Those Magic Moments at Van Dusen Mansion

Wedding Date: August 31, 2019

“It all started when we both decided to swipe right ...” That’s how Patrick Wendel describes meeting Laura Haugo on the dating app Bumble in October 2016. (Not long after they met, they both deleted the dating app.) Two years later, the couple were vacationing in Maine, where, during a bay tour on an antique lobster boat, Patrick presented Laura with a wooden box containing a $3 ring from Amazon. (The ring was later replaced by an ethically sourced, laboratory-grown diamond on a ring Laura designed.) Family, fun and tradition were in full force at the wedding. The couple chose the band first: Power of 10—a favorite of Patrick’s—to make sure they were available, and Laura’s grandfather officiated, adding an extra-special touch. More personal touches: The couple's mothers and family friends created the floral arrangements, Laura wore her mother’s wedding veil, and the couple made cookies for wedding favors. Their favorite moment came after the ceremony as the two took a private moment on the front steps of the mansion. “Standing together in the sun and soaking it all in,” says Laura, “is something we will never forget.”