September rolled in with peace and subtlety. The light was golden, the beaches were still inviting, and the Island had taken its first deep breath after August. There were weddings under blue skies, parties that could spill outdoors without a second thought, and evenings warm enough to make everyone linger a little longer.
For many locals, September is a reprieve from the summer chaos. For those of us who work in events, September is peak wedding season, so September is go-time. We have endless schedules to manage, trucks to unload, chairs to place, decor to install, and a thousand small decisions to make before anyone lifts a glass. That said, the wedding industry here pretty much runs like a well-oiled machine. We are familiar with the venues, the land, and the stylistic differences of one another. While each wedding and event presents a new canvas, we always work together to create the art. During the beginning of the month, we were gifted with stunning weather and optimal working conditions — it almost felt too good to be true. And I guess it was, because during the last weekend in September, which is historically one of the busiest, a nor’easter rolled up the east coast. Rain isn’t ideal, but creates a much easier pivot than both rain and high winds together, and this weather system presented no shortage of either. Across the Vineyard, couples and event teams found themselves making big decisions, ones they spent months hoping they would never have to make, in a matter of days, and sometimes even hours and minutes..
I had the incredible pleasure of working with a bride from Ireland and a groom from Poland. We were set to hold just under 200 guests, who had traveled from various corners of the world, on the coastal field of Flat Point Farm. A stunning location but one that is unfortunately exposed to wind and prone to flooding. As the days passed and the forecast became less of a prediction and more of a reality, we tweaked almost every detail that had gone into months of planning in order to keep the vision alive. We worked with both Tilton Tents and Party Rentals and Big Sky Tents and Party Rentals for safe and wind resistant coverage. We tweaked the layout to accommodate flood risk as well as the, unfortunately, declining guest count. We reworked our event power plan to safely provide temporary electricity during heavy sideways rain. The list goes on (and on), but the show goes on too. I can coordinate and control just about everything besides the weather, and for this couple, I wished more than anything that I could control that piece too.
One thing that remained consistent from the day I met the bride and groom was the love I could feel between them, and I had a feeling that no matter what, this wedding would be a success. And that, it absolutely was. The tent stayed standing, and the candles stayed lit. The ground was a little soggy, but we embraced it and literally danced in the rain. The day was filled with Polish and Irish tradition brought forward by guests, delicious food provided by Krem and the Good Pierogi team, a dancefloor with immaculate vibes curated by DJ Dern of Vineyard Spin, and the slip and slide to end the night was the cherry (or Wiśniak, a Polish cherry liquor) on top. I used to think that the idea that rain on your wedding day is good luck was a theory made up by a wedding planner, but after this one, I kind of do believe it.
The wedding I coordinated was only one part of a much bigger weekend. Afterward, I asked the Island’s event community to send me their stories, and the responses brought home just how many people were solving problems at once. A storm can change the setting of a celebration. But it can also change the guest list, the route to the dance floor, and the shoes everyone wears. What stayed with me in these stories was how determined people were to make the day feel like each couple’s own.
Ed Cisek and his bride, Leslie, learned on Monday, Sept. 21, that their Sept. 26 wedding could no longer go ahead as planned at the East Chop Beach Club. With less than a week to go, their team started looking for somewhere else to hold it. By Tuesday, Ed and Leslie had two possible replacement venues. They chose the Sailing Camp, which had become available after another couple canceled because so many of their guests were–or rather weren’t– coming from off-Island.
A change that large, that late, could have defined the entire wedding. But Ed described walking into the Sailing Camp and being stunned by what the team had done. If he had not known it was a replacement venue, he said, he would have assumed the wedding had always been planned for that room. The day was wet and windy, and fewer guests could attend than the couple had hoped. It was also, in Ed’s telling, perfect.
He credited planner Lucia Dillion of Daughters MV with leading the effort, alongside Rachel and Jimmy Alvarado of On Time Catering, Katie Craig of Social Coast Beverage Co., officiant Polly Simpkins, Erin Jochems of Big Sky Tents, DJ Ricky Prime, and Pete Bradford of Cottage City Cab Company. Ed said the team’s care and support could be felt throughout the process. Katie also captured the day in a video from Social Coast. By the time Ed and Leslie arrived, their vendors had turned a backup plan into a place that felt ready to welcome them. That is an extraordinary thing to pull off between Monday and Saturday.
