We loved hosting Stephanie & Sam’s wedding at The Gardens at Uncanoonuc Mountain. Such a great couple! They mention in this month’s blog post that the Stroll Garden was their favorite place to take photos in.
The Stroll Garden — like all gardens — is ever-evolving. The decades since we began building it into the raw hillside forty years ago have given it a certain gravitas through. Trees have grown from mere saplings into magnificent specimens. Carefully set rocks have lichen, and in shadier areas, moss coverings that deepen the perception that they have been here forever. Pathways wind through the trees and shrubs creating different garden rooms that flow from one into another seamlessly, each area distinct yet part of the whole.
~ Nettie, Owner
Where are you from?
Steph is from Massachusetts and Sam is from Indiana. We currently live in Boston, MA.
How did you meet?
We met in graduate school at the University of North Caroline at Chapel Hill on a beach trip with a few mutual friends. We bonded through our love of tacos, beer, and the ocean and started dating soon after.
How long have you been together?
We’ve been together for about 5 and a half years (and married for 3 months)!
Tell us your engagement story!
In October 2020, Sam planned a trip to the beach and picked out the perfect campground right on the ocean. We went out to the dunes with a baseball and gloves an d played catch until the sun started to set. Sam started talking about all the great things to come and brought out… a baseball. Inside was a ring made by Steph’s grandfather. It was a definite yes! We stargazed that night and watched the sunrise over the water the next morning (with a middle of the night tent collapse in between).
What is one of your favorite things to do as a couple?
We love hiking with our dog! Usually followed by a brewery trip and BBQ.
What made you fall in love with The Gardens and choose it for your wedding day?
There was so much we loved about it! Having an outdoor venue was important to us and wanted to bridge being in the mountains with an easily accessible location for out-of-town friends and family. The Gardens definitely checked those boxes, but the moment we knew it was our venue was learning we could have our ceremony in the Woodland Garden. It was so easy to visualize getting married under the trees. As we got more into the planning stage, we loved that we could have cornhole boards and the bonfire too!
What was your favorite place to take photos around The Gardens?
Definitely the Stroll Garden. We fell in love with it when we toured it. It felt so intimate and was the location for our first look.
What was the best part of your wedding day?
All of it? If we have to chose, the ceremony was really special. We included family members throughout it and wrote our own vows. Coupled with the Woodland Garden setting, it felt really intimate and personal.
"Throughout this journey of life we meet many people along the way. Each one has a purpose in our life. No one we meet is ever a coincidence."