The best weddings aren’t the ones with the most — they’re the ones that feel the most like the two people at the center of them.
Christie Raymond and Nick Millett’s wedding on August 22, 2026 at Zorvino Vineyards was overflowing with those little fingerprints of personality — a signature slushy named after their dog, a live guitarist strumming them down the aisle, a private last dance meant for no one but the two of them. Rich with wisteria purple and the lush green Christie loves, it was a warm, joy-soaked celebration where 158 guests came together.
The Setting: The Full Estate in Late-Summer Green
There are winery venues in New England, and then there is Zorvino.
Late August on our 80-acre estate is the vineyard at its most lush — the rows deep green, the gardens full and blooming, the fountains catching the soft grey light of a gentle summer evening. What sets a Zorvino wedding apart isn’t one feature; it’s the way the whole estate becomes yours for the day. Christie and Nick had the full canvas: a private bridal suite for the morning, the groom’s lounge, the gazebo, the patio for cocktails, and our two-story timber-frame barn — draped in the trailing greenery Christie had dreamed about — for the reception.
That range is the Zorvino difference. Instead of a single ballroom or a tent in a field, a couple here moves through the day across genuinely distinct spaces, each one built for the moment it holds. It’s an estate that feels like a private New England escape, run by a team that treats every wedding as the only one that matters — not a booking on a conveyor belt.
Christie and Nick made the most of all of it — a ceremony overlooking the vines, an alfresco cocktail hour on the patio with bocce and cornhole out for guests, and an indoor reception under the barn’s soaring, green-draped beams.
The Morning: Mimosas, a Beer Bucket & Happy Nerves
Long before the aisle, the day started exactly the way it should.
Christie settled into the bridal suite with her girls that morning, a mimosa bar waiting and hair and makeup underway. Nick and the groomsmen rolled into their own lounge around midday to a groom’s beer bucket — Blue Moon and Tuckerman’s on ice — to loosen the happy nerves. It’s the kind of unhurried, spread-out morning that only a full-estate venue can give a couple: room to breathe, room to laugh, and no clock rushing the best day of their lives.
The First Look: A Quiet Moment Before It All Began
Before a single guest arrived, Christie and Nick gave themselves a moment that belonged to no one else — a first look among the estate’s gardens, a chance to breathe, to take each other in, and to steady the excitement of the day. Among the black-eyed Susans and the late-summer greenery, it was the emotional heart of the afternoon, saved for a moment that was theirs alone.
Fun Fact: A first look gives a couple a private beat of calm before the whirlwind, and it means they walk into the ceremony relaxed, fully present, and ready to actually soak in the day. It’s one of the most underrated decisions a couple can make.
The Ceremony: Vows, Greenery & a Live Guitar
Surrounded by the people they love most, Christie and Nick exchanged their vows with the vineyard as their backdrop — and a lovely, personal touch carrying them through it: a live acoustic guitarist playing them down the aisle and through the ceremony.
Their officiant was someone who knew them well, close friend Heather White, who led a ceremony as warm and personal as only a friend’s words can be. The wedding party made a beautiful procession — six bridesmaids in flowing wisteria purple, six groomsmen beside them, Best Man Mitch, and not one but two Maids of Honor: Christie’s sister Abby and her best friend Camden. A wedding party that big is a wedding party full of story.
The Welcome: A Blushing Bride & an Alfresco Cocktail Hour
Christie and Nick greeted their guests with something perfectly summery: a “Blushing Bride” welcome drink — a light, strawberry-kissed sparkler set out under the trees, with a mocktail option ready too — before the celebration flowed onto Zorvino’s patio for cocktail hour.
Cocktail hour on the patio is one of the estate’s signature experiences, available May through October, and the reason a summer Zorvino wedding is so hard to beat. Set right beside the picturesque vines and complete with bocce, cornhole, and a place to simply linger in the evening air, it’s where a vineyard wedding really comes alive. The couple upgraded to a full open bar for the evening — pouring beers, wine, and, of course, Zorvino Vineyards’ own estate-produced wines, the kind of detail you simply can’t recreate at a venue that doesn’t grow and bottle its own.
The Signature Drinks: His, Hers & The Lucy
If any part of the night captured Christie and Nick’s sense of fun, it was the signature drink menu — three of them, each unmistakably personal:
- His — the Whiskey Sour, classic and just a little bit sharp
- Hers — the Hugo Spritz, bright, floral, and effortlessly elegant
- “The Lucy” White Slushy — a frosty crowd-pleaser named after the guest of honor with four paws: Christie and Nick’s dog, Lucy
TIP: Signature drinks are the easiest place to let your personalities shine. A “his and hers,” a nod to your pet, an inside joke on a cocktail napkin — these are the details guests remember and smile about all night long.
