Each summer, the West Tisbury Farmers’ Market transforms the grounds of the Agricultural Hall into a celebration of Island abundance overflowing with ibrant blooms, rustic baked goods, and freshly picked produce. For more than fifty years, it’s been a beloved tradition, drawing Vineyarders, summer residents, and visitors alike to savor the seasonal flavors and the warm, welcoming spirit of the community.
For Jamie Kaplan and Sam Karp, it’s the epitome of Island charm. When they spend time on the Vineyard each summer, visiting the cedar-shingled Agricultural Hall and its surrounding fields is a favorite part of their weekly routine. So, when it was time to plan their early September 2023 wedding on the Island, they knew they wanted to incorporate their love of the farmers’ market in some way. To achieve that, they held a combined welcome party and rehearsal dinner at the Agricultural Hall.
The wedding featured the couple's very own farmers' market. Photograph: Jeremy Driesen
“A majority of our guests had never been to Martha’s Vineyard,” Jamie said. “We really wanted to show them different aspects of the Island that we loved…. I [thought], ‘We have to incorporate the farmers’ market…in some capacity.’”
The couple hired Plan It Martha’s Vineyard to help bring their vision to life. Kate Foster, co-owner of the event planning and design company, rallied some of the Island’s best wedding vendors to recreate the beloved agricultural scene for the event. “The fact that we’re talking about it two years later really speaks to what we did here as a collaborative team,” Foster said.
When guests arrived, their first glimpse was of two old-fashioned cars, a nod to Sam’s family who purchases vintage vehicles. The red Ford Mustang and blue Jeep Willys were overflowing with lush florals by Aubrey Maria Designs/Donaroma’s. “We actually drove those cars to the [hall] Friday night before everyone showed up…” Sam said. “We just thought it would be a cool addition [where] people could take photos.”
Left: A blue Jeep Willys made for a great photo-op. Photograph: Jeremy Driesen | Right: Aubrey Sirois and her team put together a build-your-own flower bar that highlighted the colors of the season. Photograph: Larisa Stinga
Guests enjoyed drinks from Island Cocktail Co. outside before the barn doors opened to reveal chandeliers wrapped in vines and white curtains hanging from the ceiling. Escort cards made by Swell Press rested in baskets filled with pomegranates, oranges, and dainty grapes. Island musician Phil daRosa provided the soundtrack for the evening, and guests stomped their feet while dancing on the barn floor.
Tables from Big Sky Tent and Party Rentals draped in white tablecloths and adorned with pampas grass arrangements invited guests to sit down and enjoy the buffet-style meal, catered by V. Jaime Hamlin and Sons Catering & Party Design, on delicate china. Foster said the couple love Morning Glory Farm’s challah bread and requested a loaf be placed atop each table.
Guests could choose between fresh fruit, beverages, and sweet treats to add to their welcome bags. Photograph: Jeremy Driesen
But the couple and the event team said that the real star of the show was at the very end of the evening. After a hearty dinner and a round of heartwarming speeches, Jamie and Sam opened the barn doors of the hall’s lobby to reveal a full-blown farmers’ market. “People were just wowed again with what was happening right behind those doors,” Foster said. “It was really just a beautiful showcase of all Jamie and Sam’s favorite things.”
The couple wanted the room to feel like walking through the West Tisbury Farmers’ Market where guests could pick from a selection of treats and flowers – a creative twist on the traditional welcome bag. “It’s another way for everyone to bring treats back to their room and have something to snack on the next day,” Jamie said. Flowers spilled over wooden carts and baskets in wild, romantic arrangements bursting with color and fragrance. Jamie loves homemade treats and wanted to give their guests the warm, buttery aromas that bring her joy each summer.
Aubrey Sirois, the florist behind Aubrey Maria Designs/Donaroma’s, and her team were hired to craft each detail of the farmers’ market display, as well as handle all of the other florals for the rehearsal dinner and welcome party. “Aubrey is just an amazing talent. She’s so design-focused, and she really also brings the right people onto her team to execute something like this,” Foster said.
Chandeliers draped in greenery, furniture from Big Sky Tent and Party Rentals, and floral arrangements by Aubrey Maria Designs/Donaroma’s in autumnal colors added to the pastoral scene. Photograph: Jeremy Driesen
Sirois said she was thrilled when the groom’s mother came to her with the farmers’ market idea. She said the vision was clear and the idea was creative, and Sirois enjoyed bringing that concept to life in a way that felt both personal and immersive. Sirois and her team spent over a year planning floral arrangements and collecting materials, such as wooden signs, woven baskets, and decorative watering cans, to make the market feel organic. “The Ag Hall is one of my favorite places to decorate because it lends itself to so many different styles where you can do something really grand, kind of like this event,” Sirois said.
Sirois set up a green-and-white cart as a flower bar for guests to choose from a large selection of florals to curate a vase of their own. She said the concept of a flower bar has become a trend for many Island weddings in recent years. Three floral designers worked the bar that rested between vintage watering cans and wheelbarrows overflowing with peonies, dahlias, sunflowers, and natural grasses.
“We really tried to use florals that were in browns and coppers and burgundies and yellows to just kind of highlight the natural colors that are in-season,” Sirois said. “We wanted to mimic the organic feel, but we wanted to make sure that we had a lot of color with the fresh fruit…to feel like a fall harvest.”
Escort cards by Swell Press were displayed with fresh produce. Photograph: Jeremy Driesen
The flower bar was paired with a collection of the couple’s favorite treats. The walls were lined with displays of seltzers, bags of popcorn, Cape Cod potato chips, oranges, apples, bananas, granola bars, and candy. Cookies and loaves of banana bread from Morning Glory Farm, the couple’s favorite treat, were also part of the spread.
“I think a lot of times welcome bags get lost or it’s a bottle of water and a bag of chips,” Sirois said. “But this was so great for guests to go and really grab what they want, whether it was bananas and fresh fruit or…make their own flower bouquets.”
Jamie and Sam spoke highly about those who brought their vision to life and wanted other couples planning their wedding on the Vineyard to know that local vendors deliver the best service. “I would use as many local people as you can,” Jamie said. “They just know the Vineyard; they know the vibe.”
Two years later, the couple still returns to the farmers’ market every summer. As they walk through the rows of pop-up tents, they point to where the vintage cars were parked and imagine the chandeliers inside hanging from the hall’s ceiling, recounting one of the best days of their lives.
