One of the best parts about my job as an editor, is being able to share in some of the most incredible moments of people's lives. Each celebration that I publish speaks to me in a different way, as I am drawn to each one for different reasons. When I opened up my inbox this morning, the first thing that caught my eye were the smiles of pure love and joy that were across both Jess and Brian's faces as shared in moments together throughout their day. These stunning images were captured by Kenzie of Lenses and Laughter and for me it was utterly contagious!
Jess tells us that she met Brain at a party in 2008 where they were partnered for a game of 'Beer Pong' and have been together ever since. When it came time to propose, Jess tells us that it didn't come as a surprise as she could see the outline of the ring box in Brian's jacket pocket. Taking her to one of her favourite spots, The Lamberton Conservatory, just after Valentine's Day, Brian spent a considerable amount of time walking from room to room in the Greenhouse. Jess says, "I wish I was cool enough to say that I didn't spoil it, but I definitely had a giggle while we were walking around, he was clearly trying to find the perfect spot and was so nervous. After what felt like an eternity, he decided on a somewhat private spot and got down on one knee and blurted out the question with a tongue tied in knots." Jess says it was a beautiful mess and completely Brian and it made her laugh, smile and of course say YES!
When we asked the couple about planning their wedding, Jess told us "I could have told you many years before our wedding that I would get married at Sonnenberg Gardens. I love it there so much that we based our date of their availability." The couple chose to decorate minimally focusing instead on the surrounding historic gardens and their florals.
Rachel Hoover was the couples floral designer of choice and Jess tells us "Rachel loving grew our flowers for us in her greenhouse and then arranged them like a flower wizard! The only direction we gave her was 'wild and leafy, with the 12 bridesmaids to have off-white bouquets' I thought this would help coordinate their otherwise mix matched attire." As for a theme, Jess tells us that "I am not crazy about everything matching at weddings especially when the bridal party is large like mine with 12 bridesmaids, coordinated yes, matchy matchy not so much. The decision to have a palette of off whites combined with greenery allowed us to have a coordinated look while the girls could still have a variety of different dresses."
Asking the couple what their most anticipated moment and special moment of the wedding was, Jess asks us "Can Jello shots be my answer? Because that might be my answer." Laughing she goes on to tell us that they enjoyed watching their two worlds collide, having friends and family enjoying themselves as much as they were was very important to them. The other special highlight of the day was having their best friend perform the ceremony having been ordained especially for their wedding.
The couples advice to those that are currently planning their special days is to, "Go to dance lessons!, several of our friends recommended that we go but I didn't listen and as a result we awkwardly stumbled around the dance floor until I'd had enough and asked the DJ to please stop. Also having a second dress was one of the best things I did for myself, changing into the dress made me feel like I was celebrating with my friends and family not hosting an event and seperate to them."
We invite you to sit back and relax as you enjoy the images from this beautiful wedding and don't forget to check out the list of vendors below and follow the links to discover some talent and inspiration for your big day!
MEET THE TEAM:
Photography: Lenses and Laughter
Ceremony Venue: Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park
Reception Venue: The Finger Lakes Hotel
Floral Design: Rachel Hoover Florist
Musicians: quartet442
DJ: Spectrum Sounds
Bridal Gown: David's Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: David's Bridal