Pennsylvania Weddings

This couple got it right. They picked a beyond gorgeous venue that needed very little decor. They chose a phenomenal photographer, mk Photography, to capture their day right. And they each married their best friend. That part you can tell from the looks they give each other. The sweet little glances at their newly wed, the meaningful eye contact that only two people in love can have. All I have to say is, good thing mk Photography was on hand to capture those sweet looks, because now they have a full, emotion-filled account of the day. See what I mean in the gallery!

We first met each other in August 2008 on a rock climbing day trip organized by a mutual friend.  We small talked a bit, but I don’t think either of us guessed then that we would end up dating each other.  We crossed paths again a couple months later when a second rock climbing trip fell through at the last minute.  I asked Evan if he instead wanted to go for a hike at Great Falls, just outside of Washington, DC, where we were both living at the time.  We had a great time together and pretty much started dating right after that.

At that time, Evan was in the process of applying to graduate schools out west.  Only a few months later, when it came time for him to decide which school to enroll in, I had just gotten laid off from my job at an architecture firm and was up for the adventure of moving to a new city.  We decided on Vancouver together and in August 2009 packed everything we owned into a Penske truck and drove across and out of the country!

Our relationship has grown so strong since we have been here, and on the first day of spring in 2010, Evan packed a surprise picnic and took me to Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver, where we hiked and picnicked on a rock outcropping just like we did on the day at Great Falls.  He proposed there with a gorgeous ring that he designed himself and had made by a local artisan.  It was perfect!  We watched the sun set over the beautiful Strait of Georgia, which also meant hiking back in the dark (very funny, and a little scary!).
We originally wanted to have a small wedding out here in Vancouver, but realized it would be much easier on our families to have it close to home.  We happened to make that decision while we were in Pennsylvania visiting, so in just a day or two, we ran around to look at different venues.  Greenville was a no-brainer.  It is beautiful and we are both so outdoorsy that we knew we wanted an outdoor wedding.

We couldn’t afford to fly back east again before the wedding, so all the rest of the planning was done from afar.  We used vendor recommendations from Greenville to find the rest of our vendors. We asked our Pastor from when we lived in Washington, DC if he would preside at the wedding.  He had gotten to know us a bit while we were in DC and was able to add the most wonderful personal touch to our ceremony.

My mom and aunt flew out here to take me wedding dress shopping, which was extremely nice of them!  We stuck with only our siblings in our bridal party, and I asked my sisters to pick out their own dresses (they coordinated them on their own) and Evan’s brother wore a suit he already had.  Evan and I were fairly laid back about the planning.  While as designers we had a general look that we were going for, we had no desire to get caught up in the details.

I think we really understood that it was a day to celebrate our commitment with each other, and our families and friends.  Not a work project to be designed or perfected.  I think that worked well for us because we had such a great day, even with the record-breaking heat!  Everyone was worried about it,except for us.  Perhaps living so far away in a rainy cold climate, we were happy for a sweaty hot day surrounded by family and friends!

Bride’s Dress:  Paloma Blanca from Isabelle’s Bridal / Brides Hair Flower:  Isabella’s Bridal / Shoes:  Nine West / Bridesmaids Dresses:  Alfred Angelo / Flower girl: Alfred Angelo / Photography: mk Photography

After yesterdays delish food, we’re all a bit stuffed, but we do have one more feast for your eyes before we let you go for the weekend. Don’t worry, it’s calorie free! We’ve got the week of pretty weddings all served up on a platter to wash down the turkey and mashed potatoes of yesterday – the perfect dessert in my humble opinion. Well that and a nice big piece of pumpkin pie. Make sure to have a wonderful weekend, andwe’ll be here bright and early Monday morning, back to business, with more of this fabulous wedding from MK Photography! xoxo

Photography by MK Photography

The week of weddings, all in one spot – in case you missed any:

a soft and oh-so-romantic Navy wedding in Texas
a crisp autumn wedding in Canada, uniting the sweetest of high school sweethearts
a modern and chic art gallery soiree in Colorado
a gorgeous Long Island vineyard affair
a fantastically exciting highlight film with the most adorable Ohio couple
a southern garden soiree to die for in Tennessee

A few of our favorite things, courtesy of the world wide web:

a fantastic Thanksgiving rehearsal dinner via Ruffled
a cranberry bourbon sauce perfect for the holidays via Design*Sponge
a winter board from Veils & Vows we’d love to see come to life via our Inspiration Builder

Gorgeous bride? Check. Luscious florals? Got it. Delicious cake? Definitely looking scrumptious. Amazing story with just enough difficulties that it could definitely be a best selling romantic comedy? You bet. This Delaware wedding from the ever-wonderful mk Photography, has it all. It’s the perfect piece of wedded bliss. I can’t pick out one single detail that I love the most. The dress, the venue, the centerpieces, the veil, everything. It’s all just a big giant tie. Lucky for all of us, there is a whole lot more of this gorgeous wedding in the full image gallery!

Will and I met the second semester of our freshman year at Tulane University in New Orleans. I was from Delaware and he was an Oklahoma native. We were from two very different places with two very different backgrounds. Will grew up on a farm in a small Oklahoma town and I was an East Coast girl. We dated for three months and then summer hit and we each headed back home until the fall semester. Little did we know, this would be the first of several separations. On August 29th, 2005 I flew back to New Orleans and was picked up by Will at the airport. I had two frantic missed calls on my phone, one from my father, and another from a school friend in Baton Rouge, “Get out of the city,” they said, “A hurricane’s coming.”

