Madeline Grunewald and Brendan MacDevette wanted their wedding to have a natural, go-with-the-flow vibe. They also didn’t want to wait to be married. After getting engaged, the couple planned their wedding in just eleven weeks. “We were just so ready to be married and to celebrate our love,” Madeline said.
The couple, who live in Brooklyn and met in church on Easter Sunday, opted for an early-morning ceremony at the Vanderhoop Homestead in Aquinnah. Following the intimate vow exchange, guests made their way to the Outermost Inn for a brunch reception. Madeline and Brendan are avid breakfast lovers, and they worked with the chef at the Outermost to put together a special menu that included the couple’s Island favorites, such as Mermaid Farm yogurt, Orange Peel Bakery granola, and apple fritters from Back Door Donuts.
Afterward, they took their guests on an Island bus tour, then picked up two Liz Lemon sandwiches from 7a Foods in West Tisbury and flew to Costa Rica for their honeymoon. It was important they give their guests the “gift of allowing people to experience the Island,” said Brendan. “It’s hard to communicate, so you have to just experience it on some level.”
Gratitude plays a significant role in Madeline and Brendan’s partnership. The pair own a stationery business, Thankful + Co. Inc., that donates 90 percent of its earnings to nonprofit organizations. “Thankful for you” totes were created as gift bags for their guests, and they hope to always “inspire gratitude and give it back as much as possible.”
Their family and friends returned the favor. Brendan’s cousin, Suzanne Birnbaum, a wedding planner from New York, provided crucial guidance. Friend Zachary Graves-Miller catered their rehearsal dinner at the groom’s family home in Katama using local, seasonally available ingredients. Island coordinator Jacalyn Kane of My Vineyard Elopement and My Vineyard Concierge helped them pull the details together.
In the end, Madeline and Brendan found that eleven weeks was plenty of time to plan a wedding. They also found that a morning ceremony left them more time to enjoy themselves. If you get married early in the morning, said Madeline, “you have the rest of the day to spend your lives together.”
Details
Wedding Date: June 1, 2019
Ceremony: The Vanderhoop Homestead
Reception: Outermost Inn
Photographer: Elizabeth Cecil
Wedding Planner: My Vineyard Concierge + Suzanne Birnbaum
Videographer: Mason Wilkes
Food: Outermost Inn + Back Door Donuts + Orange Peel Bakery + Chilmark Coffee Co. Mobile Café + Mermaid Farm
Cake: Scottish Bakehouse
Ceremony Music: Music with Heart
Flowers: Morrice Florist
Hair + Makeup: My Darling Ivy + Nicoleta Trandafir
Guest Gift Bags: Custom totes + holiday ornaments + Chilmark Chocolates + Vineyard Gazette issue + Black Dog stickers
Their Best Advice: “A morning wedding on the Island works really well. Great light for photography, and who doesn’t love breakfast?”
