Winter 2008 Wedding Day for archives

Wedding Day

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Real Weddings Rebecca Garcia-Pons & John Grady

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Jennifer Barth & Ryan Della Penna

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May 25, 2008 / Canadensis, PA Photographed by Rob Lettieri Photography

June 21, 2008 / Wilkes-Barre, PA Photographed by Michael Straub Photogrpahy

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Melissa Maciun & Joshua Liebner

September 15, 2007 / Drums, PA Photographed by Dreamcatcher Photography

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Amy Lynne Nardone & Joshua Laboskie June 29, 2008 / Moseley, VA Photographed by Eric Leise

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Rebecca Garcia-Pons & John Grady May 25, 2008 Canandensis, PA

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heir love story began in sixth grade when John

Grady noticed the curly-haired girl in his homeroom who rode the same school bus. But middle school being what it is, neither John nor Rebecca Garcia-Pons let on that they thought the other one was “kinda cute.”

Later, in high school, they both dated other people, and it wasn’t until their senior year at North Pocono High School that the two began dating each other, for what they thought would be a short time until John left for his Navy enlistment and Rebecca headed to Penn State’s main campus at University Park. They went to their senior prom together, and by the time John was scheduled to leave for basic training in mid-June, the two were more than a little smitten and unsure what to do about it.

What they did was maintain a six-year courtship, during which John completed a seven-month tour of duty in the Persian Gulf and Rebecca earned two degrees in English and Medieval Studies with a minor in History. Assigned to the USS George Washington, an aircraft carrier based in Norfolk, Virginia, John drove to State College or Moscow (seven hours each way) every weekend during his entire enlistment, except when he had duty or was at sea.

Upon his return from the Gulf tour, John secretly picked out an engagement ring and planned to take Rebecca to New York City for dinner and a show before proposing at Rockefeller Center, right on the spot where the Christmas tree stands each year. But first John summoned up the nerve to ask her father’s permission to marry his daughter.

“I was scared to death,” John admits. “At first, he told me he thought we were too young to be thinking of getting married, but I promised him that I would make sure Rebecca finished college first.” John might have waited awhile

longer to propose, but he knew that Rebecca’s father, Jorge, was seriously ill and he did not want to miss the chance to ask for her hand in marriage. “And I really wanted him to know that I would take good care of his daughter,” John adds.

Her father’s three-year illness was one of the couple’s many challenges during their courtship. Mr. Garcia-Pons died in March 2005, during Rebecca’s junior year at PSU. Then, incredibly, in July 2007, John lost his stepfather, Ray Kuehner, in a tractor-trailer accident. The young couple took to visiting St. Catherine’s Cemetery in Moscow together, leaving seasonal mementoes on two gravesites, and helping each other through common grief.

In August 2006, the couple had decided to begin planning their wedding, set for the spring of 2008. The first site they visited was Skytop, an elegant resort in the Poconos.

“We pretty much knew that was our choice at first sight,” Rebecca recalls. “You enter the property through a bridge which is over a lake lined with weeping willow trees and it is gorgeous. Then, you see this huge stone building that looks like a castle on a hill and it takes your breath away.”

Although it was two years before the wedding, Rebecca and her mother stopped in a bridal shop just for fun on the day they booked the reception, and Rebecca spotted a gown which had not yet been placed on the rack. She fell in love with it immediately.

“I can’t believe I ended up with the very first gown I ever looked at,” she says. It was an ivory Mori Lee design featuring a beaded garland design on the skirt, a strapless beaded bodice, and a long scalloped train--which she purchased at Head To Toe Bridal Salon in Dunmore.

On her wedding day, Rebecca wore a tiara with a fingerNEPA Wedding Day • Winter 08 • 17

length veil edged with crystal beading and carried a bouquet of fragrant white peonies. Rebecca also splurged on a pair of Stuart Weitzman shoes with a beaded T-strap. She wore her hair long and pulled back from her face, in a nod to the “curly-haired” girl John first noticed on the school bus. Her “something old” was a vintage silver beaded clutch purse her mother found for her in an antique shop in Gettysburg, while her “something new” was a diamond-cut white gold bracelet which was a gift from her bridegroom.

She borrowed a British “tuppence” for her shoe which her mother had worn at her wedding, and tucked a handkerchief trimmed with a blue ribbon bow into her purse, along with a vintage diamond and platinum cross necklace which belonged to her paternal grandmother.

The search for her bridesmaids’ dresses was not as simple, however.

“I had this vision in my head of a gown with an empire waist, lots of beading on the bodice, and a draped overskirt,” Rebecca explains. “We looked in shops from Scranton to Wilkes-Barre, and Berwick to Chambersburg, and I couldn’t find anything like the dress I pictured in my mind.”

After many months, she spotted an evening gown by Jovani that fit the bill perfectly, except that her projected wedding color was lavender, and this dress was only available in black, magenta, or gold. She loved the style so much that she changed her entire wedding scheme.

“Suddenly, I was working with ivory and gold,” she laughs. “I would never have thought I’d do that. I’d always favored silver, and here I was with an entire gold scheme!”

The only contrasting color in the entire wedding was that of the bridesmaids’ bouquets, which consisted of deep burgundy calla lilies, merlot dahlias, and burgundy cymbidium orchids. The girls wore their hair up and accented with Grecian-style ribbons made from extra fabric cut from their dresses. Rebecca gifted each bridesmaid with chandelier earrings and a matte gold handbag to complete their elegant ensembles.

Rebecca eschewed floral centerpieces for crystal hurricane lamps filled with gold beaded candles, surrounded by votives and tea lights and accented with strands of gold beads and ivory silk rose petals. The tables were topped with a shimmering gold overlay. “I wanted a soft, glowing and romantic look in the ballroom,” she says. “I always knew I wanted to work with candles.”

