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Lauxmont Farms Wedding from SANDERSON IMAGES + All Things Beautiful

February 9th. 2012 by Mallory | 10 comments

An ice cream truck, a photobooth, banners adorned with exclamations, and the cutest couple in the world make for the most fantastically whimsical wedding. The joy, love, and laughter in this Pennsylvania wedding were captured by SANDERSON IMAGES and every single photo puts a smile on my face. From the beautiful flowers, courtesy of All Things Beautiful, to all the DIY and vintage elements – this wedding is perfect. So get your scorecards all set with a 10 and meet me in the gallery where there is even more!

My husband John and I found each other when we both moved to the Harrisburg area to pursue our careers. It started with a friendship between two adventure seeking teachers and blossomed into an unexpected romance. The journey of our wedding started 50 feet up in air, climbing on a ropes course element called The Catwalk, balancing on a telephone pole, when he got down on one knee and surprised me by asking me to marry him. The proposal was very much like the life we live, full of surprises and excitement.

I knew I wanted our wedding to represent us and be unique, fun, and entertaining for our guests. I wanted it to be an adventure like our relationship, our life, our engagement. We chose to have our wedding at the rolling acres and pristine views of Lauxmont Farm’s Japanese Gardens, because of my love for horses and our love for nature and the outdoors.

The day of our wedding the sun was shining with a slight breeze, complete with blue skies. It was a perfectly painted summer day. Our ceremony took place overlooking a field with horses running and in the distance the Susquehanna River. It truly was a stunning site. We tried to make our ceremony personal with our dear friend as our officiant and instead of a unity candle, since we both love wine, we did a wine ceremony to remember our relationship will only get better with time. Our ceremony was sincere, light hearted, and memorable, full of love and laughter. Cocktail hour was in the Japanese gardens where wine and cheese tasting took place. Here there were wooden fences from which photographs fluttered in the wind and guests mingled at tables adored with collections of vintage books, antique bottles, and delicate flowers. Signature drinks of lip smacking sangria and puckering pink lemonade were enjoyed along with the appetizers.

The reception tent was filled with personal touches. Through our wedding planning I was the designer with the inspirations and my husband was the builder and project manager. I’d venture to say it was all “do it yourself” because it was such a hands-on event, and I tried to put my heart into everything that was selected. We had a memory tent to celebrate our history together and our family’s history. We also had a kid’s tent, equipped with a lollipop centerpiece, homemade coloring books with our photographs, lots of toys, and things to do to keep our young guests entertained while enjoying themselves. John and I are very much kids at heart, so we knew the adults would enjoy this area too. The guests had a great time in our photo booth filled with silly and vintage props. Since I am from the Pittsburgh area, we had a large cookie table, a tradition in which many friends and family bake tons of delicious cookies for the wedding, and then they are displayed beautifully for everyone to enjoy. It was clear one of our guest’s favorite parts of the wedding was when the ice cream truck drove up to the reception tent to help everyone beat the July heat. Nothing brings out the child in someone like an ice cream truck.

Our wedding truly was a labor of love. My maid of honor designed our gorgeous invitations, our good friend officiated us, my husband’s sister painted signs, one of my bridesmaids, great friend, and an incredible stylist did my hair, and my friends and family helped me create numerous decorations, like hundreds of purple origami flowers that friends and family spent endless hours helping us make.. My husband and I had a blast rummaging through tons of antique stores finding the right pieces for our wedding, such as dishes, books, bird cages, bottles, you name it. Even though I was in the hospital for three days before our wedding, all of the little details fell into place perfectly. All our vendors were so wonderful and helpful with our wedding planning experience.

