Abigail and Chris
Date of Engagement: August 31, 2014
Date of Wedding: January 31, 2015
Images by Philbrick Photography
It takes a brave (and romantic) spirit to get married in the snowy, cold NH winter. But for Abigail and Chris, who were married at the height of winter in late January, the wedding was exactly what they wished for. Says Abigail, “We wanted something unique and special. We have both lived in NH our whole lives, and anyone in New England can agree that winter is a big part of everyone’s life. Every year we go to Mount Washington for a sunrise drive, and this past year that is how Chris proposed. As I was setting up my camera to get a picture of the mountain, Chris had my nephew give me a toy ring. When I turned around, he was on his knees and asked me to marry him. Mount Washington will forever be part of our lives.”
As hearty NH residents, the couple and their wedding guests were up for an outdoor winter ceremony and took the cold weather in stride. When asked how they withstood an outdoor winter ceremony, Abigail laughs and says, “We dressed in layers! Everyone had layers under their clothes; even under my wedding dress I had long johns on. My mother made fleece blankets for people to wrap up, and we had hand warmers as well. Our contact, Nate, at Mount Washington, also made sure the ceremony area was groomed so we had a somewhat clear area to stand on.”
The original plan, according to Abigail, was for the ceremony to be at the 4,000 foot mark of Mount Washington, “but that wasn’t realistic as we got further into planning, so we opted for pictures at the top. We are only doing this once, and we wanted it to be as magical as possible. Boy was it cold though! At one point when we came back into the Snow Cat our faces were covered in ice that instantly began to melt. When speaking with the folks at Mount Washington, they stated they don’t normally allow for reservations of the Snow Coach, but they made an exception and allowed us to go up. You never know until you ask, and we are glad we did. It was a once in a lifetime experience. Our photographer, Jay Philbrick and Snow Cat driver (Ernie Mills) were amazing and made the experience enjoyable (despite the -50 degree temperatures!).”
Couples who want unusual wedding photos should heed this advice from Abigail: “We were determined that no matter what weather we would get the outside photos we wanted. For a good deal of it we relied on Jay (Philbrick Photo) and the Snow Cat driver to pick the spots outside, but we had an idea of what we wanted. Magical. At times it was brutal conditions, and painfully cold, but we have no regrets. We both believe that marriage is a commitment you make for life, and this day was the first day of the rest of our life together. We wanted it to be as magical as possible.”
Abigail says the outdoor photo experience was, in one word, breathtaking. “Mind you, part of that may have been the cold temperatures and strong winds. But the conditions were right; we got the scenic backdrop we wanted. Word of advice for future brides and grooms though who are considering something like this, no matter what you do you can’t prepare for these kinds of temperatures. Once everything starts though, your nerves take over and it isn’t as bad, but it’s still bad!”
The bride says Philbrick Photo took measures to protect them from the cold. “We weren’t outside for long. Jay would set up the shot and then have us wait in the Snow Cat until we were warmed up. Then we would come out, pose for some shots and go back in to warm up.”
After the outdoor ceremony and snowy wedding photos, guests and the couple celebrated at Merlino’s Steak House in North Conway. Says Abigail, “Chris wanted a steak for his reception dinner and the restaurant offered a ‘Mount Washington’ steak, which could be ordered to any specific size. It was very delicious. When we went to the restaurant several of the patrons and wait staff asked if we were the couple who got married on the mountain!”
The couple’s favorite part of the wedding was the surprise ending. “We announced to our family that we are expecting a child in August 2015.It was a surprise to us, but we kept it secret for a few weeks until we could bring the news to our family. After that was all said in done, we could finally relax and enjoy the day.”
Wedding Professionals:
Photographer: Philbrick Photography
Reception venue: Merlino’s Steak House, North Conway
Limo/transportation – Chris wanted his 2013 Jeep Wrangler to be in the wedding, so that’s how the couple got back and forth. Abigail drove to North Conway the night before with her sister (the maid of honor), and then Chris met them the next day in the Jeep.
Makeup/hair: Debony Salon, Jackson
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