Year: 2021

Downsized nuptials

Elopements and micro weddings are the next big, er, small thing

Dreams of elaborate weddings with hundreds of guests were dashed for many brides and grooms in 2020. As the pandemic took hold, social distancing restrictions made large gatherings impossible. And while some couples postponed their vows altogether, others reined in their plans and slashed their guest lists, opting for either an elopement, with no guests, or what has become known as a micro wedding, which usually includes about 15 people or fewer.

“Micro weddings definitely became a lot more popular [during the pandemic],” said Lauren Ingle, a wedding planner based in Manchester who ended up planning more than three dozen elopements and micro weddings last year and has 12 booked so far in 2021. “It’s definitely … the new norm at this point.”

“When Covid hit, a lot of people realized they didn’t want to postpone their wedding,” said Tatiana Cicuto, a justice of the peace and co-owner of Top of the Ridge Farm in New Durham, which just opened last spring and has since hosted several micro weddings and elopements. “Some decided, let’s get married now and have a [bigger] celebration later.”

For every wedding that was downsized that Ingle and Cicuto were part of, the end result was overwhelmingly positive.

“In my experience so far, [all of the couples] have been very happy to have something small and private,” Cicuto said.

“All of my micro weddings have been just as special and beautiful,” Ingle said. “Honestly, they seem even more intimate and beautiful.”

Elopement vs. micro wedding

“I think a lot of people have different ideas of what a micro wedding is,” Cicuto said.

To her, an elopement is two people and an officiant, and a micro wedding is, well, small.

“What that small means, the number, is really subject to interpretation,” she said.

She thinks of micro weddings as 10 or 15 people, though some venues in New Hampshire that offer micro weddings will include up to 25 people.

Ingle, who offers packages that range from elopement to extravagant, agrees that an elopement is typically just the couple and the officiant.

“It’s usually just exchanging of the vows and then the couple goes out for dinner, or goes up to a cabin up north [for the night],” Ingle said.

She said elopements can include elements like bouquets, a photographer, an arbor and Champagne so it “feels like something more than just going to town hall.”

Micro weddings, on the other hand, include almost all of the elements of a larger wedding but on a smaller scale — think sweetheart cake rather than a four-tier cake, appetizers rather than a four-course meal, and an amp that plays preloaded music rather than a live band.

Micro details

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to micro wedding details, though — if the couple still wants a live band or a four-course meal for their small group, that can be arranged.

Cicuto likes to work closely with couples so their micro weddings are exactly what they want them to be.

“This couple who got engaged, they decided to get married three weeks later,” she said. “They came to us and said, ‘We know it’s crazy, but can we get married [in three weeks]?’ … They wanted it outside on a Tuesday in July. … We said, ‘Yes, of course we can get it done!’”

Cicuto said the couple was very flexible and understood that in three weeks they couldn’t get, say, blue tulips in the middle of July. She worked with them to plan their music and their flowers and set up vignettes around the property, like an antique tub filled with ice and drinks. The couple brought in their own caterer and photographer.

“It was a very collaborative approach,” Cicuto said. “There were some things they chose not to have … but otherwise it was a normal wedding. It wasn’t missing anything critical.”

Likewise, Ingle created exactly the wedding that Rachel and Steele Hudson wanted (that’s according to the bride herself — see her wedding story on p. 22), even though they had to downsize from a 100+-person wedding in Jackson to a micro wedding with 12 people.

“She ended up not getting many deposits back from some vendors, so it had to be pretty small and affordable,” Ingle said.

Ingle was able to take the elements of the Hudsons’ original wedding and scale it down.

“It was the most magical day,” Ingle said.

Less stress, less money

One of the benefits of a micro wedding (or an elopement, for that matter) is that it’s usually a lot easier to plan than a large wedding — for the couple who wanted to get married in three weeks, anything bigger than a micro wedding would have been next to impossible for Cicuto to plan in that amount of time.

Cicuto herself enjoyed a stress-free micro wedding last month, marrying Gino in December at their B&B with just an officiant and their two kids, who were holding up phones so friends and family around the world could watch.

“We had been together for such a long time, and my now husband said, ‘You know, 2020 has been such a crap year, let’s end it on a good note,’” Cicuto said.

They made sure the kids could come that Sunday and made a cake the day before.

Rachel Hudson wanted even less involvement in the planning of their micro wedding.

“She was sick of planning,” Ingle said. “She didn’t want to deal with the stress of re-planning a whole wedding.”

So Ingle and Hudson’s maid of honor took over and left her out of everything — including where the wedding was going to take place.

“She was actually blindfolded on her way up to the venue,” Ingle said. “She didn’t have to lift a finger.”

