Sometimes there’s just no place like home. That’s the conclusion Anna Gallegos and Alexander Uman came to when they selected his family home in Chilmark for their September 2023 wedding.

The couple’s garden party for seventy guests took place after two years of participating in four other weddings. Their own nineteen-month-long engagement amidst that time gave them plenty of opportunities to take notes.

With help from Alex’s mother – who served as wedding planner and officiant – Anna and Alex embarked on a DIY wedding reflecting their college courtship, interests that hold them together, and hopes for the future.

Anna recalled that feeding their guests delicious food all weekend was a priority because friends and family were traveling to the Vineyard from Colorado, North Carolina, New Jersey, Georgia, and even England. With the help of Shane Tank, of Premier Chef Services, they had a clambake with local lobster, steak, and clams for the reception. For brunch on Sunday, they paired fresh cheeses from The Grey Barn & Farm in Chilmark with bagels from a family-favored store in Connecticut.

Any couple holding an outdoor wedding pays close attention to weather forecasts. Anna and Alex had special cause for concern: category 1 Hurricane Margot was headed for the Island. That’s when Emily Thomas at Tilton Tents and Party Rentals stepped in, advising them to put the tent up on Thursday – before the wind started. That early construction provided some peace of mind. The storm, thankfully, changed course and its only inconvenience was a delayed start time to the ceremony and some soggy ground for games of tetherball and cornhole in the backyard during the reception.

Thomas also brought delight to the garden party theme by finding appropriate place settings. “We chose pastel plates that weren’t all the same,” said Anna. “Because they were vintage, [Thomas] only had a certain number of them. We had picked a second option, but she acquired more for us because we liked them a lot. I don’t know how she did it!”

This summer, Anna and Alex will return to the Island for the first time since their special day. They look forward to inviting back friends who attended the wedding and discovered more to Martha’s Vineyard than just the beach.

“We’re going to be carrying on that torch that my parents had of bringing their friends up to the Vineyard during summers when I was a kid,” Alex proclaimed. “It’s kind of a new era for us.”

Details

Wedding Date: September 16, 2023
Ceremony + Reception: Private Home
Photographer: Jessica K. Feiden
Day-of Coordinator: Island Dreams Event Design
Flowers: Morning Glory Flowers
Tent + Party Supplies: Tilton Tents and Party Rentals
Caterer: Premier Chef Services
Hair + Makeup: Sea Spa Salon
Music: Mike Benjamin & The Keepers
Favors: Hayley Cakes & Cookies + Martha’s Vineyard Sea Salt + Salt Rock Chocolate Co.
Photo Bus: MV PhotoBus
Rehearsal Dinner + Welcome Party: The Barn Bowl & Bistro