For the ceremony, held in the formal gardens at Skytop, lush white arrangements filled two urns, while matching pieces decorated the tops of the pillars holding the large gates, which were adorned with a white wreath and a draped garland of greens. When the ceremony was over, the couple proceeded down the aisle to the recessional of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” and circled around to the front again where the gates swung open and John and Rebecca led their guests to a cocktail hour held on the Skytop terrace.

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The imposing porch was decorated with flowing white drapes, which the bride remembers as being “Gatsbyesque,” and an ice sculpture filled with white roses. Guests dined at a carving station featuring beef tenderloin; a buffet featuring a whole smoked salmon, fruit and cheese assortments and baked brie, as well as butlered hors d’oeuvres including jumbo shrimp, bacon-wrapped scallops, skewers of duck, seafood empanadas, and risotto balls.

Before the couple even began planning the wedding, Rebecca’s mother advised them to decide what was most important to them when they thought about the wedding and to cut back on other things to make that possible financially.

“John and I both knew that the reception site and the food were really important to us,” Rebecca remembers. “It was a lot of fun to pick our menu, which offered a choice of surf and turf, rack of lamb, or chicken stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and asparagus. We also chose a mango filling for our wedding cake because we thought it was a little bit different, and it was a culinary salute to my father who was a native of Havana, Cuba.”

The other item of importance on Rebecca’s agenda was her photographer. “I had my heart set on Rob Lettieri from the beginning because I like his photojournalistic, true-tothe-moment style. He’s a real pro, who has done formal portraits of people such as Lance Armstrong and Colin Powell. Best of all, he was a real joy to work with.”

Luckily, Rebecca’s mother agreed to her choice, telling her daughter, “When it’s all over, the pictures are what you will have left to remember your wedding day.”

Choosing the candle centerpieces was one way to save money, and after listening to several bands, the couple chose a DJ, which saved them thousands of dollars, “And the music turned out to be fabulous. Everybody was dancing all night long,” John recalls.

Although Skytop is only 30 minutes from their home in Moscow, the couple found that it amounted to a destination wedding. Rebecca’s mother ended up reserving all of the accommodations available at Martinville Streamside Cottages, a rustic retreat about two miles from Skytop. Featuring a heated swimming pool, pond, and brook, the setting was perfect for the wedding party and immediate families to enjoy a full Memorial Day weekend in the Poconos without driving back and forth to Moscow and Scranton.

As guests began arriving on Friday evening, the bride’s stepfather, John Hart, hosted a welcome buffet featuring regular and boneless hot wings, lemon pepper chicken, a variety of wraps, and roasted potatoes. The large deck at Martinville provided a perfect setting the next night for the rehearsal party hosted by John’s mother, Trish Kuehner, which was a festive luau complete with tiki torches and roasted suckling pig from Schiff’s. “Rebecca and John were going to Hawaii on their honeymoon, so that inspired our tropical theme for the party,” Trish explains.

The weekend in the Poconos gave the couple and their friends and family lots of time to spend together before the NEPA Wedding Day • Winter 08 • 19

wedding itself. “I think that was one of the best decisions we made,” notes the mother of the bride. “Everybody says the wedding goes by in the blink of an eye, but we found that we had time to sit back and enjoy each other’s company during the weekend, which left us free to socialize with other guests at the reception.”

“When I look back, I think our wedding was a real blend of the traditional and unique,” Rebecca reflects. “My bridesmaids walked in to Pachebel’s ‘Canon’, because I happen to really love that, but my entrance was to ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ by The Verve, which was a little bit different.” The Pennsylvania Strings provided music for the ceremony and the cocktail hour.

To honor her late father, Rebecca danced with her mother, and then her brother, Cesar, to Andrea Bocelli’s “Con te 20 • NEPA Wedding Day • Winter 08

Partiro,” while John and his mother danced to “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban. The couple set up family wedding pictures on a table to be viewed during the cocktail hour.

“We felt that we couldn’t have our wedding day without acknowledging these really important people in our lives,” Rebecca explains.

During a welcome speech, Rebecca’s mother pointed out that the guest list included people who have known the couple since they were born, including Dr. Vernon Morgan who delivered the bride 24 years ago. “We wanted to be surrounded by people who have played an important role in our lives,” the bride explains. Guests included their friends from elementary school through college, John’s Navy buddy from Arizona, and relatives from Florida, Louisiana, Virginia, New England, and other far flung places.

What nobody could have known when the young couple started going steady six years ago was the path their lives would take, which led them from the Navy and Penn State to figuring out what they would do career-wise.

“Things fell into place for us in unusual ways,” Rebecca says. “My mother remarried and moved to Scranton, so John and I now live in my childhood home in Moscow.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do as a career, but I’ve ended up serving as editor-in-chief of NEPA Wedding Day magazine, which is part of a family enterprise called Heart Publications.”

Her bridegroom serves as director of distribution for the magazine, and also works with Lackawanna Ambulance and as a volunteer with the Moscow Fire Company. Also

involved are her mother, Maureen Hart, and her stepfather, John Hart Jr., both of whom have decades of experience in area journalism and publications. “When we say it’s a family business, we really mean it,” laughs Rebecca.

“Ironically, it was while we were in the midst of planning our own wedding that we became immersed in this publishing project,” Rebecca explains. “It’s exciting for me to be involved in a new venture which is of such value to brides in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I know how difficult it can be to have all the pieces fall into place in order to have a perfect wedding, and it makes me happy to think we are helping other brides find the information they need. In the end, my whole life has become weddings!”

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Ideas You Can Use •Follow the advice of Rebecca’s mother to focus on the aspects of your wedding that are most important to you and find ways to save money in other areas. Rebecca and John decided to focus on the reception site and food, and the photographer, and to save money by hiring a deejay instead of a live band, and fashioning their own centerpieces.

