Vermont wedding: The reception

My lovelies, this week, we saw Gemma and Andy's lakefront rehearsal dinner and outdoor ceremony, and now here's their reception!

Bridesmaid Su Barber built long flower boxes for the tables, and Gemma's sister arranged the flowers, which were a mix of dahlias, wild blueberry stems, Queen Ann's lace and pink roses. The tables were set with muslin tablecloths and vintage brass candlesticks, and guests received keychain flashlights, so they could make their way around the lanterned grounds that night.

Vermont baker Lisa Bigelow made the lemon buttercream cake with fondant frosting and a raspberry filling. (Don't you love the leaves?) "We also served fresh blueberries that our wedding party had picked from the bushes outside," says Gemma, "and we had a five-pound block of Callebaut chocolate, broken up so guests could nibble."

A few brave souls camped in the woods that night. "It was really chilly for August!" Gemma says.

The coolest part? Andy created a whiskey bar in the woods! He wood-burned a sign and put out old china teacups and brown growlers full of various whiskeys. There was a rinsing station for the cups, and old blues music played from a little tape deck.