月別アーカイブ: 2015年6月

Anyone in the Sterling area during the last two weeks would have been able to see smoke from the Card Street fire rising into the sky.

At the same time, something less visible, but no less present, has been wafting through the air: love.

As the Card Street fire burned through more than 8,000 acres of land since it began June 15, it has unfortunately taken several structures down in its wake. One of those buildings was the home of Bob and Hope Hensler, who, after a 14-year engagement, were married at the Sterling Community Center on Sunday afternoon.

The couple lost everything in the fire that destroyed their home, including Hope’s wedding dress. Melissa Daugherty, vice president of the community center’s board, said the couple was there receiving counseling from an American Red Cross representative when the wedding plans fell into place.

“(The representative) came and whispered in my ear that Hope lost her wedding dress in the fire and we need to find her a dress,” Daugherty said. “And I said, ‘We need to do more than the dress, let’s give her a wedding.’”

From that moment on, Daugherty assumed the additional role of wedding planner, and donations in support of the couple began pouring in. Everything from the dress and wedding cake to the guest book and ring bearer pillow were donated by local businesses and members of the community. The couple’s honeymoon is being donated by Land’s End Resort in Homer.

For Daugherty, it was heartening to see the surge of support for Bob and Hope, a completely separate phenomenon from the continuous stream of support for those affected by the fire thus far.

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“I remember my wedding — you know, how special it was — and to give that to (Hope) after losing everything, I don’t know how to put it into words,” Daughtery said. “I’m so proud to be part of this community.”

Gary Hale is a retired fire marshal from Soldotna with 40 years of experience, including 28 years with Central Emergency Services. When he got a call last Monday and was asked to walk a stranger down the aisle, it took him only a day to decide to say yes.

“It was an unusual request, but I got to thinking about it. What an honor,” Hale said. “I met them for the first time just before the march.”

Daugherty and other volunteers transformed the community center into a quaint, fairytale-esque ceremony space, complete with twinkle lights, hard hats, boots and cupcakes decorated to look like flames. Signs and banners reading “From Ashes to Hope,” were scattered throughout the building, embodying the resilient spirit of the happy couple.

Firefighters were there in more than spirit — several members of the Washington Incident Management Team 3 were in attendance.

Max Konkright, public information officer for the team, said never in his career has he known of, let alone been invited to, a wedding held in the wake of a fire.

“To me that was mind blowing,” Konkright said. “Here we are doing what we consider doing our job, and then they invite us to their wedding and give us the front row for their ceremony.”

Konkright said the couple’s gesture is a reflection of the community as a whole, which has responded by supporting each other and the firefighters with water, baked goods and other forms of support. He said that while he has interacted with several welcoming communities through the course of his job, this one will be hard to beat.

“I don’t remember the last time I’ve had a community this supportive on a fire,” Konkright said. “This community went above and beyond. There’s no firefighter that’s going hungry on this fire, I guarantee it.”

Daugherty said inviting and honoring the firefighters with her wedding is just part of Hope’s giving character. That character was reflected in the number of people more than willing to help make the wedding a reality. Hope’s dress will even be auctioned off at the community center on August 15, and the money raised will be donated back to the center.

“There wasn’t one time where I asked someone to help out that there was a ‘no.’ That’s amazing,” Daugherty said. “And even more than just not a no, it was ‘yes, and what else can I do?’”

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Not content with being just one of the Big Four global fashion capitals alongside New York, London and Paris, Milan deftly manages to offer some of the most exciting and innovative cuisine to be found in Europe. Thoughts of Milan as an ‘industrial’ city, full of concrete buildings, which lack the more refined elegance of Rome or the wondrous scenery of Tuscany have been firmly left in the past, thanks in part to the arrival of World Expo 2015 and the Salone del Mobile design fair.

Milan Fashion Week is unquestionably one of the most important dates in the fashion calendar, with industry insiders from Anna Dello Russo to Daisy Lowe coming from around the world to grace the Front Row. Fashion week can be a rather daunting experience for the uninitiated, with the seemingly endless back-to-back shows, dinners and afterparties draining even the most energetic fashionista, especially in the almost 40°C heat Milan ever so kindly provides.

When it comes to traditional dining options the elite of media, fashion and society flock to the opulent Ristorante da Giacomo, designed by Renzo Mongiardino, who has been hailed as an exceptional twentieth century designer. We quickly decided on the Garganelli with little squids and mullet roe, spider crab salad in Veneziana style and Giacomo’s bomb. The quality of ingredients in all the dishes was clear to taste, with Giacomo’s bomb being an indulgent treat to finish off the lunch.