What I found most important about our big day was to step back, breathe, and take it all in. The kids playing with the toy horses, the laughter spilling out of the photo booth, my husband’s 91 year old grandfather in his dapper purple shirt overlooking the view, the ice cream filled smiles, the energy on the dance floor, the candle light glowing from the lanterns in trees. There were things that got broken, giggling when we forgot and stumbled over our vows’, I mean who needs to be taken as a lawfully wedded wife, when you could be a lover for life, as my husband mistakenly said. There was my torn bustle, and mother-son dance that almost didn’t happen, but thanks to all the love from my friends and family, and my wonderful husband, it was a day that in my eyes was perfect.

Photographer: SANDERSON IMAGES / Videographer: Jewelsheam Films, Jeff Wise / Floral Designer: All Things Beautiful / Event Planning & Design: DIY / Invitation Designer: Jessica Sipe / Cake/Desserts: House of Claredon / Wedding Gown Designer: Anjolique / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: David’s Bridal / DJ: Mad Hatter Productions / Caterer: Festive Board Catering / Photobooth: Katy Trefry Photography / Venue: Lauxmont Farms

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Vendor Spotlight: dejarnette new orleans

February 8th. 2012 by Mallory | 9 comments

With Valentine’s Day less than a week away – and the excitement building – we figured it was about time to show off one of our favorite LBB Jewelers, because, as she says, I’ve never met a woman who doesn’t like jewelry! dejarnette new orleans is a boutique jewelry designer out of – you guessed it – New Orleans and we can’t get enough of her dainty detailed pieces. So we asked her to sit down and answer a few questions we were dying to know. Don’t forget about dejarnette new orleans’ portfolio where you can get the lowdown on this talented lady!

How did your passion for jewelry grow into dejarnette new orleans?

dejarnette new orleans is the name of my company (dejarnette is my middle name). I design and create handmade jewelry. I’ve been designing jewelry for myself and close friends for many years. I began selling my pieces at local boutiques in 2004. I then decided to launch a website and offer my jewelry to those outside of the New Orleans area in May 2006.

What kinds of pieces do you just love?

I love super girly pieces with a little bit of quirky. I get so excited when I find unusual vintage bits or things that I can transform into a necklace -everything from vintage mardi gras doubloons to antique hardware to delicate lace. I love being able to throw on some jeans and a t-shirt and add a statement piece of jewelry to make my outfit special.

What is your favorite part of a wedding?

For my wedding it was the ceremony. I walked up the aisle with my Mom and Dad and the aisle was lined with candlelit lanterns. To see all of my family and friends as I walked down the aisle and then see my handsome groom was a magical moment. When I’m a guest at a wedding, I appreciate all of the little details. I know first hand the time and effort that is involved in each and every aspect of the planning process.

 

Does the city of New Orleans every influence your work ?

Absolutely! Mardi Gras is just around the corner, which is my favorite time of the year in New Orleans. The costumes, floats, themes – it is unbelievable the intricate details involved in every aspect of this holiday.

What advice to you have for brides & grooms to be?

To relax, have fun, and enjoy your special day-it goes by so quickly!

How about any advice for our readers with Valentines day just around the corner?

I’ve never met a woman who doesn’t like jewelry!

Jewelry: dejarnette new orleans / Photography: Jennifer Zdon, Twirl Photography + Elizabeth Ray Photography + dejarnette new orleans

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Chrysler Museum of Art Wedding from Isha Foss Events + Jeff Greenough

February 8th. 2012 by Mallory | 13 comments

Modern day fairy tales are the absolute best. This Virginia wedding is just that – a soiree fit for Cinderella, Snow White, or this lucky, beautiful bride and her Prince Charming. Everything about the day was stunning – but to really turn up the grandeur, the ballroom was dripping in pretty in pink petals from Isha Foss Events. Jeff Greenough | Photographer captured the magic wonderfully, and was fabulous enough to fill an entire gallery with more – just for us!

