Some weddings measure their magic in numbers. This one measured it in moments.
Brittany Walters and Jesse Suhaka’s wedding on August 23, 2026 at Zorvino Vineyards in Sandown, New Hampshire was intimate by design — 63 of their closest people, a soft-rainbow palette of garden pastels, and a day built entirely around the things that felt most like them. There were private vows exchanged before anyone else arrived, a signature margarita, a garland of blooms Brittany clearly adores, and one very good dog named Mollie who wasn’t a guest so much as a member of the wedding party. Understated in scale and overflowing in heart, it was the kind of celebration where nothing was for show and everything meant something.
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 generous — the rows deep green and heavy, the gardens still blooming, the fountains catching the last of the long summer light. What sets a Zorvino wedding apart isn’t one feature; it’s the way the whole estate becomes yours for the day. Family-owned since 2004, it’s a place where a couple moves through genuinely distinct spaces — a private bridal suite, the groom’s lounge, the glass-roofed greenhouse conservatory, the open-air gazebo above the vines, the patio for cocktails, and our two-story timber-frame barn for the reception — each one built for the moment it holds.
That range is the Zorvino difference. Instead of a single ballroom or a tent in a field, Brittany and Jesse had a whole estate to explore, right down to the lush conservatory where tropical greenery climbs a stone wall beneath a canopy of glass and string lights — a backdrop you simply won’t find anywhere else nearby. 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.
The Morning: Mimosas, Laughter & an Easy Start
The day began slowly, the way the best ones do.
Brittany settled into the bridal suite that morning with a mimosa bar, a fruit platter, and a spread of lunch to keep everyone happy while hair and makeup came together. Jesse and his groomsmen rolled into their own lounge around midday for a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and a lunch of their own — trading laughs beneath the groom’s-suite wall of dapper barnyard animals in sunglasses, which is exactly the kind of unbothered, good-humored energy you want on a wedding morning. A full-estate venue gives a couple that gift: room to breathe, no clock rushing the best day of their lives.
The First Look: Private Vows Before Anyone Else Arrived
Long before the aisle, Brittany and Jesse gave themselves a moment that belonged to no one else.
At their first look on the estate grounds, the two of them read private vows to one another — the things meant only for each other, spoken before a single guest had arrived. Captured beside the koi pond fountain with the vineyard stretching out behind them, it was the emotional heart of the day, saved for a moment that was entirely theirs.
Fun Fact: Private vows at a first look let a couple say what’s just for them — and it means they walk into the ceremony already steady, already present, ready to actually soak in the celebration to come. It’s one of the most underrated decisions a couple can make.
The Ceremony: Vows at the Gazebo, With Mollie in Attendance
With the vineyard as their backdrop, Brittany and Jesse exchanged their vows beneath Zorvino’s gazebo — the guests welcomed beforehand by a rustic water station of cucumber-and-mint and strawberry-and-basil infusions, a thoughtful touch for a warm August afternoon.
Their ceremony was led by Lauren Dicristofro of Married by LB, and the wedding party made a lovely, close-knit procession — three bridesmaids, two groomsmen, Best Man Joshua, and Maid of Honor Hannah. But the guest of honor with four paws stole more than a few hearts: Mollie, Brittany and Jesse’s dog, was part of the ceremony itself, holding court near a “Reserved Row” sign and a mason jar of baby’s breath before heading home with family once the vows were sealed.
The Welcome: An Alfresco Cocktail Hour by the Vines
As the ceremony gave way to celebration, guests spilled onto Zorvino’s patio for cocktail hour — 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 stocked with bocce and cornhole, the patio is where a vineyard wedding really comes alive. Brittany and Jesse 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: Margaritas, Mojitos & a Strawberry Soda
If any part of the night captured Brittany and Jesse’s easygoing, summery spirit, it was the signature drink menu — three of them, each unmistakably fun:
- The Classic Patrón Margarita — crisp, bright, and made for a late-summer evening
- The Bacardi Mojito — cool, minty, and endlessly refreshing
- The Strawberry Italian Soda — a sweet, all-ages crowd-pleaser (with slushies available for anyone chasing that frozen-drink feeling)
TIP: A signature drink menu is the easiest place to let your personalities pour through. Pick a couple of drinks that taste like your kind of night, add a no-proof option everyone can enjoy, and let them set the tone.
