Ryan & Ashley's Wedding Weekend in Lake Harmony, PA

Our friends Ryan & Ashley got married on October 3rd this Fall, and we had the pleasure of attending their wedding ceremony and reception at Split Rock Resort. The trip sticks out in my mind for natural beauty and pure fun! That weekend, the leaves in the Poconos were nearly at their peak and everything around us was picturesque and peaceful. Since the ceremony didn't start until 5:30 pm and we had the day off, we took advantage of the opportunity to explore the nearby town of Jim Thorpe and visit Big Creek Vineyard! The day was a little bit chilly, but it was great Fall weather and the outdoor ceremony overlooking the lake was beautiful. To say that the reception was a blast is a serious understatement! The lights, the music, the dancing, the challenge of finishing off all of the disposable cameras (yes, we were that table) and the creativity around us right down to the favors and the Groom's cake made for an amazing night! We have happy memories we'll warmly recall for many years to come and we wish Mr. & Mrs. Jones the very best! Read on for the experience in Ashley's words (look for the burnt orange text)!

A beautiful train ride in Jim Thorpe, and a picture of an actual split rock on top of the mountains. 

A couple of the sweet buildings in downtown Jim Thorpe. 

 The welcoming setting for Ryan & Ashley's beauti-Fall ceremony :) 

"Our wedding was...absolutely amazing!!! It was a day I will never forget."

What made this celebration unique?  
I wanted to do as much as I could myself for our wedding so it really represented us. I didn’t have a wedding planner, we picked everything out ourselves. We made the centerpieces, wedding favors, signs for the tables and I even designed our sign-in album with photos from our engagement pictures. The Groom's cake looked like a box of pizza because Ryan and I eat pizza for dinner every Friday, we call it "Pizza Friday". I saw a picture of the pizza cake and thought it would be perfect since the wedding was on a Friday!  Also, as guests came into the reception, they added a fingerprint 'leaf' onto a canvas with a tree. Ryan's sister gave us the tree the night before the wedding as a gift. A friend of hers made it. 

  Side Note: As you can see below, the favors were little boxes with all of the necessary components for S'mores with a note that read 'Sending You S'More Love', and the photo guest book was made using Shutterfly.com. We especially loved the pages with Mad-Libs style blanks for guests to fill in!

Venue- Why Split Rock Resort? We picked Split Rock for a few reasons:
1 – Ryan’s grandparents have a house there and he grew up spending time there. 
2 - We wanted a place that our out of town guests could come to spend the weekend with us and have plenty of things to do!

What Advice Do You Have for Future Brides & Grooms? 
Take in every moment. Everyone told me that the day would go fast, but I felt like it was over in a blink of an eye. Also, don’t sweat the small stuff! It is a given that every little thing is not going to go as planned!

What Was Your Favorite Wedding Moment? 
I think my favorite wedding moment was doing the first look. Seeing the look on Ryan’s face when he turned around and looked at me for the first time is something I will never forget!

Honeymoon- Where are you going? 
We are going to St. Thomas in January. 

Favorite Vendors-
One vendor that I would highly recommend to everyone is Elegance Remembered. Charlotte is the nicest person to work with; She does centerpieces, linens, uplighting etc. Her prices were unbeatable!

I would also recommend our florist, Mountain Florals. Our flowers turned out better than I ever imagined! Michelle is very nice and easy to work with. 

Photographer- Erin Clinton Photography 

Thanks again to Ryan & Ashley, congratulations and have a blast on your honeymoon in January! Any tips on where they should go/what they should do in St. Thomas? Leave a comment!