Aside from less planning, the day itself is less stressful too.

“It was seven minutes and done,” Cicuto said of her nuptials.

Hers may be an extreme example, but both Ingle and Cicuto have found that micro weddings have fewer high-blood-pressure moments.

“[The couple] can sit back and relax and enjoy their friends and family, as opposed to having to say hi to 150 people,” Ingle said. “[That] can be overwhelming. … With a smaller wedding, it’s just so laid back and relaxed.”

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of eloping or having a micro wedding is how much less expensive it is, mainly because you’re not providing food and entertainment for a huge group of guests, but also because the fancy, costly details are less important when you’re not trying to impress that huge group.

“A lot of couples have come to terms with the fact that some things are not needed,” Cicuto said.

Ingle said a lot of the couples she worked with were relieved once they transitioned to an elopement or a micro wedding.

“I’m saving so much money now, and I’m not having to invite all these people and plus ones that I’ve never met,” Ingle said. “Moving forward, I think these smaller weddings are going to be more popular.”

Wedding Packages

Large wedding
Average total cost: $30,000+
People: 50+
Usually includes:
-Venue
-Rentals
-Floral
-Band/DJ
-Photo & video
-Hair and makeup
-Wedding planner
-Officiant
-Transportation
-Lodging
-Catering
-Food & beverages
-Cake
-Attire
-Stationary

Micro wedding
Cost: $5,000-$12,000
People: Usually 15 to 25
Usually includes:
-Venue
-Rentals
-Food & beverages
-Floral
-Hair and makeup
-Music
-Photo
-Wedding planner
-Stationary
-Lodging
-Transportation
-Attire

Elopement package
Cost: $500-$1200
People: The couple only with officiant, no guests
Usually includes:
-Location
-Arbor
-Bridal bouquet(s) /
Boutonnière
-Dinner for two at a local restaurant
-Local lodging accommodations for the couple
-Champagne for 2

A 2020 wedding story

Rachel and Steele Hudson and their wedding party. Photo by Novae Film and Photo.

Rachel Hudson (formerly Prescott) shares her experience of being a bride in 2020. She and her husband, Steele, got married Dec. 18.
I had always wanted a winter elopement, just the two of us, and then … a big party with friends and family after the fact. He wanted a summertime wedding with as many people … as possible. We ended up compromising and decided on a big winter wedding [at the] Mountain View Grand Resort in Whitefield. … Then Covid hit.
Over the months more and more guests dropped out. … It got to the point where I started to dread the wedding. I had nightmares about an empty ballroom and an even more empty dance floor. … When we got down to about 25 guests — including the wedding party — we decided to cancel. The venue couldn’t lower the minimum guest count any further, [and] too many of our closest friends and family couldn’t be there. We were desperately holding on to the few shreds of the big fun wedding we wanted, and we knew no matter what happened we wouldn’t be able to save it. … We canceled it nine days before the wedding.
[A day later] my maid of honor contacted Lauren and frantically put together a plan to save the wedding, without my knowledge. Lauren … found a venue that was willing to take us in on such short notice and made sure it was somewhere that was similar to what I had originally wanted. She worked … with my maid of honor and my photographer/videographer, Grace from Novae Film & Photo, to create a surprise wedding from scratch in a week.
[Meanwhile], I was researching a sad courthouse wedding. I was eventually told that there was a rescue effort and that I should still plan on a wedding. My husband and I agreed to it on one condition: We wanted to be completely kept out of the loop. We had already spent so much time, effort [and] money … [on] our original wedding that we literally couldn’t bear to make another one. …
I was blindfolded and brought to the location. My maid of honor dropped off some decorations and Lauren took off decorating while I was blindly escorted to a room to get ready. … I had never seen the spot; we never had a rehearsal. The first time seeing the area, the aisle, everything, was during the actual wedding. It was surreal.
It was perfect, every detail. Everything was heartburstingly perfect. Lauren found the best ceremony spot I could ever hope for [I later found out it was Lakeview Inn in Wolfeboro] and decorated it exactly how I would have wanted. It was tucked into a wooded circle, surrounded by fresh snow-covered pine trees. … The arch was simple and rustic, decorated with evergreens, antlers and juniper berries. There were lanterns with real candles lining the aisle that wound through the woods. There were only 11 of us total, which ended up being better than expected — just our closest friends and family. The reception was inside the Inn, and it was decorated like a big family dinner on Christmas, with a large single-family table and intimate lighting. We all enjoyed ourselves immensely. The Inn is family-run and they cooked for us and served us, their dogs and cats coming in and out for some pets and scratches. It felt so warm and cozy, fireplace going, wine pouring and conversation that you could actually hear and participate in.
It was better than anything I could have hoped or planned myself. Instead of compromising and making cuts and downgrading a big wedding repeatedly, they created a new micro wedding that wasn’t desperately trying to be something it wasn’t. … Being able to sit back and not plan or worry about the wedding took so much of a weight off my shoulders. … My husband and I will have a big party in a year or two so we can throw on the fancy clothes again, have a dance party like we wanted and invite everyone who missed out, but there is honestly nothing I regret about my mini wedding.
My dream wedding was a small winter wedding elopement; I was lucky enough to get that. My husband’s dream was a big summer wedding party, and now we get to plan that too. We both get to have the elements of our weddings that we wanted without having to sacrifice anything.

