Our good friends Karen and Jimbo have spent a lot of time in the Mad River Valley over the years, vacationing at the Mad River Lodge with their family and friends. So the Lodge was the perfect place for the wedding of their son Dylan and his bride, Iris.
There had been several days of rain, so the glorious blue skies and sunshine on the wedding day were like a gift. As elegantly attired guests began to gather on the lawn, the afternoon sun filtered through the autumn leaves and bathed the scene in a golden glow. The setting could not have been more perfect!
The wedding ceremony was simple and intimate. The Maid of Honor officiated, and after her heartfelt (and very eloquent) remarks, I felt I knew the bride and groom better. As Iris and Dylan said the vows they had written, their love and joy were amplified by the emotions of the friends and family assembled. (At the request of the bride and groom, all guests had put away our cameras during the ceremony. I think all weddings should be like this!)
After the ceremony, we moved to the nearby pavilion for cocktails and dinner. There were affectionate (and funny) speeches from both sets of parents and from the bride and groom.
And then, there was dancing! Dylan and Iris had met at Princeton, and the band, Pennsylvania-based Go Go Gadjet, was one they knew well from parties on campus. They did a “Power Hour” - a medley of 30 songs in 30 minutes - twice! We never stopped dancing! (Dancing also kept us warm; it was a chilly evening.)
After the band’s second set, we took the shuttle back to our hotel, tired and happy. I felt very grateful that we had been able to share Dylan and Iris’s special day, sorry that all three weddings were now behind us, and a little relieved that we could put away the formalwear.
