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! 

Sandy & Russ's Lovebird-Themed September Wedding

Okay, I think it's clear by now that I love weddings. 

Celebrations of love and life, made up of moments becoming memories 

as two people join families and become family, for the first time. 

Family is a great thing. Love is a grand thing. 

Watching a family member fall in love is a glorious thing. 

Attending a wedding as a sibling, a friend: Amazing. 

Attending as a child: There's nothing in the world like it. 

Pride. Pure happiness for another, for two others, and for your family, old and new. 

We attended 3 weddings in a row this fall. This first was my Mom's. Here's the recap of the beautiful wedding of two lovebirds, Sandy & Russ, from September 21st. 

Look for teal writing for the experience in my mom's words...

The sweet invitation that inspired the lovebird theme!

"Our wedding was...a time in my life that I will always remember with a smile. The day was a culmination of many months spent planning and preparing for an event that would last for just a few hours, which would be the start of our whole new life together. We wanted to make it a memorable celebration for friends and family, but we also wanted it to be fun for all. In the end, I think our mission was accomplished"!

What made this celebration unique (and you-nique)? 

My fiancé-- now my husband-- and I are not in our 20's, nor our 30's like so many of the brides and grooms we see in just about every printed ad or post. We are in our mid 50's and this is the second marriage for both of us. Getting married at this age is a different experience, but it doesn't mean we give up the dream. I went all the way! The dress (scaled down to an age-appropriate tea length version), the tiara (I always wanted to be a princess!) and involving our moms and children as attendants at our sides. We made sure every part of the wedding was fun, true to both of our personalities. That was what we wanted. There are some traditional things done at weddings that just didn't fit our profile. There was no way I was revealing my thigh for a garter removal, no cake-in-the-face smashing, or bridal bouquet toss, all things that were not part of our vision. It just took some creativity to come up with our own traditions. Our moms and each of our children carried a long stem rose down the aisle, which they placed in a vase at the front of the room. Together, each individual rose became part of a beautiful arrangement, representing the merging of the two families. It was heartfelt and meaningful.

Above: Lots of wedding goodies, including The Out of Towners goodie bag (with a weekend Itinerary, welcome letter, water bottles, fruit, granola bar and sweets), a little Bathroom Box, their lovebird wedding suite (paper creations): Invitations, Save the Date postcards, the ceremony Program, table dinner menus, place cards for the wedding (birds) and the rehearsal dinner (ribbon). It was all so coordinated and amazing! Also pictured on the Bottom left: the  homemade work of heart, their sweet card box, and Bottom right: Personalized napkins added a fun pop of color and surprise for guests. 

Why did you choose RiverCrest for your big day? 

RiverCrest had it all - from a beautiful setting to the convenience of a rehearsal dinner, ceremony and reception all in one location, the delicious food, to the amazingly accommodating and helpful wedding coordinators and staff. Everything went as smoothly as possible from start to finish. It was a great choice. I can tell, because people keep talking about our wedding day!

What is Your Advice for Future Brides & Grooms? 

Everything that happens on your wedding day comes down to the decisions you make while planning. This venue or that? Buffet or served meal? Which DJ, photographer, florist? Ice Cream Sundae Bar or Petit Fours? High heels, flats or both? Think those things through, make the decisions and then let go. There is only so much you can control. Trust that all will go well that day, and have a blast! Enjoy the precious moments with friends and family. They are here to celebrate your love and your special day!  

What Was Your Favorite Wedding Moment? 

The DJ had asked everyone to take their seats. How exciting to be introduced as Mr. and Mrs. as we entered to the song Everything is Awesome from the Lego movie! Following our entrance, we took the dance floor and surprised everyone with a choreographed dance to Frank Sinatra's I Have Dreamed. With just two lessons, and a bit of practice each day, we moved about the dance floor almost as though we knew what we were doing! It was fun to be able to be in our own little world, yet surrounded by the friends and family we love.