When Matthew proposed, he worked hard to surprise me (not an easy task to surprise a nosey girl like me!). One night, Matthew told me that he had to work late in Maryland and would not be able to come visit for the weekend. I made dinner plans with my friends at the Blue Talon in Williamsburg. During dinner, Maddie told me that she just received a text message that there was a research group at the Williamsburg Lodge and she really wanted to go get their autographs. After dinner, Maddie, Kaci, and I drove to the Williamsburg Lodge until Maddie stopped her car and asked me if she knew of a garden near the Lodge because that was where the group was meeting. I, still oblivious to what was going on, said “Well there is the rose garden where Matt’s parents got engaged to your left.” Maddie swerved her car to the front of the rose garden and Kaci and Maddie both screamed “Get out of the car!” while speeding off with me still thinking they were playing a trick on me. I decided to walk down the stairs of the sunken rose garden only to find no one there. I kept walking until I saw Matthew come out from behind an archway with a huge smile on his face. Matthew walked toward me, knelt down on one knee with an open box in his hand, and asked me to marry him in the same spot that his father asked his mother to marry him. Matthew then told me that he planned a weekend for us in Ocracoke, North Carolina to celebrate our engagement!

While planning our wedding, I knew I wanted our personalities to shine through in every aspect. Both Matthew and I have traditional, classic taste with a modern twist. We decided to have our wedding ceremony in the Catholic Church where my parents were married and where I grew up. Matthew’s father is an Anglican pastor, so we wanted to incorporate both of our families’ religious traditions. He gave a memorable and personal sermon that made the ceremony seem intimate even with a room full of 400 people. The ceremony music was also very important to us. We had a trumpeter, organist, a string quartet, and a soloist who all beautifully performed songs we selected together. As I walked down the aisle, I wore my great grandmother’s diamond and sapphire ring as my something old, borrowed, and blue. My grandmother passed away one month before my wedding, so honored her by carrying her handkerchief in my bouquet.

Matthew and I chose the Chrysler Museum of Art for our reception venue not only because we loved the Renaissance style of the museum’s atrium, but also because I studied Art History in college. For the flowers and décor, I wanted a romantic atmosphere with blush tones, ivory, and metallics. My team at Isha Foss Events transformed my vision into a breathtaking display of draped arches, cascading crystals, and various tones of pink flowers.

While our wedding was a formal black tie affair, Matthew and I wanted our reception to be a party for our guests to enjoy good food and great music. For this reason, we decided to do heavy hors d’ ouvres instead of a sit down dinner. We had themed food stations around the museum with our favorite cuisine including fresh seafood on the rocks, a southern fare station, a beef carving station, and a chocolate bar. Instead of assigned seating, Isha Foss designed a lounge-like cocktail set up that outlined the dance floor and gave a contemporary spin on the traditional black tie affair.

My two favorite memories from our wedding day were our First Look and walking down the Chrysler’s marble staircase into the reception for the first time as husband and wife. Matthew and I met in the museum’s garden before the ceremony. I loved being able to share a quite and private moment with my soon to be husband before our night of craziness ahead. I will never forget the look on his face when he first saw me (luckily, my photographer Jeff Greenough captured this moment on film). My second favorite memory from our wedding day occurred when my father introduced us to our reception. I felt like royalty on my new husband’s arm as we walked down the staircase and moved straight into our first dance. The entire day was the perfect representation of Matthew and me as a couple, and it could not have been possible without the hard work of our family and all of our fabulous vendors.

Ceremony Venue: Sacred Heart Catholic Church / Reception Venue: Chrysler Museum of Art / Photography: Jeff Greenough | Photographer / Event Coordinator: Daylily Weddings / Floral Design: Isha Foss Events / Catering: Cuisine & Co. / Entertainment: Right On! Band / Lighting: Blue Steel Lighting Design / Cake: Glenna Cason, Sugar Art / Videography: Digital Dreammakers / Rentals: Distinctive Event Rentals, AFR Furniture Rental, & Isha Foss Events / Transportation: Royal Coach / Hair: Al Kelly from Changes Salon / Makeup: BridesMade by Kim Wadsworth

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