December 15, 2013
Our Wedding Day:
A day i will never forget. Fun. Exciting. Nerve-wracking =) For sure the strangest time frame of my life thus far. Going from dating to being married. I have a brand new appreciation for Brides. All the hard work- planning-prepping-stressing. It is not for the faint of heart! Neither of us wanted a huge to-do. We wanted simple and warm. We wanted it to be enjoyable for our family and friends. I'm not great with style and fashion and was unsure of myself. Planning a wedding did not come easy for me so I put total trust in the vendors: seamstress, hairdresser, caterer, my sister, and ultimately my coordinator and friend, Mary June Miller (whom i just realized i do not have a picture of). We could never express enough the overwhelming feeling of love and support from everyone. Thank you Thank you Thank you for the part you had to play in our wedding.
My engagement ring is from The Brickerville Antique Mall- Our rings are from Littman Jewelers.
My earrings were a birthday/christmas gift from Steve last year and they are my birthstone colors.
My birthday is a week before Christmas =)
Photographers: Di Images Girls : Angie, Silla, and Valerie
These girls did an amazing job! All photo credits go to them.
My grandmother's purse.
Hairdresser: Jess from Studio 23
Jess is my hairdresser and when i first met her she was starting up her own business in New Holland. Her studio is open window on the street side
allowing tons of natural light to stream through her store front. I loved the open feel it has and knew this would be my first choice as a place to get
ready and do hair. Jess wanted to see my dress and know where we were getting married. From that she decided that my style is 'gypsy' and did my hair
accordingly- using some flowers from the florist to create a 'flower garden' in my hair =)
---My friend, Christy brought us the BEST breakfast ever!!!---
My dress: Michelle Horst.
I knew what i wanted for the skirt and had an idea of the style "something to fit winter time" =)
I showed her a picture on pinterest and she took it from there. LOVE.
We were engaged for 2 1/2 months. She liked that i had a deadline to give her and after 3 or 4 visits i had a dress.
Michelle has an excitement about sewing that made me believe she could do anything!
It snowed the night before our wedding creating the backdrop for a snowy first look.
I love his outfit - which he chose for himself (Banana Republic/Kenneth Cole) Steve has a great sense of style and is relaxed in front of the camera -
I wasn't worried about him looking good =)
I loved having a first look! It really sets the tone for the rest of the day. We were relaxed and able to spend the entire day together.
It was freezing so we kept the first look short but it was totally worth it!
The Cork Factory Hotel: picture time.
The Hotel has a warm fire just inside the front door. We were able to use some indoor facilities but because they were cleaning up
we had to move outdoors after a while. It was nice to be able to go in and out from the cold to the warm and still get those natural light photos.
My sister's baby Desmond: All dressed up!
My beautiful parents: top left
and our sharp dressed bridal party bottom.
Each person was able to choose their own outfit and I love how it all came together.
My husband =)
I LOVED LOVED LOVED the flowers. Bonita Beachy was the florist. Again, i showed her a photo and explained that my accent
color was orange and she took it from there. They were just popping with color and i could look at this picture of the flowers in the snow all day long. Winter
meets spring in a bouquet! She also dropped off flowers to stick in my hair at the hair salon and then put all the flowers around the cakes and centerpieces at the reception hall.
I have seen her work all over in many styles and it is always beautiful! i knew she would do a lovely job.
Love this artistic shot by Silla. (above)
My favorite part of the day was how much we laughed!
It was just what i always dreamed of to be able to spend my wedding day having a great time
with everyone- being relaxed enough to enjoy every minute. Steve is really good at making me laugh and forget about how nervous i am =)
i love him.
My sister made leg warmers for all the little nieces. How cute!!
She also drew up this chalk board program. Fantastic!
Angie - (head photographer)
First I have to say I was so honored to be a part of Steve and Diane's wedding day! I have been working with Diane for several years and credit much of what I know about photography to her. So when Diane said she would like for me to be the lead photographer on her big day, I was extremely honored.
When I arrived at Studio 23 to start taking photos, I noticed right away how relaxed Diane was even though it was only the beginning of the day. I could tell she was so excited her big day had finally come! She was radiant that day! Studio 23 has amazing lighting coming in the front windows, which means getting ready photos and detail photos were easy to capture there. I loved the succulents Diane had requested in her bouquets!
