HAMMOND CASTLE

Aparna Alavilli & Michael Rector Wedding Day

Our Wedding

It was the summer of 2017 in sunny Southern California when the days were long and mini lizards zipped under the shade of the tall slender palm trees. Michael Rector (from Oklahoma) &amp; Aparna Alavilli (from New Hampshire) met while they were engineering interns at the locally headquartered company, Niagara Bottling. They had an immediate bond and looked for any excuse to collaborate on their projects. During a team building event, the company took them to an arcade. Aparna and Michael pooled together their tickets and cashed them in for dozens of bouncy balls! Later, they found a rooftop balcony on the tallest building in town, and launched the bouncy balls into the summer air, watching them bounce and scatter. Since that evening, they have never missed a day talking to each other.

How They Met

On the night of February 5, 2022, Michael &amp; Aparna went on a winter treehouse trip in the north country woods of Maine. Bundled up head-to-toe in snow pants, hats, and mittens, they took a short trek through the woods behind the treehouse. Eventually they came to a clearing where the dense evergreens gave way to a vast starlit crystal clear sky. They were standing on a frozen pond, blanketed with fresh snow! Through their telescope, they saw the rocky craters of the moon, infinite clusters of twinkling stars, and streaks of light from the meteors that danced across the sky. When Aparna turned away from the telescope, she found to her surprise that the brightest star was actually in Michael’s coat pocket -- a brilliant diamond ring! With a full heart and a whirlwind of happy emotions, Aparna said yes to Michael’s proposal. Michael &amp; Aparna cherished the special moment under the winter night sky. They could not wait for a lifetime of adventures together.

The Proposal

Aparna and Michael love camping in the forest and taking pictures of the night sky. Here Aparna endures the elements while they capture the andromeda galaxy.

Our Story

Engagement Photos

Memories

Photos

Anoushka is Aparna's little sister. They share fond childhood memories whether it be of exploring in the backyard woods, loosing track of time in a magical pretend world, or crafting costumes for their pet rabbit. To this day, they share in each other's laughter, tears, joy, and excitement. It is only fitting that she is Aparna's Maid of Honor.

ANOUSHKA ALAVILLI

Chris and Michael both studied engineering at OSU and worked together at a gym during college. They also competed in powerlifting and performed stunts on unicycles, slack-lines, skateboards, handstand-canes, and other equipment commonly found at a gym. Chris is a loyal friend and is even willing to use vacation time to come to the wedding instead of going hunting. 

CHRIS O'KELLY

Gina is Michael's older sister and Aparna's new sister! She is the mother of the handsome ring-bearer, Walt Matlock. Thoughtful and caring, Gina is someone that Aparna can rely on for a helping hand.


GINA MATLOCK

Trung and Michael are friends from their time at OU. While Trung’s constant studying often interfered with Michael’s longboarding/mountain-biking plans, they had great times together and have remained close friends over the years.

TRUNG PHAM

Tobi is Michael's younger sister and Aparna's new sister! She is the mother of the beautiful flower girl, Noa Fell. Aparna can count on Tobi to make everyone smile with her sweet and cheery disposition.

TOBI FELL

Robbie is one of Michael’s friends from high school. They wrestled together and were roommates for part of college. Michael helped Robbie perfect his backflip. Together they tried to teach Trung, but it wasn’t meant to be. 

ROBBIE RIEDINGER

Andrea is Aparna's friend since grade school. They spent the early days swimming in the backyard pool, in middle school joined the track team, then graduated from the same high school together and have been close friends ever since.

ANDREA BOITNOTT

Matt and Michael  became quick pals while working together at Munters. They both love flying airplanes, riding motorcycles, and exploring New England. Matt is a good friend, but could stand to improve his mountain biking skills.

MATT DZIUK

Annalee is Aparna's friend since high school. They met on the first day of 9th grade when they discovered they had identical class schedules! Just like on the first day of school, Aparna can count on Annalee on the first day of her new chapter in life.

ANNALEE WILSON

Chris and Michael have been friends since high school where they wrestled and did Jiu-Jitsu together. While in the Marines, Chris always brought back souvenirs — including rice hats that he got for Michael and his whole family.

CHRIS BOWMAN

Natalie is Aparna's friend since college. They were both on the track & cross country teams at Carnegie Mellon. It was later discovered that they actually had first met before they even knew it when Aparna was on her recruit visit and had asked Natalie for directions to the coach's office! Aparna continues to rely on her to this day.

NATALIE SMITH

Rhiannon is Aparna's friend since college. They were both roommates through most of college, were both MechE’s, and were teammates on the track & cross country teams at Carnegie Mellon. They navigated everything from classes to races together!

RHIANNON FARNEY

Wedding Party

Boston Logan is located about 50 minutes south of our wedding venue. We recommend flying into Boston and staying either in the city or anywhere along the North Shore including Marblehead, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Gloucester, Rockport, or Ipswich. Staying in Boston is perfect for anyone looking to explore the city, while the North Shore is well suited for those looking for beaches &amp; quaint towns!

Boston Logan International Airport

Manchester Regional Airport is located a little over an hour north of our wedding venue. This is a low-key and easy to navigate airport that is a good alternative if you're staying anywhere along the North Shore and want to avoid the busy city of Boston!

Manchester-Boston Regional Airport

Portland International is located about 2 hours north of our wedding venue in Gloucester, MA. We recommend flying into Portland if you plan on staying anywhere north of our wedding venue to explore Maine and/or New Hampshire!

Portland International Jetport

Travel

Maine

We love the beautiful state of Maine! Quaint coastal summer resort towns, the densely wooded mountains, and many miles of pristine coastline make it so much fun to explore here.