Although we reached our seats just after the restaurant opened its doors at 12:30pm, within a mere 15 minutes the well-heeled fellow diners had already packed most of the eatery. The sudden influx of customers was well received, as we were beginning to feel rather self-conscious with four waiters floating solely around our table. The atmosphere is the real reason why Giacomo appears to be so oversubscribed, particularly due to the eclectic decor.

Next on the itinerary was Mantra Raw Vegan, which describes itself as ‘the restaurant that does not cook anything’. I must admit to being somewhat apprehensive before visiting Mantra, as I had not been exposed to a great deal of vegan food previously, let alone raw vegan cuisine. The kelp noodles with pepper cream and chocolate brownie stuck out to us on the menu, with the next two dishes newly created by the chef showing an experimental streak.

Mantra’s skill is not to simply make good vegan dishes, but good food, full stop. While I personally enjoyed all four courses, my dining companion, who happens to be vegan, found some of the tastes to be a little too variety and busy for her palate. The unusual White Charcoal water filter, which is meant to naturally adsorb impurities from water and release vital minerals, is certainly an interesting talking point for the table.

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A mix of models, designers, bankers and socialites manage to muster enough energy to have late night rendezvouses at Just Cavalli Milano, which unlike many other designer branded night clubs always stays seasonal, with the decor being changed every season to ensure trends are followed exactingly. The location within the largest city park in Milan, Parco Sempione, gives Just Cavalli a distinctively exclusive and hidden away vibe.

For the morning after the night before Pavé, in the up and coming Porta Venezia area, provides much needed respite from the bustling city streets, with the homely and friendly feel it offers. This pastry and bakery shop has already been recognised as one of the 20 best bakeries in Italy by food and wine magazine Gambero Rosso and is currently looking for another location in Milan to expand into.

Fendi was a standout show with designer Silvia Fendi saying after the presentation that “these are just young, everyday basics, done in a more sophisticated way.” Models entered on a faux-wet granite runway, as Silvia placed synthetic and organic materials against one another, blurring the difference between the two. Although the pieces were minimalist in nature, the fabrics used betrayed the understated design. The Roman house turned potentially unglamorous looks into luxe items for the everyman inside consumers who pay far much more than everyday prices.

The commercially focused collection saw the addition of the “Bug” mascot to two bomber jackets, amidst the unstructured and boxy silhouettes on display. The craftsmanship took priority in the menswear pieces, with the oversized tees and sweatpants still appearing meticulously constructed.

Backstage saw Fendi family scion Delfina Delettrez and Leonetta Luciano mingle with Breaking Bad’s RJ Mitte, who also opened the Vivienne Westwood show, and Boyhood’s Ellar Coltrane, while discussing the latest collection.

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CHARLOTTE Hazell’s designs are the epitome of modern, country chic. Rustic tweeds sit with crisp cotton and cool linens in styles designed to turn heads.

And turning heads is just what the young designer has been doing since she leftYork College back in 2008,when her final-year collection featured in a competition at the Great Yorkshire Show, where she was a finalist in its Fashion Idol competition.

Since then, Charlotte has gone on to launch her own womenswear label, Charlotte Lucy, and been invited to preview her latest collection at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show in July.

Charlotte, of Norton on Derwent, is expecting her first child in October, and has been working flat out to get the capsule range ready in time for its unveiling at the Fashion Pavilion in the showground on July 14.

Turning against the tide of fast, disposable fashion, Charlotte believes clothes should last, and produces just one collection a year.

She says: “The collection is full of transitional pieces with dresses that you can wear in summer and winter. Although my coats are mainly for winter, with the British weather, you can often wear them all year round.”

Her designs are timeless, but often with a quirky twist. “My style is simple, clean-cut garments that are made to last and can stay in the wardrobe for years.”

Key pieces for 2015 are waxed, linen macs that look great with a dress or a chunky coat that is a statement in itself, she says.

Charlotte hand-makes all pieces to order. The collection will go live on the first day of the Great Yorkshire Show and customers can buy online. Charlotte aims to turn around all sales within two weeks.

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Peter and Margaret Gowing from Norwich fell in love at first sight when they were on a group outing in 1954.

The couple, who have five sons and three daughters, 15 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren, were engaged after five months of courtship.

