from the bride… “While Rick and I went to the same high school, we didn’t begin dating until we were introduced to each other after college, through a mutual friend. We had been dating for three and a half years when he proposed to me on Christmas morning of 2014! Rick had a strong Catholic upbringing, and even though I was not brought up Catholic, I knew how important it was to Rick and his family that he be married in the Catholic Church, so it was an easy decision for us. I had always wanted to get married outdoors, so instead we compromised and decided we would have the ceremony in a church and the reception outdoors. When Rick and I decided we wanted our reception to take place outdoors we knew right away that my childhood home would be the perfect location. I have always been exceptionally close with my grandparents and Rick and I spent a lot of time there playing volleyball, taking the boats out on the pond, and having cookouts with the family. After choosing the location, it was easy to choose a theme for our Wedding. I think since I first discovered Pinterest I had know I wanted my bridesmaids to wear blush and Rick’s groomsmen to wear gray, and together we decided an elegant rustic wedding would be the perfect mix for us.”

“I will never forget the morning of our wedding when my grandparents, parents, sisters, Rick’s brothers, and Rick and I were all running around at my grandparents house setting up. The men were setting up the lights and putting up the signs, and the women were setting up the tables and taking care of all the small details. My grandmother had her hair in rollers and was helping me put tablecloths on all the tables! Eventually my family made my sister Deanna and I leave, since we were already late for hair and makeup. What I didn’t realize was my dad’s cousin had made a red and white lighthouse out of copper to cover an unsightly pipe in the middle of my grandparent’s backyard, and my family was waiting for me to leave to set it up. He had been working on it for six months and even had one of our engagement photos engraved onto a crystal that slowly spins and lights up in the top of the lighthouse. They had it hidden in the house and waited until I left the morning of the wedding to put it in the backyard. It was one of the first things I saw when I arrived at our reception and I’ve never been so touched or surprised in all my life. We had the absolute perfect day for our wedding and the most amazing part was that there was not a person close to us that didn’t have a part in making our wedding so special!”