The storm changed the music at another wedding, too. Island singer Jodie Treloar, who regularly performs with Mike Benjamin’s wedding and event band, happened to have the weekend free. That turned out to be fortunate. On Friday, fellow musician Jon Zeeman contacted her to ask whether she could join the dance set at a Saturday wedding in West Tisbury due to his fellow band members in-ability to get to the Island. Her own plans to leave the Island were canceled by the weather, so she was available.
Jodie arrived in time to sing the songs that get a wedding dance floor moving, including “Pink Pony Club,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” and “September.” Jon had assembled a band from musicians who were available to step in, and Jodie said they turned out to be terrific together. Under the tent, guests danced in rain boots on ground that was wet, muddy, and slippery. Everyone stayed on their feet, and the wedding party had a blast.
Jodie said the night will stay with her for years. By the end, the musicians felt as though they had been through something together. I know that a lot of people across the Island who worked that weekend know exactly what she means. There is a particular feeling that comes after a difficult event goes well: exhaustion, relief, and the joy of seeing people celebrate anyway.
None of that makes the storm easy for the couples who faced it. Losing guests, changing a venue, or watching the forecast threaten a day you have imagined for years is genuinely hard. It is possible to be grateful for a beautiful wedding and still wish you had a sunnier version. The stories people shared with me make room for both feelings.
They also show the depth of the Island’s event community. A caterer can’t solve a transportation problem alone. A musician can’t create a dancefloor without a place for guests to gather. Planners, rental crews, drivers, bartenders, officiants, and performers all had their own pieces to move, often while helping at more than one event. Many were dealing with the same rain and wind at home. The celebrations happened because people kept answering their phones and showing up for one another.
Now the storm has passed, and October is arriving. We have officially shifted into the Fall on Martha’s Vineyard Rhythm. The light changes, the evenings cool down, and the calendar fills with events that give us reasons to leave the house, even when summer feels far away. After a weekend spent watching the weather, I am especially ready for the pleasures of choosing where to go simply because something sounds fun. I am still a few weeks away from that, but for those of you with a little more free time than us wedding folk, here are a few things to check out this month:
Misty Meadows kicks October off with Ponies and Pumpkins, a chance for families to spend a fall morning with the horses and enjoy pumpkin decorating and children’s activities. The P.A. Club’s Fall Family Fun Day offers another afternoon for kids and grown-ups to celebrate the season. For those working in the visitor economy, the State of the Island Tourism Breakfast brings local business leaders together to talk about the year behind us and what comes next.
The Vineyard Artisans Fall Festival fills a weekend with work made by Island artists and craftspeople, which is an excellent excuse to start looking for gifts early or find something for yourself. Indigenous Peoples’ Day follows on Oct. 12, offering a moment to recognize the Island’s Wampanoag history and living community. Then the Martha’s Vineyard Film Society’s Women in Film Festival takes over the Film Center from Oct. 16 through 18, with screenings devoted to women’s stories and filmmakers.
Oct. 17 is a particularly good day to make plans. Morning Glory Farm’s Pumpkin Festival brings the community to the farm for autumn activities, while the Martha’s Vineyard Brunch Run offers 5K and 10K routes followed by the reward promised in its name. Later in the month, the Ag Society’s Harvest Festival celebrates the farming season with a day at the Agricultural Hall.
And then, of course, comes Halloween. Happy Haunting Edgartown gives families a reason to dress up and explore downtown, while Halloween in Oak Bluffs brings its own festivities to town. Spirits and Spirits: Hotel Le Grangé is an immersive, multimedia Halloween theatrical experience produced by Circuit Arts, and it will be held on the second-floor theater of the historic Grange Hall in West Tisbury toward the end of the month. Then Vineyard Haven Halloween Happenings rounds out the month on Oct. 31. After September’s wind and rain, I’m ready for pumpkins, costumes, local art, and any gathering where the only thing we need to check is what time it starts.
September gave us sunshine, then tested what we could do when it disappeared. The wedding stories from that stormy weekend are full of plans changed and people missed. They are also full of rooms made beautiful overnight and dance floors that kept going in rain boots. As we head into October, I hope the skies give us a break. Either way, I will always remember what it looked like when this Island came together in the rain.
Jenna Sylvia is the editor of the Grapevine and co-founder of Coastal Events MV, which coordinated and powered a wedding last weekend on the Island.