They married on 11 June 1955 at Belvoir Street Chapel when Peter was 27 and Margaret had turned 21. Mr Gowing, 86, worked as a Millwright after leaving school at 14 and was responsible for servicing machinery in windmills across East Anglia for F. Flowerdew & Son.

He later went on to work as a mill engineer before retiring at the age of 75.

Before raising the couple’s children, Mrs Gowing, 81, worked at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital as an Almoner’s Clerk after studying at Underwood Secretarial College.

The couple started off married life in Lincoln Street but later moved to Park Lane in the late 1960s where they still live today.

When asked their secret for a long and happy marriage Margaret replied ‘give and take’ before Peter joked: “I call Margaret ‘she who must be obeyed’, you’ve got to have a sense of humour.”

The couple are still very active and only have a couple of days a week to themselves.

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Amongst many commitments Mrs Gowing is the deputy organist at Trunch Methodist Church in North Norfolk and helps out at a luncheon club every Monday.

Mr Gowing is the chairman of Cromer and Sheringham Brass Band and has played the cornet for over 60 years having also played for Dereham Band and Aylsham Band.

Mr Gowing continues to tend his allotment keeping the family in fruit and vegetables, he said: “It is our lifestyle that keeps us going.”

The couple have holidayed at Mundesley for over 40 years and continue to stay in their caravan in the village every week.

Mr Gowing said: “We love the peace and quiet of Mundesley, it has a lovely beach and we have made a lot of friends there.”

The couple celebrated 60 years together at an event on Saturday with over 60 family members.

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The point of fashion? This isn’t discussed nearly as frequently as it should be. It’s not as if those who invest most in fashion don’t have time to ponder, waiting, as they do endlessly for curtain-up at the shows, which are currently proliferating at a rate that ought to mean fashion is the most important concept on our planet.

Fashion is important, but why, and how? This was the nux of a conversation that began as Jonathan Anderson tentatively introduced some of the looks in his resort collection last night – and the small but engaged audience began to chip in.

“I feel a bit awkward sitting here delivering what sounds like a lecture,” observed Anderson, rubbing his nose sheepishly, as a model in gold ruffled boots swept past.

“Well, we’re in Cambridge, that’s what people pay for,” remarked one fashion writer.

More specifically, we were in Kettle’s Yard, home of the late Jim Ede, one time curator at The Tate, and a beady-eyed collector, champion and friend of young artists such as Ben Nicholson, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and Joan Miró, who once handed Ede one of this paintings (a ravishingly small blue composition that hangs in a study in Kettle’s Yard) as they sat in a restaurant

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During his life, Ede encouraged students at Cambridge to ring his doorbell, look at his collection of early 20th century paintings, 19th century china, ethnic jewellery and pebbles – and stay for tea. Those he trusted were loaned pictures to hang in their rooms.

When he donated the house – comprised of four cottages he’d bought for £12, saving them from demolition – to the university in 1966, he was extremely specific about how it should be kept: exactly as he left it. Although he experimented with the space and its contents while he lived there, constantly shifting paintings, bowls, sculptures and vases around , ensuring that was always something lovely to look at from every vantage point and eye-level, by the time he left Kettle’s Yard, he felt he’d arrived, more or less, at the perfect arrangement

To this day, there is always a fresh (ish) lemon in the pewter dish in front of a grey sea-scape, a visual echo of the yellow dot in the Miró nearby and the vase of yellow aquilegia opposite.

Ede was a man who saw beauty in everything, but especially in composition and arrangement. He would probably have been a magnificent visual merchandiser – a job that Anderson once tried.

Ede’s approach to art and to creating “a beautiful life” has clearly left an impression on Anderson. Clothes can never be art, says Anderson firmly, “because we’ve created a culture where they’re extremely disposable. But they can contribute to a beautiful life”.

Some would argue that art too has become disposable – and did. It was that kind of evening. Meanwhile, pale, nude-faced models drifted among the furniture and artefacts in some spectacular clothes.

Polka dots in every size became a game of contrasting scale as cotton drill was cut into moulded sheath tops and mis-matching tiered skirts. Gently fitted dresses with slightly raised waists came in prints that seemed partly inspired by William Morris, and partly by Bridget Riley. Denim was structured, stiff, cut into peek-a-boo corsets or trouser suits with wide legs, deep pockets and voluminous sleeves. And the asymmetric earrings added a sculptural geometry.