Featured Photo: A previous Winter Fest in downtown Concord. Photo by Steven Lipofsky.

Kiddie Pool 21/01/28

Family fun for the weekend

Hike by the light of the moon

Beaver Brook (117 Ridge Road in Hollis; 465-7787, beaverbrook.org) has hikes on the schedule this weekend. On Friday, Jan. 29, it’s a Full Moon Hike, which starts at 6:30 p.m. Definitely take the advice to dress in layers; admission costs $15 per person. Recommended for ages 12 and up. Beaver Brook also has kid-focused events during weekdays. See their website for information on multi-week programs, including the Kids Fitness Hiking Club, homeschool programs and events for the pre-K crowd.

More wildlife

The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (23 Science Center Road in Holderness; 968-7194, nhnature.org) has Wild Winter Walks on the schedule for the next few weekends. This weekend, the walks take place Sunday, Jan. 31, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The walks (recommended for ages 6 and up) offer an outdoor look at the center’s animals during the winter. The cost is $10 per person; register online.

Putting on a virtual show

Kids with theatrical dreams might want to check out the Palace Teen Company’s “Take Over Show,” with the teens performing their “Broadway dream roles,” according to palacetheatre.org, where you can buy a $15 ticket to this virtual show, happening Friday, Jan. 29, at 7 p.m.

Crafting and bouncing

Cowabunga’s (725 Huse Road in Manchester; mycowabungas.com, 935-9659) is offering a String Art & Bouncing activity on Friday, Jan. 29, at 6 p.m. The craft is a string-art heart (materials will be provided) and kids will have a chance to bounce while waiting for part of the craft to dry. Tickets cost $15; see the website to reserve a spot.

Treasure Hunt 21/01/28

Dear Donna,

I have an assortment of older comics. They are not in the best condition, but I thought you might be able to provide advice as to a value, if any.

Karl

Dear Karl,

I have to start off by saying that comics is a very specific field, and even if I can give you my thoughts on them, you should do more research and or see someone who deals in them.

My experience with comics is that the closer they are to mint condition, the higher the value. Most are in very used condition from reading, so to find mint ones makes the value on some soar.

Collectors look for older ones, limited ones and specific issues. You can’t really group your comics without checking on each one individually. One rare comic can be worth more than $1,000 in mint condition. In poor condition the same one could be worth $50. That’s still a value that could add up with an assortment of them.

Common older comics can still have values from $5 and up, even in used condition. There is a specific scale used to judge the condition of them. This is why I suggest you do further research before assuming you just have a lot of used comics. Even if they are only in the $5 range each, it still adds up!

If you need help in doing research I could refer you to a person who could help you in this field. Drop me an email and I will put you in touch.

Say no to pesticides

Why growing — and eating — organic is important

I’ve been growing vegetables organically all my life. I use no chemical fertilizers or pesticides. I don’t often think about the reasons I do so, any more than I think about breathing — it’s just something I do.

I recently picked up a book written by Maria Rodale called The Organic Manifesto: How Organic Farming Can Heal Our Planet, Feed the World, and Keep Us Safe (Rodale Press, 2010) and it reminded me why I do so. I’d like to share some of the important points with you here.

In the introduction Eric Schlosser (author of the fabulous book Fast Food Nation) presented some stark facts: American farmers use 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides each year — four pounds for every man, woman and child. Some of these pesticides — the organophosphates — were first developed in Germany in WWII as chemical weapons. The federal government does not require reporting of usage, and testing is done by manufacturers, not the EPA or USDA. Most food has some pesticide residue — except for organic foods, which shouldn’t have any.

One of Maria Rodale’s reasons for eating only organic food might surprise you: It has to do with climate change. Soils treated with chemicals, including fertilizers, do not have robust populations of microorganisms. Organic soils do. Key among these living beings are the mycorrhizal fungi that coat the roots of plants in organically tended soils. These fungi sequester huge amounts of carbon, taking greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere and holding it in the soil. But they are virtually non-existent in soils treated with chemicals. Grow organically? Eat organically? You are helping the environment.

