Pennsylvania Weddings

This bride is one lucky lady. Not only did she marry her love in what has got to be the prettiest ceremony ever, but her BFF is Lori of wildflowers by design, so you know that wedding was absolutely gorgeous. Gorgeous. All the beautiful details were captured by (mattnnat) photographers, and this gallery is a good one!

October 20th 2012 turned out to be a gorgeous fall day, a perfect setting for our glam estate wedding! Drumore Estate in southern Lancaster County is a breathtaking Georgian style mansion with panoramic views of the Susquehanna River Valley. Situated on 70 acres, the 16,000 square foot home is surrounded by immaculate, lush botanical gardens, a fountain garden & plenty of open space for dancing, dining & even a hot air balloon! Lori quickly became super involved in every part of the planning process, since she has many connections to industry professionals & friendships between vendors.

Heidi & Brian love chic, clean, sophisticated design, & love of family & celebration are who they are. All became the starting point of planning, it was so important to have a wedding to share with their guests, one remembered to be warm, loving, & harmonious to each detail. A color palette was quickly picked, embracing the fall season, with subtle sophistication. Warm peach, melon, & muted terra cotta tones, mixed with taupe, ivory & metallics. Stately Drumore, became more magical with all its trees showing orange & golden tone fall foliage. Many, many details pulled together to make the night completely magical. Crystal chandeliers, a draping fabric tent liner, speciality linens, beautiful chavari chairs, candlelight, delicious sweets & savory food, custom stationary & a celebratory table layout made it perfect to share with all our guests. Flowers of course, were a huge role, thousands of beautiful roses, orchids, & hydrangea were used. Tons of mercury glass containers, silver bowls, stemmed candle vases, silver candelabra & oversized glass vases brought beauty to each setting. We decided on a unique table layout mixing square & round tables to allow a huge head table for each bridal party member & guest, along with the bride & groom, completely centered in the tent. Two large additional tables were formed off of each end, so parents of the bride & groom could dine with their closest family members & friends.

Most important was us showing our love for each other & our Heavenly Father. We chose to exchange traditional vows & communion, & had a very special prayer of blessing from Brian’s grandfather, our only living grandfather. Few dry eyes & many comments followed the ceremony saying it was the most heartfelt union witnessed. Lori wanted to give something completely special & unique to Heidi, so a breathtaking aisle way was created for her to walk down, towards all her guests & groom! Over 3000 white rose petals were used to create a beautiful scrolling pattern; completed with fabric draped columns holding gorgeous white rose designs. Additional mercury glass bowls of white roses lined the aisle. Using the mansion as the backdrop & allowing guests to walk through the gardens to find seating, it was stunning. Guests were able to view beautiful canvases hand painted by the groom’s sister, with favorite scriptures of the couple, all while sipping fresh pressed cider from the neighboring farm at the welcome table. A scrolling “P” monogram was used throughout the custom printed programs & stationary suite, inspired in part from some of the beautiful linens.

One of the biggest challenges for me (Lori) was making sure Heidi & Brian were completely surprised by the tent reveal & all the elements inside. Since Heidi has seen so much of my work, & we worked closely together planning details, it was important to me to have her wedding like no other! In leu of a traditional wedding present, I decided to have crystal chandeliers added to the tent, bringing more light & sparkle to an already magical night. Hundreds of candles, twinkling lights, & reflective metal containers added even more ambiance. We had talked about color palette, flower choices & style, but Heidi was completely amazed when she entered the tent the first time. It’s a look I’ll cherish forever. Grand designs of white hydrangea, roses, & orchids, along with calla lilies graced the long tables, while mixed designs of peach, tangerine, melon, & coral toned roses, orchids, stock, & berries framed the tent. Guests found their seat by a custom printed napkin wrap featuring their name & menu. After eating savory steak & salmon, guests were treated to an elaborate sweets display. Complete with a tiered cake, 3 flavors of cupcakes & numerous sweets, everyone had fun sampling the yumminess! As a surprise, Heidi gave Brian a Philadelphia Eagles groom’s cake, & both amused the guests by entering the tent with NFL Monday night football theme song, since both are sports fans near the Phila area. After dancing under the stars, as a final farewell, guests grabbed bags of homemade cookies & watched Heidi & Brian light up the night in their hot air balloon!

