Real Wedding: Lindsay Feldman & Zach Bilchik
June 24, 2017
The Equinox
Manchester, Vermont
Photograph by Paper Antler
THE STORY
When Lindsay Feldman’s friends suggested she grab dinner with a mutual pal, the interior designer did what any modern millennial might: She looked him up on social media. What she found convinced her to give the matchmaking ploy a shot—a picture of Zach Bilchik, a sales director for an ad tech company, snowboarding in Vermont, “a really special place for me and my family,” she says. Was it a sign?
On their first date, at the Manhattan wine bar Vin Sur Vingt in January 2015, the two found they had plenty to talk about. “But we’d each been on so many first dates before, it was hard to tell,” Lindsay says. She called her sister from the taxi and said if she heard from Zach in the next few days, she’d see him again. He texted that night. When they got together the following week, “it was, like, the best date ever,” she remembers. The nerves had worn off, and so had the uncertainty: By the end of the evening, they’d shared their first kiss.
But it was a road trip a month later to Lindsay’s family condo in Mount Snow, “singing to ’90s music and not getting bored of each other,” she says, that sealed the deal. “There was a weird sense that this was our test and we both passed with flying colors.” Exactly one year later, on February 20, 2016, Zach popped the question during a “siblings’ trip” in Vermont with the couple’s sisters and their families.
When it came time to choose a wedding destination, Vermont was their only choice. And the Equinox, Lindsay says, was a perfect blend of stunning and “homey,” with a variety of venues that could help create a progressive party feel: The rehearsal dinner was held at the boathouse-like Pond Pavilion, the ceremony and cocktail hour al fresco, and the reception in the ornate ballroom, where the party lasted until midnight. “Zach and I love to dance, and we love to dance with each other,” Lindsay explains. “A lot of friends told me they lost their groom during the wedding. But Zach and I did not lose each other. We danced nonstop, beginning to end.”
THE DETAILS
Photograph by Paper Antler
As a nod to a belief in Lindsay’s family that a heads-up penny is a message from loved ones who’ve passed away, the bride and groom placed pennies on every guest’s chair at the ceremony.
Photograph by Paper Antler
Zach poured a pre-ceremony whiskey toast to share with family, the wedding party, and the rabbi.
Photograph by Paper Antler
“The setting we chose for the ceremony was very private… overlooking a pond and the Green Mountains,” the bride says. “It was so serene and calm.”
Photograph by Paper Antler
A chuppah featuring sheer panels and antique overdyed rugs was designed to complement the mountain backdrop.
Photograph by Paper Antler
Lindsay found her Mira Zwillinger gown after first falling in love with another dress—one that, it turned out, a close friend had recently purchased.
Photograph by Paper Antler
The couple’s love of dancing was evident throughout the party, from their first dance to “Can’t Help Falling in Love” to the crowd-pleasing hora.
Photograph by Paper Antler
“The balloons were something we did for our nieces,” Lindsay says. “We wanted them to be excited about the ceremony and walking down the aisle, knowing they would be nervous.”
Photograph by Paper Antler
Dessert was a multitude of “minis,” including strawberry shortcake, chocolate cheesecake, and lemon chiffon cake.
Photograph by Paper Antler
Reserve Modern custom-designed a round bar wrapped in Ellie Cashman wallpaper as well as matching pillows, which were scattered around the grounds for pre-dinner cocktails in the courtyard.
Photograph by Paper Antler
The wedding party included five women on Lindsay’s side and five men on Zach’s as well as four flower girls, one of whom was carried down the aisle.
Photograph by Paper Antler
A mix of classic blooms and modern succulents, the flowers were designed to “build” in color and drama as the evening progressed, with pink, cream, and green for the ceremony transitioning to arrangements “bursting with color” and gold accents for the reception, Lindsay says.
Photograph by Paper Antler
“We wanted to create an old-Hollywood vibe,” Lindsay says of the tablescapes. “Nothing over the top, but classic and regal.” That included vessels in a variety of heights that could hold large, dramatic arrangements.
THE FILE
Band District 21, Night Shift Entertainment
Bride’s Dress Mira Zwillinger, Mark Ingram Atelier
Bridesmaid Dresses Jenny Yoo
Cake Irene’s Cakes by Design
Flowers A Schoolhouse Garden
Hair and Makeup Visual Changes
Lighting Dark Star Lighting & Production
Planner and Event Designer Janie Haas Events
Rentals Reserve Modern
Stationery Julie Meridy Design; Jodi Rae Designs
Videographer Rimas Films
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