Note: As a Penn State alum, I was so excited to pull together all of these wedding ideas for a PSU post back in March. I imagined that the response would be good, but didn't anticipate just how many likes, repins and views these great ideas would get. However, I cannot take credit for most of them. A few of these pictures are mine, but many were found through Google and Pinterest, and I would like to give credit where it is due. I am making an effort to reach out to each photographer and couple to get permission/give props. Do you know these Penn Staters? Did you take these pictures? Please comment and I'll be sure to add your info into the post (if you'd like me to)! These pictures and ideas are fantastic- I can only take credit for putting them together, writing the commentary and sharing them on Wediquette. I hope you enjoy this (ever-changing) post, share any other ideas you have and pass it on to friends and family who may enjoy it as well. Thanks!
Photo Credit: Kristen Wynn Photography, Pittsburgh, PA
Something old,
something new,
something borrowed,
and something blue and white!
Photo Credit-
Top Left- Gemvara.com
Top Right- Annabelle Dando Photography, MD
Bottom Left- Spotted on Pinterest, Source Unknown
Bottom Right- Wediquette
Oftentimes, Penn State fans and alumni can't help but consider Penn State colors, décor and music when planning a wedding- especially if the couple met at Dear Old State. While singing their love and loyalty to each other, they make it a priority to reaffirm that it's
Penn State forever for them, and they're not "lion". Check out some of these ideas for incorporating your love of PSU and Happy Valley into your big celebration.
Then check out the Penn State Weddings Pinterest board for more pinspiration!
Photo Credit-
Top Left: The Melideos, based in NY/LA, featured in The Knot
Top Right: Spotted on Pinterest
Center Left: Mike Landis Photography, Philadelphia, PA, Stephanie & Jayson's Penn State Wedding
Center: VJM Studios, Boalsburg, PA
Bottom Left: Meadow Lane Photography, State College, PA. featured in Centre Daily Times May 2014
Consider Penn State's main campus for your proposal, engagement photo shoot, bachelor/bachelorette party, shower and/or the wedding itself. Getting married in State College, PA to Penn Staters is sort of the equivalent to getting married at Disney World for everybody else, so if you can and want to, do it!
Wedding ceremonies at Main Campus are often held at Eisenhower Chapel on campus, the beautiful, new Arboretum, or downtown at a church that jives with your religious beliefs. Receptions are often held at the Atherton Hotel, The Nittany Lion Inn, The Penn Stater, the nearby General Potter Farm, The Mount Nittany Club at Beaver Stadium, The Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, or one of these great venues! Note: The Arboretum does not rent venue space for receptions, but they do host many wedding ceremonies between May and April.
Photo Credit-
Top Left: Arboretum, photographer unknown
Top Right:Penn State Alumni Association, Hintz Alumni Center wedding, photographer unknown
Bottom Left: William Ames Photography , State College, PA
Bottom Right: Rhinehart Photography, Roxy & Eric's Wedding. LOVE everything about this post!
♡ Old Main
♡ The Pennsylvania State University sign by stadium
♡ Beaver Stadium
♡ The Arboretum
♡ Hintz Alumni Center
♡ Where you met (if applicable) and where you had your first date (For example, sharing a Baby's Milkshake or recreating the night you met at a friend's apartment party)!
♡ Downtown (in the middle of the street, if you can!)
♡ By the Allen Street Gates
♡ Along the 'Mall' by the Library
♡ at the Lion Shrine, of course!
Photo Credit-
Left- Aaron Riddle Photography, Winchester, VA
Top Right- William Ames Photography, State College, PA
Bottom Right 3 pics- Katelyn James Photography, Richmond, VA
Photo Credit-
J&A Photography, State College, PA
Photo Credit-
Top Left: VJM Studios, Boalsburg, PA. Spotted on The Wedding Tree on Tumblr
Top Center: Weddingbellsandlovespells
Top Right: Mike Landis Photography. Philadelphia, PA. Stephanie & Jayson's Penn State Wedding.
Bottom Left & Bottom Right: These items were spotted on WedSet's Etsy Shop, but seem to be unavailable now.
♡ Get married on a football weekend and plan a wedding tailgate/football game outing for your guests!
♡ Plan a downtown after-party at your favorite bar(s)!
♡ Get married during ArtsFest and include a few live concerts in your itinerary. Find out if guests can stay in dorms (they 'rent out' dorms on campus during ArtsFest for alumni and guests). Go to the dining commons together for a few meals throughout the weekend (Think of how your guests' hearts will melt while eating a warm chocolate chip cookie from West)!
♡ Get ALL of your guests at the lion shrine for a picture at some point in the weekend!
♡ Transport your guests from ceremony to reception on a blue loop or white loop, or a blue PSU trolley!
