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Joe Mikos

1.1.13

Abigail & Jason

Ceremony and Reception: Captain R. Flanders House

By the time producer, actress, and playwright Abigail Rose Solomon met businessman Jason Teuscher in 2011, she already had a clear vision of what her wedding would look like. When they became engaged in Paris the following Thanksgiving, Abigail knew the event would be in Chilmark, knew that it would be on Memorial Day weekend, knew that her flowers would be blue and that a big band would play “In the Mood” for the presentation dance.

After more than twenty years of attending the weddings of friends and family and collecting business cards from the best wedding resources, Abigail had imagined her wedding almost down to the last detail. When she brought her ideas to Lynn Buckmaster-Irwin of Weddings on the Vineyard, the events planner was delighted. “Being a producer,” Lynn reasons, “[Abigail] was very focused on all the details.”

“It was huge finding Lynn,” Abigail says. “She and her team were completely organized. She was like my stage manager.”

For the resources Abigail hadn’t already pinned down, she conveyed her desires to Lynn. She wanted the best food. The pictures should have a certain energy. A clambake for the rehearsal dinner.

In collaboration with Lynn, the couple booked the Captain R. Flanders House, a Chilmark inn, for the Jewish ceremony and reception, with V. Jaime Hamlin catering the event. The clambake the night before at the Chilmark Community Center would be orchestrated by Fella Caters, and Tea Lane Caterers would provide the victuals for the day-after brunch at the Solomon family home in Chilmark. Joe Mikos was hired for the pictures. Island Ambiance would provide the flowers – blue for Abigail’s bouquet and the flower girls’ hair, white for the bridesmaids.

One off-Island resource presented a challenge, but Abigail overcame it with her producer’s tenacity. She wanted nothing less than the nine-piece big band the Bob Hardwick Sound Orchestra from New York, but bringing them onto the Island for Memorial Day weekend would be no easy feat.

Abigail says, “I love to waltz and I love to really dance and I love the classics. I wanted a big band.” Bob Hardwick and his band had been to the Vineyard before, so they knew the logistics. They agreed to drive up and Abigail and Lynn were able to find lodgings for them, as well as local support in the form of a baby grand piano and a sound system.

The couple danced to their favorite Glenn Miller tune, and Abigail recalls the band was so good there was no need to coax guests from their seats and onto the floor. “They just started dancing!” she says.

In essence, Abigail and Jason’s nuptials were a big-time success, largely due to the bride’s production chops and the choice of Lynn’s team as their backstage crew.

“When the bride has a specific vision – as she did,” Lynn concludes, “it’s great. It then becomes incumbent upon me to make sure that vision comes true.”

Details

Wedding Planner: Lynn Buckmaster-Irwin of Weddings on the Vineyard
Photographer: Joe Mikos
Rehearsal Dinner: Chilmark Community Center
Rehearsal Dinner Caterer: Fella Caters   
Celebrant: Rabbi Carol Davidson
Reception Caterer: V. Jaime Hamlin and Sons Catering & Party Design 
Brunch: Chilmark private property
Brunch Caterer: Tea Lane Caterers 
Cake: Cakes by Liz 
Libations: Our Market 
Flowers: Marlene DiStefano of Island Ambiance
Ceremony Music: Cellist and Violinist Stephen and Susan McGhee 
Rentals: Big Sky Tent and Party Rentals + Classy Comforts
Transportation: Martha’s Vineyard Sightseeing + Martha’s Vineyard Transport 
Video: Weddings MV 
Audio Coordination: Protek MV
Graphics: Tara Kenny of Illumination Design Group 
Bridal Party Gifts: The Black Dog 
Nails: Spa at Mansion House