No aisle. Just the two of us circled by family and friends and vowing to the journey of a lifetime.

A Trustees of Reservations property, the Old Manse sits on a bend of the Concord River framed by fields and old stone walls. Nearby, the North Bridge, the location of the shot heard round the world. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne both called the Manse home. Emerson drafted his famous essay “Nature” from an upstairs room. Hawthorne and his wife, Sophia, started their married life here. You can still see poems they wrote to each other, written on the Manse’s window panes with Sophia's diamond. The heirloom vegetable garden, which has been recreated today, was originally planted by Henry David Thoreau in honor of the Hawthornes’ wedding.

ON THE DAY

3PM Gather
Await the arrival of the bride and groom as they pull in their Westy for the last stop on their road trip—the wedding! Have a cocktail and some small bites. Play a lawn game. Take a short tour of the Manse before closing time. Or, just enjoy the grounds.

4PM Witness
Walk with the bride and groom to Hawthorne Rock to witness the exchange of vows. Dinner and fun to follow.

Set the table
In the tradition of one of our favorite events, Outstanding in the Field, help us make a colorful family table by bringing your own plates (BYOP)—one for each guest. After dinner, you'll find your rinsed plate ready for pick up when you're ready depart. You'll see a handy checkbox on the RSVP to let us know if you're participating (we so hope you will). But, we'll be prepared just in case you forget yours on the kitchen counter by mistake!

Dress for fun
Look great but be comfortable. Think festive Summer party. Ties are optional. Shoes for grass a must. Skip t-shirts, polo shirts, shorts and jeans.

HOW TO GET THERE

The Old Manse, 269 Monument Street, Concord, MA  1.978.369.3909   (Directions)
Concord is about 20 miles West of Boston. Parking available on site at two grass lots in front of the house to the left and the right of the property.