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Wedding Photography: (mattnnat) photographers | Wedding Venue: Drumore Estate | Floral Design, Event Design, + Event Planning: Wildflowers by Design | Wedding Cinematography: Ryan Stoltzfus | Wedding Cake & Sweets Table: The Couture Cakery | Catering: Karen Regitz (co-owner of Drumore Estate) | Wedding Stationary, Invitations, Menu Bands, Seating Chart, Welcome Sign, Bar Menu, Table numbers, Custom Monogram Stickers: Love Jessica | Makeup: Carmina Cristina | Hair & Nails: Plum Salon & Spa | Wedding Dress: Cocoa Couture | Veil: In White | Alterations: Country Threads by Gail | Bride’s Shoes: DSW | Bride’s Jewelry: Tower of London Jewelry Shop | Engagement Ring: Littman Jewelers | Wedding Rings: Kay Jewelers | Bridesmaid Dresses: The Bridal Emporium | Groom and Groomsmen Suits: Marc Anthony Designer Suits from Kohl’s | Linens: Special Occasions | Tent Liners, Chiavari Chairs, Chandeliers: Event Central | Hot Air Balloon: American Freedom | Custom Scripture Canvases & Here Comes the Bridge Sign: Janelle Parson | Custom Table Number Frames, Wedding Sign and Custom Signs for Bride & Groom to hold: Heidi Allison | Custom Hair Pieces for Bride: Jessica Bauer | Officiant: Pastor John Szymanski | Ceremony Musicians: Rick Taylor and Frank Grill

As a girl who makes more weekly trips to Starbucks than I care to admit, this next coffee-themed wedding caught both my eye, and my latte loving heart. Set at the most picturesque Pennsylvania manor, the couple crafted a wedding paying homage to their English and Irish heritages, while celebrating their mutual love for all things coffee. wildflowers by design crafted the florals that stunned while Jeremy Hess Photographers captured each and every detail you can’t dare miss. Grab a refill of your favorite java and join me in the  full gallery right here!

From the Bride… Our journey began with a proposal that included photos, happy tears and a family heirloom art deco style diamond and sapphire ring. Chris asked me to be his wife while relaxing on our favorite bench in Seward Park, Seattle Washington in the shadows of Mt. Rainier. Being that Chris and I were both call Pennsylvania home a wedding back on the East Coast was only fitting. Though it made for some interesting planning via Skype, email and Google Docs no detail was overlooked. We could not have pulled our amazing day off if it weren’t for our wonderful families and incredible vendors. Riverdale Manor was chosen sight unseen as both our ceremony and reception venue and we could not have been happier. We stalked the weather in the weeks leading up to our day, the hurricane’s abated and we were blessed with a truly magnificent day. The grounds were breathtaking and we exchanged our vows to the soothing sounds of the Conestoga River behind us. The staff at Riverdale Manor was absolute perfection and helped my wedding dreams come to fruition. Our classically elegant, fall, coffee themed wedding was flawlessness.To pull off our fete we had quite bit of help that included a local farmer graciously donating an acre of land for us to plant heirloom white, brown and green pumpkins. Our families scoured antique markets and yard sales to collect antique white milk glass for the reception centerpieces. While all of this work was being done over on the East Coast I, in Seattle, was meeting with dress designer, Sally Crew and the gals at La Belle Elaine’s to design and custom make a sash which included lace from my mom’s wedding gown.

Our wedding day started with the bridesmaids and the mothers of the bride and groom adorning personalized ready shirts that I made and the champagne started flowing. The make-up artist arrived as did the photographer; the dress was donned and unveiled to the bridal party for the first time and then it was off to Riverdale. A basket of antique handkerchiefs greeted our guests as they arrived to catch all their “happy tears” along with a Program sign that I designed. I walked down the aisle which was lined with pictures of our grandparents and parents on their respective wedding days carrying a bouquet of flowers that included rosemary for remembrance and thistle in honor of the Grooms heritage. I was preceded by our flower girls who carried baskets filled with white pumpkins and gray tulle. Signature wedding drinks of Pimms Cup #1 for Chris’ English side and an Irish Kiss for my heritage were served at the bar decorated with the countries flags, shamrocks and thistle. The hour Cocktail Hour Games had a techy spin to them included guests scanning QR codes which then directed them to our wedding website.

