There’s nothing in the world as heartwarming as a pair of high school sweethearts saying I Do… especially when those high school sweethearts are childhood besties who fell in love at the age of sixteen.  That’s a story seriously made for the big screen – and this adorable duo is the real thing.  Yep – say hello to two of the cutest sweethearts you will ever meet AND their beyond amazing Skaneateles affair, complete with uber-gorgeous images by Genevieve Fridley Photography.  Happy, happy Thursday.  Click here for more.

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From the Bride… My husband Stephen and I are from the Syracuse area and met when we were 11, became best friends at 14, and started dating when we were 16. Now we live in New York City, where I work in book publishing and he is a Physician Assistant student. But we chose to have our wedding back in beautiful Central New York, where almost our entire family still lives, and where our story began. We were married on May 12, 2012, on a beautiful spring day in Skaneateles, New York, a small town in the Finger Lakes region. 

Our style was a bit vintage, a bit romantic and a bit whimsical, and we incorporated quite a bit of DIY into our day. My mom, aunt and I made all of the peach and strawberry jam for our favors the summer before the wedding, which was definitely a labor of love! We attached our seating cards to mason jars so our guests could grab a cold lemonade or iced tea along with their seat assignment. My mother-in-law and step-father-in-law found the beautiful birch branch that we hung from the rafters at the lodge, and my mom and I tied ribbons to it to create a backdrop for the ceremony. For the centerpieces, we collected vintage books and white pitchers. It was very important to me to feel like my sister, Paige, was part of our day, as she died of leukemia when we were children. I had our florist sew her locket onto the handle of my bouquet, and she created an arrangement for the ceremony with the flowers that my two Maids of Honor carried. I love that when we look back on these pictures in the years to come, we’ll remember all of the people who made so many personal details come to life on our wedding day.
 
Our wedding was such a celebration of our longtime love and our families officially coming together, and we were told by many that it was the most joyful, meaningful ceremony they had ever attended. Though we loved and labored over our handcrafted details, that was the most wonderful thing to hear. After the ceremony, we celebrated with a dance party of epic proportions, including a dance contest with a modest cash prize that our friend Jack, a talented gymnast, won with a crazy back flip! Our wedding party was fantastic, too; many of them were childhood and high school friends that we had both been friends with for years, and everyone involved truly has supported both of us individually and as a couple through the years. With such amazing friends and family, we couldn’t help but have a beautiful day!

Wedding Photography: Genevieve Fridley Photography / Wedding Venue: The Lodge at Welch Allyn in Skaneateles, New York / Floral Design: Whistlestop Florist / Bakery: The Cookie Connection / Invitations: Minted / Jam Favors: DIY / Wedding Dress: Alita Graham for Kleinfield Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Nina / Makeup: Lashes, Locks & Lips / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Ann Taylor / Groom’s Attire: J.Crew

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