•Rebecca’s choice of hurricane lamps, candles and votives saved her thousands of dollars on her florist bill and gave the bride the soft, romantic look she wanted.

•Because her two flower girls were the daughters of a bridesmaid, Rebecca was anxious that their dresses did not break that family’s budget. She found exquisite ivory dresses with gold trim at www.pinkprincess.com. “I was nervous about ordering them online, but when they arrived in the mail we were more than delighted,” says Amy Schmidt, the girls’ mother.

•Rebecca did away with little place cards and put all of her guests’ names on one big scroll, framed and placed on a large easel. She marked guests’ places at each table with an individualized menu card.

•Even when you think you know what you want, be open to change. Rebecca always thought she would use a lavender color scheme for her wedding, but she changed to gold and ivory when she found the perfect evening gown for her bridesmaids.

“That one decision changed the entire look of my wedding,” the bride says. “It became even more elegant and romantic.”

•Consider renting buses if the location of your reception makes it difficult for guests to get back and forth, especially those who are elderly or those who may be drinking.

•The couple saved money by not renting a limo. “We were staying two miles from Skytop, so we just found people to drive the 22 • NEPA Wedding Day • Winter 08

members of the wedding party back and forth. We thought the bus for our guests were more important than a fancy ride to the wedding for the rest of us.”

•Guests enjoyed looking at a long photo display, interspersed with votive lights, which included wedding photos of the parents, grandparents, sisters and brother, aunts and uncles of the couple, as well as photos of the bride’s late father and the bridegroom’s late stepfather and grandfather.

•Rebecca sent her guests home with bags of candy from a buffet, which was marked with a little sign saying: “Leaving you with a kiss and sweet memories….” She bought a variety of glass containers and filled them with Hershey Kisses and other favorite candies bought at Sam’s Club.

•Because the Poconos amounted to a “destination wedding,” Rebecca’s mother reserved all of the cabins at Martinville Streamside Cottages, Canandenis, where the bridal party members and immediate families gathered for the entire Memorial Day weekend. The bride’s stepfather hosted a Welcome Buffet on Friday evening featuring regular and boneless hot wings, an assortment of wraps, roasted potatoes, and lemon pepper chicken from Cosgrove’s in Green Ridge.

•Using the deck and patio area of the cottages, the bridegroom’s mother hosted a luau-themed rehearsal party on Saturday evening featuring a whole roast pig from Schiff’s Restaurant in Scranton as the focal point. She served tropical fruit platters and vegetable trays, hot dogs, burgers, and various salads, and topped it off with a sheet cake adorned with palm trees. She decorated the trees and bushes with strands of white lights and silk tropical flowers. She added tiki torches and Hawaiian and Caribbean music for ambience, and greeted each guest with a silk lei.

Rebecca & John’s Details Ceremony and Reception: Skytop Lodge in the Poconos Officiant: The Honorable Sean Patrick McGraw Music: The Pennsylvania String Ensemble played for the ceremony and cocktail hour. (Prelude: “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” Processional: Pachebel’s “Canon in D.” Bridal entrance: “Bittersweet Symphony” by Verve.) Bridesmaid Amanda Jo Siebold sang “Come What May” from the movie “Moulin Rouge” during the ceremony. Reception music by Mix Master Disc Jockeys. First dance: “Fields of Gold” by Sting.

Rebecca danced with her mother and then her brother to a “Con te Partiro” by Andrea Bocelli, in honor of her late father, Jorge Garcia-Pons. The groom and his mother danced to “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban.

Photographer: Rob Lettieri Photography Gowns: The bride chose an ivory gown with a strapless beaded bodice, full skirt with a beaded garland design, and a chapel length train with scalloped edging designed by Mori Lee, worn with a tiara headpiece and a fingertip length veil edged with crystal beading. The bridesmaids wore gold beaded empire waist evening gowns by Jovani. The bridal and bridesmaid gowns were purchased at Head To Toe Bridal Salon, Dunmore.

The flower girl dresses were ivory with subtle gold embroidery on the fitted bodice and a full skirt, ordered online at www. pinkprincess.com.

Shoes: The bride wore Stuart Weitzman.

Purses: The bride carried a vintage silver beaded clutch with a scalloped design purchased in an antique shop in Gettysburg.

The bridesmaids carried matte gold clutch bags from Macy’s, which were a gift from the bride.

Jewelry: The bridesmaids wore chandelier earrings customordered through Head To Toe, which were a gift from the bride.

The flower girls wore custom-made Swarovski crystal bracelets

also ordered at Head to Toe. The bride wore a diamond-cut bracelet , which was a gift from the groom, purchased at Littman Jewelers, Viewmont Mall, where the bride also selected her channel set diamond wedding band and the groom chose a Celtic design band.

Hair: Tina Marino of Perfections in West Scranton. Fabric cut from the bridesmaids gowns was used to accent the bridesmaid’s hair in a Grecian style.

Formalwear: Sarno & Sons, Scranton, PA. Black tuxes with a subtle black-on-black stripe, gold vests, ties and handkerchiefs.

The groom wore a matching tux with an ivory vest and bow tie.

Flowers: Skytop Florist. The bride carried white peonies, while the bridesmaids carried burgundy calla lilies, merlot dahlias, and burgundy cymbidium orchids. The bride’s mother wore a wrist corsage of pale pink cymbidium orchids, and the groom’s mother wore a corsage of white roses. The groom wore a white calla lily boutonniere, while his groomsmen wore deep burgundy calla lily boutonnieres.

Food: Guests dined on beef tenderloin, smoked salmon, scallops wrapped in bacon, jumbo shrimp and various hot hors d’oeuvres during the cocktail hour. Dinner entrees were a choice of Surf and Turf, Leg of Lamb with a Pistachio Crust and Pomegranate Glaze, and Chicken Stuffed with Arugula, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Asparagus. A martini intermezzo with lemon sorbet and Grey Goose vodka was served between courses.

