written by Dolly Marshall
Long before meeting couple Alyssa and Dane, Wedding Planner Amanda Dabbeekeh just knew she wanted to be a part of their wedding. The pair wanted to work with someone who could really capture their unique sensibilities and bring their vision to life. So when they finally met during the initial walk-through after exchanging many emails, the trio hit it off, which was the start of what became a beautiful friendship.
From the Planner, Diamonds and Details: “I loved Dane’s funny wit and Alyssa’s down to earth personality. I also think Dane liked me because he said I reminded him of one of his Aunts! The best part of my job is that every client I work with is never the same. Alyssa and Dane were an absolute pleasure!”
How They Met
“Dane and I met at a bar on top of Mount Washington in Pittsburgh, PA. I had just moved to the city after graduating from college and Dane had just moved back to his hometown after working in Amsterdam for two years. We believe it was fate that had us come back to the city. We both were out with our own group of friends when I overheard them talking about their younger days attending Catholic School. I attended Catholic School my entire life, so I decided to join in on their conversation. After a while, Dane and I were the only one’s talking and he asked me out on a date involving lots of wine and cheese. How could I say no? We just never ran out of things to talk about…so here we are!”
The Proposal
“I went to college for dance and after graduation started dancing for a professional dance company in the Pittsburgh area. We had a show that was premiering on a weekend in late August, one show on Saturday and one on Sunday. Dane said he would be coming to the Sunday show, so when I walked outside into the lobby after the performance and saw him standing there with a big bouquet of flowers it was quite the surprise! He handed me the bouquet and after making a fuss about how beautiful the flowers were, I looked down and saw him on his knee. It was the most romantic moment with all of our friends and family there (including approximately 50 attendees of the show) watching as he took out the most beautiful ring. After each of us shed a few tears of joy, I said Yes!”
Wedding Planning
“The first few weeks after the proposal were a little overwhelming. I had no idea where to start or what to look for to find the best vendors. We talked to couples who had just recently planned weddings and found out that we had to choose our venue first and then we could go from there. We found our venue within the first month of getting engaged and after that, planning was a breeze, especially with the help from our coordinators. We found our amazing photographer that same month and booked the rest of our vendors a year in advance to make sure we had the right people. We had almost a two year engagement, which at the time felt like it would take forever, but looking back we were able to spread out the planning process and overcome obstacles with ease. We never felt stressed or crunched for time. Giving ourselves room to breathe was the best decision for us and it made wedding day magical”
The Inn at Leola Village
“The Inn at Leola Village is a magical place set right outside Lancaster, PA. My Dad found it for us and knew it was the one, but he wanted to show us first. As soon as we stepped onto the grounds of the venue we knew it was the place we wanted to celebrate our Wedding Day. The Inn takes care of everything. They have a Spa on site for hair and make-up for the bridesmaids and an Art of Shaving barber for the men. It has multiple rooms to choose where you would like to have your ceremony or reception ranging from big to small, we chose the Casa Di Fiori Venue that could fit up to 200+ guests. They also have a florist and a baker on site that is included in your booking. The food is amazing! They have their own catering included and our guests said it was the best wedding food they had ever had. The presentation is so meticulously cared for and on your wedding day they make you feel like a King and Queen. The biggest part that Dane and I and even our guests say to this day is that the Inn was a wonderful place to have a wedding weekend. If you are looking to celebrate for a few days this is the place to be. Your guests will leave happy and relaxed and you will be able to look back on a weekend of no stress!”
Wedding Inspiration
“We wanted the wedding to be unique to us, with as much of our own creativity we could put into it. I chose to do floral ring bouquets for the bridesmaids so they could be hands free most of the afternoon, and thanks to the amazing work from Village Floral, they turned out to be so beautiful. I also made my own Floral Hanging Wreaths to match their bouquets to be hung behind our sweetheart table and above the hors d’oeuvres table in the cocktail hour room. We had a floral ring above our dance floor as well so everything was cohesive as possible. My parents and I went to a local antique store for a lot of our decor at the reception, including the shutters that we made as our Escort Card display. A lot of our own hard work was put into the decor for the reception which it makes it fun to look at the pictures and say wow, we made that!”
Best Moment
“There are so many, but if I had to choose one, coming around the corner and seeing Dane for the first time down the aisle will forever be etched into my brain. The feeling you get is the best in the world. It is a mix of love, nervousness, excitement, and fear all wrapped into one and it is wonderful. Looking down the aisle and seeing the love of your life and not knowing what the future holds for the two of you is breathtaking. All you do know, is that you have one another to hold onto and you are starting life, together, again, in this moment. The vision and the feeling of that moment we’ll carry with us throughout our lives.”
Wedding Planning Advice
“There were times when I wanted to do something different than what my parents had wanted. Remember that your parents have waited your entire life for this moment as well. Respect them and their wishes for the things they would like to have or at least come to a compromise on ideas for your wedding day. And remember, not to sweat the small stuff, both Dane and I went into the day knowing that not everything will go as planned. We were so relaxed and able to enjoy the day with one another and our family and friends. You’ll forget about the small things and just want to join in on the love you feel from everyone on that special day.”
Wedding Vendors
“Amazing. Each vendor we chose had multiple years of experience in the wedding industry so we knew we had picked a good batch! One of the important things we looked for when choosing vendors was how well we connected with them. You will be working with these people for months on end so make sure you get along! Each vendor we chose we were able to keep the conversation light and they made it fun! Most of our vendors have become our friends! We connect on instagram and other forms of social media and recommend them to our friends who are going to be getting married soon.”
Vendors | Ceremony Venue: St Anthony of Padua Church |Reception Venue: The Inn at Leola Village | Catering and Wedding Cake: The Inn at Leola Village | Wedding Management: Diamonds and Details | Photography: Douglas James Studios | Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Entertainment: Vivace Live | Reception Entertainment and Lighting: Rhythmix Entertainment | Floral Decor: Village Floral (Inn at Leola)| Specialty Decor: Shumaker Design and Production | Hair and Make-up: Destinations Spa/Salon (Inn at Leola Village) | Wedding Party Transportation: Premiere #1 Limo Service | Accommodations: Inn at Leola Village