The Barn at Montague Retreat Center

Friday Night Jamboree (optional)

Ceremony Circle at Montague Retreat Center

Wedding Day

Wedding

Reception

Wedding Photos

Our Photo Gallery is Open!

Thank you all so much for being an integral part of our special day, we had the time of our lives. It is an honor to share our love with you all....and photos!

<a href="https://novellaphoto.shootproof.com/gallery/15700360" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR WEDDING PHOTO GALLERY</a>



Please enter an e-mail address to view all photos,&nbsp;

with love, peace and joy,

Rebekah & Jay Silva

It was the first day of summer in 2013; the sun was setting by the full moon, and unbeknownst to&nbsp;Jay and Rebekah, their&nbsp;worlds were set to collide just like the&nbsp;waves&nbsp;on the shore of Seaside park.&nbsp;

Rebekah:









I&nbsp;was ready for a new adventure. Having graduated from college in Massachusetts&nbsp;just a month before, I&nbsp;wanted to get out of my hometown and see more of Connecticut. I&nbsp;took my opportunity when I&nbsp;met a group from Camp Harkness at a Department of Developmental Services training in Middletown, CT. From there, I&nbsp;followed them to Camp Harkness in Waterford. I&nbsp;met friends&nbsp;and traveled from camp to Seaside, and then I&nbsp;saw Jay.&nbsp;









Jay:









I had been&nbsp;spending the afternoon with friends taking photos of&nbsp;the sun setting behind the&nbsp;old sanitorium architecture when boom! Out of nowhere appears the most beautiful energetic and inquisitive sweet Rebekah, I say, "Hi" and she says, "Hi, umm...how old are you?"









Rebekah:









We climbed on the antiquated&nbsp;jungle gym,&nbsp;and Jay showed me his skills in monkeying around. After we left Seaside, we grilled with friends in a New London street alley, and that's when&nbsp;we got to talking.







Jay:







She mentioned she had a jacket in her car&nbsp;that might fit me. Donning the new&nbsp;jacket,&nbsp;I asked her if she'd like a tour of the city. We walked down to see the tall ships on the pier and explored the murals throughout downtown and ended up staying up talking and learning about each other till the sun came up.&nbsp;







&nbsp;From that moment on, our connection continued to&nbsp;grow. It was a couple weeks later after our first date to a Flaming Lips concert,&nbsp;laying on the beach where we ultimately got engaged,&nbsp;when we felt that super&nbsp;spark.&nbsp;We both&nbsp;knew we had found the one, we knew we were soulmates, and it is so real.&nbsp;

Seaside:: June 21, 2013

Wedding Party

Photo Gallery is Open!

Thank you all so much for being such an integral part of our special day, we had the time of our lives. It is an honor to share our love with you all....and&nbsp;photos!<a href="https://novellaphoto.shootproof.com/gallery/15700360" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO THE VIEW THE WEDDING PHOTO GALLERY</a>Please enter your e-mail address to view gallery

Our Story

Our Wedding

Meet Our Photographers

Kick Ass Couples!

MEET THE GRISWOLDS We're Matt and Paulette, a married photography team focused on documenting love and life in a way that's natural and true. We met in 2004 when we worked for the same portrait studio. A wedding, two dogs, and many adventures later, we're still shooting, still learning, and still passionate about what we do. And pizza. WHY WE DO IT We value art, 
adventure, and meaningful connections. We love this job because it 
involves all three. It's so great meeting new couples and having the 
opportunity to document and share in their once-in-a-lifetime event. It 
challenges us, it rewards us,&nbsp;and frankly, we have a blast doing it.





<a href="https://kickasscouples.com/" target="_blank">https://kickasscouples.com/</a> 



<a href="https://www.instagram.com/kickasscouples/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/kickasscouples/</a>

History of Montague Retreat Center

History of the Farm

From its settlement in 1798 as a rugged New England farm, to the illustrious Montague Farm commune (1968-2002), to Zen Peacemakers (2002-2011), 177 Ripley Road seems to inspire magic. Its legacy is multifaceted: community building, spirituality, art, environmentalism and activism.In one of life’s great ironies, we have none other than J. Edgar Hoover to thank for the purchase of Montague Farm in 1968 by members of Liberation News Service. For as the violent protests of that year unfolded, Hoover’s FBI began harassing the then-Washington DC based service, which provided college campuses with an anti-Vietnam war alternative to the Associated Press. The Farm’s purchase was financed by several showings of “Magical Mystery Tour” at NYC’s Filmore East (how the rights were secured from the Beatles must be an interesting story!). An unfortunate and in many ways typical political split had occurred in the LNS staff, so printing equipment was taken from New York to the Farm, and afterwards LNS continued in two locations. "

While Liberation New Service was only published in Montague for a short time, "Montague Farm" became a node of the counter-culture, with important contributions in the areas of alternative lifestyle, organic farming and sustainable resource use. And perhaps no single act had as powerful a galvanizing effect on the anti-nuclear movement as Farm member Sam Lovejoy’s destruction of a nearby nuclear weather tower on February 22, 1974. A high profile trial followed, the anti-nuclear movement grew and the plant was cancelled. Sam and Harvey Wasserman went on to organize the 1979 No Nukes concerts at NYC’s Madison Square Garden, which helped fund safe energy initiatives for years after. For the full story on this, see the contribution below from Harvey and Anna Gyorgy.