Visit our favorite town York, ME! This is a picturesque town with a coastal summer resort vibe. Head to the beaches either at Long Sands Beach where you can rent surfboards &amp; skimboards, or at Short Sands Beach which is by shops &amp; restaurants. A short drive from the coast is Mt. Agamenticus which offers over 40,000 acres of dense coastal forest with trails. You can drive to the peak here and see the sea from the mountains!

York Beach

The Nubble Lighthouse is situated in Cape Neddick, ME. Beautiful landscape surrounds this lighthouse. This lighthouse was put into use in 1879 and still continues today. Scuba diving is also a popular activity here!

Nubble Lighthouse

Head to Acadia National Park to see dense evergreen forests situated by the rocky ocean cliffs. There are lots of options here when it comes to hiking &amp; exploring. The town of Bar Harbor offers small shopping &amp; restaurants as well. We love going camping here! Let us know if you plan to go camping, and we'll get you setup with all the gear you'll need!

Acadia National Park

New Hampshire

We love going on adventures in New Hampshire! From the port city of Portsmouth, to the White Mountain National Forest -- there's something for everyone to explore in the granite state.

Tucked away in the White Mountain National Forest, this is a 2.6 mile moderate out &amp; back trail to the peak of Middle Sugarloaf Mountain. At the summit you will see sweeping views of Mt. Washington and the Presidential Range. We love hiking here and then camping overnight at the base of the mountain! Let us know if you plan to go camping, and we'll get you setup with all the gear you'll need!

Middle Sugarloaf Mountain

Visit the quaint town of Hanover, NH! This is where Aparna grew up and attended high school. Densely wooded pine trails, summertime rope swings into the clear waters of the Connecticut, and boutique shopping along Main Street are some of the highlights! Hanover is also home to Dartmouth College -- one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution.

Hanover, NH

Located in the White Mountain National Forest, The Basin, is a series of natural waterslides in the glacial water-eroded granite rocks. In the summer time, this makes for a perfect spot for a dip in the water!

The Basin

Rumney is one of many great places to climb in NH. With hundreds of rock climbs on metamorphic schist rock, Rumney Rocks is an international destination primarily centered around sport-climbing.

Rumney, NH - Climbing

Hop on a charter boat off the coast of NH, and see some whales up close! This is a great family activity!

Granite State Whale Watch

Summit the highest peak in the Northeastern United States via the Mt. Washington Auto Road! Located in the White Mountain National Forest, see the grand sweeping views at the top! Be prepared for harsh conditions here though even on warm weather days. This road climbs at an average grade of 11.6%, so be sure your vehicle can make the trek!

Mt. Washington

We love going downhill mountain biking at Highland Park! This is a lift-access mountain bike park with downhill trails, skills park, pump track, as well as an indoor training center. Rentals as well as lessons are offered on site. While Michael loves hitting the big dirt jumps such as Tombstone, this is a great activity for the mellow rider as well -- offering green lines that Aparna loves to cruise down.

Highland Mountain Bike Park

Vermont

The densely wooded forests and quaint towns continue into the Green Mountain state of Vermont! Below are some of our favorite spots.

Situated near Hanover, NH, Quechee Gorge is the deepest gorge in Vermont and can be viewed from the U.S. Route 4 bridge. Visitors can take a short and easy hike down from the bridge to the bottom of the gorge.

Quechee Gorge

Visit the quaint town of Woodstock, VT! Picturesque covered bridges, boutique stores along the Main Street, and miles of dirt roads to classic red barns make this a charming town.

Woodstock, VT

The North Shore

We love the pristine beaches & small coastal towns in the North Shore! Below are some of our favorites.

Plum Island is a barrier island with a long stretch of sandy beach, salt marshes, and winding forest trails. It is a wildlife preserve, so there is little to no construction on the site. While you can park near the visitor center to explore the beach, we love taking the gravel road all the way to the more secluded Sandy Point State Reservation. This was one of the first places we discovered together and love it to this day!

Plum Island

Situated right by Plum Island, this is the perfect little town to grab some lunch and shop at the local boutiques. There is also a seaside walkway that starts at the Waterfront Park which is great for catching a view of the sailboats!

Newburyport

Go kayaking in the sea! Course starts behind the shop at Plum Island Kayak and runs to Plum Island Beach where you will get picked up. Along the way, you will paddle through the wildlife rich habitat of Joppa Flats.

Plum Island Kayak

See what it's like to fly a single-engine plane with a discovery flight! This is a 1-hr flight with an instructor where you'll get to learn some basics of aviation. A great way to see the geography as well!

Discovery Flight

We love this beach for its clear waters and low tide that exposes the large rocks that you can climb!

Wingaersheek Beach

The City of Boston

We love the coastal &amp; old American charm when it comes to the city of Boston! Below are some of our favorites. A hack for finding parking in the city is to use the garage located under the Boston Common. The T system can also offer easy &amp; inexpensive transportation across the city!

Tucked away in Beacon Hill, these row houses are reminiscent of colonial Boston. This is one of the most photographed streets in the city, and makes for a fun quick stroll!

Acorn Street

The Seaport District offers picturesque views of the city &amp; sea! We love taking a stroll along Harborwalk and going up to the Fan Pier Pavilion Roof. Catch views at dusk with the city lights turning on!

Boston Seaport

Boston Common is the oldest park in the United States. The park extends throughout the city in a chain like fashion called the Emerald Necklace. Perfect for a stroll followed by some shopping on Newbury &amp; Boylston Street!

Aparna & Michael

Aparna & Michael

A&M

Aparna Alavilli & Michael Rector Wedding Day