Destination Honeymoon: Visiting Hawaii!

Our honeymoon took us to Hawaii, where we toured beautiful sights, historic venues, swam in the Pacific ocean, in beautiful pools and warm lagoons, heard lava flow reports each day and ate scrumptious food. We drove the Road to Hana, took a helicopter tour of Kauai and walked through a bamboo forest. We saw sunrises and sunsets and more stars then ever before imagined. Our advice? Plan your trip before you go, but leave plenty of opportunity for some Trail Magic along the way.

Highly Recommended Vendors?

We loved our custom Master's Baker cake. They were amazing to work with as they created our lovebird theme on our cake by duplicating the details from the invitations. Besides the beautiful end result, the flavors of the cake were delicious. 

This is only a glimpse into the beauty of the day, the weekend and the celebration of my Mom and Russ's marriage so far! We are SO happy for them and I'm beyond thrilled to feature their wedding on Wediquette. Wishing them the very best today, tomorrow and always! 

Chai & Alicia's Rustic Fall Wedding- Beech Springs Farm (Part 1)

We've had the privilege of attending 3 weddings, 3 weekends in a row this Fall, and I continue to be so impressed and amazed by the creativity, the love, the time and the planning that go into every wedding detail, to make each day so unique and so...you. 

Our friends Chai & Alicia got married in late September at Beech Springs Farm in Orrtanna, Pennsylvania (about 15 minutes from Gettysburg). It was rustic, beautiful, fun, relaxed, and full of warmth. The weather was perfect, the venue was sweet, and the time spent together was priceless. Take a trip into their wedding weekend, thanks to Melissa McClain Photography and the bride & groom!  Watch for the purple font for Alicia's insight and inspiration.

The magnetic, postcard-sized Save the Date 

The beautiful invitation

The welcome bag for hotel guests: honey from the farm, a few Starbursts, water, homemade caramel pretzels, a map & a couple Gettysburg pamphlets and a weekend itinerary

The entire wedding weekend weather was perfect. Warm days with hints of Fall in the air and chilly but refreshing evenings. It was the ideal backdrop for Chai & Alicia's outdoor wedding. Upon arriving at the farm, guests parked in a field lot, then walked through this garden and gate toward the large Norway Maple tree, where the ceremony took place. 

I had a chance to speak with Jayne (the owner of the farm) the day of the wedding for a few minutes, and she told me that when she and her husband moved in and bought the farm years ago, she imagined their grandchildren getting married in the backyard one day. Last year, they converted their barn into an event space and decided to dedicate one day per weekend to a wedding or event on their property. With the garden, the farm, the view, the house (where bridesmaids and the bride get ready), the small groom's house (an air conditioned, relaxing space where the guys can get ready and hang out before a wedding, that is located within the garden), that gorgeous tree, the bonfire area (yes, really!), the sweet owners who were involved and present throughout the weekend and the countless spots for picture perfection, I was amazed by this venue over and over. Note: It's called Beech Springs Farm because there are beech trees behind the springhouse that are estimated to be over 200 years old. With lots of beech trees and springs on what was once a 350 acre farm, the history and beauty of this land are enticing, entrancing and enthralling. 

 I'm not sure whether any of Jayne's grandchildren have gotten married yet, and whether their weddings took place on that farm, but I know that our friends were lucky to have found such a wonderful space for their big day!

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is on the lookout for unique rustic wedding ideas, check out Beech Springs Farm's pinterest page!  

Why Beech Springs Farm for you?

We really loved our venue.  It was different than any other venue we had been to.  The owner was super nice, it was personal and they take really great care of it because it is also their home.  We loved, loved LOVED that as part of the venue we got a wedding "day of" coordinator, even though she did a lot more than just the day of.  Our wedding venue does not advertise - they do not go to wedding shows and they only book by word of mouth.  We were so lucky to book them, because they are now booked into 2016!