Coffee sleeve escort cards in large wooden boxes packed with coffee beans helped guests to their seats where the flower girls found homemade coloring books and certain guests found a special note congratulating them for “winning” the 2 pairs of white pumpkin salt and paper shakers. The rest of guests were treated to travel coffee mug favors. The sweetheart table décor included Mr. & Mrs. chair signs that I made along with Mr. and Mrs. wine glass charms. Wooden cat cake toppers were on hand to represent the two furry family members who were left back in Seattle. An absolutely amazing DJ who in addition to spinning a phenomenal mix of songs got out and brake danced with the guests long into the night. Finally guests were escorted to the front of the manner house and handed massive to send us off. As the guests made their way to the hotel in the shuttle Welcome Bags that included local goodies as well as a picture of the bride and groom with each guests from days gone by greeted them as a final thank you. It was a truly magical day and I hope all the guests enjoyed all the personal touches as much as I did.

Wedding Photography: Jeremy Hess Photographers / Wedding Venue: Riverdale Manor in Lancaster, Pennsylvania / Wedding Planning+ Design: Riverdale Manor + Tara White  / Floral Design: wildflowers by design / Wedding Cinematography: Big City Video / Wedding Cake: Linda’s Cakery / Wedding Cake Toppers: Pokeberry Patch Handmade / Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas / DJ: DJ Freez / Wedding Dress: Sally Crew via La Belle Elaine’s / Bride’s Shoes: Endless / Hair: Fever Salon +  Visage a’ Visage / Makeup: Make-up by Chelsea / Bridal Party Gifts: Jill Griffin Jewelry

Get ready, because Brooke Courtney Photography is bringing it today. The wedding on hand is candlelight and romance, stunning fashion and flower girls, and a couple tying the knot with style coming out of every gorgeous corner of Cork Factory Hotel. wildflowers by design added to the romantic ambiance with their all-white floral design, and the best part? We’ve got a gallery filled to bursting with even more gorgeous.

Click here to see the whole stunning soiree in the gallery!

Joe and I met in college while working at a local bar together, and after being friends for over a year we realized this was something way more then a friendship. He was my best friend and the man I wanted to spend my forever with.

I discovered the Cork Factory Hotel while searching for wedding venues with my cousin and I made a mental note that when it was my turn, I had to be married there! Luckily, when Joe proposed a few months later, he fell in love with the venue as much as I did.

We wanted our wedding to be laid back and fun, but also elegant and classic at the same time. With such a beautiful backdrop, we decided to keep the details simple. We chose a variation of all white flowers. The bridesmaids wore gray chiffon gowns and the groomsmen were in classic black suits. One feature that I think really represented us was having two acoustic guitarists play and sing throughout our ceremony and cocktail hour. They played “Stand by Me” as the bridal party walked down the aisle and “Here Comes the Sun” as Joe and I were pronounced husband and wife.

It was extremely important to me to involve our family in the wedding process as much as possible. The table numbers were made from my aunt and uncles’s old slate barn roof which we cut and painted numbers on. The jelly favors were handmade by my family as well as all of the chalkboards. Another resource I used was etsy. There are such creative people and ideas on there, and I highly recommend utilizing it.

My favorite part of our wedding day (can you really have a favorite?!) was our first look. Because we were having a night wedding, we wanted to take outdoor pictures beforehand. I loved walking up behind Joe and tapping him on the shoulder and then seeing his face when he saw me for the first time. I will always cherish that moment!

From the time we got engaged until the last day of our honeymoon it was a complete whirlwind. We are so grateful to everyone who helped make our dream wedding come true. It was the best day of our lives!

