Finger Lakes Wedding - Erin & Andrew - WellWed New York - Spring / Summer 2011

aurora, new york {logo design above} betsywhite.com {photography} brandon vick {reception site} the aurora inn

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Though Erin Divine and Andrew Owen originally met on their very first day of high school, they were many things to each other before they became a couple. As their officiant read during their wedding ceremony, “In the 13 years that Andrew and Erin have known each other, they have been many things: acquaintance, nuisance, friend, drinking buddy, sparring partner, crush, fiancé, and now they become husband and wife.” In fact, the two were simply friends all through high school and college before they began dating during their senior year. “It was a long time coming, but we realized the wait had been worth it,” says Erin. “We were already best friends, and after we began dating, the rest was easy.”

Several years later, on February 16, 2009, one month after Andrew had purchased the ring, four days after he had arrived in New York City to visit Erin, and two days after Valentines Day, Andrew awoke on a sunny morning and knew that it was the big day. He and Erin set off on foot for brunch at the Central Park Boathouse, enjoying a rare winter day of sunshine. As they approached the lake, Andrew asked Erin to close her eyes because he had a surprise for her. He placed a ring in her hand and Erin opened her eyes to find him kneeling before her. Erin was so surprised, she dropped her purse, sunglasses, and gloves. Laughing and excited, she accepted.

Elegant yet playful, Erin and Andrew’s wedding day was a relaxed affair full of chic details and personal elements.

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Erin and Andrew knew they wanted to have an outdoor wedding.

Neither belonged to a church, but both had been raised in families that taught them to have a great love and respect for the outdoors.

Other than that, however, they hadn’t narrowed down their options.

With Erin living in New York City at the time and Andrew in Pennsylvania, the search was simply too broad, and both were relieved when Erin’s parents suggested the couple consider the Finger Lakes Region. After visiting the Aurora Inn, they knew they had found the perfect place. “Quite simply, for us, the Finger Lakes was the total package,” says Erin. “You have the charm of the country, the luxury of water, the beautiful summers, the exceptional wineries and restaurants. We decided it was the perfect location for our guests to enjoy for the first time or, like we did, fall in love with all over again.”

The morning of their wedding dawned sunny, clear, and perfect.

Erin and Andrew incorporated many personal elements into their ceremony, beginning with their officiant — a close friend who became temporarily ordained in order to marry the couple. “We knew we wanted our ceremony to be very personal, sweet, and a little fun,

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Cake: Sincredible Pastries sincrediblepastries.com Coordination & Event Rentals: Simply Beautiful Events | simplybeautifulevents.com Floral Design: Wildflowers sarahwhitewildflower.blogspot.com Hair Pieces: Lo Boheme loboheme.com Hair & Makeup: Makeup on Demand kriskellogg.com

but no matter what words we came up with, they weren’t going to make sense if a stranger was saying them back to us,” says Erin.

Both from Irish families, the bride and groom tied Erin’s Claddagh ring to the ring bearer’s plate to include its symbolism of friendship, love, and loyalty — three pillars of a long and happy marriage.

Andrew’s own ring also held special meaning, as he had it custom made with Erin’s fingerprint engraved on the outside of the band.

After the ceremony, guests relaxed in a chic lounge area in between stints on the dance floor, keeping cool with fresh lemonade, peach sangria, pineapple margaritas, and palm fans tied with yellow and gray ribbon. A jazz combo played softly in the background during cocktail hour, and as the sun set, white lanterns and tea lights shone from the trees like fireflies. Looking back on their wedding, Erin and Andrew couldn’t be happier with their day. “It’s a fleeting, beautiful moment in your life,” says Erin. “Mine was a summer dream, and the only way to make sure you won’t be sad when it’s over is to be really happy it happened.”

Invitations: Terra Rosa terra-rosa.com Placecards: Paper Orchid Stationery paperorchidstationery.com Photobooth: Bella Weddings & Events bellaweddings-events.com Photography: brandon vick brandonvick.com Reception Site: The Aurora Inn aurora-inn.com Videography: Clark + Walker Studio clarkwalkerstudio.com

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