A glimpse of the barn, and the dress

The bride, groom and wedding party- sleek and sophisticated!  

What Advice Can You Offer to Future Brides & Grooms?

Try not to stress!! Easier said than done, but the day of, just let everything go the way it's going to go!  It's impossible not to stress during the planning, but on our wedding day, I made a conscientious effort not to get stressed about the schedule, and try to focus on the fact that I was marrying an amazing guy!

Our other tip would be to like your vendors and trust your gut. If you meet with someone and their price is right but you don't like them, you won't like what they do on your wedding day.  Also prioritize a few things and make sure those things are what you spend your money on.  We wanted great photos, and we made sure to get a photographer whose work we loved.  We prioritized photos, catering, and the venue.  I would say, don't settle on the things you want - just prioritize!!

(My other tip would be to elope and save your money and stress!  Go on an awesome vacation!)

Thanks again to Melissa McClain Photography for permission to share these gorgeous photos 

(notice her watermark on some, mixed in with my amateur shots). 

Two frames were suspended from the tree with a real vase of flowers hanging in the middle of each. Since it was hanging by a thread (a piece of fishing line?), the vase turned in the breeze, and it was such a creative touch! 

Cocktail hour was held outside on the lawn between the garden and the barn

Giant Jenga (which the bride's dad made!), a bean bag toss and bocce were all available and used by guests.

Bartenders provided wine and beer, servers butlered a few hors d'eouvres and a beautiful station of antipasto, fruits, veggies and spreads was set up outside (see vendor reviews below for photos). 

Ready for the reception? Check out Part 2 of this post here! 

Chai & Alicia's Rustic Fall Wedding- Beech Springs Farm (Part 2)

...Continued from here. 

Menu cards (placed in pocket-folded napkins) and place cards! 

Loved the gold signs on the bride & groom's seats, and the hints of purple and green around the table. 

Also, the mismatched, unique flower arrangements around the barn. 

What Made This Celebration Unique?

I did a lot of DIY projects that contributed toward the overall picture of the day. It was also a unique venue, and I loved our bonfire at the end!!  We heard from a lot of people that they thought it was a fun, relaxing way to end the evening. 

We also thought having a small wedding gave us a lot of time to enjoy the people who were there, and we got more face time with everyone than we would have if we invited 100+ people. It was one of our favorite parts of the day. 

Clockwise from top: The venue had a sleigh for gifts, including a secure bird cage for cards. 

The couple's 'guest book' was a wooden puzzle and guests were asked to sign a piece. 

Family photos of weddings past, and family members who hold a special place in the couple's hearts.

This awesome purple backdrop was made by a friend of the bride, and was so cool! 

The barn had a trough that was turned into a soda cooler. Brilliant!

Not pictured: A sign on the bar saying that the couple made a donation to the Human Rights Campaign, in favor of the right to marry, no matter who you love. 

  

Alicia's dad toasting to the happy couple

What Was Your Favorite Wedding Moment?

For me, it had to be walking down the aisle with my dad.  My dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer before I was 8.  He underwent experimental treatment at NIH, and had an amazing oncologist (who also happens to be the uncle of one of my law school friends!).  He was given a very short time to live, and to have him there was the most amazing thing I could ever wish for. 

...and from the groom? 
I'd have to say seeing Alicia walk down the aisle by a long shot. It was definitely worth the wait. 

The view looking down from the reception

The dessert table was AMAZING, and the quilt in the background was made by Alicia's mom! 

There were so many special touches throughout this couple's big day and weekend. 

Since the dessert station was already set up when we came into the barn, a sign sitting in front said, 'Please do not touch until the wedding cake it cut!'.  The selection of desserts included pies, (a naked!) wedding cake, laddu (an Indian confection with lots of sugar) and coffee. Yum!

Panoramic photo taken and shared by the couple's friend, Rocky. Thanks!