♡ Bring your guests to the Creamery, or bring the Creamery to them!
Tip: Be sure to give your guests all the information and pointers they need to find parking, avoid crazy traffic and get around, especially if they've never been to PSU.
Extra Fun Tip: Consider chartering a bus to get from your hometown out to State College and offering that guests can pay for a seat and get a ride to/from your wedding weekend.
Okay, so the sad fact is that State College may be a little too far from home for many of us, and not the optimal option for your wedding celebration. It's okay- our hearts will always be in Happy Valley, no matter where we are. Consider a branch campus for your wedding celebration, or at least try to stop by on wedding day for pictures by a lion shrine! Then find special little ways to bring Penn State to YOU!
Photo Credit- Spotted on Pinterest
Penn State love can show itself in ANY and ALL parts of your planning; Just pick what's right for you! Here are some ideas to get your gears turning...
Engagement & Early Planning:
♡ Proposal at PSU or incorporating PSU in some way
♡ A blue & white engagement ring
♡ PSU Engagement shoot
♡ Engagement Party with Penn State cookies or dessert
♡ Save the Dates that say 'We Are...Getting Married' or something else equally spirited!
♡ Asking Bridesmaids with a Blue & White gift (bag, jewelry)
Photo Credit-
Top left: Katelyn James Photography, Richmond, VA
Top Right: The Mamones Photography, Richardson, TX
Center: Art + Life Photography, Collingswood, NJ
Bottom Right: Antiquity Photography, Williamsport, PA
Photo Credit-
Cookies on the Right: Kooking in Kate's Kitchen, Richmond, VA
Photo Credit-
Top Left: Jared: The Galleria of Jewelry, Penn State University Collection
Bottom Left: WeddinGlam on Etsy
Right: Wediquette
Bridal Shower & Bachelor(ette) Party:
♡ PSU theme, or centered around a favorite spot at PSU (see Baby's menu below!)
♡ PSU flask and decor for bachelor(ette) party
♡ Bachelor(ette) Wars in State College!
Photo Credit-
Top Right: Wediquette
Bottom Left: Wediquette
Bottom Right: Wediquette
Getting Closer/Wedding Planning:♡ Blue & White/PSU bridesmaid & groomsmen gifts
♡ Wedding Dress Code Decisions- Blue & White color scheme, or retro PSU color scheme for your wedding party (original colors were hot pink and black)!
♡ Feeling crazy? Ask guests to participate in a wedding white out, and have EVERYONE wear white!
♡ Planning to get flip flops for dancing feet? Hit up Old Navy on a sale day ($1 per pair) and grab all the blue and white you can find!
♡ Blue & White flowers for your wedding party
♡ Dress your Flower Girl and Ring Bearer in blue and white, or (so cute!) dressed up as the Nittany Lion, a cheerleader, a football player, or the late, great JoePa (see below for almost-too-much-cuteness-to-handle)!
♡ Register for blue & white dishes, place mats, napkins and decor for your Penn State-loving home!
♡ Set up ceremony programs like a football game program booklet!
♡ Create blue & white invitations!
Great gifts & accessories!
Photo Credit-
Top Left: Moyer Jewelers, Penn State Collection, State College, PA
Top Right: Wediquette
Center Left: Lions Pride, State College, PA
Center: Spotted on Pinterest, Source Unknown
Center Right: Not currently available on Toms.com, but you may be able to find them on sale on TheRepoShack.com
Bottom Left: CreationsbyCynthia1 on Etsy
Bottom Right: Wediquette
Place cards, blue & white dresses, wedding white out, blue & white flip flops!
Photo Credit-
Top Left: J. Crew Bridesmaids, Stylemepretty.com, Photo by Corbin Gurkin Photography
Top Right: Jennifer Rotz Photography, Hagerstown, PA. Beth & Joe's Chambersburg Wedding.
Center: Spotted on Pinterest
Center Right: Wediquette
Bottom Left: Spotted on Pinterest
Bottom Right: Spotted on Pinterest
Great PSU Flowers!
Photo Credit-
Left: FTD.com
Top Right: Spotted on Pinterest
Bottom Right: Spotted on Pinterest
The cutest flower girls & ring bearers EVER!
Spotted these cuties on Pinterest & Google. Happy to give credit if these are your photos!
Don't forget to register for your blue & white home!
Bed Bath & Beyond- Noritake China, Blue
Bed Bath & Beyond- Noritake China, Blue
♡ Blue personalized oxford button-down shirts or blue & white robes for the girls (see gifts above)
♡ Bridal Accessories: Blue & white garter set, blue & white fascinator or veil, PSU undies (if they work with your dress and won't show through!), blue shoes (and change of shoes, e.g. blue & white TOMS- See above!), blue and white jewelry, blue eyeshadow.
