At first the Vineyard was Will Eger’s. Though his family moved around a lot, they always returned to the Vineyard in the summer. It’s as close as he has to a childhood home.
He met Maren Shapiro at a party hosted in her college dorm, and couldn’t wait to share the Island with her. On their first trip, a couple months into dating, they drove past Allen Farm. “That’s where I’m going to get married,” Will said. As Maren put it: you don’t mess with a ten-year-old boy’s dream wedding.
They planned their wedding from Boston, where Maren is an OB/GYN resident and Will is strategic projects manager for Boston Public Schools, and worked to include as many personal details and DIY elements as possible. Their rehearsal dinner would be held at the Chilmark Community Center, where Will was a camp counselor. A post-wedding Sunday brunch would take place at his family’s West Tisbury home.
With the help of family and friends, Maren finished a lot of the DIY elements off-Island and packed them into three cars that made the trip on the ferry. However, some elements had to be completed the morning of the wedding. Maren wanted custom doughnuts made by her friend Tess Wood. So she brought a deep fryer to Allen Farm and Tess whipped up a batch of personalized doughnuts. Will’s were the colors of the San Francisco Giants. Maren’s had Kahlua frosting sprinkled with ground Chilmark Coffee beans. A third type, dubbed “Happy Couple," were topped with Ferrero Rocher chocolates. Maren admitted they took Tess to Back Door Donuts for research purposes.
The wedding was simple and elegant, with the stunning backdrop of the Allen Farm and rustic details like hay bale couches. “There was a point when we were thinking about tablecloths, flowers, decorations, and we took a step back,” said Maren. “It’s so beautiful there. Let’s do plain white tablecloths. You have green grass and blue ocean in the background; we’ll just lighten it up with pink flowers.”
The key to planning a wedding when you’re new to the Vineyard is to hire an Island-based planner, have a backup plan in case of incliment weather, and bring your own personal details, Maren said. At the end of the celebration, you'll end up with a new husband and a new special place.
“I feel like I know the Island a lot better now,” she said. “It’s somewhere that is ours instead of just his.”
DETAILS
Date: June 4, 2016
Ceremony + Reception: Allen Farm Sheep and Wool Company
Wedding Planner: With Grace
Photographer: Tim Correira
Caterer: Local Smoke
Cake + Dessert: Val Cakes + Bad Doughnut
Music: Eric Johnson + The Joanne Cassidy Band
Flowers: Island Ambiance
Transportation: MV Tours and Transport
Tent + Party Supplies: Big Sky Tent and Party Rentals
Hair + Makeup: Gregory Wild + Kimberly Richard
Libations: Your Market
Guest Accommodations: Harbor View Hotel
Rehearsal Dinner: Chilmark Community Center
Rehearsal Caterer: V. Jaime Hamlin and Sons Catering & Party Design
Honeymoon: Hawaii
