Many people have "discovered" the beauty of the Catskills, small towns and Alpine beauty, a "still-wild" corner of New York. Nancy Loucks grew up there, in a town the size of a blink, all forested hills and meadows just down from Hunter Mountain. Several years ago, Nancy's father asked Scott Mitchell when he and Nancy were going to get married. "When you can get us a dancing bear for the wedding, we'll set the date," Scott had replied, denying the wondrous and inevitable.

On a beautiful, perfectly warm, bright and clear September day, black bears were dancing in the Catskills. Both Scott and Nancy live in Maryland now, but they made their way back up the mountain, to Nancy's childhood home, for the wedding. The ceremony was at the "All Soul's Church," a beautiful Gothic stone church, stone walls, exposed beams and wooden pews.

Two big tents were set up on the property, on meadows that used to be the town baseball field, back when Nancy's grandfather lived in the house. The entrance to the cocktail tent was framed by a beautiful wooden arbor, a gift from the bride's sister Karen, festooned with grapevine and flowers. The tent was hung with curly maple branches and twinkling lights.

You could not have asked for a more beautiful day, or backdrop. From the tents one looked out on all sides to the forest, with mossy paths beckoning beyond the field. The décor was autumnal, with carved pumpkin centerpieces, filled with hypericum berries, mums and colorful leaves. Maple leaves were woven throughout the event, from the invitations to the favors (maple syrup in leaf shaped bottles) to the apple spice cake with maple frosting.

As Nancy and Scott entered the large reception tent, Nancy's father undraped something large in the center of the dance floor, something that made them smile: a life-sized black bear, chainsaw-carved by the famous Catskill folk artist, Hal MacIntosh. Stars blanketed the skies in the clear mountain air. As guests made their way down the path to their cars, sparklers in hand, the forest circled the lights, an enchanted evening. The last one on the dance floor was the bear.

Service Providers

Wedding Planner: Lisa Light, Ltd.

Floral Design: Lisa Light, Ltd.

Catering/Cake: Bezalel Gables Fine Catering & Events

Transportation: Premiere Limo

Rentals: Big Top Rentals

Music: Conway Entertainment DJ Services

Violin: Garth Knoch

Organist: Anna Cheek

Photographer: Tyrone Boyce

Officiate: Reverend Hunt