♡ Blue & white nails, or hot pink and black!
♡ For the Groom: Blue and white boutonniere, with a little lion peeking out! Penn State cufflinks, tie, pocket square, socks.
♡ Getting Pumped- Play some favorite PSU music while getting ready- and again at the reception! Zombie Nation, Sweet Caroline, Hey Baby!, Livin' on a Prayer, etc.
Top Left: Garter on Etsy, $28
Top Center: Victoria's Secret PINK (Discontinued- more PINK PSU apparel here)
Top Right: EllieWrenWeddingShoe on Etsy
Center Left: Found via Google search
Center 2nd from Left: Found via Google search
Center 3rd: Spotted on IshopsNet and AliExpress, made by Ennio
Center Right: Wediquette
Bottom Left, Middle & Right: Wediquette, photos 1 and 3 by Kate Blauert Photography
Photo Credit-
Top Left: The Family Clothesline
Top Right: Source Unknown, but Lion Cufflinks are available through Twenga for $60.
Bottom Left: Splendid Stems Blog
Bottom Right: Onlinesports.com for $37
♡ Football-inspired pics with your wedding party
♡ Winter Day? Tie a blue & white scarf around your neck or have the groom sport a Nittany Lion hat for a few shots. Get a blue bolero or earmuffs and smile :)
♡ Take a group picture shaking blue & white pompoms in the air!
♡ Have guests create a 'frame' of pompoms for a photo of the bride & groom.
♡ THON lovers? Throw your diamonds up in the air!
♡ Bring in the Nittany Lion and a JoePa cardboard cutout. Take pictures with them and have them available for guest photos!
♡ Bride and groom holding signs that say We Are...the _____'s (fill in last name)!
♡ Rainy day? Take pictures outside under big blue & white golf umbrellas, and enter the reception to Creedence Clearwater Revival's Have You Ever Seen the Rain!
Photo Credit-
Top: Spotted on Pinterest and Google
Bottom Left: Heather Fowler Photography Germantown, PA
Bottom Right: Maro Designs on Etsy
Ceremony/Transportation/Reception Ideas:
♡ Blue & White Unity Candles or Unity Sand for ceremony
♡ Jewish PSU wedding? Consider a blue & white chuppah, tallis and yarmulkes.
♡ Blue & White Bubbles & Ribbons
♡ Penn State bus or blue trolley to transport guests
♡ College-inspired mugs/toasting glasses/wine glasses for the bride & groom
♡ Penn State Table # Signs (with framed pics of the couple at each place on each table)!
♡ Blue & White Place Settings, Napkins, Overlay Tablecloths, Decorations Around the Reception, and Lighting.
♡ Penn State props at a photo booth- lion face, pom poms, PSU temporary tattoos and more!
♡ PSU favorite tunes playing- including fight songs and party favorites♡ A Penn State LOVE or Nittany Lion ice sculpture, or the awesome ice masterpiece below that keeps multiple flavors of Creamery ice cream cool until guests are ready to dig in!
♡ Penn State cake and cake topper, or blue & white cupcakes. Die-hard PSU fan? Consider a Beaver Stadium cake- wow!
♡ A personalized, framed sign-in board that looks like this:
Source: SaraBethPaperCrafts on Etsy, for $10+
Photo Credit-
Top Left: Spotted on Pinterest
Top Center: 2 Lollies on Etsy
Top Right: Penn State Football's Wearin' It Wedding Edition on Facebook
Center Left: Waterford Crystal
Center: Wediquette, Kate Blauert Photography
Center Right: Reflections, State College, PA
Bottom Left: Jennifer Rotz Photography, Hagerstown, PA. Beth & Joe's Chambersburg Wedding.
Bottom Center: Rodriguez-Weyman Wedding at Piedmont Club Private Events
Bottom Right: The Student Bookstore
Photo Credit-
Top left: Alexandra & Zack's Wedding on Fox43
Top Right: Spotted on Pinterest and Google
Bottom Left: Spotted on Pinterest
Right Center: Spotted on Pinterest
Right Bottom: Kate Connolly of Offbeet Photography, Fair Haven, NJ
Photo Credit- Wediquette, Ice Sculpture Made by Ice Concepts, Hatfield, PA
Photo Credit-
Top Left: Sam Rodriguez, Amanda & Dustin's Wedding
Top Right: Days Inn Penn State's wedding gallery
Center Left: Cake by Piece a Cake, spotted on ArcherSeating's 12 Stadium Cakes post via Pinterest
Center: Spotted on Pinterest via Flickr
Center Right: Spotted on Pinterest
Bottom Left: Jekyll Island Club, GA
Bottom Right: Spotted on Pinterest
Photo Credit- Wediquette
Food & Drinks that Make Us Think of Penn State:
♡ 'Mad Mex'- inspired cuisine station at Cocktail Hour
♡ Baby's sliders and fries station at Cocktail Hour or on the way out at the end of the night
♡ West Dining Commons Dessert- Warm chocolate chip cookies and Creamery ice cream, and/or a Creamery ice cream sundae bar! Creamery ice cream can be purchased in State College, or shipped to you!