Desserts: Skytop’s chef baked a square vanilla cake with Diplomat filling and mango preserves (which Rebecca selected as a salute to her father’s Cuban heritage) decorated with burgundy cymbidium orchids. Guests also enjoyed a deluxe Viennese table and a chocolate fountain, as well as Bananas Foster and Cherries Jubilee. The groom’s cake was fashioned with tiers of Krispy Kreme Donuts.

Honeymoon: A Perrillo Tour to the Hawaiian Islands of Oahu, Kauai and Maui, with an additional stop on the Big Island.

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Jennifer Barth & Ryan Della Penna June 21, 2008 Wilkes-Barre, PA

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heirs was the last wedding ever to be held at St. John the Baptist Church in Pittston. Jennifer Barth had attended grade school at St. John’s, so she felt it would be an appropriate place to celebrate her marriage to Ryan Della Penna.

Jennifer, a graduate of Seton Catholic High School in Pittston, met her future husband when both attended St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, where she received a degree in psychology, and Paul, a New Jersey native, earned an accounting degree. Paul is a District Supervisor for Victory Beverage in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The couple enjoys such mutual hobbies as cars, travel, golf, Philadephia spots, wine tasting, their dogs, and time together with friends.

The couple became engaged during the Christmas holiday season in 2006, at her family’s home in Plains. As they were listening to Christmas music and drinking champagne, Jennifer had an inkling they might became engaged, especially since she spotted a number of tiny wrapped boxes beneath the tree. But she opened them to find a set of diamond studs, a quarter, a dog treat, and a diamond ring designated for her right hand. But no engagement ring. Then, Ryan mentioned, “I like that new ornament you

bought.” Jennifer didn’t notice anything, but Ryan pointed out the ring on the tree, then got down on one knee to propose and present her with the ring.

The couple decided on an early summer wedding, and set a date for June 21, the first day of summer. Afterwards, they realized that they had chosen a date that was exactly a year-and-a-half after their engagement on December 21.

Jennifer knew she wanted the ceremony at St. John’s, where Rev. Paul McDonnell, O.S.J., was celebrant, and two of her grade school teachers served as the musicians. They chose upbeat music for the ceremony, which the couple considered a good representation of their relationship.

During the lighting of the unity candle, the vocalists sang “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban.

At the ceremony, the couple had a stand placed near the altar with a candle, an extra bridesmaid bouquet, and a boutonniere. These represented the bride’s sister and Ryan’s best friend, both of whom had died. “They both would have been in the wedding, so that was our way of honoring their memory,” Jennifer explains.

The couple searched for a reception site in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and in Philadelphia, where they now live.

They were sold on the very last place they visitedNEPA Wedding Day • Winter 08 • 27

-The Woodlands Resort in Wilkes-Barre. Jennifer was particularly enchanted with the outdoor deck overlooking a stream as the setting for the cocktail hour, and the couple was also pleased with the on-site hotel facilities for their out-of-town guests. Cementing their decision was the fact that Jennifer’s parents had held their own wedding reception at The Woodlands.

Jennifer found all of the gowns for the wedding at Bridal Garden, Marlton, N.J., including her bridal dress by Demetrios Couture, which was fashioned with a custom made bottom half, since it could not be hemmed because of the amount of beading. Her train was detachable because 28 • NEPA Wedding Day • Winter 08

of its size, and her bouquet consisted of white roses and mini calla lilies, accented with crystals which looked like her engagement ring. In a fun gesture, she wore eggplantcolored shoes under her dress as a surprise.

Her bridesmaids wore full length eggplant-colored gowns

by Jim Hjelm, and carried pale purple roses, dark purple accents with greens, and eggplant ribbon on the stem. The maid of honor’s bouquet differed with the addition of white roses.

The groom, groomsmen, and fathers all wore Ralph Lauren tuxedos accented with black vests and ties for the fathers, silver/charcoal for the groomsmen, and light silver

for Ryan. The groomsmen wore pale purple roses with eggplant ribbon for boutonnieres.

For the streamside cocktail hour, the couple chose hot and cold tables of food, butlered hors d’oeuvres, including bacon-wrapped scallops and shrimp served in a shot glass, as well as food stations featuring stuffed mushrooms, chicken tempura with dipping sauces, and miniature panini sandwiches. The dinner menu included hearts of romaine salad with balsamic dressing, pasta with vodka sauce, and a custom choice of filet mignon and a crabcake. Each place setting featured a personalized menu card with the guest’s name and their food choices.

The wedding cake was a mixture of their favorites, banana cake with chocolate fudge layers, and was complemented with a Viennese dessert bar featuring cannolis, chocolate-covered strawberries, as well as a cordial and coffee bar.

The couple danced to “The Way You Look Tonight,” sung by their band, New York Times, while the bride danced with her father to “Unforgettable.” Before the night was out, the guests also danced a Tarantella, the traditional Italian dance which is popular at weddings and celebrations.

The bride incorporated other traditions, including a NEPA Wedding Day • Winter 08 • 29

Ideas You Can Use •Include ethnic traditions: Guests performed the Tarantella, an Italian dance which is enjoyed at weddings and celebrations.

For their second course at dinner, the couple selected pasta with vodka sauce.

•Go with a theme: Jennifer and Ryan used their initials, J&R, as a theme throughout the event. Hotel guests received gift bags featuring a monogrammed tag. This logo was used in many ways, including one of the three ice sculptures at the reception and on the cocktail napkins. “This really made the whole event—from the rehearsal to the ceremony, the reception and the room bags—feel like it was one big weekend of celebration,” Jennifer says. “It helped make a big event really feel cohesive.”

•Keep the theme going: Because they were going to Italy on their honeymoon, Ryan and Jennifer used an all-Italian theme at their rehearsal party, including the food, the place cards held by wine corks, and the table names, which were cities they planned to visit. They also incorporated the J&R logo everywhere they could.

