Church Island “I Do”

All photos by Rodeo & Co Photography

Emily & Brian – Date of Engagement: Nov. 14, 2015; Date of Wedding: Sept. 16, 2017

Beautiful, wooded, tranquil and unique are just a few of the words used to describe a wedding on Squam Lake’s Chocorua Island Chapel. Couples that get married at this special place count themselves very fortunate to say their wedding vows at the wooded outdoor chapel with breathtaking views.

Emily’s grandparents retired to the Lakes Region of New Hampshire and Emily always dreamed of getting married on Church Island, where her family worships in the summer months and where her grandfather was a trustee. Church Island (in Holderness) is about a 20 minute boat ride from most areas of the shore.

It is closer to Emily’s family’s cottage – about a 10 minute boat ride. Guests took boats from three boating locations in Holderness that took just 20 minutes to get to the Island, and then after the ceremony boated to the Sandwich Town Beach (also 20 minutes) on the other side of the lake to cut down on the bus ride to the reception location.

Church Island is a small, non-denominational chapel on Squam Lake. This special place has a rich history: it was originally home to a boys’ camp in the late 1800s, and has been operating as a chapel since 1903. From the moment guests arrive by boat to the Island’s wooden docks, they step into a private, serene and beautiful place, following a pretty pine-needle path to the chapel area. The unique chapel is rustic and open air, with wooden pews, a birch cross, and stone altar. An organ, played with the assistance of one to two people pumping the bellows, and church bells, are also present. Guests can watch old wooden boats go by, and relax in the peace of the wooded Island.

Emily credits her mother, Becky, with doing a lot of the coordination. “My mom organized the boat transportation. (She also gets credit for finding amazing wedding vendors.) We used boats from three different boat companies, plus the wooden boat that belongs to a family friend and neighbor. Boats departed from three locations in Holderness and then the boats brought guests to the Sandwich Town Beach after the ceremony. On the way to the ceremony, my dad and I rode in the 1928 wooden boat, and afterward, Brian and I rode in the wooden boat back to our family dock before hopping in a 1963 Ford Mustang.”

She continues, “Our photographer (Rodeo & Co Photography) and florist (Emily Herzig Floral Studio) were both wonderful and from New Hampshire, so they were somewhat familiar with the area. Our photographer, Meg Hamilton from Rodeo & Co. Photography, accompanied us to the rehearsal on Friday evening so she could see the Island as well before the ceremony. Both the photographer and the florist had an assistant, so Meg was with me while her assistant was with the boys (Brian and the groomsmen etc.) and on the Island before the ceremony.”

Throughout the wedding/ceremony planning process, Emily and her Mom tried to think about everything from the guests’ perspective, especially for guests coming from far away who might never have experienced a unique and beautiful wedding ceremony on an island. They also sought out and listened carefully to advice from everyone, and thought long and hard about what things to incorporate and what to leave out. For example, a casual comment by Becky’s hairdresser that silk scarves would keep the girls’ updo’s from coming undone while on the boat ride, resulted in an easy Amazon order for hot pink scarves!

Other favorite details from the ceremony included the program, which was created by Rachel Robinson of Robinson Press in Providence, RI and had a dedication to Brian’s and Emily’s grandparents, as well as a description of Church Island. Emily and Brian wrote their own interfaith ceremony, which was very important to them as well.

Two Island caretakers are present at all weddings, helping couples and guests on and off boats and attending to details.
The couple’s favorite part of the wedding was getting married on Church Island. Says Emily, “It was so special to see all of our closest family and friends in this unique and beautiful location that has been cherished by our family for so many years. Everyone traveled far to be there, and it was an incredible day!”