The Details: Wisteria Purple & a Greenery Ceiling
Christie’s vision was clear from the start — wisteria purples, and so much greenery — and @fordflower brought it to life throughout the estate, from custom floral centerpieces to trailing greenery woven along the café lights overhead, giving the barn the lush, garden-canopy ceiling Christie had always wanted.
The reception tablescape was warm and organic. The couple added their own personal layers, too: custom table runners, a monogram, and Zorvino’s own wine and oil offered as favors, a keepsake straight from the vineyard where they said “I do.”
The Feast: The Reserva Wedding Package
Christie and Nick chose Zorvino’s Reserva Wedding Package, and every course delivered!
Cocktail hour opened with two showstopping stationary displays — the Formaggi e Frutta, with vegetable crudités and herbed dipping sauce, an assorted fresh fruit display, and cheese and crackers, and the abundant Tuscan Display, layered with imported and domestic cheeses, seasonal fruit and berries, vegetables, charcuterie, olives, spinach and artichoke dip, tri-colored tortilla chips, and fresh breads with dipping oils and spreads.
Alongside them, four passed hors d’oeuvres kept guests happily grazing:
- Tempura Cauliflower — curry aioli, Aleppo pepper, mint (GF/DF)
- Meatball — marinara, parmesan, breadcrumbs
- Scallops Wrapped in Bacon
- Spinach & Cheese Arancini
Dinner began with a champagne toast and a Caesar Salad with herbed croutons and buttermilk dressing. Then came the plated entrées, each served with fresh bread and butter and the chef’s selection of seasonal vegetables and starch:
- Slow Roasted Prime Rib of Beef — topped with au jus
- Zorvino Vineyards Harvest Chicken — with herb stuffing and sauce
- Filet Mignon — with herb butter (the couple’s own choice)
- Cauliflower Puttanesca — cherry tomatoes, capers, olives (vegan)
And then, later in the night, the surprise that got the whole room talking: the Late Night Flatbread Pizza Station. BBQ chicken, meat lovers, margherita, and vegetarian — hot, fresh, and exactly what a room full of people who’d been dancing for hours didn’t know they needed. It was the perfect, playful exclamation point on an elegant dinner program.
The Cake: Jacques Pastries
@jacquespastries created a stunning custom wedding cake for the occasion — an ivory two-tier design hand-painted with delicate green vines and crowned with clusters of lavender and white roses, finished with a soft satin bow and set aglow on its candlelit, cork-lined display. Served with a coffee and tea buffet and cupcakes alongside, it was as beautiful to look at as it was to cut.
The Music: The Glitter Boys — DJ Kyle & Team
DJ Kyle and the team from @theglitterboys out of Boston ran the room like the pros they are — covering cocktail hour and reception, reading the crowd, and building a night that flowed seamlessly from introductions and a show-stopping first dance, through a lively photo dash, three heartfelt toasts from Best Man Mitch, Maid of Honor Camden, and the father of the bride, into parent dances and a dance floor that never emptied.
And when the night wound down, Christie and Nick shared one last, quiet moment: a private last dance, just the two of them, to a song meant for no one else. The perfect close to a perfect day.
The Photography: Solare Photography
@solarephotos spent the day capturing Christie and Nick’s story in full — Cory and an assistant, from the first look through the last dance, including a set of dramatic evening night photos that used the estate’s string lights and gardens to gorgeous effect. The Zorvino grounds gave them every backdrop imaginable: the vineyard rows in full summer green, the stone walls, the gardens, the tiered fountain, and the soft, moody light of a late-August evening.
The Reception Room
The Dream Vendor Team
| Role | Vendor |
|---|---|
| Venue | Zorvino Vineyards, Sandown, NH |
| Photography | @solarephotos — Solare Photography, Concord NH (Cory + assistant) |
| Florals | @fordflower — Ford Flowers |
| Wedding Cake & Desserts | @jacquespastries — Jacques Pastries |
| DJ | @theglitterboys — The Glitter Boys, Boston MA (DJ Kyle & team) |
| Ceremony Music | Live acoustic guitarist |
| Accommodations | Holiday Inn Salem, NH & La Quinta |
| Transportation | Manchester Transit |
Congratulations, Christie & Nick!
To the couple who walked down the aisle to a live guitar, named a slushy after their dog Lucy, and danced one last private dance just for themselves – You did it exactly right. It was our honor to host your late-summer celebration. Thank you for choosing Zorvino Vineyards — and welcome home.
Learn About Weddings at Zorvino Vineyards
Zorvino Vineyards | 226 Main Street, Sandown, NH 03873 | (603) 887-8463 🌐 zorvino.com/weddings | Instagram: @zorvinovineyards
