Welkinweir Arboretum and Gardens Wedding

Stephanie Weers
January 20, 2014
Categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

As these two sweeties proved, sometimes finding love happens when you very least expect it. And after that chance meeting plus nine years of dating, they opted to tie the knot with the celebration they so deserved. Yasmin Khajavi Photography was on hand to capture, and you can bet the gallery is the best place to be!

Colors

Seasons

Summer Weddings

Settings

Tented

Styles

Classic Weddings

From the Bride… Post college graduation Euro-trip in the summer of 2004 was when the rest of my life started. A west coast boy (Scott) was hostel/couch surfing around Europe meeting up with fraternity brothers who were spending their semesters abroad. Meanwhile, an east coast girl (me) was traveling with her best friend in Europe visiting every major city, site, and gelataria there was around.

My friend had to go home early for a wedding she was in, so I ventured alone to this little town called Bayeux in France, near Normandy. There was one other American staying at the hostel in Bayeux, and that was Mr. Scott Tripple in his signature red North Face fleece. We met around the shared dining table of the hostel, started traveling the same direction, and fell in love somewhere between France and Morocco.

Nine years later, after one cross-country move and numerous other travel destinations, we embarked upon the most important and special adventure two people can share together – marriage. He proposed in a hidden little garden in Philadelphia on April Fool’s Day which still makes me smile to this day. We wanted our wedding to be romantic and elegant with a little whimsical thrown in to make our guests feel relaxed. We loved the idea of being surrounded by nature so a garden setting was ideal for us. When we saw Welkinweir in Pottstown it immediately felt right with gorgeous gardens, a scenic pond, a beautiful stone estate backdrop, and charm infused throughout.

15 months of planning and one week of habitually checking the weather channel, the day had arrived – we were so excited! After a month of daily thunderstorms, our wedding day had bright blue skies with a pleasant dash of humidity (I’ll take it). Blue and white hydrangeas peppered the grounds that time of year and made Welkinweir feel like our own secret garden. The photography opportunities are endless at this venue.

That day my first glance of Scott felt like I was seeing him for the first time all over again, except this time as my husband. We strived to make our ceremony and reception unique and reflect our personalities. The lawn games brought our families and friends together for some lighthearted competition. The his & her drinks were a hit on a hot summer day, plus I think everyone liked trying something completely new! The picture frames were filled with family wedding photos and the fashion trends through history were hysterical. The globe guest book makes me smile every time I look at the places people love.

I’m not the most crafty person in the world, but I tackled some simple DIY projects like the program fans, wine bottle table numbers, and jars filled with Jelly Bellys as favors (our favorite candy). I also made welcome bags with treats unique to Seattle and Philadelphia – our two hometowns. The reception included some whimsical elements like my groom in a wig, heart sunglasses of every color and lots of hula hooping mixed in with the dancing. Our kind of party. My dad and I did a three part first dance starting with slow song which turned into a swing dance and ended with a few Gangnam Style moves. Seasonal pies from our favorite downtown pie shop located just a few blocks from where we live made our guests weak in the knees. At the end of the evening, lightening bugs came out to add a spontaneous touch to the night given that most of our west coast guests had never seen them before. We just loved each moment of this day.

With the help of all of our amazing vendors, we were able to capture elegance in our own way. We had an evening to remember, all captured in timeless photography by the talented Yasmin Khajavi, catered by Jeffrey Miller Catering Company, and a rockin’ dance mix supplied by Nick DiGiulio of White Label Wedding DJs.