I was thankful the weather cooperated for us since there had just been a snowstorm the day before the wedding. Diane and Steve were such troopers as we kept taking a few shots, running inside to get warm and then doing the same thing all over again. The outside of The Cork Factory made for a beautiful background for many photos.
I loved how the ceremony and reception flowed so easily together. Diane wanted to keep things simple, but beautiful. She had planned many lovely details for her guest to enjoy. From the cakes on each guest table, to the potted succulents on the bridal table, to the unique dishes place settings, Diane's touch and style was evident.
One of the main things I remember as we went through the day was how extremely happy Diane and Steve both were. They couldn't stop laughing and smiling at each other. They had waited so long for this day in their lives and nothing was going to stand in the way of their happiness!
Diane and Steve, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your big day! I have loved watching the way God brought worked in your lives to bring you where you both are at today. You two were made for each other. I wish you the best as you are beginning your journey of marriage!
We had our guests seated at the table they were to eat at during the ceremony.
Each table had a cake (Bird in Hand Bake Shop) as a centerpiece / dessert and also holding the table numbers.
The florist added the flowers to the cakes.
This also was our unity cake on the bridal table up front.
We painted terracotta pots to hold plants for the bridal table as well.
My gorgeous, most selfless sister.
Warehouse carts from a bookkeeping client that i once worked for.
We put the trees and gifts on them and then
our family used these carts to haul the gifts to the elevator and down to be taken home.
Another favorite was having The Will Stoltz Band. With a southern gospel/country flare- singing love songs and old hymns-
Everybody loved their sound and it created a great atmosphere.
I just have to comment on the photo below-
At the bridal table we used small cacti to put twigs in with name tags (written by rosa of course)
Gina could not find her name for the longest time.
Between the photographers and my mom she located her name tag.
After we had been sitting for about 10 minutes i spotted the pot with her name tag in it.
Why do you have such a huge plant for your name tag?!!!
She didn't know.
But explained to me how the funny thing was that she couldn't seem to find it.
i laughed and laughed and then made my brother find her a smaller one like the rest of us. =)
Caterer: Big John Nolts- Best Food in town- and not super pricey. I would recommend them to anyone!
We had so many people raving about the food- They have great service and down home cooking.
Picture below: missing Dawn and Jenny-wish you could have been here =)
Place Settings: My aunts and cousins brought in there very own china and cake plates and helped to set up the tables.
We were not able to set up until the morning of- ceremony time was 5 PM.
I trusted my coordinator to know, better than i would, how things should be.
When i arrived - i couldn't believe how beautiful it was! I loved it!
The Mulberry Art Studio supplied the flatware the water cups, linens, and tables.
Chairs from Eagle Rental.
Berries & wheat were done by the florist.
We were married by my uncle: Pastor Gerry Stoltzfoos.
Because he is not from this area (and to keep things simple) we had rehearsal one hour before the wedding started.
We both loved his message from 'The love chapter' and his format for our marriage vows-
"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit".
Here is the day in the words of the best coordinator ever:
THE WEDDING - by Mary Miller (coordinator)
When Diane asked me if I would be willing to coordinate and help set up her wedding, I
said “Of course.” I was nervous. I had never done anything like this before. Knowing
that she would know what she wanted made it feel a lot less overwhelming. I’m not at all
a ‘party planner’ and trying to organize events makes me hyperventilate just thinking
about it.
“We are planning on using the Mulberry Art Studio for both ceremony and reception”,
she told me. I had never been to the Mulberry Art Studio & had no idea what to expect.
We met with Paul from there twice before the wedding and he seemed to know what we
wanted and expected from him. I wasn’t allowed to climb any ladders for liability issues,
which I understood. There would be quite a bit of work though that needed done on
ladders, and he assured us that he would be able to handle it on the morning of the
wedding. Patrick was willing to help me set up the morning of the wedding, so we headed out
around 6 am to pick up a few things and be at the studio around 7. Arriving at Diane’s
parents place to pick things up, her Mom greeted us and was very accommodating. She
told us that they were planning to meet us and help out around 8.