I have the most comfortable, heart-warming recollections of the bonfire at the end of the night. After the reception was over, any remaining guests were invited to join the couple, the parents and the owners of the farm by the fire. A table was set up with water, beer, and s'mores ingredients including (wait for it...) peanut butter cups, cookies and cream chocolate, and the traditional milk chocolate bars. 

It was a delicious and deliriously sweet way to end the day. 

Note: We were thankful that the bride and groom told us about it in advance, so we could bring a warmer change of clothes. 

Vendors- 

We loved our photographer, DJ, florist and venue - especially our photographer(s).  

Melissa, our photographer, was supposed to be out on maternity leave, and so we had a sub shooter, Harmony Boore, who has her own photography business, Philter Photography . 

Melissa ended up being able to come (!) and we got lucky and had 3 photographers at our wedding! We LOVED Melissa and Jason with Melissa McClain Photography.  I really felt like Melissa, Jason and Harmony wanted us to have a great day, great photos, and lots of memories.  I never once felt like they were there because it was a job, or because they just wanted to make money in the wedding "industry." We are SO thrilled we picked them.

We also loved our DJ, G2 DJ Services (Mark and Adam). They definitely kept everyone on the dance floor, and they did a great job at entertaining everyone.  They were tons of fun, laid back, and arrived before our contract time because they "wanted (our) wedding to be perfect"! I thought they were awesome, and I really enjoyed them!!

Our florist was Greystone Flower Farm in New Oxford. Nancy was so sweet, and she did an AWESOME job on our bouquets and bouts.  I loved everything about my flowers, and she was great.  She listened to what I had to say, and created amazing flowers for our day!!

Lastly, our venue.  I cannot say enough amazing things about our venue.  Stephanie (the coordinator who works with BSF) was so sweet, helpful, and amazing!!! She did so much for us before, on our day, and even after.  I could not have been happier with Beech Springs Farm, Jayne Shord (the owner) and Stephanie.  Also, the bonfire after was part of our wedding package, and we had so much fun!  They also made our day very special, and I didn't feel like just another bride and just another paycheck.  They truly cared about us having a good day and having a great time.  We really lucked out with our vendors, and they made the difference between a good day and a great day!!

Photographed by Jason G McClain, Harmony E. Boore, & Melissa McClain

The beautiful antipasto display outside (festively decorated for Fall), the delicious pear gorgonzola salad, and the two entrees, Tuna Steak & shrimp, and the juiciest (beef) steak you can imagine, 

all grilled right outside of the barn. 

Catering: Fabios Events Catering

Dress: Renaissance Bridal 

Suit: Jos. A. Bank

Officiant: Joyce Shutt 

Hair: Serenity Salon & Spa of Gettysburg

Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn, Gettysburg

Rehearsal Dinner: Fidler & Co. Craft Kitchen

Thanks, Chai & Alicia for sharing your big day, in person and on Wediquette! Thanks again, Melissa McClain Photography, and as always, we wish the happy couple the very best in their marriage and lives together!

Christine & Josh's Wine-Themed Wedding 6.14.13

"Our Wedding was...unforgettable and hands down, the best day of our lives". 

- Christine & Josh Sheller

What Made This Celebration Unique?

The newlyweds love wine, so they decided to go with a wine theme for their wedding. They chose merlot-colored dresses for the bridesmaids, made place card holders out of corks, created centerpieces using wine bottles, corks and real grapes for guests to enjoy.  Their cake was decorated with purple grapes and a wine glass, and they put together a wine cork board with pictures from each year that they were dating. Christine received an 'S' made out of corks as a gift for her shower, so she decided to put that out by the place cards. They displayed pictures of parents and grandparents at their weddings next to the card box and 'guest book'- 5 wine bottles (with labels removed) that guests signed with silver markers for the couple to enjoy on their 1st-5th anniversaries (if the wine lasts that long)! 

