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Joe Mikos

1.1.15

Kerry & Doug

June 21, 2014
Ceremony + Reception: The Allen Farm Sheep and Wool Company


More than a year before their wedding, Kerry Doherty and Doug Gatlin met with Kerry’s parents and wedding planner Patrie Grace on the pastures of The Allen Farm Sheep and Wool Company in Chilmark. It was so stormy a day, the Island ferries weren’t running. “The rain was whipping sideways. Even the sheep seemed to be huddling close to us,” recalls Kerry’s mother, Joan Doherty. But even with the rain, they knew the farm had the “romance and timeless beauty” they wanted.

The couple resides in New York City. Kerry works as a restaurant-concept leader and Doug is a managing underwriter at an insurance company. They met through mutual friends when they were students at Elon University in North Carolina. Kerry has vacationed at her family’s home in Edgartown all of her life and wanted to share her love of the Island with Doug. It quickly became their favorite place to go. To help plan their four-day wedding weekend, Kerry says they relied on the talents of various vendors who “know the Island inside and out.”

The merriment began with a welcome party on Thursday evening that featured an Italian-inspired menu and a performance by the collegiate a cappella group, The Vineyard Sound. The next day, the groomsmen played a round of golf and the bridesmaids enjoyed an intimate pre-rehearsal brunch.

After the rehearsal, photographs of the wedding party were taken on the bridge and jetty that were featured in Jaws. All of the guests were invited to the rehearsal party. The evening included lawn games, a raw bar and a lobster dinner, and plenty of dancing!

To help infuse the celebration with an aura of timeless beauty, touches of gold and lace embellished everything from the invitations and the wedding dress to the place settings and furniture. Flowers such as peonies, hydrangea, and David Austin roses in ivory, white, and pale and hot pink were resplendent standouts in the décor. Adding an old-fashioned touch, Kerry says, were the “pictures of previous generations of our families’ weddings” that were displayed throughout the cocktail-hour reception area.

The cocktail hour featured Sea Glass Splash, the couple’s specialty cocktail of blueberry vodka and pink lemonade. Guests were given gift bags filled with all things Vineyard, including a variety of State Road chocolate bars, New Lane Sundries jellies, and an itinerary map that was hand drawn by Kerry’s brother-in-law, Paul Portell. In lieu of wedding favors, Kerry and Doug made a donation to Camp Jabberwocky, a summer camp for people with disabilities that has been operating on the Island since 1953. “It is a special place,” Kerry’s mother says. Kerry and her family sometimes attend plays at the camp and often enjoy beach time at Joseph Sylvia State Beach when campers and counselors are there too.

Highlights of the reception were when Kerry and Doug got on stage to sing “Shout” with the band, and when they danced to their first song, Diamond Rio’s “Beautiful Mess.” Festivities continued late into the night, with an after party at The Boathouse Restaurant in Edgartown. “The whole wedding was so memorable!” Kerry enthuses. With gorgeous weather enhancing the pastoral setting and thoughtful details, the celebration had all the romance they had hoped for.

Details

Photographer: Joe Mikos
Welcome Party: Alchemy
Welcome Party Music: The Vineyard Sound
Bridesmaid’s Brunch: Lucky Hank’s Restaurant & Café
Groomsmen’s Golf: Vineyard Golf Club
Rehearsal: Lola’s
Rehearsal Music: Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish
Wedding Planner: With Grace
Caterer: V. Jaime Hamlin and Sons Catering & Party Design
Cake: Val Cakes
Flowers: Flowers on the Vineyard by Louise Sweet
Music: The Sultans
After Party: The Boathouse Restaurant
Groomsmen Gifts: Vineyard Golf Shirts