A small new clutch bag style prompted queries of the Is it a Bird, Is it a Plane variety? As a matter of fact, it had been inspired by the Jazz Age’s fascination for flight. “I like the way it could almost be a toy and you want to play with it,” observed Anderson, doing just that. Bags as playthings? Surely not.

The results of this collection may not have been as quietly contemplative as Ede’s soothing home (these are definitely look at me pieces, intriguingly futuristic and retro at the same time) but If Anderson was looking to create clothes that are the antithesis of disposable, then mission accomplished.
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Grown-ups are playing dress-up in a fashion trend called “Disneybounding,” which allows fans to display devotion without donning a Cinderella gown or a Buzz Lightyear spacesuit.

The styles shoot for subtle, yet colorful, salutes to Disney characters. A Disneybounder might wear a yellow skirt, blue top, red bow and apple pin as a quiet shout-out to Snow White or go all-green with a feathered fedora to represent Peter Pan.

“We actually did that on our honeymoon. We’re Disney fanatics,” said Elyssa Kivus, who went with the red-polka-dot motif of Minnie Mouse while her husband, John, went the more low-key Mickey Mouse route of red shorts, black shirt and yellow shoes.

“I really like meeting the character when you’re Disneybounding as that character,” said Kivus, 27. “Most of them pick up on it, and you get a little more interaction, which is nice.”

For a visit to the Magic Kingdom last year, Michael Rubino, 26, of Kissimmee, Fla., improvised and modernized a look for Sleeping Beauty’s beau. “I did kind of a Prince Phillip-but-dapper one, with a vest and my cardigan tied around my neck for the cape,” he said.

Kivus and Rubino both said a Tumblr site was early inspiration and the birthplace of Disneybounding activity.

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Disneybound was created by Leslie Kay three years ago, but she didn’t start it as a fashion statement. The site originally was to “channel our excitement” for a trip to Disney World, Kay said.

“I started creating these outfits that were based off of Disney characters, but what a Disney character might wear if they were a living person, like your average teenager or 20-year-old,” said Kay, 26. “I didn’t know it was going to become a trend, but it very quickly became a thing in the Disney world,” she said.

Her site now has suggested clothing options for dozens of Disney characters, including princesses, dwarfs, Remy (pink tennis shoes for toes), R2-D2, Dumbo and “Frozen” royals Anna and Elsa.

Although Kay doesn’t consider herself the fashion police, she said a “sweet spot” for Disneybounding falls somewhere between a character T-shirt and an elaborate costume.

“My rule is ‘Would I wear this to the mall?’ or ‘Would I wear this out to drinks with a friend?’ If I wouldn’t do that, it becomes more of a costume or a cosplay thing,” Kay said.

The look has expanded beyond characters and into Disney rides and attractions. Rubino said he has seen groups with dresses designed to emulate the teacups of the Mad Tea Party ride, and he’s mulling a sartorial salute to Maelstrom, the recently shuttered Epcot attraction, for a future event.

Kay, who works as a social-media coordinator out of Toronto, continues to receive requests, including one for designs related to the infamous theme-park snack, the giant turkey leg. She hasn’t worked that up yet.

“I don’t really know how to do a turkey leg,” she said. “It’s kind of head-to-toe brown with a turkey necklace?”

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Andreja Pejic & Jamie Chung Partner With Make Up For Ever, And It’s The Diverse Beauty Campaign We’ve Been Waiting For

We’ve recently seen some fantastic coverage of trans visibility thanks to the courageous Caitlyn Jenner. Now, we’re getting more fantastic trans representation in the beauty world. Make Up For Ever and Andreja Pejic, along with Jamie Chung, have teamed up on a new beauty campaign that is both brilliant and super fun! Plus, now the models even have their very own palettes. The brand’s combination of a role model like Pejic and relatable girl like Chung is perfect for the campaign that’s slogan is “Be Bold. Be Unexpected. Be You.”

Pejic made her triumphant return to the catwalk back in March and wow’ed crowds during London Fashion Week. Then, last month, the gorgeous model landed a Vogue editorial that made her the first trans model to ever be featured in the glossy. Basically, Pejic is having one hell of a year, and it’s only getting better.

She was the perfect person to represent a Make Up For Ever campaign dedicated to asking people to be true to themselves. Tonight at the launch event, we were able to speak with Pejic who told us how excited she was about the partnership. “I think I’m still taking it [the campaign] all in! I can’t even really put it into words. When I was little, I would dream about what it would be like to grow up and be a woman. I didn’t care if I was scrubbing toilets — if I was doing it as a woman, I’d be happy. I’m thankful to Make Up For Ever for taking this bold step.” While bold it may be, the step is also necessary in giving trans men and women more visibility in mainstream campaigns.

