Most couples pick a signature drink because it tastes good. Michaela Donofrio and Ryan Aiello picked theirs because it meant something.
Alongside a Limoncello Spritz and a Blueberry Italian Soda mocktail, their bar at Zorvino Vineyards poured Mighty Squirrel beer straight from Waltham, Massachusetts — the town where the two of them met. It’s a small detail, easy to miss in a room full of rose gold chargers and candlelight, but it set the tone for a wedding built on the kind of specificity that only comes from two people who know exactly who they are together.
The Setting: A Reserva Wedding Across the Whole Estate
There are winery venues in New England, and then there is Zorvino.
Family-owned since 2004, with the vineyard rows, the gazebo, the orchard, and a post-and-beam barn all available to a couple on their day — not as separate bookings, but as one continuous canvas. Michaela and Ryan chose Zorvino’s Reserva Wedding Package and used the full estate for it: a private wedding suite for the morning, the gazebo for vows, the patio for cocktail hour, and the barn’s soaring, string-lit interior for the reception. It’s the kind of range that lets a wedding feel like a full day rather than a single event squeezed into one room.
The Morning: Two Suites, Two Very Different Vibes
Michaela’s morning unfolded in the bridal suite with a cheese and cracker spread, sandwiches and wraps, and a mimosa bar to keep the mood light while hair and makeup got underway. Across the property, Ryan and the groomsmen settled into their own suite with a charcuterie board of their own — a quieter, easier kind of morning before the day picked up speed.
The First Look: Private Vows Before a Single Guest Arrived
Before the ceremony, Michaela shared a first look with her father — and then she and Ryan found each other for a first look of their own, reading private vows meant for no one but them. Captured among the vineyard rows and the estate’s late-summer wildflowers, it was a quiet beginning to a day that would soon fill with a hundred of their closest people.
The Ceremony: Vows at the Gazebo
Michaela walked down the aisle with both of her parents, Annette and Tom, at her side, while her grandfather Pascalino and Ryan’s grandmother Roberta looked on from their seats. A ceremony that made room for every generation of both families.
Their officiant was a close friend, Jason, who led the couple through their vows and their ring exchange beneath Zorvino’s gazebo, the vineyard stretched out behind them. The wedding party was a genuine crowd: six bridesmaids, six groomsmen, and three flower girls, with Man of Honor Jonah and Best Man Alex standing closest to the couple as they said their vows.
After “I Do”: Ten Minutes by the Fireplace
Most couples head straight into photos and greetings the moment the ceremony ends. Michaela and Ryan asked for something different – a few private minutes together at the barn’s fireplace, just the two of them, before rejoining the party. By the time guests made their way inside for the reception, the couple’s names were already glowing above the mantel in a custom monogram, candles lit beneath it.
The Welcome: Cocktail Hour with a Story Behind Every Glass
Guests were greeted with a welcome sign trimmed in burnt orange ribbon before heading out to Zorvino’s patio, where cornhole and bocce kept the pre-dinner energy easy and social. The bar poured a Limoncello Spritz, a rum-forward Modified Mai Tai, and a Blueberry Italian Soda mocktail, alongside beer from Mighty Squirrel Brewery — the Waltham, Massachusetts hometown of Michaela and Ryan’s own love story.
Two stationary displays anchored the spread: a Formaggi e Frutta board of cheeses, crudités, and fresh fruit, and a Tuscan Display loaded with charcuterie, olives, spinach and artichoke dip, and fresh breads with dipping oils. Passed hors d’oeuvres kept the room circulating: coconut chicken with pineapple chutney, scallops wrapped in bacon, spinach and cheese arancini, and a chef-approved upgrade of crab rangoon added just for the occasion.
The Details: Rose Gold, Candlelight & a Few Favorite Things
Rose gold charger plates anchored every place setting, paired with votive candles and wood slabs down the center of each table and wooden table numbers throughout. Sheer drapery framed the dance floor, a wine barrel card box welcomed cards and gifts, and place cards tucked into corks gave every seat a small, personal touch. Ford Flowers repurposed the gazebo’s ceremony swag into the sweetheart table’s floral runner, keeping the day’s florals moving from one moment to the next rather than starting over. An audio phone guest book let friends and family leave a voice message instead of just a signature, and glow sticks came out once the dancing really got going.
The Feast: The Reserva Wedding Package
Dinner opened with a champagne toast and a Zorvino Salad — candied pecans, apples, goat cheese, raisins, and an apple cider vinaigrette — before guests chose from three plated entrées, each served with fresh bread and butter:
- Chicken Piccata, sautéed in lemon, wine, and caper sauce (the groom’s own choice)
- Baked Haddock, panko-crusted with a lemon butter sauce (the bride’s own choice)
- Butternut Squash Ravioli with brown butter and a cranberry walnut gremolata, for the vegetarians in the room
Later in the night, a flatbread pizza station arrived with BBQ chicken, meat lovers, margherita, and vegetarian pies, gluten-free options included — the kind of late addition that turns a dance floor back on.
The Cake: Chickadee Hill Cakes
Chickadee Hill Cakes built a custom wedding cake for the occasion, served alongside a coffee and tea buffet and a batch of apple crisp cups sent out with the cake station — a warm, seasonal touch that fit a late-August wedding perfectly.
The Music: Main Event Entertainment
Main Event Entertainment ran the reception from introductions through the last song, guiding the room through a first dance, two heartfelt toasts from Best Man Alex and Man of Honor Jonah, cake cutting, parent dances, and a full group photo before the dance floor took over for good.
The Photography & Videography: Rebecca Garone Photography + RSVP Russell
Rebecca Garone Photography, working with an assistant, spent the day capturing Michaela and Ryan’s story from the first look through the last dance. Videographer RSVP Russell rounded out the coverage, capturing the motion and sound of a wedding built on genuine, personal detail.
The Dream Vendor Team
| Role | Vendor |
|---|---|
| Venue | Zorvino Vineyards, Sandown, NH |
| Photography | Rebecca Garone Photography |
| Videography | RSVP Russell |
| Florals | @fordflower — Ford Flowers |
| Wedding Cake & Desserts | @chickadeehillcakes — Chickadee Hill Cakes |
| DJ | Main Event Entertainment |
| Accommodations | Hilton Garden Inn & DoubleTree, Manchester, NH |
| Transportation | Manchester Transit, NH |
Congratulations, Michaela & Ryan!
To the couple who poured a piece of their own love story into every glass, stole ten quiet minutes by the fireplace before the party started, and built a day around the details that actually mattered to them.
You did it exactly right. It was our honor to host your late-summer celebration. Explore our wedding packages, browse more real weddings at Zorvino, and schedule your own venue tour to start planning your day.
Learn About Weddings at Zorvino Vineyards
Zorvino Vineyards | 226 Main Street, Sandown, NH 03873 | (603) 887-8463 zorvino.com/weddings | Instagram: @zorvinovineyards