Photography: Brooke Courtney Photography / Flowers: Wildflowers by Design / Event Coordination: Planned Perfection / Venue: Cork Factory Hotel / Food and Cake: Cork Factory Hotel / Wedding Gown: Essense of Australia from Renaissance Bridal / Sash: Custom made / Brides Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Stationery: Persnickety Invitation Studio / Hair and Make Up: Plum Salon and Spa / Ceremony Music: Hake and Jarema / Videography: Post Script Productions / DJ: Occasions Disc Jockeys / Jelly Favor Tags: The Ruffly Owl / Guest Book Stones: The Papery Nook / Bridesmaid Dresses: Bill Levkoff

I think I’ve found the cutest chapel in the entire world and it’s tucked away in the woods on an old horse farm turned brewery and seats just sixteen people. It’s almost too cute for words. This adorable couple is all about supporting local businesses so everything from the beer to the flowers to the food was sourced nearby. Responsible and oh-so-pretty have collided and the result is one fabulous party with perfect images from Studio Uma. Click here for all the fun details.

 

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… When Donnie and I started planning our wedding, the most important thing to us was that it be FUN and feel like us. So we focused less on the traditional wedding components and more on throwing a fun party. Because Donnie owns a wine shop, libations played a big part in the festivities. We had over two dozen craft brews by the bottle, plus Columbus Brewing Company on tap, over a dozen wines and a handful of signature cocktails featuring locally-made liquors like OYO vodka and Watershed Distillery gin. We also are very into food and are big supporters of all things local, so we tried to feature as many local products as we could, from the flowers grown on a farm up the road (we ran very close to the end of the season but luckily had a late frost!) to having a friend design our invitations that featured our heart (over the wedding location) in Ohio logo. For centerpieces we cleaned and spray-painted lots of bottle and jars, and I popped flowers in them randomly. The invites were a great precursor to the evening’s fun, from the cheeky wording and fun chevron envelope lining (hand-cut and glued by me!) to the mad-lib style RSVP postcards.

The party took place at the local Rockmill Brewery, which is situated on a beautiful old horse farm. We set up a tent outside the beautifully restored farmhouse, which we surrounded with food trucks! Wanting something for everyone, we had tacos, gourmet sandwiches, pizza, and local favorite Jeni’s Ice Cream. Jeni’s crew even made a special flavor for the evening featuring Rockmill’s Dubbel beer. We had Rockmill’s owner Matthew do a beer tasting at the beginning of the party, with which we paired cheeses (some local) and chocolate, plus my dad’s famous pistachio pork pâté and crab dip. For dessert, in addition to Jeni’s, we set up a s’mores bar down by the fire. Our guests were sent home with dark chocolate truffles I made with Rockmill beer and topped with sea salt we brought back from our first vacation together.

The party was preceded by a very intimate ceremony in the tiny chapel sitting on the property. It barely seats 16, so only our immediate family and closest friends were able to join. Even that felt festive because the small space meant that we could laugh with each other during the personal ceremony. We escaped for a few moments for photos with Uma afterwards to take advantage of the naturally beautiful setting. It was truly an amazing and fun day, and we love that our friends and family are still talking about how unique and awesome our wedding was!

Wedding Photography: Studio Uma / Wedding Venue: Rockmill Brewery in Lancaster, Ohio / Floral Design: Sunny Meadows Flower Farm / Wedding Invitations: Marit Hanson Weddings / Food Trucks: Mojo Tago, Skillet, Mikey’s Late Night Slice + Jeni’s Ice Cream / Wedding Dress: Mori Lee via Wendy’s Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Nine West / Hair: Max the Salon

I am at a loss for words over this Pennsylvania wedding. And that is some feat, to leave this blogger speechless. The soft color palette, the romantic setting, every single photograph from TENNISON PHOTOGRAPHY filled with amazing details and so much love, they all have left me stunned. From the invites, courtesy of Designs by Renée, to the floral design, all thanks to All Things Beautiful, to that gorgeous, gorgeous couple, I have nothing more to say. I just want you to fully enjoy this wedding, as I definitely have – so pop over to the gallery for more!

Jordan and I met in college after being introduced by mutual friends. After dating for five years Jordan proposed one week before Christmas. Loving all things romantic I have dreamed of my wedding day since I was a young girl. So it was only fitting that I dove right into planning. Early on in our planning I was introduced to Style Me Pretty by my friend Renee (Designs by Renee), who also designed our beautiful letter pressed wedding invitations and coordinating paper stationary. I was immediately hooked, visiting the website multiple times a day! It was such an inspiration in not only providing details for our wedding, but amazing advice and stories from other brides and grooms.