♡ 'Panda Express' Asian-inspired station at Cocktail Hour
♡ Cozy Thai-inspired food station at Cocktail Hour
♡ Mini chicken finger wraps at Cocktail Hour (a la Fresh Express in East and West Wing in West)
♡ Grilled Stickies from the Diner for dessert
♡ Hurricanes (former Gman), flavored Long Island Iced Teas (Cafe 210), Monkeyboys (The Saloon) and Fishbowls (Bar Bleu)- Great inspiration for a signature drink!
♡ End of the Night pizza party (a la Canyon or Bell's)
♡ Beaver Stadium Hors D'oeuvres Station!
Photo Credit-Source Unknown. Spotted on Westword through Pinterest
Great PSU-Inspired Favors:
♡ PSU cookies
♡ PEZ dispensers
♡ Donation to THON in guests' names
♡ Grilled stickies from the diner
♡ Pom poms
♡ Printed photos from the photo booth!
♡ Creamery ice cream sundae bar
♡ Mini wine bottles from Mt. Nittany Winery (available with personalized labels)
Photo Credit-
Left: Rodriguez-Weyman Wedding at Piedmont Club Private Events
Right: PezCollectors.com
Check out these links for 2 engagement sessions at PSU:
Visit Bob Lambert Photography for lots of great PSU Weddings and Ideas!
Michelle at The Redheaded Ninja shoots fantastic engagement sessions and weddings.
Katelyn James of Katelyn James Photography captured some amazing shots (some of which are featured in this post!) of Kevin & Erika's engagement session at Penn State! Check out her blog post here for more!
Other photographers whose work is featured in this post:
William Ames Photography has some amazing work you have to see (Based in State College)
Kristen Wynn Photography (Based in Pittsburgh)
Aaron Riddle Photography (Based in Winchester, VA)
J&A Photo (Based in State College)
VJM (Based in Boalsburg)
Art + Life Photography (Based in Collingswood, NJ)
Jennifer Rotz Photography (Based in MD, serving PA, MD, VA, DC & beyond)
Phillip Mackenzie (Based in State College)
Find more Central PA Photographers on The Knot by clicking here...
...and on Wedding Wire here.
Any other recommendations? Great photographers in the State College area? Leave a comment, I'd love to share positive reviews!
The use of these images certainly qualifies for fair use of my copyrighted images, and I'm flattered for you to choose them, but please note that you must give credit to the artist ;-)
ReplyDeleteOf course! I'm sorry that I did not give credit to each photographer. I came across many of these photos on Pinterest and loved them so much that I couldn't leave them out of the post. I did not know who the photographers were for many of the shots, but I should've searched and gotten permission first. I apologize and would be happy to credit/link any/all photographers and sources of these photos. Please leave a comment and let me know which photo(s) are yours (or if you're in them!) and I'd love to share that information with readers. This has been a very popular post, which makes me a very proud Penn State alum, and I really wrote it just for fun! SO happy to share these ideas, and thankful for the great ideas that other pinners have shared.
ReplyDeleteGreat post
ReplyDeleteBreathtaking photographs! Thanks for sharing all these great wedding reception ideas. You are so clever my friend! I will definitely make use of some of these ideas in my wedding party!
ReplyDeleteMy Hubby and I had a huge PSU wedding and we were featured on 2 websites! Please feel free to use the pictures to share with other Penn Staters :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hotelsunlimited.com/weddingblog/central-new-jersey-college-themed-weddings
http://www.versaillescaterers.com/2014/12/featured-wedding-reception-versailles-ballroom/
Kelsea- Thank you so much for sharing your wedding and your beautiful photos with us! I love every little detail that I see- especially the pom poms and programs tucked into the backs of the chairs for the ceremony, the blue flower petals lining the aisle, the centerpieces and that cake!! Congratulations! I'd love to feature your wedding on its own Wediquette post- comment with your email address if you're up for it and I'll send some questions your way (it won't go live until I approve it, so I'll just use it to send along ?'s)! We are...!
ReplyDeleteFollowing up! Kelsea & Ryan's Penn State wedding now has a post of its own on Wediquette! Check out all of the little touches that made their day so perfectly Penn State! http://bigdaythewediquetteway.blogspot.com/2015/05/kelsea-ryans-penn-state-wedding_27.html
ReplyDelete