Perfection in The Poconos

So many charming details came together to make Stephanie and Andrew’s wedding really special. This couple seemed destined for a perfectly romantic wedding from day one.

“I am an NYC girl who somehow managed to find a southern boy in this big city,” said Stephanie. “We met almost five years ago, at Mercury Bar, on Valentine’s day! Since then we’ve been inseparable. Andrew proposed last April, at Machu Picchu in Peru.”

“Andrew is from Virginia, and I grew up going to the Pocono Mountains, as my parents own property there. We wanted a country wedding and found a beautiful lake resort in Reeders, Pennsylvania, called Mountain Springs Lake Resort.”

Stephanie came to us with clear inspiration for her wedding flowers. “My grandmother’s favorite color is peach,” she said. She decided on a palette of peach, ivory and green. “I love roses,” said Stephanie. “I wanted simple, country and elegant. We chose a lot of hydrangea, garden roses, and seeded eucalyptus for the bouquets and boutonniers. I used a lot of burlap for wedding decorations and had the stems of the bridesmaids bouquets wrapped in burlap as well.”

“The theme of our wedding was, ‘Bold As Love,’ which is a song from Andrew’s favorite guitarist, Jimi Hendrix, and we had it detailed throughout our wedding, starting from our invitation to our tags on our straws, to our welcome sign,” said Stephanie. “We really wanted everyone to get to know us a little bit more on our wedding day.”

“Our cocktail and ceremony were both outside. It’s amazing that it even happened outdoors because it stopped raining about thirty minutes before it was scheduled to start! We served popcorn during our ceremony which Andrew loves and makes all the time, along with strolling lemonade and iced tea. We had an absolutely fabulous Blue Grass Band, Stained Grass Window, play for the ceremony and cocktail hour.”

“My dress, which I just am so in love with, was the Sofia gown, in Champagne, from Matthew Christopher. It’s a silk chiffon trumpet gown with a lace overlay. Just a beautiful gown,” said Stephanie. We think she made an especially beautiful bride and we loved learning the story of one unique element of her bridal ensemble.

“My wedding veil was actually my mom’s veil, made originally by my grandmother, and restored for me by my mom. The veil is a three layer, cathedral length, which she fully beaded with little pearl beads and Swarovski crystals. It was really so special. My head piece was also taken from my mom’s original veil.” Her grandmother adapted it and added Swarovski crystals.

The indoor reception featured floor to ceiling windows overlooking the mountains and a DJ who kept everyone dancing all night. The couple served Manhattans as their signature cocktail, as a nod to both Andrew’s love of bourbon, and to the couple’s first meeting, in Manhattan. To honor the bride’s Puerto Rican and Dominican heritage, the couple chose a dulce de leche cake from a small Dominican bakery in the Bronx.

“Our favorite parts of the whole day were our first look and ceremony. First look was so special, because it took place on a very quiet, long road lined by very tall trees, and it was just so quiet and it was just us, making it very memorable.”

“It was truly such a beautiful day and I am still on cloud nine thinking about it. It turned out to be more than I ever expected and a day that I’ll keep in my heart forever.”

All the Details:
Venue: Mountain Springs Lake Resort
Photographer: Cardoni White
Flowers: Bride & Blossom
Centerpieces: Assoc. Cut Flowers NYC
Bride’s Dress: Matthew Christopher
Bride’s shoes: Badgley Mischka
Bridesmaid & flower girl’s dresses: After Six
Groom’s tux: Giorgio Armani
Groomsmen’s tuxes: Vera Wang
Ring bearer’s suit: J. Crew
Makeup & Hair: Face the Day
DJ: Gemini Sound
Blue Grass Band: Stained Grass Window
Coffee: Apropos Roasters