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With the recent coming out of Caitlyn Jenner, trans rights and visibility are at the forefront of everyone’s minds, including Pejic. She explained to us, “I think it’s definitely something we’re going to see a lot more of. It’s about recognizing that the world is a diverse place. There is no reason that the beauty industry should not reflect that. The more awareness there is and the more variety of stories that there are is very important. It shows that this is a very human experience.”

Pejic also talked to us about what makeup meant to her during her transition. She told us, “My relationship with makeup, like my transition, was a slow process. When I first discovered eyeliner… It was amazing. It made me feel so feminine. I have very strong features, but it’s fun to soften them up sometimes.”

Alongside Pejic, Make Up For Ever enlisted Jamie Chung, everyone’s perennial best friend, to help spread the news about the line’s new products. Chung is known not only for her acting, but also for her killer beauty advice. Plus, the brand’s inclusion of an Asian American actress adds much needed diversity to an industry that is nearly completely white. The gorgeous lady, like Pejic, was excited to be involved in the campaign despite being nervous at first. She explains, ”I was really nervous going into the meeting, but landing something like this for a company that I really believe in was kind of a dream come true…I was totally over the moon. I love [what it stands for] because everyone is so unique and so different.”

This isn’t the first time that Chung has celebrated Make Up For Ever. She told us, “It’s a brand I’ve been using for a long time professionally, since Samurai Girl. What I particularly love about the brand is how it’s so inclusive.”

The campaign features both Pejic and Chung getting seriously creative, fabulous looks from Make Up Forever’s pro consulting artist Melanie Inglessis. Some of the looks created for the stars are definitely more dramatic that your everyday work look, but Inglessis explained, “Have fun! Try a bold lip color or a colored eyeliner to start. Keep it to one strong feature and you really can’t go wrong.” The brand’s focus on staying true to yourself and inclusivity is clearly seen in their choice of spokespersons, and the choice of such amazing women was an inspired decision. We can’t wait to try each ladies’ palettes!

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“So much of our relationship has involved outdoor adventure that it was important to us to have the wedding reflect that,” says Sam Peterson.

Sam and Tania (Sherry) Peterson were married at Highbanks Metro Park on October 25, 2014. ”Many of our favorite memories together come from trips that we spent hiking, biking, or camping,” continues Tania. “We knew we wanted to have our ceremony outside. HighBanks was perfect because not only was it directly across the street from where we had our reception, but it had a beautiful private clearing called the Mansion Shelter that we were able to reserve just for our event.”

Many of their guests also spotted the bald eagles that live in the park, which Sam thought was a great extra.

Sam and Tania met by chance on Match.com.

“But in part only because Tania wanted a free smoothie,” says Sam. “She had just returned from four years in Peru in the Peace Corps and was living at home in Toledo. Her gym offered her a free smoothie if she referred three other people, but she hit the limit of people she knew in the area at two: her parents. Her brother suggested that she join Match.com to meet new people. Thankfully she messed it up somehow, because it showed her as living in Columbus; otherwise our paths may never have crossed. Conveniently, she was about to start grad school at OSU in the fall, so her time in Toledo was short lived.”

Many of their dates involved hiking and the outdoors, so Sam planned a perfect proposal at the cliffs at Conkle’s Hollow in Hocking Hills that would showcase the wonderful view. But sometimes, even the best laid plans are tough to execute.

“Well, Tania kind of ruined my first attempt [at proposing],” he says. “I had it all planned out. One day while hiking at Conkle’s Hollow, I suggested we stop and admire the view. Tania was having none of it. Despite my repeated attempts to get her to stop and sit down, she wouldn’t; she said we hadn’t been hiking long enough to take a break.”

“I feel a little bad to this day,” she says. “That spot happens to come towards the beginning of the hike, however, and when I get moving, I’m loathe to stop for anything. Sam pulled off at the viewpoint and tried several strategies to get me to sit down with him, but I insisted it was ridiculous to take a break so early in the hike and demanded that we resume hiking immediately. He eventually gave up, and our hike continued with me completely oblivious about his intentions.”

“We had to hike the trail a second time to get back to the spot I had picked out,” says Sam. “We stopped for lunch, and I proposed just before we ate. Tania was a little confused at first.”