Secondly, irrigation water for commercial agriculture, particularly in the West, uses large quantities of water, depleting aquifers and polluting ground water. When I traveled through the Midwest in the early 2000’s I was amazed that supermarkets designated entire aisles to jugs of water — no one wanted to drink from their own wells. And there is a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico that is bigger than New Jersey caused by agricultural runoff of chemicals from conventional fields.

Children are particularly vulnerable to chemicals used in commercial farming. Rates of childhood cancers, asthma, diabetes, autism and other debilitating conditions continue to increase. Ms. Rodale attributes (with copious footnotes to scientific studies) many of these changes to the chemicals children consume. As she says, “Cheap food equals high health care costs.”

The “organic” label on food also means that no genetically modified organisms were used in producing your food. Back in 2010 when Rodale wrote the book, 91 percent of all soybeans and 95 percent of all corn produced in America was genetically modified to be tolerant of a weed killer called glyphosate, sold under the trade name Roundup.

There has been much controversy about Roundup, and whether it is harmful to humans. Ms. Rodale points out that Roundup cannot be washed off food: It has a surfactant that allows the chemical to penetrate the cell wall. And since corn and soy are used to manufacture many foods, from ice cream to baby food and ketchup, it is everywhere. The federal government does not consider Roundup a problem, though many scientists do.

Ms. Rodale never once, in this book, criticized conventional chemical farmers. Organic or conventional, she recognized their hard work and a desire to work their land and support their families. She recognizes that transitioning to organic farming takes time, money and education.

So what can you do? You may not be able to afford to buy nothing but organic food. But you probably can buy your meats from local farmers that do not use the feedlots of the Midwest that feed their cows and pigs antibiotics. And you can get eggs, as I do, from a local teenager who treats his hens well. (Thank you, Ian’s Eggs.)

For vegetables, you can probably grow some of what you require for vegetables in summer, or buy from a local farm stand. Many farmers are happy to tell you about how they grow their vegetables. The supplier of the local farm stand near me uses an approach called IPA or Integrated Pest Management. This method encourages farmers to use natural controls and to use pesticides only when a crop is threatened. They cultivate crops to root out weeds instead of spraying herbicides like Roundup.

But the bottom line is this: The more you grow organically, the better your soil will be. If you use only organic methods, you can avoid many chemicals in your food that might be present in grocery store foods.

I recognize that I cannot change the world with what I do. But I have learned to grow plenty of vegetables and to keep them for eating out-of-season. So think about a bigger vegetable garden this summer, and I will tell you about how to put food up for next winter when the time comes.

Featured Photo: Image courtesy of Henry Homeyer.

Icing things up

Winter Fest returns to downtown Concord

Winter fun is still on the schedule as The Hotel Concord and Intown Concord host their third annual Winter Fest on Friday, Jan. 29, and Saturday, Jan. 30, outside on the Statehouse lawn.

“The nature of the event — it being outdoors with people generally spread out — lent itself to having a safe version this year, so we thought it had some potential [to still take place],” said Jamie Simchik, a member of the Intown Concord board and Winter Fest committee and co-owner of The Hotel Concord. “Fortunately, Intown Concord and the city were interested and wanted to bring some activity back into downtown.”

The highlight of the event is its ice carvers, with ice carving demonstrations on Friday and a live ice carving competition on Saturday.

“People will be able to see the ice carvers in action as well as their final products,” Simchik said.

Five New England ice carvers — Eric Knoll, Dave Soha, Dennis Hickey, Michael Legassey and Alexander Bieniecki — will participate, which is the most Winter Fest has ever had.

“Many other ice carving competitions have decided not to move forward this year, which is unfortunate but kind of a blessing in disguise for us because as a result our ice carving competition got a lot more interest from ice carvers looking for an opportunity to compete,” Simchik said.

An award ceremony will close out the event on Saturday. The top four carvers will receive a one-night stay at The Hotel Concord, and the top three will additionally receive cash prizes — $100 for third place, $250 for second and $500 for first. After the event, Intown Concord will post a poll on its Facebook page, where members of the public can vote for their favorite carving to win the People’s Choice Award.

The sculptures will remain on display through at least Monday, Simchik said.

On both Friday and Saturday, Winter Fest will also feature games and activities like cornhole, warmup stations with s’mores and hot cocoa, music over a sound system and a Winter Shopping Stroll at downtown Concord’s restaurants and retail shops.

