Everly and Steve’s wedding at Peirce Farm at Witch Hill in Topsfield was definitely a long time coming! They originally planned an August 2020 wedding, which of course got sidetracked due to Covid. Thankfully they are roll-with-the-punches type people and still had a beautiful, safe, ceremony that August with their closest family and friends, in their backyard in southern NH. Their reception was held in November of 2021, with video playbacks of their ceremony and their first dance that day.

I am so glad I got to be a part of both days, and witness their love and commitment, sense of humor, and amazing dance moves!

I’ve asked them some questions about their story and their wedding day(s), and their answers are in italics throughout.

How did you meet your partner?

We met on match.com in 2015. It turns out we had gone to the same university years before and never met! We had our first date at the Eggroll Cafe in Lowell and had fun walking around our old UML campus.

What is one suggestion you have for other couples who are planning their weddings?

Don't get too attached to your plans - go with the flow and things may turn out even better than you could have imagined!

I have to say, that is especially true during these covid years when everything was turned upside down! So glad that Everly and Steve were able to have two amazing days that fit their vision & personalities.

Keep scrolling for more from this wedding at Peirce Hill, and then to their 2020 ceremony!

I arrived a bit early, and I’m so glad I did, because the florist and the wedding planners at Peirce Hill had already gotten the room all set up! What a treat, to open the big barn doors and walk into this. So magical! And I love to be able to get lots of detail shots before the guests arrive and start partying.

peirce farm wedding details inside the barn

Our original vision was for a rustic, colorful, and classic wedding with our extended family and friends. I wanted colorful, vibrant, seasonal flowers with ALL the colors. It was also important to me for all of the food at the wedding to be vegan. Peirce Farm was the perfect venue for what we wanted. Vinwood Catering was going to make an amazing vegan menu for us. We had everything booked well in advance and ready to go for August 2020, but our plans changed due to Covid restrictions.

November 2021 felt a lot more relaxed since we were already married and our ceremony and first dances had already happened the year before. All of our vendors came together to create the beautiful day that we had envisioned when we started planning everything back in 2019.

Let me just interject here to say how delicious the all vegan dinner created by Vinwood Catering was!

Since we had already done lots of formal photos also at the 2020 ceremony, we grabbed a few shots with this beautiful fall backdrop at Peirce Farm at Witch Hill before Everly and Steve happily joined their guests for the cocktail hour and all the festivities!

We loved that you were laid back, responsible, and so easy to work with. You were on top of all the details. We really felt taken care of. Also, we really appreciate your flexibility when our plans changed and we ended up having two weddings! We were hesitant about how to pose, but you totally helped us out and gave us clear directions every step of the way so we didn't feel too awkward!

peirce farm at witch hill wedding photos inside historic estate

We also got a few photos inside the historic estate that is there on the property at Peirce Farm. I loved the library the most!

fall wedding photos at peirce farm topsfield massachusetts

November is still a great time for a fall wedding in New England! It seems like more and more couples are embracing early to mid November, which is great - it’s a little less busy for us vendors (September and October tend to be packed), and you still have some foliage on the trees, and mild enough temps to get at least a few photos outside (of course it’s New England, so take that with a grain of salt, haha). And of course I am biased because my husband and I had a November wedding!

wedding photos around the farm at witch hill topsfield

Just a few more details - my first time shooting a wedding at Peirce Farm at Witch Hill, so, I was taking it all in!

barn wedding reception massachusetts peirce farm

We are both pretty reserved, so we were nervous about the ceremony and first dance. It worked out that our group of guests was smaller, so we were able to relax and enjoy the moment. And for the 2021 wedding, we were relieved to skip the ceremony and first dance and relive it by video instead. Both receptions were a bunch of fun and we were excited to dance the night away!

wedding reception candid photos at peirce farm witch hill

Steve and I loved watching the speeches! My dad and maid of honor gave amazing toasts that we will always remember. And Steve's sister and "best lady" recorded a very entertaining video for her speech since she was not able to attend in-person (she had just given birth to our niece 2 weeks before!).

topsfield massachusetts wedding photographer

maple syrup wedding favors, photo booth fun

fun dancing photos reception at peirce farm witch hill topsfield

We were blown away by how you captured the spirit of both events, and extremely grateful to have so many memories of both days skillfully captured with such detail. We loved seeing candids from our reception!

And, going back in time to 2020, here is Everly and Steve’s backyard wedding ceremony! I was so glad I was able to be a part of both days for this amazing couple!

bright orange, purple and pink wedding bouquet

August 2020 ended up being a more intimate gathering in our backyard. It all came together about a month or two before our wedding date, since we were so unsure of whether or not we would be able to go ahead with our original plans. We had a small ceremony with close family and friends and a small reception with masks and spread out tables. Sharon Curole did a wonderful job as our officiant, delivering a personalized ceremony that was just perfect for us. Devin at Fleur & Stitch made my vision come to life brilliantly with gorgeous, colorful bouquets and a stunning archway for the ceremony. And Jessica Martin helped the event run smoothly as our coordinator. The reception was a blast - Steve and I curated a playlist of our favorite songs and had a favorite restaurant, Bayberry Cafe, cater the event with delicious vegan food. Though it wasn't what we originally pictured, I wouldn't change anything, and it was a great reflection of us as a couple. Also, the weather was awesome - a cool and misty day in the middle of August!

Everly and Steve found me through Jeff and Shannon (above, whose wedding I photographed in 2017). I just had to grab a couple photos of these two for old times’ sake!

One of our favorite things about our backyard wedding is that our dog, Ben, was able to be included in the ceremony, which couldn't have happened if our wedding didn't take place at home, due to his age and mobility issues. It was especially meaningful since he had cancer that year and we did not know if he would make it to August 2020. (He's still with us as of Jan. 2022! I LOVE seeing the photos of him from the wedding.)