The Details: Garden Pastels & a Whole Lot of Heart
Brittany’s vision was soft, romantic, and full of color — a garden-pastel palette of blue delphinium, peach and apricot roses, blush and lavender blooms, and crisp white lisianthus, all threaded through with eucalyptus. @fordflower brought it to life across the estate, with custom centerpieces and side sprays designed to repurpose onto the sweetheart table, keeping the whole room cohesive from ceremony through last dance.
The reception tablescape was warm and elegant: silver charger plates, votive candles glowing on round mirrors, wooden table numbers, and a wine barrel card box. The couple layered in their own personal touches, too — cream table runners, their own signage and seating chart, wine corks put to charming use, and, in place of traditional favors, Zorvino’s own estate oils in Parmesan Basil, Garlic Herb, Rosemary, and Roasted Chili Garlic, a keepsake straight from the winery where they said “I do.”
The Feast: The Reserva Wedding Package
Brittany and Jesse chose Zorvino’s Reserva Wedding Package, and every course delivered.
Cocktail hour opened with two abundant stationary displays — the Formaggi e Frutta, with vegetable crudités and herbed dip, fresh fruit, and cheese and crackers, and the layered Tuscan Display of imported and domestic cheeses, charcuterie, seasonal fruit and berries, olives, spinach and artichoke dip, and fresh breads with dipping oils. Alongside them, four passed hors d’oeuvres kept guests happily grazing: coconut chicken with chili-lime chutney, spinach and parmesan arancini, a soy-and-lime-honey beef skewer, and deviled crab with Old Bay.
Dinner began with a mixed greens salad, then moved to the plated entrées, each served with homemade focaccia and the chef’s selection of seasonal vegetables and starch:
- Slow Roasted Prime Rib of Beef — topped with au jus
- Chicken Piccata — lemon, wine, and caper sauce (the bride’s own choice)
- Butternut Squash Ravioli — for the vegetarians
And then, later in the evening, the surprise that got the whole room talking: the Late Night Flatbread Pizza Station — BBQ chicken, meat lovers, margherita, and vegetarian, hot and fresh and exactly what a room full of people who’d been dancing didn’t know they needed. The perfect, playful exclamation point on an elegant dinner program.
The Cake: Chickadee Hill Cakes
@chickadeehillcakes created a stunning three-tier cake for the occasion — textured ivory buttercream with a cascade of pastel roses in lavender, peach, and blush, finished with baby’s breath and eucalyptus and set aglow on a candlelit, cork-lined display. The sweetest detail of all sat right at the base: a little figurine of Mollie, so their dog made the cake table, too. Served with a coffee and tea buffet and gluten-free cupcakes, it was as thoughtful as it was beautiful.
The Music: Get Down Tonight Entertainment — Brandon Despres
Brandon Despres of Get Down Tonight Entertainment ran the room like the pro he is — reading the crowd and building a night that flowed seamlessly from introductions and a first dance, through two heartfelt toasts from Best Man Joshua and Maid of Honor Hannah, into a run of dances that felt made for this crowd. Brittany took the floor with her brothers, Jesse with his mother, and then a group slow dance pulled everyone in close for one of those moments only an intimate wedding can create. When the glow sticks came out, the barn turned into the best little party in New Hampshire.
The Photography: Marina Z Photography
Marina Z Photography spent the day capturing Brittany and Jesse’s story in full — a photographer plus assistant, from the private first-look vows through the dancing. The Zorvino grounds gave them every backdrop imaginable: the vineyard rows in full summer green, the gazebo and koi pond, the gardens, and the lush greenhouse conservatory that turned portraits into something out of a storybook.
The Couple & Their Girl
The Dream Vendor Team
| Role | Vendor |
|---|---|
| Venue | Zorvino Vineyards |
| Photography | Marina Z Photography |
| Florals | @fordflower — Ford Flowers |
| Wedding Cake & Desserts | @chickadeehillcakes — Chickadee Hill Cakes |
| DJ | Get Down Tonight Entertainment |
| Accommodations | Holiday Inn Salem, NH |
| Transportation | Manchester Transit Authority |
Congratulations, Brittany & Jesse!
To the couple who read private vows before anyone else arrived, poured margaritas under the late-summer sky, gave their guests a bottle of the winery’s own oil to take home, and made room for Mollie at the ceremony, on the dance floor, and even on the cake —
You did it exactly right. It was our honor to host your intimate late-summer day. Thank you for choosing Zorvino Vineyards.
Learn About Weddings at Zorvino Vineyards
Zorvino Vineyards | 226 Main Street, Sandown, NH 03873 | (603) 887-8463 🌐 zorvino.com/weddings | Instagram: @zorvinovineyards
