A New Name and a New Beginning
Ken Batten
September 04, 2025
Saturday afternoon, August 23rd, was a picture-perfect warm late summer day with a gentle breeze shimmering the leaves high in the trees.
One hundred seventy-five friends and family gathered together for the wedding of Lydia Batten and Jonathan Vielleux on Claflin family land, friends of the bride and groom, adjacent to Goshen Road in Bradford, VT.
I had the privilege of walking my daughter Lydia down the outdoor aisle, between rows of folding bamboo chairs filled with onlookers, to a white birch arbor where the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and Jonathan "Jonny," the groom were waiting along with Rebecca Calhoun, the maid of honor and best man Adam Longto. My brother Mike Batten performed the ceremony where Lydia and Jonny exchanged vows. It was very lighthearted with a sprinkling of laughter. My granddaughters Stella, Leah and Willow served as the flower girls and grandsons Weston and Ira, along with Jonny's nephew Marley served as the ring bearers. Weston carried his baby sister Wrenlee with him.
A couple of days before the wedding, Lydia and her friend Casey Henry dragged some white birch poles out of the woods and built the arbor with a little bit of last-minute help from my brother Mike. Sharon Claflin covered the plywood base with moss and added two baskets of potted ferns on each side. With the woods in the background, it made the perfect rustic setting for a country wedding.
After the ceremony and a bunch of pictures taken by the photographer, we all gathered under the big tent for food and fellowship. The best man and maid of honor gave their speeches about the groom and bride causing much laughter and merriment. Becca Calhoun gave such a heartfelt tribute to Lydia that it brought some tears along with the laughter.
In attendance were Lydia's mother Brenda Salomaa and companion Ron Covey, Jonny's mother Paula and husband Ed Bukowski, and my wife Tina-Marie and I. Jonny is the son of the late Randy Vielleux who tragically passed away when Jonny was very young. Also, Lydia's brothers Travis and Sawyer along with their families and Jonny's sister Stacy with her children.
I really wanted to get out of my matching formal wear suit, but I was told that I couldn't until after the father-daughter dance. Lydia and I danced to the Alan Jackson song, “You'll Always Be My Baby”. I listened to it enough times beforehand that I wouldn't get emotional during the dance. As soon as the dance was finished, I took off to change into some normal comfortable clothes and then my wife and I did a slow dance to a country song that always makes her cry. After that we kicked up our heels to a lively country dance tune before we packed up and left the party to the younger folks.
So, we said our goodbyes to all, including my baby girl with the new name, Lydia Vielleux, pronounced 'Vail' for those who don't know. And Lydia will be delivering this story with her picture in The Bridge Weekly to all the customers on her rural mail route.
Ken Batten grew up on a small sheep farm in West Topsham VT. He was a logging contractor, soldier and rural mail carrier. He now lives in North Hyde Park VT with his wife Tina-Marie. You can contact Ken at kenbatvt@gmail.com or PO Box 5, N Hyde Park, VT 05665
One hundred seventy-five friends and family gathered together for the wedding of Lydia Batten and Jonathan Vielleux on Claflin family land, friends of the bride and groom, adjacent to Goshen Road in Bradford, VT.
I had the privilege of walking my daughter Lydia down the outdoor aisle, between rows of folding bamboo chairs filled with onlookers, to a white birch arbor where the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and Jonathan "Jonny," the groom were waiting along with Rebecca Calhoun, the maid of honor and best man Adam Longto. My brother Mike Batten performed the ceremony where Lydia and Jonny exchanged vows. It was very lighthearted with a sprinkling of laughter. My granddaughters Stella, Leah and Willow served as the flower girls and grandsons Weston and Ira, along with Jonny's nephew Marley served as the ring bearers. Weston carried his baby sister Wrenlee with him.
A couple of days before the wedding, Lydia and her friend Casey Henry dragged some white birch poles out of the woods and built the arbor with a little bit of last-minute help from my brother Mike. Sharon Claflin covered the plywood base with moss and added two baskets of potted ferns on each side. With the woods in the background, it made the perfect rustic setting for a country wedding.
After the ceremony and a bunch of pictures taken by the photographer, we all gathered under the big tent for food and fellowship. The best man and maid of honor gave their speeches about the groom and bride causing much laughter and merriment. Becca Calhoun gave such a heartfelt tribute to Lydia that it brought some tears along with the laughter.
In attendance were Lydia's mother Brenda Salomaa and companion Ron Covey, Jonny's mother Paula and husband Ed Bukowski, and my wife Tina-Marie and I. Jonny is the son of the late Randy Vielleux who tragically passed away when Jonny was very young. Also, Lydia's brothers Travis and Sawyer along with their families and Jonny's sister Stacy with her children.
I really wanted to get out of my matching formal wear suit, but I was told that I couldn't until after the father-daughter dance. Lydia and I danced to the Alan Jackson song, “You'll Always Be My Baby”. I listened to it enough times beforehand that I wouldn't get emotional during the dance. As soon as the dance was finished, I took off to change into some normal comfortable clothes and then my wife and I did a slow dance to a country song that always makes her cry. After that we kicked up our heels to a lively country dance tune before we packed up and left the party to the younger folks.
So, we said our goodbyes to all, including my baby girl with the new name, Lydia Vielleux, pronounced 'Vail' for those who don't know. And Lydia will be delivering this story with her picture in The Bridge Weekly to all the customers on her rural mail route.
Ken Batten grew up on a small sheep farm in West Topsham VT. He was a logging contractor, soldier and rural mail carrier. He now lives in North Hyde Park VT with his wife Tina-Marie. You can contact Ken at kenbatvt@gmail.com or PO Box 5, N Hyde Park, VT 05665
The bride and groom, Lydia and Jonathan Vielleux
Rural Male author Ken Batten and his daughter Lydia
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