We evacuated New Orleans that day and didn’t return to the city until January 2006. Upon returning for what should have been second semester of our sophomore year, Will’s engineering program was cut, and he made heartbreaking decision to  transfer to the University of Tulsa.  For the second time if felt like a rug had been swept from beneath our feet. The thought of maintaining a long-distance relationship for the remainder of our college careers (three years!) was daunting to say the least.

Dozens of crazy phone bills, plane tickets, and airport good-bye’s later , we had made it! Maddie and Will graduated – check. Maddie moved to Oklahoma – check. Maddie and Will were living in the same state, thriving in a non-long-distance relationship – finally!

Two years later Will popped the quested on bended knee in Jackson Square, New Orleans, Louisiana. For the life of me I cannot remember what Will said (and he can’t remember either). For those several seconds I didn’t hear anything, I just saw him kneeling, the ring in his hand and felt his hand grab mine. I burst into tears and we hugged for what felt like forever. I was nodding like a crazy person. Being a Sunday morning the square was bustling and a group of tourists clapped and whistled. Two girls asked us to replay the moment so they could take a picture. It was one of the most thrilling moments of my life. This was of course before the wedding day.

There were three things I absolutely would not compromise on when it came to our venue. I wanted the ceremony outside. I wanted the reception tented. And I wanted it to be place that required no decoration, a place that was naturally beautiful. I imagine that finding your wedding venue is similar to finding your wedding dress. You just know. You feel it. When I walked into Greenville Country Club, I knew it was the place. The expansive green field, the garden, the trees, the brick terrace; It was perfect!

For Will and I, New Orleans is our shared ground. Its where Will proposed, its where we fell in love, its where we started our relationship, and that city has seen the best and worst of us. If felt right that it should be a part of our wedding day. A French quarter garden became the inspiration for the scene. The fleur de lis seemed a natural symbol to use for invitations, seating cards, programs, gift bags. I wanted everything to make sense together, but I didn’t want it to be a theme wedding.

Will and I repeated the vows that my Mother spoke to my father on their wedding day, 29 years ago. They were exactly how Will and I felt and what we wanted to say to each other. My brother performed an original song at the reception for Will and I as our wedding gift. It was the most amazing gift I’ve ever received.

I vividly remember standing with my father waiting to walk down the aisle. I had my hand on his shoulder and he was holding my hand. It was in that moment that it actually hit me. I was getting married today.

Dress: Watters, Lasara / Ceremony and Reception Location: Greenville Country Club / Florals: Sweet Peas of Jennersville / Hair & Make Up: Claudia Seyler / Cake: Liz Marden / Entertainment: Toner Sound / Photography: mk Photography

If you love classic elegance this next wedding is going to knock your socks off!  The stunning photographs from Gabe Aceves totally transported me to the set of an old Hollywood movie.  It’s like the dramatic closing scene where the boy and girl finally reunite and take off together into the sunset.  The bride just exudes timeless beauty and who doesn’t love a groom in a jumpsuit!  How much fun must it have been to be a guest flying around in a vintage WWII plane with the groom (also the pilot!) the morning of the wedding?  And those bridesmaids’ dresses might be the prettiest I have ever seen!  There is even more from the photographer’s flight and these romantic nuptials  in the gallery!

Check out the full gallery for even more dreamy inspiration!

From photographer, Gabe Aceves –

“Kathleen and Andrew’s day started off with a surprise. Andrew is a licensed pilot and flies vintage WWII planes. The morning was spent flying guests around at a local airstrip, me included.

They had a beautiful church wedding before heading to the garden and patio area of the Greenville Country Club for cocktails and a reception.

The girls wore soft green/blue flowing dresses that completely complement Kathleen and Andrew’s laid back style. It also complemented the all white tent/patio color schemes with small pops of green in the flowers.

The whole day felt classical and timeless, the locations were historic and summed up the style of an elegant Mid-Atlantic wedding.”

Photographer: Gabe Aceves  / Ceremony: St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church / Reception: Greenville Country Club  / Bride’s Dress: Anjolique  / Florist: Wild Thyme / Invitations: Dickinson University Print Shop / Calligrapher: Rosy Baldwin / Lavender Place Cards: DIY by bride, mother and bridesmaids

There is something so sweet about this little wedding. Photographer, Natalie Watson, sent it our way and I have to say…it completely charmed me. From the adorable couple to the pretty, understated details, I heart everything about this adorable affair.

Tosha & Will’s soft, intimate hometown wedding took place in Greeneville, Tennessee. The couple had a traditional service followed by an intimate dessert reception all done at the church. Every aspect of the wedding was made personal — the grooms pie made by Will’s grandmother, an acoustic guitar was played during ceremony by Will’s uncle, the table numbers were created from a cedar tree in their backyard, the get away 46 Ford Coupe was provided by Tosha’s great uncle, the couple was married on Will’s grandparents 61st wedding anniversary.

As for the details, the couple used their old love letters as ringbearer pillows and held the letters they read right before the ceremony, they hung old photographs of couples in their lives (parents, grandparents, siblings, etc.) For the dessert reception, Tosha & Will took a huge piece of plywood and painted it with chalk board paint and used it as a seating chart. You can see more of the wedding right here.

Vendors: Location at First Presbyterian Church, Greeneville, TN / Photography by Dan & Natalie Watson, Watson-Studios / Flowers and Catering: Beverly at Main Street Catering (Jonesborough, TN) / Wedding Cake: Embree House Wedding cakes (Jonesborough, TN) / Groom’s Pies were made by Will’s grandmother / Programs were made by Jessica Miller from JessLehry Designs and thebudgetsavvybride.com