I could not imagine our wedding anywhere else other then the town I grew up in. Our ceremony was held in the church where I was baptized and had my first communion. Our reception was held at a private residence that happens to be my aunt and uncles home. Although our reception was held outdoors, we wanted a formal wedding with a romantic feel. I loved that Jordan and I could design our celebration from start to finish incorporating our personalities and interests into every last detail.

My mom was my partner in crime throughout the planning process. Whether it was traveling up and down the east coast to find the perfect antique birdcage for our cards or rummaging through old photos of our grandparents and great grandparents on their wedding day, we had such a fun time. Even my dad joined in on the fun taking dance lessons and surprising all our guests with a choreographed father-daughter dance, something completely out of his element.

After a year and a half of planning and waiting, torrential downpours and record flooding reminisce of Tropical Storm Lee threatened our day. Unable to get the tents and rentals in, we almost had to completely move our reception location to an indoor venue. Two days later on our wedding day September 10, 2011 the rain gave way to beautiful blue skies and our reception was able to go on as planned.

Absolutely everything turned out perfect and our day was amazing, sprinkled with beautiful blush, ivory and gold details! We were so fortunate to work with the most wonderful wedding professionals that took our vision and turned it into reality. It was the best day of our lives and we are so happy we could celebrate our marriage with all our amazing family and friends.

Photography: Tennison Photography / Cinematography: Neil Benjers, Blue Sky Films / Flowers: All Things Beautiful / Event Design: Shumaker PDT / Event Planning: Planned Perfection / Ceremony Location: Redeemer Lutheran Church / Reception Location: Private Residence / Invitations: Designs By Renée / Shoes: Valentino and Jimmy Choo / Dress: Melissa Sweet, Bee via Priscilla of Boston / Linens: La Tavola Linens / Catering: The Greenfield Restaurant & Bar / Bridesmaid Dresses: Lela Rose via Hitched Salon / Tuxes: JoS A. Bank / Rings: Kaplans Fine Jewelry

They say Virginia is for lovers, but apparently it’s for absolutely adorable weddings too. Like this affair that is so cute you want to eat it right up and pinch its cheeks. Natalie Bell Photography was there to witness this fest of adorableness and capture the cuteness so we could all be a part of the pretty. Super nice of her, right? Even nicer is she filled the full gallery with all this fall fabulousness for us to devour right up!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…When Zayne and I first decided it was time to get married, we knew we wanted to host a weekend-long event for our closest friends and family. We also knew we wanted to choose a location and decorative elements that would create a warm and homey feel. Luckily for us, Virginia, our home state has amazing state parks with a variety of accommodations. We chose Belle Isle State Park in the rural Northern Neck Region of Virginia. The location’s colonial-style mansion provided a perfect backdrop for the festivities.

Planning the wedding was a labor of love. I made as many things as I possibly could, and I enlisted the help of my Mom and Grandma. We were separated by several states, but we worked together to prepare for my handmade autumn wedding. I prepped hundreds of tissue paper puff flowers, sewed pennant banners and garlands, and crafted paper flowers for my bouquet and for table arrangements. My Mom assembled the mason jar tea light votives and my Grandma hemmed the table runners. Even my little sister, the maid of honor, helped from a distance. She knit the shawl I wore for most of my wedding day, and I knit the one she wore. My Grandma and I made the lace table runners just two days before the wedding. Most of the doilies we used came from my Grandma’s collection, which she had inherited from a variety of great-grandmothers and great-aunts. Assembling those runners was just the beginning of an incredibly busy couple of days leading up to the wedding. Friends helped fluff the tissue paper flowers and string them into garlands and arrange flowers in a mixture of new and vintage glass bottles. Then there was pressing all the vintage napkins and stuffing them with silverware, filling copper vessels with apples, and arranging everything on the tables.

Family and friends pitched in to get everything prepped; by the time we finished I think everyone felt a sense of accomplishment. Even some of the things I couldn’t make myself I hired others to do for me. My dress and veil were both Etsy purchases (as were our wedding rings).

