I think the last time I was at Zorvino Vineyards for a wedding was right about when they first opened! I can’t believe it, especially since it is practically next door to where I live (I might’ve visited once or twice for a wine tasting ;)). So, I was thrilled to be back there, and even more so for Chris and Leah’s gorgeous November wedding. I knew it would be so much fun with these two, especially after their engagement session - they are such a fun, laid-back couple (do I say that about all of my clients? Maybe because they are all awesome like that!).

Ceremony and Reception: Zorvino Vineyards, Sandown, NH

i’ve asked Leah some questions about the day, and her answers are throughout in italics.

How did you meet your partner/get engaged?

We met working at Canobie Lake Park in 2015. Chris worked on the grounds crew and gave me a flower one day and then we started dating later that summer. He enlisted in the Army the following year. When he was home on leave for Christmas in 2018, we went to a family friend’s party where they kept asking, “When are you going to put a ring on it?” Little did I know, he was already planning this out and later that day we went to Maudslay State Park where he proposed.

What were your goals for your wedding day?

I didn’t really have a lot of goals because I hadn’t been to many weddings myself so I wasn’t really sure what I liked/disliked, but Pinterest quickly helped with that! We knew we wanted a more rustic feel and a fall wedding. I think we were both pretty open-minded to most things, but the one thing we both cared most about was wanting a live band.

So many beautiful details of this Zorvino Vineyards wedding below!

bridal details dress hanging by window cabin

all the bridesmaids helping bride get her dress on

I love that everyone wanted to help Leah with her dress, including the adorable flower girl!

candid wedding photos funny flower girl looking at herself in the mirror

The day started pretty rough. The weather was not looking great as it was raining quite a bit and this was upsetting as I really hoped to have pictures outside. There was also the chance that my dad was not going to make it as he had been very ill all week up to that morning. Fortunately, both of these things worked out. The weather turned around and my dad was able to make it. I truly feel like the rest of the day went as smoothly as I could’ve hoped. There were very minor bumps but I am very grateful for how the day played out.

bride's' mom helping her put on jewelry before wedding

wedding at zorvino vineyards bridal suite getting ready photos

bride getting ready for wedding at zorvino vineyards

Everything felt very natural and unobtrusive, so much so that I forgot you were there at times! You made everyone feel so comfortable and relaxed, even the ones that don’t like their picture taken! I really appreciate that so many of the photos are very candid; nothing felt forced and I can see that in the photos. Looking at the photos puts me right back into the moment they happened and I absolutely love every one of them!

flower centerpieces at wedding - pink roses and white hydrangea

How did you choose your wedding venue?

We chose Zorvino for many reasons. We knew wanted to something more rustic and we liked the idea of a vineyard. We also liked that they seemed to make the planning process pretty easy as they already had their preferred vendors that they work with, so this took some of the pressure off us. They also have great reviews and I had heard positive things about them from family and friends.

wedding details at zorvino vineyards cupcake tower, fireplace with candles, welcome table

So many fun details to capture! Zorvino really is a gorgeous spot, and it was so cozy for this fall wedding. I love the wood beams, cafe lights, and grand fireplace, which they did a beautiful job of styling.

After a quick first look, we headed down to get some photos right in the vineyards!

fall wedding at zorvino vineyards in southern nh

posed photos of bride and groom outside in the vineyards at zorvino vineyards

I was mainly nervous about myself looking awkward or uncomfortable in photos because that’s how I normally am, but I didn’t feel that at all when working with you. It all felt very natural and relaxed.

wedding photos with alpacas at zorvino vineyards

wedding party posed photos of everyone laughing

bridal party walking photos blue and red attire

bride and her bridesmaids formal photos laughing red dresses

wedding bouquet with red pink and white, eucalyptus

posed photos at wedding zorvino vineyards

My second photographer, Mary, got some beautiful shots with a different angle, below!

bride and groom with vineyards in the background zorvino nh vineyard

My first reaction to the sneak peaks was pure joy and excitement and they left me wanting to see the rest of them. When the full album was ready, I was actually in a work training when I got the email, but I couldn’t help but take a peak anyways, and I’m glad I did because the feeling I got when looking at the pictures definitely made my training more bearable lol. They were truly beautiful and I could not have asked for anything different. Every time we get together with family or friends now they tell us how much they love the pictures and what an amazing job you did.

wedding photos in front of red barn at zorvino vineyards with fall details mums and pumpkins

fall wedding at zorvino vineyards sandown nh

reception details at wedding at zorvino with gold place settings

Wedding ceremony in front of fireplace at zorvino vineyards

zovino vineyards wedding ceremony inside

romantic candlelit wedding ceremony at vineyard

Prior to the ceremony I was feeling pretty nervous as I am not one to like being the center of attention. Once the ceremony was underway, I started to feel more at ease. I feel like our officiant did such a nice job of talking directly to us, so I tried to focus my attention on him and on Chris.

wedding ceremony zorvino first kiss from balcony

I don’t know if I really had a “most anticipated” moment, but I think the most special moments were the first looks (with my girls, my dad, and Chris), first kiss, first dance, and parent dances.

fall wedding at zorvino vineyards sunset

first dance at wedding ceremony zorvino vineyards

During the first dance I was also pretty nervous since I have no dancing skills whatsoever! We didn’t choreograph a special dance or practice at all, so we really just went for it. And again, I prefer to not be the center of attention so it was not the most comfortable position to be in, but I tried to just live in the moment and enjoy it. I definitely had the most fun during the party because at that point I felt like the pressure was off and I could just enjoy myself with my friends and family.

romantic late fall wedding details with fireplace, cafe lights, candles

Just can’t get enough of these romantic candlelit wedding details!

The two pieces of advice/words of wisdom given to me that meant the most were:

You cannot control everything and something will most likely go wrong, but don’t stress over it because your guests will probably not even notice.

Take a moment during the reception to just simply breathe and take it all in. Look around at who is there celebrating your special day with you and let yourself just enjoy that moment.