•Tie in the favors: Continuing the Italian theme, the couple set up a favor table filled with bottles of red and white wine with custom labels featuring their names and wedding date and a picture of an Italian winery. The table featured a framed note from the bridal couple thanking their guests and inviting each to take a bottle of wine.

•Think about surprises: Ryan sent an amethyst and diamond ring, matching the bridesmaid gowns, to Jennifer the morning of the wedding. His bride surprised him toward the end of their reception with a cigar bar featuring a custom monogrammed humidor and custom match boxes with their names in silver and black.

•Stick with “old” and “new” traditions: For the “old,” the bride carried her christening bonnet, which was transformed into a handerchief. Her “new” was the ring from Ryan; the “blue” was a ring from her mother-in-law, which Jennifer pinned on the ribbon of her bouquet.

•Pamper the guests: The couple put together gift bags in the wedding colors of eggplant, silver, black, and white for the hotel guests, featuring an invitation to the morning-after brunch, favorite drinks, snacks from Philadelphia (where they met and now live), and some Advil for anyone who celebrated too much!

•Remember loved ones: A stand at the altar held a candle, as well as an extra bridesmaid bouquet for Jennifer’s late sister, and a boutonniere for Ryan’s best friend, who had also passed away. Both would have been in the wedding, and were remembered in this special way.

•Food stations are fun: During the cocktail hour, guests enjoyed butlered hors d’oeuvres, as well as tables of hot and cold food, imported meats and cheeses, fresh fruits and vegetables, and stations of favorite appetizers including stuffed mushrooms, chicken tempura, and mini panini sandwiches.

•Extra touches impress: The couple served a banana and chocolate fudge wedding cake, but guests also enjoyed cannolis, chocolate-covered strawberries, and more goodies at the Viennese table, which was accompanied by a cordial and coffee bar.

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handkerchief fashioned from the baby bonnet at her christening, and a blue ring given to her by her new mother-in-law. Because it didn’t fit, Jennifer pinned it to the ribbon of her bouquet. Ryan also sent her an amethyst and diamond ring on the morning of the wedding, which matched the bridesmaid dresses.

A common theme used by Jennifer and Ryan was their logo (J&R), which began when overnight guests received a gift bag in the wedding colors of eggplant, silver, black, and white, with a tag containing their monogram.

“We also wanted to incorporate the place where we met, and now live, so the gift bags had a Philadelphia theme,” Jennifer points out. The bags included a note from the bridal couple, as well as an invitation to join them for brunch the next morning. The bag also included drinks, some snacks made in Philly, and some Advi--for the morning after the night of celebrating.

Other decorating ideas included mini silver wedding cakes which held the table numbers, while the couple used a black and white poster in a large frame to list the guests and their tables. There were three ice sculptures in the ballroom, with the center one featuring their J&R logo. To get the dramatic look they wanted for the centerpieces, the

Jennifer & Ryan’s Details

couple used high crystal vases on each table with a light at the bottom, as well as candles.

The ceiling in the ballroom was draped in sheer white fabric with lights shining through, giving the large room a more intimate atmosphere. Jennifer surprised her husband by having a cigar set up, including a custom monogrammed humidor with custom match boxes featuring their names in silver and black.

Jennifer’s advice to other bridal couples includes, “Make sure you incorporate who you are and things about you into the day. Even if it’s a large wedding like ours, those little things will help it feel really special and intimate.”

The pair even included their honeymoon to Italy in the wedding planning by having an all-Italian themed rehearsal party. The table names were cities they planned to visit in Italy, and the place cards were held by wine corks. (The actual wedding favors were full size custom bottles of red and white wine.)

Jennifer feels these custom touches were essential, because “You have to remember that in the end, it’s your day. You have to do what makes you happy, and don’t forget that the day is about the two of you spending the rest of your life together.”

Ceremony: St. John the Baptist Church, Pittston, with Rev. Paul McDonnell, O.S.J., officiating. It was the last wedding celebrated at St. John’s, which closed a few days later.

Reception: The Woodlands Inn and Resort, Wilkes-Barre, where the bride’s parents had held their reception.

Music: The band for the reception was New York Times. “The Way You Look Tonight” was the first dance; “Unforgettable” was the father/daughter dance.

Florist: Price Chopper Floral Department, Wyoming, PA, did the bouquets and flowers for the church ceremony. Carmen Bolin Floristry, Kingston, PA, designed the flowers for the cocktail hour and reception. The bride carried white roses and mini calla lilies accented with crystals to match her engagement ring. Her attendants carried pale purple roses accented with dark purple flowers, greens, and eggplant ribbon.

Photography: Michael Straub Photography, Mount Pocono.

Cake: Banana cake with chocolate fudge layers from Community Bake Shop, Scranton.

Favors: Bottles of red and white wine with custom labels from Blue Mountain Winery, New Tripoli, PA. Wedding Rings: Movado, King of Prussia.

Table Linens/Seat Covers: Tron Wedding and Party Rentals, Kingston.

Gowns: Bride wore a Demetrios Couture design, while the bridesmaids were attired in full length eggplant-colored dresses designed by Jim Hjelm, all purchased at Bridal Garden, Marlton, N.J. Formalwear: From Black Tie Formal Wear, Cherry Hill, N.J., and Sarno & Sons, Scranton. Groom, groomsmen and fathers wore Ralph Lauren.

Honeymoon: Two weeks in Italy with a day stop in Switzerland.

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Melissa Manciun & Joshua Liebner September 15, 2007 Drums, PA

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elissa (Missy) Maciun and Joshua Liebner began with a very specific vision for their autumn wedding at Edgewood-in-the-Pines in Drums, PA. Since she was very young, Missy dreamed of a wedding inspired by the one in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves when Kevin Costner, as the title character, marries Marian, portrayed by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. The movie wedding scene takes place in the forest during the fall.

