Written by Neil Turitz
Photographs by Gregory Cherin
OSKAR HALLIG AND MIKE ZIPPEL
Only In My Dreams Events
onlyinmydreamsevents.com
The year 2013 was a big one for Oskar Hallig and Mike Zippel. Not only did they get married, they began their event planning business right afterward. Only In My Dreams focuses on events for non-profit organizations. “There are so many people doing many great things here,” Hallig says. “Whether it be music, theater, art, helping youth, working with the environment, working on farming, food insecurity—all those kinds of things. I don’t know that we could find another place that is as comfortable to be in.”
FAITH LINZ AND KELSI POLK
The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home
edithwharton.org
Working at an iconic location that also happens to be a National Historic Landmark comes with prestige and pressure. Strong working relationships are key to creating magical weddings and other events, as well as The Mount’s signature annual gala. “It’s fun and challenging,” says Kelsi Polk, director of food and beverages. “But there’s a creativity that comes with that.” Special events coordinator Faith Linz agrees, adding, “we rely a lot on our vendors. We have that relationship where we can trust that they’re going to do the job well.”
JUSTIN CARAFOTES
HAND CRAFTED Catering & Events
handcraftednyc.com
Justin Carafotes started his company 11 years ago in New York City, but being in the Berkshires is perfect for the farmto-table operation. “The whole region is surrounded by phenomenal purveyors,” he says. “Given our urban roots, we had our gardens in Westchester County, New York, on rooftops in the city, everywhere we could. Here, we can do it with ease.”
ERIN POPLASKI
Tanglewood, Lenox
bso.org
It’s been seven years since Erin Poplaski became Tanglewood’s senior venue manager and, during that time, the North Adams native has helped turn the BSO’s summer home into a wedding destination. “We used to do one or two weddings a year, now we do upwards of 40,” she says. She doesn’t take her job for granted. “You’re in awe every day of what you get to do. I can walk out on the lawn and listen to a sound check with an artist. This is my office.”
TRICIA McCORMACK
Tricia McCormack Photography
triciamccormack.com
Tricia McCormack is renowned locally for her wedding photography—but she and her talented team also shoot families and real estate, and do their share of commercial work, as well. Still, she has a soft spot for nuptials. “The connections with family and friends, and recognizing this one unique day with everybody in the room at the same time?” she says. “It will never happen again.”
MAGDALENA MIECZKOWSKA
Magdalena Events & Design
magdalenaevents.com
For most people, if their number of clients fell by more than half, it would be a catastrophe. But for Magdalena Mieczkowska, who is known for creativity and attention to detail, it was by design. “I used to take 20 or 30 events a year, and I was just killing myself,” she says. “But then, during the pandemic, I saw the life I could have, and I decided to only take 10 events a year. It has done wonders for my mental health, which makes me better at my job”
ABIGAIL FENTON
Abigail Fenton Photography
abigailfenton.com
After a peripatetic post-college life that took her all over the country—including New York City, Washington, D.C., and Nashville—the Lenox native returned home to the Berkshires during COVID and promptly hung out a shingle as a wedding photographer. After a family friend entrusted her with shooting their nuptials, she was off and running. “I love capturing the chaos and the joy and everything in between,” she says. “The Berkshires offers this place where you can commune together in nature, and revel in the beauty.”
AMY MENDES
Avela Floral Design
avelafloraldesign.com
Not everyone has a linear path to their ideal career. After graduating from art school, Amy Mendes went into the hospitality industry; during the pandemic, she was invited to train with a florist. That changed everything. “I realized that this is my calling,” she says. “What really drives me is the creative challenge with every couple. Learning about them, becoming a collaborator on their wedding process, and then delivering flowers that they could only imagine—that really fuels my fire.”
The Conversation
It was an October afternoon and the planners, photographers, and other party pros were fresh off the busiest wedding month of the year when we gathered them to talk about event planning in the Berkshires. We were enveloped and inspired by the culture and history of the location—Edith Wharton’s home, itself an iconic spot to get married. Among the topics of conversation: the appeal of the region as a wedding location, the evolution of events, emerging trends, and the importance of using local vendors, whose knowledge makes them great problem solvers. There was even a spirited disagreement about using food as centerpieces instead of flowers. As with the rest of the conversation, all the participants had an opinion, and were passionate about it.
When you think about events in the Berkshires right now, what words come to mind?
Abigail: Connection
Erin: Nostalgic
Tricia: Seasonal
Amy: Organic
Justin: Non-traditional
Oskar: Talent. There’s the people in the industry, but also, from musicians to dancers to artists, talent abounds in the Berkshires. It creates an atmosphere that you don’t get in other places.
Why do you think the area is such a draw for people with something to celebrate?
Magdalena: It’s very convenient for those who live in New York or Boston. Our couples sometimes mention that they went to camp here or school here, so they have a connection. And they don’t want something cookie cutter.
Justin: This is a place of rest, relaxation, reflection. It has a gravitational pull. People take advantage of the different cultural institutions and the landscape, the outdoor activities.
Abigail: That’s what’s so beautiful about weddings and celebrations in general—it’s a time to commune together, connect with one another. And when you’re here, you’re here. For couples, their guests can stay close by and they can experience the Berkshires. It adds that extra element of a memory built together. They want everyone to be there for the whole weekend.
Tricia: It’s exciting for all of us, as people who live here, to experience that through their eyes. We’re so proud of where we live.
What are some themes or trends you’re seeing?