“It’s been rough, obviously, for the businesses affected by the pandemic, so helping them out is one of the goals for the event,” Simchik said. “Our vision is that we bring more people downtown in a safe fashion, and businesses take advantage of that.”

As for Covid safety precautions, mask-wearing and social distancing are required, and attendees are asked to register in advance, providing their contact information and the times they plan on being at the event.

“It allows us to get an idea of who is coming and who is there so that, if [a positive Covid case is reported], we can do contact tracing and notify people appropriately,” Simchik said.

Concord Winter Fest

Where: Downtown Concord. Winter Fest activities, the ice carving demonstration and the ice carving competition will be held at the Statehouse Lawn (107 N. Main St.). The Winter Shopping Stroll will include restaurants and retail shops on Main Street.

When: Friday, Jan. 29, from 3 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 30, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ice carving demonstrations will take place all day Friday, and the ice carving competition will take place on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with an awards ceremony at 4 p.m.

Cost: Free

Covid guidelines: Registration in advance is requested for contact-tracing purposes. Mask-wearing and social distancing as per state and city guidelines are mandatory.

More info: Visit intownconcord.org/index.php/winter-fest or call 226-2150. Registration for the event is through Eventbrite (search “3rd Annual Winter Fest & Ice Carving Competition”).

Featured Photo: A previous Winter Fest in downtown Concord. Photo by Steven Lipofsky.

The Art Roundup 21/01/28

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

Art by new NHAA member John Kessler, featured in “A New Day” exhibit. Courtesy photo.

• Call for actors: Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative, a new theater program at the Belknap Mill and the resident theater company of the Colonial Theater in Laconia, is holding auditions for two upcoming play festivals it’s producing in collaboration with the Community Players of Concord. The Zoom Play Festival will be held virtually on Friday, April 16, and the Rotary Park Play Festival will take place outdoors at Rotary Park in Laconia on Saturday, May 29, and Sunday, May 30. Both festivals will feature short original plays by New Hampshire playwrights. “With the pandemic continuing to affect theater productions around the country, we have decided to give people the opportunity to get back ‘on stage’ in as safe a manner as possible,” Powerhouse producer Bryan Halperin said in a press release. Auditions are by video submission, and roles are open to college-aged through senior citizen actors. The submission deadline is Monday, Feb. 1. Instructions for the video submissions can be found on the Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative Facebook page or by emailing [email protected].

• Art by new NHAA members: Catch the New Hampshire Art Association’s exhibit “A New Day,” before it’s gone on Sunday, Jan. 31. Viewable online, in the front windows at the NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) and at the gallery in person by appointment, the exhibit features work by 35 new NHAA members. “We are thrilled to welcome so many talented artists into NHAA and are happy to provide them opportunities to show and sell their work,” NHAA board president Renee Giffroy said in a press release. “The fresh perspectives they bring help everyone in our community continue to grow.” Among the featured artists are Carla Zwahlen, a landscape painter from Mont Vernon; John Kessler of Windham, an oil painter of landscapes and still life; and Howard Muscott, a nature photographer from Amherst. NHAA’s next jurying opportunity for new members is scheduled for March. “We look forward to having more local artists join us next year,” Giffroy said. Call 431-4230 and visit nhartassociation.org.

• Virtual author event: The Music Hall in Portsmouth presents a virtual event with award-winning author, podcast host and culture critic Rebecca Carroll on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m., as part of its Writers on a New England Stage series. Carroll will discuss her new memoir, Surviving the White Gaze, which chronicles her struggle to forge her identity as a Black woman in America after growing up in rural white New Hampshire. Carroll will be joined in conversation by Peter Biello, host of New Hampshire Public Radio’s All Things Considered and The Bookshelf, an ongoing segment featuring local and regional authors. An audience Q&A will follow the discussion. Tickets cost $5 for access to the event, which will be livestreamed on Crowdcast. Writers on a New England Stage will continue with author Diane Rehm, presenting her new book, When My Time Comes, on Tuesday, Feb. 23, and Nobel Prize winner and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman presenting his new book, Arguing with Zombies, on Tuesday, March 2. Visit themusichall.org or call 436-2400.

• Community exhibit: The Lane House Arts Center (380 Lafayette Road, Hampton) will have a community arts exhibit “Winter Blues,” on view in person from Friday, Jan. 29, through Saturday, Feb. 27. The exhibit features art in a wide range of media created by more than a dozen local artists. “Community art exhibits provide much-needed opportunities for area artists, while enabling us to invite a broader segment of the community into the gallery,” Karen Desrosiers, founder and curator of Lane House Arts Center, said in a press release. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment. Call 926-1111 or visit lanehousearts.com.

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!