Venue-  RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve, Phoenixville, PA

"Our ideal venue had to have FOUR things: big bridal suite, beautiful outdoor ceremony setting, beautiful INDOOR ceremony setting (in case it rained!), and a ballroom that was spacious with at least two bartenders. We looked at several venues, but all of them were flawed in at least one area and we were not okay with just settling for that!

RiverCrest exceeded all of our expectations when we first toured the venue. It had more than enough room in the bridal suite, which was perfect, knowing that we were going to bring stylists and a makeup artist on site and that they'd have lots of room to work! The pool ceremony location was breathtaking and unique--I don't think many brides could say they got married around a pool area with a luscious waterfall in the background! If it were to rain on the wedding day, Plan B (ceremony under the terrace) and Plan C (the Roberts Room) were equally beautiful places to have a ceremony.  We felt totally comfortable knowing that if it were to rain, the ceremony would still be gorgeous. Finally, the ballroom was very roomy and could easily accommodate a head table for 16 people. The tables could fit anywhere from 8-12 people so we could ensure that our guests weren't too squished. We also found out that there would be two bar locations during the reception, which we knew was perfect so that our guests wouldn't have to wait in long lines for beverages!"

Destination: Honeymoon- Punta Cana

Christine & Josh flew to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and stayed at The Excellence Resort. They feel that it was incredible--they were treated like royalty the entire week! It was all-inclusive, so they only had to pay for tips and a horseback riding excursion. It's adults only and about 90% of guests at the time were honeymooners, so it was fun to meet people that also got married on the same day/weekend! There were 10 restaurants to choose from, mini-golf and tennis courts on site, a wildlife preserve with flamingos and parrots to see, large pools to relax in, a private beach, and a stunning view! The food was great at each restaurant, the beverages were delightful and the service was phenomenal. There was nightly entertainment at the theater that never disappointed. Their favorite activity was the two-hour horseback ride on the beach and into the countryside. Boogie boarding in the warm waves and snorkeling were close seconds!

ADVICE TO HONEYMOONERS:

1. Tip the bartenders and they'll be sure to remember your drinks all week and make them strong!

2. Get an oceanview room--it's definitely worth it!

3. Bring sunblock! One bottle of lotion was selling for $30-$40!

4. When you make your reservation, put it under the groom's last name. The staff was calling Christine & Josh "Mr. & Mrs. Palladino" (her maiden name) all week.  They thought it was funny and didn't correct anyone!

Advice for Future Brides & Grooms-
The bride's advice would be to relax on the wedding day and know that everything will fall into place.

Favorite Wedding Moment-

Christine has two favorite wedding moments: The first was when she saw Josh for the first time during the "First Reveal" photo shoot. The second favorite moment was the ceremony itself. Josh was giggling the whole time and it kept making her laugh (he insisted that the bridal party was making funny faces). It calmed her nerves to be up there with him and the reverend even made a joke about it to the guests. It made for a fun, lighthearted ceremony.

Some of Christine & Josh's Favorite Wedding Day Photos- 

Vendor Information-

Christine & Josh adored their vendors and are happy to share information.

Officiant- Reverend Philip Sciscione, based out of Manayunk

Photographers- Married couple, Tom and Holly Fuller, based out of Chester County

DJ- Gerry "The Dancing DJ" Kudach, 610-209-2161

Congratulations again, Christine & Josh!

By the way...

Want to check out some great wedding tunes? Check out this post, which is updated often!

Putting together bathroom baskets? Click here for great tips and inspiration! 

Are you (or your wedding party members) in a wedding party and not quite sure what to do next? Check out this post  to get prepped and rock it! 

Have you thought about what you'll do with your dress after the big day? This post has some great ideas!

Check out the most popular posts along the sidebar (scroll up!), including Weddings Across the Board- a series devoted to the cultural & traditional awesomeness that goes into wedding celebrations around the world- with coordinating Pinterest boards.

Don't forget to check out, follow & share the Wediquette Pinterest page!  

Do you have a request for a wedding or party-related post? Leave a comment!