just summed up how much we all enjoyed our wedding.”
Location: Wentworth by the Sea, New Castle, New Hampshire
Wedding Gown: Madeline’s Daughter, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Florist: Jardiniere Florist, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Invitations: Trends Gift Gallery, Exeter, New Hampshire
DJ: Jeff Erwin, Trashcan Lid Productions, Portsmouth, NH
Cake: Jacques, Suncook, New Hampshire
Caterers: Wentworth by the Sea
Photographer: Robert Ortiz Photography, Rochester, New Hampshire
Transportation: Seacoast Trolley, www.locallink.com/seacoasttrolley
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