In addition, the couple decided to use a “Bohemian chic” theme, which they believe combines their free spirited personalities with classic, chic flair. Though very different, these two styles are also very compatible, “Just like we are,” notes the bride.

Missy, a therapist for special needs children, enjoys traveling and “the finer things in life.” Josh, a Port Carbon native, works as a training specialist for a customer service

center. He enjoys music, reading, and watching sports. The couple resides in Missy’s hometown of Ashley.

The couple became engaged during a wine tasting on the Finger Lakes and chose their wedding date because they began dating on November 15 and graduated from Wilkes University together on May 15. They selected the month of September because both love the fall.

To carry out their vision, the couple first designed an arbor which they had fashioned out of curly willow and billowing sheer fabric, topped with flowers in fall colors.

After the ceremony, they noticed that many of their friends and family used the arbor for their own group photos.

Josh and Missy carried the same “outdoor” theme inside by using a seating chart of custom made leaves containing the names and table numbers of their guests hung from a small, elegant willow tree. Each guest also received a NEPA Wedding Day • Winter 08 • 35

tree sapling as a gift from the couple, symbolizing their ever-growing love. Wedding programs were created out of recycled hemp paper.

Also in keeping with the outdoor theme, the couple released butterflies during the ceremony. Female guests were also gifted with an organic Chinese paper fan or a sun parasol.

For the “chic” side of their theme, the couple had the dance floor enhanced with twinkle lights placed behind sheer organza, and Missy surprised her new groom with an ice luge engraved with their monogram.

Varied appetizers, including coconut shrimp, crab Rangoon, and mini steak kabobs were served prior to the wedding dinner, which began with a first course of stuffed manicotti to honor the Italian heritage of the bride. The main course was chicken scampi and beef tips, accompanied by green beans almondine and roasted red potatoes.

A strawberry wedding cake with buttercream frosting was topped with the couple’s monogram fashioned of Swarovski crystal. One of the day’s small mishaps occurred when the cake arrived with pale pink floral trim. The couple’s wedding coordinator, Deanna Coleman, quickly replaced them with fresh flowers taken from an extra centerpiece.

Another problem occurred earlier in the day when the limo driver tried to squeeze a huge stretch SUV up the very narrow side alley near the home of the bride’s parents. After getting stuck, the driver tried to call the bride for help, but Missy, who was busy getting dressed for her wedding, advised him that knowing how to drive a limo was his job, not hers.

The bride was attired in a Dominique gown of ivory satin fashioned with a halter top and accented with a bisque flower that held a tier of under fabric folded over from the waist to the hemline in a bisque shade. The bride also wore a Swarovski crystal crown in her hair and a pearl bracelet on her wrist featuring a mother-of-pearl flower accent, made in London and purchased at Bartikowsky’s Jewelers in Wilkes-Barre, where Josh had also selected Missy’s ring.

The bridesmaids (there was no honor attendant) wore

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gowns by Impressions in brown and bisque, each of a different design reflecting a detail of the bride’s dress. One was a floor length chocolate design with a strapless bodice and a side bisque flower like that of the bride. Another was a tea length chocolate dress with a strapless bodice, a bisque flower at the waist, and a folded tier to reveal a bisque color. The third was a chocolate halter top design, like that of the bride, but featuring a tea length tulip skirt and side bisque flower.

The bride gifted each bridesmaid with brown Chinese slippers (“No heels prevent sinking into the ground,” Missy points out), as well as Vera Wang perfume, custom-made earrings and necklace, and a purse.

Wedding flowers included black-eyed susans, daisies, calla lilies, roses, and berries in fall shades of deep red, wine, dark orange, and golden yellow. The table centerpieces were mini replicas of the outdoor arbor, including the curly willow.

Music for the ceremony was provided by harpist Sara Smith, who played whimsical songs requested by the couple, including “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Over the Rainbow,” and the theme from “Gone With the Wind.”

Because both Missy and Josh are fans of The Beatles and Dave Matthews Band, they chose “In My Life” performed by DMB for the mother/son dance. Missy danced with her father to “Daughters” by John Mayer. The couple’s first dance was to a Hawaiian mix of “Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World.”

When it came time to cut the cake, they chose “Sweet Melissa” by the Allman Brothers Band as an appropriate nod to the bride and to the occasion.

Missy and Josh advise other couples, “Do what you want to do and not what everyone expects a wedding should be. It’s your day, so add your own style to the day.”

In the end, Missy got her fantasy wedding. “It wasn’t traditional, but it was all that I dreamed it would be,” she remembers. “I like to think how all the details were either Bohemian, like the flowers, music, and butterflies, or chic, like the ice luge, twinkle lights, and dresses, but like the two of us, it made a beautiful match.”

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Ideas You Can Use •Pick a theme: Missy and Josh decided on a “Bohemian Chic” theme for their wedding, combining their free spirited personalities with classic flair.

•Find inspiration at the movies: The bride was also inspired by the wedding scene at the end of the movie, “Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves,” which took place in the woods on a fall day.

•Design it yourself: The couple designed an arbor made of curly willow and flowers for the ceremony, then carried the same “outdoor” theme indoors by using a small, elegant willow tree with custom-made leaves holding the names and table numbers of their guests.

• Favor your guests: Symbolizing the ever-growing love of the bridal couple, every guest received a tree sapling as a gift.

Female guests also received an organic Chinese paper fan or a sun parasol.

•Follow that theme: For the Bohemian part, the couple released butterflies as part of the ceremony and their wedding programs were made out of recycled hemp paper. On the chic side, the bride gifted the groom with a monogrammed ice luge at the reception, and the dance floor was lit by twinkle lights placed behind sheer organza.