Erin: Events with a more personal, intimate touch, like private vow ceremonies for a smaller group of close friends and family before the wedding day. And I’m definitely seeing smaller weddings—that sweet spot of 100 to 120 people. People are trying to enjoy the moment a bit more.
Kelsi: We get a lot of requests for family-style meals. I think that’s a way for the host to encourage people to have conversations and bring people together.
Justin: The family-style meals are also more inclusive. When we’re menu planning, instead of separating out a vegan or vegetarian meal, the family-style meal is a salad, a main, and two robust sides. The salad and sides, that’s a phenomenal meal for a vegetarian.
Faith: People think family-style will cost less than plated, though. But no, honey, no.
Tricia: People are also incorporating elements to make the wedding an experience—surprises for the guests. I’m seeing a lot of second lines. After ceremonies, the band will come out and lead the guests to the reception.
Erin: With the experiential, it’s things like people doing a rehearsal dinner at Tanglewood during a concert where they buy all their guests tickets to the show and they do a reception on the lawn.
Magdalena: With family properties or private properties, couples still find unique ways to incorporate those different elements. Let’s say doing a cocktail party that goes through the woods.
Abigail: You can really make it your own—that’s a trend we’re seeing, we’re throwing out the tradition. Like, we’re not doing the bouquet toss and the garter toss. People say, I’d rather focus on the human element, or, I’d rather capture the floral details in the way that they are naturally, rather than staging them.
Kelsi: At The Mount, we’re definitely having people ask questions that we have never been asked before, about doing things in different unique places. It makes me really excited about what we’re going to see in the future.
Tricia: They don’t want to be like other couples. Also, photographs are much more candid, posing is out. We want to be caught in the moment, even if it needs to be curated a little bit. It should look like it happened very organically.
The word nostalgia came up earlier, how does that play into a wedding?
Magdalena: It’s everywhere—vintage, elevated rustic. It’s on tables with vintage china and mismatched goblets, then extends to furniture. Same with invitations and menus on tables.
Amy: And florals too are going toward timeless and nostalgic. Maybe mom’s flowers are used in the bouquet. It’s pulling much more personal details in.
Tricia: Or wearing mom’s or grandma’s dress to the rehearsal dinner And nostalgia also extends to photography with film.
How is planning a gala for an organization different from a private party or wedding?
Oskar: It’s a two-pronged sort of planning. Making sure it’s a memorable, fun experience, but also keeping an eye on the goal, which is ultimately to raise money. You don’t want people to say, well that was great, but why did you spend all that money on truffles? It’s somehow easier and somehow more challenging because you have to keep it fresh and interesting while working, often, in the same location with the same event structure.
Mike: Working with the same people makes it very comfortable and you have an idea of what to expect—mostly, it’s getting more ice. And cocktail napkins.
What advice do you have for people planning weddings or other events?
Abigail: I try to remind my couples that these photos are for you when you’re 80. They’re not just for your Instagram tomorrow.
Amy: Advice I would always give is to trust your vendors. That’s why you hired them.
Magdalena: Be present. We often encourage people to do welcome parties so they have a chance to say hello to everyone and then they can really take it in the day of, and not worry about walking around and saying hello to everyone.
Erin: You have to have a weather contingency plan. And you’ve got to be okay with the contingency plan—it’s going to be beautiful regardless.
Amy: Don’t let weather ruin your day—be real zen about it.
Faith: Get in the mindset of your guests and think what will make them the most comfortable. So if it’s hot, you need fans or sunglasses or parasols. And plan ahead. I’m halfway through 2027 with my available dates right now.
Oskar: Remember, guests don’t know what the original plan was. So, if something goes wrong, it doesn’t matter. It’s like, as long as they don’t see me sweat, they won’t know that it was an issue.
You must all find yourself working together on events.
Amy: I love working at venues I know with planners and photographers I know because we can do anything together. I did one wedding in New York City and they were just like, hi, bye. Then you show up here and it’s hugs and a special connection.
Tricia: We’re all lifting each other up. We’re giving each other credit. Our local vendors have such extreme talent and we know the venues, the lighting, everything.
Abigail: What’s so great about the Berkshire vendor team is we know how to pop up in the middle of a field. That’s the magic thing about the Berkshires. If you do want a field, or a venue that’s never experienced a wedding before, then your vendor team will know what to do to make it happen. And they’ll know all the woes—like, maybe there’s a bear that’s going to come from the dumpster.
Trend Alert
Looking ahead to 2026, Bobby Perino-Thompson, vice president of MAX Ultimate Food, chatted with The B about what we’ll be seeing in food and decor. The Boston-based event and catering company has strong ties to the Berkshires—one of its co-founders, Dan Mathieu, lives here part time. The company regularly works with Jacob’s Pillow, Berkshire International Film Festival, and Barrington Stage Company, among others, while also handling weddings and other events.
People want experiences. “We do a lot more custom builds than we’ve ever done before. We just built a huge wall where you ring the bell and a cheese ball will then roll down a path and land on a salad. These are the things that excite people.”
Expect to see a lot of burnished lilac, burnt sienna, amaranth, dusty rose, alexandrite, and lava falls. “I’m trying to build trays and stations around these colors because this is what people are going to want involved in the designs.”
Pay attention to the weddings of big stars. “The minute Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement, everyone started speculating. She’s got the girl next door brand, it’s what people are going to start leaning into.”
The big thing is creating tasty treats that don’t look like what they actually are. Confused? “One example is bite-sized desserts where they look like cherry tomatoes, but they’re not cherry tomatoes. They’re actually chocolate.”