It was snowy and wintery that day. Perfect day for a winter / Christmas wedding. We
arrived at the studio and walked up to the room that Diane had rented. We could tell that
there was going to be a lot of work to do, since there was still decor up from a party the
evening before. I was glad Diane had asked us to be there at 7. Diane’s family arrived
about an hour later and I don’t know what I would have done without them. They were
amazing. Diane’s aunts and a few cousins showed up to set every table. And I would
drag them into decorating questions if I wanted a second opinion! They know how to
have fun and laugh. I loved having them there!! There was also Ruth, a friend of
Diane’s, who came and was willing to help. I asked her to set up details that I knew I
wasn’t going to be able to get to or that I wasn’t sure how to do. It was starting to feel
like a real party. I didn’t realize it would be so much fun! I was hoping Diane was feeling
the same way as she was out getting gorgeous and taking pictures.
Patrick ran for coffee and donuts, keeping us fueled up! There was another wedding
that was happening downstairs in the same building and the bride and her maids were
using the same floor we were on for getting ready. It was a festive atmosphere. Every
once in a while, Paul and the owner of the studio would mosey in and do some of the
‘ladder work’. I wasn’t worried yet, but it felt like the hours were counting down and they
still had a lot of work to be done. I was so thankful for the 2 times that Diane and I had
met with them, since I heard a lot of what Diane wanted and could move ahead with
some of the things on their list. There was art to hang that Diane and Steve had hand
selected, table cloths to go over the tables in just the right way - with all the stripes
running north and south, a 15 foot tree to set up and decorate, 4- 18-foot pillars to cover
with fabric, and so forth. I could do the ones that didn’t require their ladder, so I did.
Then the caterers arrived and seemed to know exactly what their place was and where
to go, with only a few questions.
The same was true with the florist and cake ladies. They worked together nicely and
decorated gorgeous little cakes for every guest table and also the bridal cake. And with
every little detail that was being added, I could ‘see’ all the thought that Diane had put
into this day. She wanted to keep it simple, and I don’t know what I was expecting that
to look like, but it was turning out so very pretty. And I felt relaxed. I could tell that Diane
‘knows’ her friends and family well and knew in what role they excel. She delegated so well.
The band was no exception - they came in, they set up, and had very few questions.
It was 3:30 and I knew the bridal party and family would be arriving any minute and
there still wasn’t a 15 foot tree in the room. I went to look for Paul to make sure he
hadn’t forgotten. He hadn’t and shortly after that it appeared and the decorating started
on that. The wedding was supposed to start around 5, but Diane had made it clear that
it was more important to her that the guests were all seated before it started then that it
started right at 5. We did a quick little rehearsal and everyone seemed to know when to
be where so all we had to do was wait for the guests to arrive.
They did. And there was a steady stream of people finding their tables and visiting with
those around them. The room was gorgeous. And no one seem to notice the last minute
decorating happening on the tree, except for me. I was hoping that last ornament would
find it’s place before 5. It did with 15 minutes to spare.
It was time for the magic to happen. The pastor, groom, and groomsmen found their
place. The lovely brides maids were next followed by the beautiful children, who were
nervous but so excited. The 2 little ring bearers were my favorite. They wanted me to
check over and over to make sure they had the right ring. But got so confused because
they had the brides ring but it went to the groom and vice versa. I loved it.
And then it was time. Time for the doors to swing open. For the gorgeous bride to enter!
She was glowing and looked so happy!
The service was short but so meaningful. The evening was perfect. There was a room
full of people celebrating a couple they loved, surrounded by fun music, delicious food,
and conversation that wanted to go on late into the night.
The day was over. It was an amazing day. An amazing couple had become married,
with those that loved them surrounding them. And the memories of that day will last
forever. Life is like that. It’s made up of moments stacked up together into hours, days,
years... And I wish them the best in every moment, day, and year they get to spend
together!!
To Our God who puts all things together and makes all things whole and makes us into what pleases Him the most.
All Glory to Jesus forever & always!
We loved our wedding day and we love being married!
A huge thank you, again, to our vendors. Picking people that we trusted was the number one priority.
We were not looking for perfection or formal - we were looking for relaxed and simple.
As a bride, i felt responsible to keep the stress level low for the people around me and for myself.
It's crazy how many details go into planning a day like this that you cannot think about till you get there!
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I'm so glad to be on the other side of it - feeling smarter and more empathy for the brides i work with.
It was a big big big day - full of love, laughter, and good food!
And we wouldn't have it any other way =)
he is reaaaaaally good at it!
I was rather bold from my normal personality, but something about this guy made me really want to get to know him, and I'm so glad I took a chance at being bold in that moment!