•Don’t toss: Instead of tossing a bouquet, the bride gave her flowers to the longest married couple attending the wedding.

(Congratulations, Jack and Nancy!) The couple skipped the garter toss altogether.

•Vary the dresses: The bride went to great lengths to find different, but complementary, bridesmaid dresses, each of which matched one detail of her own gown. (One featured a side flower; another had a folded tier at the bottom, and the third had a halter top.)

•Honor your heritage: The first course of the wedding dinner was stuffed manicotti, a salute to the bride’s Italian heritage.

•Include a tradition: In a bow to tradition during a very nontraditional wedding, the bride borrowed a floral comb used by her sister at her wedding.

•Give thought to gifts: The bride gifted her attendants with Chinese slippers fashioned without a heel, to prevent sinking into the ground during the outdoor ceremony. She also presented each with Vera Wang perfume, custom made earrings, a necklace, and a purse.

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“I like to think how all the details were either Bohemian...or chic... but like the two of us, it made a beautiful match.”

Melissa & Joshua’s Details Ceremony and Reception: Edgewood in the Pines, Drums, PA. Officiant: Pastor Steve Hopkins Florist: Kristin’s Florals, Mountaintop, designed the bouquets and centerpieces featuring black-eyed Susans, daisies, calla lilies, roses and berries in shades of deep red, wine, dark orange, and golden yellow. Zanolini Nursery, Drums, created the curly willow arbor with floral accents for the ceremony.

Photography: Kara and Don Walsh of Dreamcatcher Photography, Millville, PA. Music and Entertainment: Harpist Sara Smith of Mountaintop played for the ceremony. Frankie Carll Productions provided music for the reception. First dance was “Over the Rainbow/What a Beautiful World.” Father/daughter dance was to “Daughters by John Mayer. Mother and son danced to “In My Life” performed by Dave Matthews Band. Cakecutting was to “Sweet Melissa” by Allman Brothers Band.

Gowns: Bride wore ivory satin with a halter top, designed by Dominique and purchased at Gerri’s Bridal Shop, Pittston, as were the bridesmaids’s chocolate and bisque gowns by Impressions.

Jewelry: Bride’s ring from Bartikowsky Jewelers, WilkesBarre. Her pearl bracelet with a mother-of-pearl flower was made in London and purchased at Bartikowsky’s. Bride’s earrings were from Head To Toe, Dunmore. Bridesmaids were gifted with custom-made earrings and a necklace from Bridal Trinkets, Dallas, PA Hair and Makeup: Sapphire Salon, Pittston, PA Formalwear: Chocolate-colored Calvin Klein tuxedos from Sarno & Sons, Scranton, PA Honeymoon: A 10-day trip to Secrets Capri Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico.

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Amy Lynne Nardone & Joshua Laboskie

June 29, 2008 Moseley, VA

T

he road that brought Amy Lynne Nardone and Joshua James Laboskie to their wedding ceremony at Amber Grove Inn in Moseley, Virginia, near Richmond, was a long one.

The couple, who were high school sweethearts at Pittston Area, have stayed together for fourteen years, through Joshua’s four years of active duty in the Army--most of it spent in Fairbanks, Alaska--and through Amy Lynne’s collegiate career which has taken her to Penn State’s Main Campus, the University of Alaska, Fairbanks; Northern Virginia Community College, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Medical College of Virginia Campus where she will earn her doctorate in pharmacy in May 2009.

While Amy Lynne completes her doctoral studies, Joshua is employed as operations manager for a locksmith company in Richmond and is working toward a two year degree at

J. Sargent Reynolds Community College. In his spare time, Josh plays piano and guitar, and tries his hand at writing horror stories.

Joshua looks back on the Army years, noting, “I rarely came home when I was stationed in Alaska, and the money that I would have spent on plane tickets went for telephone bills so that I could talk to Amy Lynne. I think my phone bill was routinely higher than a mid-level mortgage!”

One Christmas, he decided to surprise Amy Lynne with an engagement ring, and to mislead her, told her the wrong date for his arrival home. He remembers every detail of that long plane ride from Alaska and the descent into Avoca-and a feeling that he was near a precipice, a jump that would change his life forever.

After all of this planning, with the ring in his pocket, he arrived at Amy Lynne’s house to find his sweetheart sick NEPA Wedding Day • Winter 08 • 43

on the couch, sniffling and feverish. His mind made up, so he decided he couldn’t wait and asked her The Question. It was around midnight of December 13 or 14.

The newly engaged couple couldn’t know then that it would take years before they could plan their wedding. By then they had moved from Northeastern Pennsylvania to Virginia, so they decided on an outdoor ceremony with the feel of an Old Southern plantation or manor home. Finally, 44 • NEPA Wedding Day • Winter 08

they found Amber Grove, only a 15 minute drive from their apartment, and set the date for June 29, 2008.

Amy Lynne selected an ivory A-line bridal gown by 2BE designed with a strapless bodice, silver embroidery and beading, a laced back bodice, and short train. She accented her hair with a barrette and carried a nosegay of ivory hydrangea and roses with burgundy calla lilies.

Her sister Carrie served as maid of honor wearing a sil

ver A-line gown from David’s Bridal with a strapless bodice, floor length skirt, and side bustle. She carried a similar nosegay of ivory hydrangea and burgundy calla lilies.

The couple had decided to host a small but elegant wedding reception, with 36 guests in attendance. Working with a silver and burgundy theme, Amy Lynne ordered burgundy chiffon overlays for the tables and tied the napkins with silver and burgundy ribbon. For centerpieces, she bought

trifle bowls and filled them with crystal pebbles, and floating silver and burgundy candles. Favors were personalized bottles of red and white wine tied with ribbon and placed at each place setting.

Anticipating the heat and humidity of a Central Virginia summer, the couple fashioned their programs in the shape of fans so that guests could cool off.

