Destination Wedding in Pennsylvania
June 21, 2014ย |ย Samantha and Sean
Have you ever had SO MUCH to say about a wedding that you thought you might explode until you can write it all down? And then you realize that it will probably be the longest blog post ever in the world ever?
So the easiest place to start… is probably at the beginning!
I met Sam through our mutual bestie, Melanie Pace. She introduced us years ago – and from day one, Sam made me laugh constantly with her crazy spirit and run-on sentences. She once rode a bike MILES to a shoot because we needed it, and I have awesome random photos of her with crazy dolls she found in my garage….
How They Met
So when she met Sean, she had found her perfect match…. at the gym (she said she fell for his Rollins-looks – meaning his lobster shorts and whale hats… I have no idea what that means though). They’ve been together for over 6 years and Sean proposedย on a last-minute trip to Vero while out on a boat (love!).
Sam and Sean chose her childhood home in Mohrsville, PA for their reception venue, and as beautiful as it was, I was completely in awe over their ceremony venue! They were married at the Old Church at Belleman’s Union, which was built in 1815 and hasn’t been used since 1924. This church holds a really special place in Sam’s heart – she was extremely close to her father when he passed away in 2009 and he was buried at Belleman’s Union Church. Sam had the best explanation when she said that since her father was buried in the last row (he requested to be in a field where he could look out on the land), he had a front-row seat to her ceremony *tears*.
Sean’s father also recently passed away – so the entire evening was full of happy memories and their beautiful families joining together!
Reception
The reception was held at Sam’s house in a gorgeous tented field overlooking the church! The team from William Steele Design did an amazing job at bringing The Hampton’s to PA – with gorgeous dusty blues, woodsy accents and burlap! Custom calligraphy and amazing floral accented the tent while the Starlight Orchestra from NY, ย NY played for the guests!
They had a Hamptons-meets-Ralph-Lauren vibe with lots of navy and seersucker, but the best detail of the day was a signed gift from Ralph Lauren – the groom’s wedding-day tie! (It’s pretty baller when the Lauren family is invited to your wedding). Samantha pulled in her love of fashion by selecting Israeli designer, Berta Bridal, for her gown and Valentino heels!
They ended the night with Sammy’s Philly Cheese Steaks and an old-fashioned bottle of chilled milk (a nod to Sam’s dairy-heiress background!) and chocolate chip cookies!
How We Met
One last comment…. I don’t always add some of the comments from my brides from their pre-wedding questionnaires, but when she answered the question, “How did you find KWP?”…. this is the answer Sam gave (which almost perfectly sums me up!)
“duhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! Iย met KW thru one and only MeLpeL PACE ! I walked into her house where her high pitched valley girl voice slightly confused me until I realized she was totally, like, serious! As she flipped through pages of fashion mags voicing her opinion with no filter I was hooked.. then she took pictures, and the results.. speak for themselves. Weaver is the coolest and I know she gets me (even though its been way too long since I’ve see her).. but don’t worry, I am very up to date on your life via your facebook posts every 24 seconds.. hahah!”
(I fixed some of the run-on sentences for you :))
Special thanks to Brittany Miller from Bella Allure Imagery for tagging along and second shooting for me!
Vendors
Ceremony Venue: Belleman’s Union “Old” Church, Mohrsville PAย (1815 until 1924)
Reception Venue: Private Residence
Hair: Shelby Weatherholtz
Coordinator:ย William Steele, William Steele Design
Catering:ย Ted and Carl Catering
Dj and Band:ย Starlight Orchestras, NY
Dress Shop:ย Chic Parisien
Rentals: A Chair Affair
Bridal Gown Designer:ย Berta Bridal
Bridal Shoe Designer:ย Valentino
Bridesmaid Gown Designer:ย Joanna August
Men’s Suit Designer and Store: Ralph Lauren
Groom’s Tie: Personal gift from Mr. Ralph Lauren
Ring Designer:ย Victoria Jewelers. (Bride designed her own)
Samantha’s dad was ever-present in her day, and we loved knowing that he was part of it with us!
Their ceremony was held by special permission at the Belleman’s Union Old Church, built in 1815. It hasn’t been used since 1924.
Sean made a special stop to talk toย Sam’s dad just before the ceremony.
It was my favorite moment of the day.
Sam’s older brothers walked her to the church aisle…
A complete surprise to everyone (except me) Sam sang her vows to Sean. He had no idea and was completely impressed!
Sam and Sean arrived by horse-drawn carriage to her childhood home where Cocktail hour was in full swing!
I had to include a few with Melanie – she’s the whole reason I met Sam!
It started off funny and ended with some sweet sentiments about Sean’s father, who recently passed away.
It was so emotional, but such a great moment to reflect with family and friends on the amazing man he was and how proud he’d be of Sean that day!
Ok, in some weird family ritual, this mini-cannon was fired several times and scared me. True story.
