The First of October Fell on a Thursday
Courtney Ewart and Andrew Myers did not wait for a Saturday. They set their weekday vineyard wedding for Thursday, October 1, 2026, at Zorvino Vineyards in Sandown, New Hampshire, and the estate delivered everything an October weekend would: maples turning gold and red above the vineyard rows, a gazebo ceremony overlooking the vines, and estate Cabernet poured from a barrel on the patio.
Sixty-eight guests came, most of them local enough to drive in and drive home. This blog follows how a Thursday shaped the day, from a same-day rehearsal to the drive home at the end of the night.
Rehearsal and Wedding, Same Day
A weekend wedding usually brings a rehearsal the night before. Courtney and Andrew held theirs on the wedding day itself, which kept the whole celebration on one date and spared their guests a second trip.
Courtney arrived at the bridal suite in the morning. While Andrew and his groomsmen settled into the groomsmen suite at noon.
The details waited on the wide-plank floor: a burgundy invitation printed with their names and the date, an RSVP card listing the three dinner choices, a strand of pearls, pearl studs, pearl-strapped satin heels, and a walnut ring box holding both bands. Beside them lay Courtney’s bouquet of mustard sunflowers and ivory roses.
A First Look Among the Vines
Courtney and Andrew shared a first look in the afternoon, then spent the hour before the ceremony on portraits. They never had to leave the property. Zorvino’s 80 wooded acres put vineyard rows, a koi pond with a fountain, and a twig heart on the lattice beside the deck within a short walk of each other.
Courtney’s bouquet carried the palette of the day: mustard sunflowers, burgundy roses, ivory roses, eucalyptus, and baby’s breath, a close match for the leaves turning behind the vines.
Vows at the Gazebo
At 4:30 on a Thursday afternoon, Courtney and Andrew stood at the gazebo overlooking the vineyard. Nicole Britton Designs dressed the front posts with swags of white hydrangea, blush and mauve roses, sunflowers, and eucalyptus. Petals in yellow, burgundy, and ivory marked the brick path, scattered by the flower girl on her way to the front.
Their friend Mike Stills officiated. Tara stood as Maid of Honor and Matt as Best Man, with three bridesmaids and three groomsmen beside them. Logan, 15, served as ring bearer. Courtney’s parents, Nancy and Craig, Andrew’s mother, Martha, and his grandfather, Russell, watched from the white garden chairs.
Zorvino offers the gazebo for outdoor ceremonies and a cozy indoor ceremony space as the alternative, so an October couple can plan for the vineyard view without renting a tent.
The bridesmaids wore burgundy and slate blue. When the ceremony ended, they raised their bouquets over the newlyweds in the vineyard while the flower girl waved to the camera.
Cabernet From the Barrel
Cocktail hour moved to the patio. Courtney and Andrew chose Zorvino’s Cabernet Sauvignon for the wine barrel display, an oak barrel engraved with the Zorvino Z. A small sign beside it read “dark fruit flavors of tart black currant with notes of baking spices” and told guests to enjoy it during cocktail hour.
The patio’s burgundy umbrellas matched the bridesmaids. Guests worked through the Tuscan Grazing Table of cured meats, cheeses, spinach dip, crudités, marinated mushrooms, and olives while servers passed arancini, coconut chicken with chili lime chutney, and scallops wrapped in bacon. Cornhole joined the bocce court and fire pits. October 1 also falls inside the patio’s May-through-October season, which gave the couple an outdoor cocktail hour with estate wine poured a few steps from the vines that grow it.
Wood Slabs and Table Five
Inside, dinner was set beneath the reception hall’s post-and-beam frame. Courtney and Andrew brought their own wood slabs to rest under each centerpiece, along with their own wooden table numbers in script, their seating chart, a guest book sign, and a table for cards and gifts.
Nicole Britton Designs filled glass cylinders with white hydrangea, mauve and blush roses, eucalyptus, and dark red berries. Gold beaded chargers sat at every place on ivory linens, with gauzy runners, wooden cross-back chairs, votive candles, and favors tied in sheer organza.
Two Speeches and a Glass for Everyone
Kelsey of @getdowntonightentertainment introduced the couple and led them into their first dance. Courtney’s mother, Nancy, and Best Man Matt gave the speeches.
The champagne toast reached every table, with a non-alcoholic pour for a guest under 21 and another for an adult who preferred one. During dinner, Courtney and Andrew stopped at each table to thank their guests in person.
The Plate They Shared
Courtney and Andrew chose Zorvino’s Classico Wedding Package. The RSVP card in their invitation suite asked each guest to pick dinner ahead of time: baked haddock with garlic parsley butter and breadcrumbs, a petit filet and chicken piccata combination, or butternut squash ravioli.
Dinner opened with mixed greens, cucumber, tomato, and sherry-balsamic dressing, with fresh rolls on every table. The kitchen tracked each request by name and table: gluten-free plates, vegetarian ravioli, a guest with a shellfish and fish allergy, steaks cooked from medium rare to well done, and chicken fingers and fries for the youngest guest.
A Cake on a Bed of Corks
Jacques Pastries made a three-tier white cake piped with gold wheat stalks and leaves, then dressed it with sunflowers, dusty rose roses, white hydrangea, red hypericum berries, and loops of copper ribbon. It sat on a copper board atop a glass-topped barrel table filled with Zorvino wine corks, with votives around the base. A coffee and tea station came with it.
After the cake cutting, Andrew danced with his mother, Martha, and the whole room crowded onto the dance floor for a group photo.
Under the Heart After Dark
The dance floor stayed full until the bar closed. Before the night ended, Courtney pulled a denim jacket over her gown and sat with Andrew on the bench beneath the lit heart on the barn door, the Zorvino Z glowing above them. Bryanna, Zorvino’s content creator, captured the day for social along the way.
Dream Vendor Team
| Role | Vendor |
|---|---|
| Venue | Zorvino Vineyards |
| Photography | Laura Boisvert Photography |
| Centerpieces & Gazebo Florals | Nicole Britton Designs |
| Wedding Cake | Jacques Pastries |
| DJ | @getdowntonightentertainment Get Down Tonight Entertainment, DJ Kelsey |
Congratulations, Courtney & Andrew!
To the couple who rehearsed on the morning of their wedding, poured Cabernet from the barrel for their guests, set their own wood slabs on every table, and drove themselves home at the end of the night: thank you for spending the first of October with us. It was our honor to host you at Zorvino Vineyards.
Considering a weekday date of your own? See how a Zorvino wedding comes together, compare the Classico and our other packages, including Monday-through-Thursday rates, and browse more real weddings from the estate. When you want to stand at the gazebo and walk the vineyard rows yourself, book a venue tour.
Learn About Weddings at Zorvino Vineyards
Zorvino Vineyards | 226 Main Street, Sandown, NH 03873 | (603) 887-8463 zorvino.com/weddings | Instagram: @zorvinovineyards
