Rehearsal Dinner

Wedding Day

Congregation Shir Heharim

Ceremony

A Vermont Table

Reception

Our Wedding

For the random people who ask, we say we met at Duke. While this is technically correct--we were both in grad school at Duke at the time--we actually met on the now old school online dating site: OKCupid. Boykin had successfully dodged my filters (no military, doctors, lawyers, or Fuqua graduates) by saying he was in grad school; I had incorrectly assumed he was getting a history PhD and was smitten with the idea of dating a future teacher. After multiple lengthy emails we decided to meet in person. The date was set for "next Thursday." I took this to mean a week from the current Thursday. Boykin showed up that same week (which I have now come to accept as the correct "next Thursday" date) and gave me 15 min before texting me. I assumed he was dating multiple people, and responded "wrong Sarah." Three minutes of scrolling through our messages later I realized the date confusion. I called him VERY apologetically and explained the confusion, that I was actually out of town, and I would still love to see him. I must have sounded contrite enough for him to give me a second first date. Flash forward to now and we have had a wild seven years together. We both finished grad school and transitioned into new careers. We've moved from Durham to Greensboro to Atlanta to Juneau. Multiple job changes. A fur baby. 1800 miles of backpacking on the PCT. Lots of trips. 100 days of skiing in a season..and now we are diving into marriage!

Our Story

The Engagement

We picked out the ring together on a trip to Portland to visit Boykin's brother, Shannon. We found a cute boutique and they had exactly what I wanted: a simple silver band. Boykin bought the ring and promptly pocketed the box. After returning to Juneau I found the box in his car's glove compartment. Every car ride gave me the jitters and I couldn't help but wonder: wouldn't this activity be perfect for a proposal?! It turns out that living in Alaska makes everything seem perfect for a proposal: cross country skiing near a glacier, alpine skiing, watching whales in the channel, Hot Toddies after cold walks... Finally, on Christmas Eve, we went on an evening walk with Ellie at our local beach. We neared the end of the beach. It was astonishingly not raining and the stars were visible, although a frigid 10 degrees. He asked me to marry him [I said yes] and we had what was arguably the most tearful, snotty, cold kiss of our relationship. Of course we didn't have phones, so we then had to hike the half mile back to the car, drive back to our house, and then I could call my parents (after midnight their time) with the news.

Photos

Wedding Party

We reserved a block of rooms at two hotels. They are going to hold the blocks until August 20th. However, feel free to explore other lodging options to best suit your budget and needs. October is leaf-peeping season, which can make it difficult to find a hotel/Airbnb/Bed and Breakfast. We suggest booking your lodging as soon as possible. Comfort Inn and SuitesA few miles from downtown. Requires two night minimal for wedding rate.1 King bed ($179 per night)<a href="https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/AR16C9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/AR16C9</a> Holiday Inn ExpressA few miles from downtown. Near the Comfort Inn. No two night requirement, but slightly more expensive. Across the street from a great distilleryStandard room ($300 Saturday; $219 Sunday)Call hotel directly at <a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;q=brattleboro+holiday+inn+express&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;oe=UTF-8#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(802) 257-2400</a> under Dunn/Lucas Wedding Other logisticsThere are no ride-share options in Brattleboro (i.e no Uber, Lyft, etc.). For the reception, we rented a bus that will provide transportation from the hotels to the venue, then back at the end of the night. The bus will arrive at the Comfort Inn at 4:30pm. Please be out front a few minutes prior. It will then arrive at the Holiday Inn at 4:40pm. After dropping off that first group it will make one additional circuit with tentative arrival at the Comfort Inn a little after 5pm. If you miss the second pick-up, please call Vikki Dunn at 802-380-2788 or David Dunn at 802-254-0635 to have the bus routed back. Return trips will be announced towards the end of the reception.

Accommodations

Bradley International Airport (BDL)1 hour and 30 min from Brattleboro Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT)1 hour and 40 min from Brattleboro Albany International Airport(ALB)2 hours from Brattleboro There is also an Amtrak station in downtown Brattleboro

Travel

Brattleboro is a vibrant town nestled in the mountains of Southern Vermont. A few things to consider doing during your visit: --Walk downtown. Good food options and cute stores--Rent a kayak or canoe from Vermont Canoe Touring Center and enjoy paddling the West River or Connecticut River--Grab coffee at Mocha Joes--Eat lunch at the Brattleboro Food Co-Op, known for it's locally sourced hippie food--Hike Mt. Wantastiquet, just across the Connecticut River in NH)--Saturday is a great Farmer's Market--Apple picking season will still be in full swing in early October. We love Green Mountain Orchards--Visit the Retreat Petting Farm (free!) and strike off to hike in their network of trails--Hike Black Mountain--Visit Rudyard Kipling's house in nearby Dummerston, Vermont (where he wrote the Jungle Book)--Enjoy a beer (or three) at the Whetstone Brewery's beer garden--Enjoy a snack (or lunch) from the Vermont Country Deli

Sarah & Boykin

Sarah & Boykin

Photos