Wedding Photography: Natalie Bell Photography / Flowers: Patsy of River Birch Florist / Event Design + Planning: The Bride, Friends and Family / Ceremony + Reception Location: Belle Isle State Park / Invitations: The Bride / Bride’s Shoes: Shannon Britt / Wedding Dress: Etsy / Caterer: Willaby’s / Wedding Cake: Jackie of Carried Away Cuisine

Jennifer and Richard were married at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Stunning doesn’t come close to doing justice to this image sent to us by their photographer, Amanda Kraft.

In a beautiful, traditional Filipino wedding ceremony that family often said was ‘meant to be’, they declared their love for each other in front of over 400 guests!

Amanda totally captured the ‘awesomeness’ of the day!

Jennifer & Richard are both of Filipino descent ~ their parents actually attended medical school together in the Philippines! And though they have weathered years of a long-distance courtship, they were married in grand and glorious style this past June.

Their reception was held at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel in Camp Hill, PA.

Our congratulations to Jennifer and Richard! And a huge thank-you to Amanda Kraft for sharing the beauty of the day!!

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Wedding Credits: Photography-Amanda Kraft (Lancaster PA) Wedding Gown Designer-Lazaro (from Kleinfeld of Manhattan), Invitation Designer- Persnickety Invitations, Florist-  Blooms by Vickery, Cake Designer-About Weddings; Videographer-American Classic Studios

Janell Berté designs wedding gowns with real brides … Style Me Pretty-ish brides in mind! That doesn’t mean that there is any lack of drama, sophistication, or high style. Quite the contrary. For those brides who want to work personally with Ms. Berté, the private salon and workshop in Lancaster, Pennsylvania is the ideal spot to collaborate! Just look at these gowns …

LOVE the photography (Little Black Book member,  Jeremy Hess)

I adore everything about these gowns!

We have a Real Wedding and a Real Berte’ Bride coming up … so please check back in a bit …

Today, we’re featuring the 2009 Spring Collection of fashion designer, Janell Berté.

In a recent interview with her, I asked how she defines her wedding gown design aesthetic. Her answer was swift and straight-forward … “clean lines and luscious fabrics that incorporate french lace and decorative accents.”

I think, though, that the most significant thing Janell told me was that she designs for real brides with real figures and real curves.

Each of Janell’s gowns has a definite personality, a definite style. Once created, each gown will prompt the unfolding of a young lady’s dream-come-true wedding day.

We’ll be back with a few of our favorite gowns from Janell’s Couture Collection …

And if you’ve already selected your gown, head on over to The Little Black Book Blog for a stunning, classic Illinois wedding from Jeffrey and Julia Woods Photography. A little later today, we’ll be featuring another dazzling Real Wedding From Andrew and Katrina at Sedona Brides on the Little Black Book Blog!

Today, one of my favorite writers in the whole world is going to be guest blogging for me. I am actually in Nashville at my alma mater, Vanderbilt, speaking at an alumni event. Needless to say, I am beyond thrilled that Vanderbilt has asked me to do this. It’s an opportunity that I just couldn’t pass up! But, I didn’t want to leave you hanging — so Eddye, from The Little Black Book Blog, is going to be sharing some Spring ’09 wedding dresses from Janell Berté … one of our ridiculously stylish LBB designers!  xoxo ABBY

Wedding dresses! We ALL love looking at wedding dresses. We all LOVE spring collections of wedding dresses. That is why today is such a lovely day! Believe it or not, the snow and ice that is slamming much of the country will melt and spring WILL arrive. What better way to spend a few minutes brightening up your day than oohh-ing and aahh-ing over the 2009 Spring Collection from Janell Berté. We have the distinct pleasure of saying that Janell — an award winning couture dress designer — is one of the founding members of Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book.  Janell’s private bridal studio and workshop is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Brides from as far away as New York City and Baltimore have traveled to her salon to work with her in fashioning their very own, perfect, dream-come-true wedding dress.

The Spring 2009 Collection from Janell Berté …

photography by Nick Gould

I spoke with Janell a few days ago and found her to be absolutely delightful. Very approachable. Very enthusiastic about her designs (her ‘babies’)! I asked if she had a favorite design from her 2009 collection and she replied that it would be impossible to name just one. Her gowns are her babies and each stands on it’s own merits. She loves them all.

We’ll be back in a bit with more …