The couple had attended a food tasting at the manor, and NEPA Wedding Day • Winter 08 • 45

Ideas You Can Use •Amy Lynne and Joshua planned an intimate, but elegant, wedding for a few dozen guests. They also kept costs in check by serving hors d’oeuvres instead of a sit-down meal. The menu included a fruit and cheese buffet, beef serving station, and a selection of foods including skewered chicken and sautéed vegetables.

•The open bar included a selection of wines, beers, soft drinks, and a limited selection of mixed drinks.

•Their ceremony music was a combination of Joshua’s muchloved classical pieces and Amy Lynne’s favorite music from “Phantom of the Opera.”

•In additional to traditional scripture readings and prayers, the couple personalized their ceremony with an amusing welcome and greeting from the movie, “The Princess Bride,” as well as a reading from the film, “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.”

•In a salute to their adopted home, the former Pittston Area couple chose a setting for their wedding that looks like a plantation home from the Old South.

•Anticipating the hot and humid Central Virginia climate in June, the couple fashioned a program that doubled as a fan for their guests.

•Unable to take time off for a proper honeymoon, the couple plans a Caribbean cruise in November when Amy Lynne is off rotation at the hospital.

•Amy Lynne’s advice to future brides: “Don’t wait until the end to do things, because everything takes longer than you expect!” The couple stayed up late the night before the wedding printing and tying together the program fans, and putting ribbons on the wine bottles they used as favors.

•Because many relatives and friends were unable to travel to Richmond for the wedding, the couple hosted a celebration brunch at the Holiday Inn in Wilkes-Barre in July. The bride wore her gown again, as did her maid of honor and mother.

Amy Lynne used the same burgundy table toppers and centerpieces, but different favors (little boxes of candy instead of wine).

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decided to serve “heavy hors d’oeuvres,” which included a fruit and cheese buffet, a beef carving station, various salads, skewered chicken, and sautéed vegetables.

They chose a magnificent white and burgundy cake in two flavors, red velvet and almond cheesecake, which were a great favorite with those in attendance. A Viennese dessert table was also available for guests with a sweet tooth.

The couple was married in front a gazebo on the back lawn, and the bride entered to Pachelbel’s “Canon in D Major.” Prelude music was “Eine Kleine Machtmusik” by Mozart, and “Moonlight Sonata” and “Pathetique Sonata,” both by Beethoven. Ceremony music included “Laudate Dominum” by Mozart and “Ich Liebe Dich” by Grieg.

Recessional music was “Ode To Joy,” again by Beethoven, a favorite composer of the groom. The one non-classical song choice was “All I Ask of You” by Andrew Lloyd Webber, chosen because “Phantom of the Opera” was the first Broadway show Amy Lynne had ever attended.

Rev. Derek Gordon, a Baptist minister who is a friend of the couple, was a good sport and agreed to give a welcome and greeting which was a copy of the wedding ceremony between Buttercup and Prince Humperdink in the movie “The Princess Bride.” Later, a friend gave a reading from another rmovie, “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.” The rest of the ceremony included a scripture reading from Corinthians and The Lord’s Prayer.

Also in keeping with tradition, the bride wore something new (her wedding gown and shoes), and borrowed her

great aunt’s diamond earrings. Her mother, Diane Nardone, gifted Amy with a ring which had belonged to her own grandmother to wear as something “old,” and the bride’s “something blue” were “unmentionables.”

The reception was held in a white tent on the grounds of the inn, and the couple’s first dance was to Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One,” a nod to their many years together.

There were a few small mishaps when the hairdresser got lost and it rained briefly before the ceremony. The groom, who had stayed up until 3 a.m. preparing the programs, woke up with gastric distress, but luckily both his illness and the rain disappeared.

The funniest mishap occurred during the ceremony itself when the bride’s diamond wedding band fell between the steps to the gazebo when the officiant tipped his Bible forward. Guests gasped, Amy blinked her eyes in disbelief, Joshua suppressed a grin, and the couple now enjoys unusual photographs showing their friends fishing for the ring after the ceremony.

Asked for her favorite memory of the long-awaited wedding day, Amy Lynne replies, “When I came out of the inn and saw my friends and family were waiting there.”

Joshua recalls that the rain stopped a few minutes before the ceremony and the sun came out. “The sun stayed out for most of the day, then clouds came in as people started leaving,” he recalls. “But it didn’t start raining again until after we took our second set of pictures.”

Amy & Joshua’s Details Ceremony and Reception: Amber Grove Inn, Moseley, Virginia (near Richmond) Officiant: The Reverand Derek Gordon Music: Prelude music was “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” by Mozart and “Moonlight Sonata” and “Pathetique Sonata”

by Beethoven. Candle lighting and processional music was “Laudate Dominum” by Mozart, and bridal processional was “Canon in D Major” by Pachelbel. Ceremony music included “Ich Liebe Dich” by Grieg and “All I Ask of You” by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with Beethoven’s “Ode To Joy” as the recessional. Jason Page of Celebrity DJs provided the music for the ceremony and reception. The couple’s first dance was to “You’re Still the One” by Shania Twain.

Florist: Flowers Make Sense. The bride carried ivory hydrangea and roses with burgundy calla lilies, and the maid of honor carried a similar nosegay with ivory hydrangea and burgundy calla lilies. The groom and groomsman wore burgundy calla lily boutonnieres, while the mother of the bride and aunt of the groom wore ivory rose corsages.

Photography: Eric Leise.

Cake: Batter Up Cake Company (Alicia Gallo) Gown: Bride wore ivory A-line gown with a strapless bodice, silver embroidery and beading, and a short train desgined by 2BE. Attendant wore a silver floor length A-line gown with a strapless bodice and side bustle from David’s Bridal.

Honeymoon: Brief stay at The Berkeley in Richmond, VA, followed by a Caribbean cruise this fall.

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