In the words of author Tom Fels, “From the beginning, Montague Farm commune has played the role of safe haven -- a place where people, even people of very different persuasions and beliefs,&nbsp;can live as they think they ought to, and in the process offer a model for others. It has been a base for social change, as well as a nurturing environment for individual growth. “Probably,” Tom continues, “these qualities reflect its earlier history as a New England farm”, which left us the chestnut structures of the barn and farmhouse, open fields bordered by stone walls and a venerable maple grove which rises up along the farm’s northern edge. Certainly they reflect the decision in 2002 to sell the Farm to a socially active Zen Buddhist community, which bequeathed a state of the art conference center and a large water system. And hopefully they will extend to its future as a retreat center and vibrant, community hub.



<a href="http://www.montagueretreatcenter.com/about-us/history" target="_blank">READ MORE&nbsp;ABOUT THE "NO NUKES MOVEMENT" HERE</a>

<a href="https://www.gazettenet.com/Montague-Farm-Reunion-members-come-together-after-50-years-19508099" target="_blank">READ MORE ABOUT THE COMMUNE FARM HERE</a>

Camping

Explore the Grounds

Camping is allowed and encouraged if you'd like to immerse yourself for the weekend in the gorgeous grounds that is Montague Retreat Center.﻿

Nestled in the hills of Western Mass, next to a flowing river and nearby plenty of hiking trails. Bring your tent and sleeping bags and lets soak in the outdoors together.




Camping is free of charge and at your own risk. Most people camp either in the mowed circle next to the parking lot, or near the fire pit in the hemlock forest. There are also beautiful spots with long grasses in the maple grove above the upper fields.




Montague staff will show guests around when they arrive.

For pictures, see&nbsp;<a href="http://montagueretreatcenter.com/about-us/camping_p" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://montagueretreatcenter.com/about-us/camping_p</a>.




There’s a port-a-potty in the corner of the upper parking lot. The sinks and toilets in the main section of the barn can be used by campers anytime. The only showers are in the guest room area in the wing of the barn, so campers should coordinate with wedding party about their use.




Campers should bring their own towels. 




Montague's land borders a large wildlife management area so to avoid attracting animals, campers should be advised not to bring food to their campsites.

Details

WEDDING PHOTOS

Thank you all so much for being an integral part of our special day, 
we had the time of our lives. It is an honor to share our love with you 
all....and photos!

<a rel="nofollow" href="https://novellaphoto.shootproof.com/gallery/15700360" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR WEDDING PHOTO GALLERY</a>





Please enter an e-mail address to view all photos, 



with love, peace and joy,



Rebekah & Jay Silva

Engagement Photos

Registry

Lauren

Matt

Arminda

Jenn

Tanya

Nick

Jake

Geoff

Carl

Q + A

Nestled in the hills of Western Massachusetts on 34 acres of gardens, orchards, pastures and woods, Montague Retreat Center borders thousands of acres of wildlife management area, giving it a very peaceful, remote atmosphere. Yet it’s easily accessible – just 20 minutes from U Mass Amherst and I-91. Southfacing fields lined by magnificent maple groves fall off suddenly into a deep ravine at the confluence of the Saw Mill River and Spaulding Brook.

IMPORTANT TRAVEL NOTE: Ripley Road has been closed at the back entrance to our facility. IGNORE YOUR GPS. Follow these directions:



1) Don't turn left onto Ripley Road off Route 63. Instead, continue southbound on Route 63 for 0.8 miles and turn left onto North Leverett Road.



2) Don't turn left onto Spaulding Brook Road off North Levertt Road. Instead, continue eastbound on North Leverett Road for 0.1 miles, turn left onto West Chestnut Hill Road and left again onto Ripley Road.



Apologies for any inconvenience!

Montague Retreat Center

WE WILL BE PROVIDING A SHUTTLE BUS TO AND FROM THE HAMPTON INN (GREENFIELD, MA) ON THE DAY OF THE WEDDING 7-3-21 DETAILS TO COME...

SHUTTLE BUS

Travel

Song Requests

<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSebCNCDWCd6PfjMgDOqlSRUymRCFu1eXAl-ZbyYDMItgnNAMQ/viewform" target="_blank">SONG REQUEST FORM </a>

Song Requests!

The Montague Bookmill

The trail head is on your right about 100 feet up the hill from our back gate at Montague. It's very steep for a tiny bit, but then mostly flat through gorgeous, pristine forest.&nbsp;

After about 45 minutes you cross a stream. 

Continue straight, following the tree blazes, for a few more minutes (don't take the trail along the stream) and you'll get to Pig Pen Ledges 

- a huge rock formation which is easy to climb, on top, keep a close eye on kids - it's a long way down!

Jay & Rebekah

Jay & Rebekah

Song Requests!

Song Requests