Winter Wonderland

A winter baby who spent her childhood summers in Maine, Barrington’s Noel Elizabeth Parsons always knew she wanted an intimate winter wedding in a rustic setting. Her dream came true when she married Austin Robert Hedley on December 29 at Primo, a 5-star farm to table restaurant in Rockland, Maine.

The couple met, serendipitously, on a flight from Chicago to New Orleans for a real estate broker nationwide training event (Noel’s mother is Barrington realtor Melanie Parsons). They had lunch in the French Quarter and it turned out they were destined to be together.

On their wedding day, the setting was magical. Snow fell softly throughout the day, creating a beautiful and serene winter’s blanket that surrounded the cozy refurbished barn where the ceremony took place. The bride wore a dress designed by Anne Barge, which she found at Genevieve’s Bridal in the South Barrington Arboretum. The small wedding party dressed in black, with the ladies each donning a different colored faux fur shawl or jacket. Noel’s was white, of course. Outside, Christmas trees still twinkled with holiday lights as the bride’s uncle, Dr. David Parsons, officiated the ceremony. The reception featured a décor of evergreens with touches of red; even the wedding cake, which was actually a tiramisu, was garnished with evergreens, pine cones, and winter berries.

After their honeymoon in Thailand (inspired in part by their two cats—a Bengal and a Siamese), the couple will move to the Streeterville/River North neighborhood of Chicago to begin their life together. We wish them all the best.