A Surprise Country Wedding at Chesterfield Inn in West Chesterfield, New Hampshire

Colline Cook (36 and an executive assistant and office manager) and Cory Cook (34 and a project engineer) planned an intimate surprise soiree for their mid-September wedding in West Chesterfield, New Hampshire. After two years of helping Cory recover from a serious accident, the pair decided to start building their future together, and tying the knot seemed like the perfect way. “We decided to surprise our immediate family by having a small ceremony and reception,” Colline says. “We sent out invitations for a ‘thank-you’ dinner for all the support we received from our families and friends. It was not until our guests arrived that they realized a wedding was about to take place.” Chesterfield Inn in West Chesterfield, New Hampshire, provided a picturesque backdrop for the event, with its charming interiors and natural landscape. “We knew the minute we entered the Chesterfield Inn that this was the place our wedding needed to be,” Colline says. “The owner was amazing. She made everything so easy and gave the best advice.” 

The evening began with an intimate outdoor ceremony officiated by Cory’s childhood pastor. As guests arrived, each family member was asked to write down a few words of advice or a wish for the couple, which were read to Colline and Cory during the ceremony. When it was time to say their “I dos,” the pair expressed their commitment to each other in their own words, sharing vows they’d written. “We have our vows and words from our family in a box on a shelf in our living room,” Colline says. A reception followed inside the Inn, where Colline and Cory treated guests to a decadent dinner that satisfied even the pickiest palates, followed by lemon coconut cake from their favorite bakery in Boston, Massachusetts. “Cory and I are both huge foodies, so we wanted our wedding meal to reflect that,” Colline says. Bouquets of colorful wildflowers in vintage bottles dotted the tables, infusing the quaint decor with a playful punch of energy and panache, while burlap and lace-trimmed table runners played up the Inn’s undeniable country charm. At the end of the evening, the newlyweds sent their guests off with petite potted succulents as a parting gift. —Libby MacCarthy