When Elizabeth and Sean met in college, it was because Liz was in need of a tutor. Over time they great became friends. When it was time for Liz to graduate, Sean was going into his senior year and life got hectic. Miraculously, the couple happened to reconnect at homecoming the following year and the rest is history!
How They Met
“During my senior year of college, I found myself needing a Computer Science tutor. Our mutual friend, Matan, recommended that I reach out to Sean for help. During this time Sean and I became great friends. I graduated, Sean continued into his senior year, and life got busy. The following year at Homecoming we bumped into one another and reconnected. After talking for a while, Sean took me on my favorite date of my life: dessert hopping. We went to four restaurants and only ordered dessert. I realized early on that Sean was the perfect guy for me.”
The Proposal
“I planned a trip to my Nana’s house in August, 2018. I invited my twin brother, older brother and his wife to tag along. My Nana is one of my favorite people in the world, and she lives in the Poconos on a beautiful lake. Sean saw this trip as the perfect time to propose. He secretly planned the proposal and gave everyone invited a role in the event. On the
morning of August 11, 2018 we went out to breakfast to The Mustard Seed Cafe. As we drove back to Nana’s Sean said, “We all look so nice that we should stop by the lake and take pictures.” Everyone agreed at the idea. We pulled up to the lake and as Sean and I walked out onto the dock, my family all quickly pull out their phones. By the time I looked back at Sean he was down on one knee, holding a red velvet ring box, and he popped the question. I was incredibly surprised, so I blurted out “What?! Is this real?!” Sean replied “You are supposed to say yes or no.” Overjoyed, I say “Yes!,” Sean gave me the biggest hug and kiss as he stood up, and Nana popped a bottle of champagne on the dock.”
Wedding Planning
“We gave ourselves about one year to plan the wedding, since we liked the idea of our wedding occurring during Labor Day weekend. Originally we had the idea of using a large AirBnB, called Wise Woodin Estates, as our wedding venue, but before we visited the estate, I came across a unique venue called the Pump House B&B. We visited the Pump House the following weekend and we fell in love with the venue. After that, everything seemed to fall into place. We found a caterer (Craft Catering, Berwick, PA), the DJ (MixMaster Entertainment), videography (Your Day Productions), cake artist (Nannycakes Bakery), bartending service (Just Bartending), busing (Susquehanna Trailways, LLC), and photographer (Brad Vassallo Creative Services). Most of our stress occurred during the
last two months of wedding planning, when fine details needed to be sorted out. We had great support from our family, wedding party, and vendors throughout the process.”
The Pump House Bed & Breakfast
“We chose the Pump House B&B because it was absolutely charming. The aesthetic and artistry of the buildings is beautiful; rustic, but with an industrial flare. This venue could accommodate everything we needed, including the busing we used to transport our 120 guests. The use of Studio Hall and The Brick Barn allowed us to have cocktail hour and dancing in a separate space from dinner. We never felt crowded. We planned to have our ceremony in the “Sacred Spot,” which is an alcoved area nestled in the
woods accompanied by a peaceful, flowing creek, but nature had the opposite plan for us. It started to pour 30 minute before the ceremony, so we utilized Plan B (a.k.a. the flexibility of our venue) and moved the ceremony inside. Our wedding party stayed at the B&B and the morning after the wedding the Pump House staff prepared the best breakfast I have ever had.”
Wedding Inspiration
“Deciding on our venue helped us determine the “look” we wanted, but our main goals behind all of the choices we made was to reduce the risk of stressful situations and increase the potential for enjoyment. We had a short, self-certifying ceremony, cocktail hour with yummy hors d’oeuvres, an open bar, a dinner buffet with multiple entree and side options, disposable and biodegradable dinnerware, a four-flavor wedding cake, a popcorn bar, dessert table, etc. We wanted our guests to feel that they had options and could determine what would make their night the most fun. We paid for our wedding because we wanted the event to not only celebrate our marriage, but also all of our friends and family that supported us through out our lives.”
Best Moment
“I think the moment from our wedding that still sticks with us was the emotion we felt walking down the aisle. Our guests realized that moving our ceremony indoors was not the original plan. They managed to fill that room with so much love that when we entered it felt like everything was going perfectly.”
Wedding Planning Advice
“Don’t stress over things you cannot control. Things are going to go wrong the day of the wedding. Be prepared to improvise and make everything the best it can be in that moment. If the bride and groom are having a great time, the guests will feed off that energy, and the day will be a success.”
Wedding Vendors
“All of our vendors were amazing, especially the caterer (Craft Catering) and our photographer (Brad Vassallo). Our guests loved the food, beverages, music, venue, and the wedding photos we gave out as presents. Our vendors rolled with the punches and adapted when Plan A changed to Plan B. I couldn’t have asked for a better team to work with on my wedding day!”
Vendors: | Ceremony & Reception: Pump House Weddings and B&B Caterer: | Lucy’s Craft Catering | DJ: MixMaster Entertainment Services Videographer: | Your Day Productions | Hair Stylist: Melissa Reinford Cake: Nanny Cakes Bakery | Bartenders: Just Bartending | Kilt: USA Kilts Bagpiper: Robert Mitchell