“I was pretty surprised to get handed a ring, when all I’d expected was a bag of chips,” she says. The ring was a custom design Sam worked on with William Weidinger, incorporating two rubies for color, a small sparkly diamond, and a stone from Sam’s maternal grandmother’s wedding ring.

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For their reception, the couple was at first thinking of putting together a day at a park or a farm.

“After visiting several of those venues, however, we came to the realization that we just didn’t have the time to deal with all the logistics that would require,” says Tania. “Also, despite beginning our venue search more than a year before our desired wedding date, we were surprised to find that many places were booked solid.”

Her parents had always enjoyed their stay at the Northpointe Hotel and Conference Center, and the proximity to Highbanks was really nice.

“We resisted at first because we thought it might just be a generic event space, but when we finally went, we loved it,” says Tania. “The wedding coordinator we met with, Bryan Wright, was hilarious and competent, and totally “got it” that we didn’t want a traditional reception.”

The Edgewater Room at Northpointe has large picture windows that overlook a pond and let lots of natural light into the space. Being adjacent to a patio just outside was perfect for the cocktail hour.

Finding a wedding dress took a little time for Tania.

“I’ve never been one to dream about a big white dress, so I honestly had kind of a hard time figuring out what I wanted,” she says. “After a few failed attempts at David’s Bridal and some of the other bigger shops, I took a trip down to Cincinnati to the Reading Bridal District. I found “the dress” – an Eddy K – on a clearance rack at the back of one of the shops.”

Although still a bit above her price range, Tania’s aunt saw how happy that dress made her niece and offered to pay the difference.

“I’m so glad she did because I loved the dress!” says Tania. “The only alteration required was to have it shortened, and a family friend of Sam’s stepped in and did that for me for free.”

Sam found a dark gray Hugo Boss suit from Nordstrom, and loves that whenever he wear it, he’s reminded of his wedding day.

They asked their wedding party to choose outfits based on a couple of criteria: knee length navy dresses for the bridesmaids and gray suits for the groomsmen.

“I loved the result!” says Tania.

They did get to do some DIY with the flowers. The couple’s friend Ashley Arzy selected sunflowers, gerber a daisies, and spray roses to complement a theme of deep and bold fall colors, oranges, golds, and reds. The flowers were ordered and Ashely, and Tania, her mother, and sisters spent a nice evening together putting together the bouquets, centerpieces, and boutonnieres the night before the wedding.

“Tania loves cats, and unbeknownst to us, Tania’s mom and siblings managed to slip tiny plastic cats into each one of the centerpieces,” says Sam. The centerpieces were ceramic pieces that Sam made at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center.

“I’ve been taking ceramics classes for about six years,” he says. “Over the years, when other students have gotten married they’ve made wedding favors, or other ceramic pieces for their own weddings. I always thought that was a great idea.”

“Our guests loved them, and many people took them home as a keepsake from the wedding,” says Tania.

Guests also got to take home bags of sugared pecans made by Tania’s mother.

Sam and Tania also wanted to have a fun, community atmosphere at their wedding, and the food played a big part in creating that feeling.

“One of our early decisions was that we wanted to have a hog roast for the food at our wedding,” says Sam. “Family friends of mine back home used to throw a big hog roast party at the end of the summer. They’d roast the hog, and all the guests would bring a side dish to share. Tania went with me to one of the last ones and had a great time. We wanted to recreate that feeling of community for our wedding. We couldn’t do a potluck, but we could at least roast a pig.”

Northpointe put together a fabulous menu that included a hog roast (with pulled and sliced pork), house made bbq sauce, baked beans, sweet potato salad, grilled vegetables, vegetable lasagna, and salad with pecans and cranberries.

People came from all over to share in the couple’s love.

“The wedding gave Sam and me the opportunity to see friends and family that, in some cases, we hadn’t seen for years,” says Tania. “It meant seeing my sister who had been working on her PhD in Australia, my friends from Peace Corps, and Sam’s friends from as far back as elementary school. We skipped a lot of the typical wedding traditions, so it felt like a huge, laid-back reunion, complete with a roasted hog and strong cocktails.”

The couple took a quick getaway to Asheville, North Carolina for a few days after the wedding. Then this spring, they took a longer trip to Argentina.

“We went at the end of March and had a great time,” says Sam. “We went to Buenos Aires and we also spent a lot of time down in Patagonia. We went hiking, horseback riding, and spent one day trekking on a glacier.”

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