Classic weddings will always have a place in our hearts, especially the celebrations with inspiring details like this one! Aldie Mansion was a befitting historic venue for this romantic fairytale wedding! Kelly and Jon’s love for romance came to play in every ethereal detail. From the timeless blooms designed by Papertini Floral to the whimsical love note favors and decor. Emily Wren Photography perfectly captured the beautiful imagery that depicts K + J’s love story, so keep scrolling for more loveliness below.
From the Photographer, Emily Wren: “With their palette of snowy whites and timeless shades of blue, Kelly & Jon’s Aldie Mansion wedding was a true fairytale. The intricate stonework and historic fixtures of the mansion provided an atmosphere of classic elegance. Kelly looked like royalty in her strapless, lace, Monique Lhuillier gown, and chapel length veil. Jonathan was dashing in his navy blue suit and sky blue tie with a neatly folded blue floral pocket square. Their pup served as a footman— and ring bearer—sporting a bow tie to match his dads!
To make sure their guests were included in the romance, Kelly and Jon wrote each of their guests a love note which they tucked into glass bottles tied with pale blue ribbon. After enjoying custom cocktails in the library, guests enjoyed a candlelit dinner at tables covered in white linens, soft floral arrangements, and menus set against blue napkins. At the end of the night, Kelly and Jon danced beneath sparklers held aloft by their friends and loved ones— a magical end to a magical day!”
How They Met
“We met in college giving tours of the University. Jon and I were both tour guides and immediately bonded over our love for our school.”
The Proposal
“We both love autumn, and our fall tradition had become driving to a pumpkin patch around where we live in Northern Virginia to pick our own pumpkins. We went on our fourth annual pumpkin picking excursion (and of course brought along our dog, Winston), and Jon surprised me by popping the question in the middle of the pumpkin patch! But the surprises didn’t stop there, and when we went to a nearby vineyard to supposedly meet another couple, Jon had arranged for a large group of our friends and my family to be waiting to celebrate with us. For me, it was the best combination of being able to have an intimate moment for the proposal, and then immediately being able to celebrate with those who mean the most to me.”
Wedding Planning
“We chose to have a longer engagement at 18 months so that we did not have to feel rushed in planning and so that we could have our first choice of venue and vendors. This gave us a lot of flexibility and time to research so that we knew we were making the right decisions for us. Even with the extra time, things still got stressful at points, and some things were still left until the last minute!”
Aldie Mansion
“We are both from Eastern Pennsylvania and started by narrowing our search down to the Philly area. We knew we wanted to have the ceremony and reception at the same place, and that we also wanted something a little different than the classic country club ballroom, but with a lot of greenery and outdoor areas. As soon as we found Aldie Mansion, we fell in love with the vintage vibe, unique layout, beautiful gardens and historic oak tree, and how it photographed. The beautiful fountains, ornate bridal suite, and the fact that the cocktail hour is held in the Library were some of our favorite features!”
Wedding Inspiration
“Romantic and soft while embracing the vintage and garden features of the old English mansion.”
“We knew we had to incorporate our beloved dog into the wedding somehow, but wanted to do something a little different than simply have him as a ring bearer (plus, we wouldn’t have trusted him anyway!). We wrote our own vows, and during the part in the ceremony where Jon had to read his, he pretended like he had forgotten to bring a copy. The officiant and bridal party played along and you could tell the guests were slightly panicked, but then Winston, escorted by our friend, ran in while the string quartet played the Indiana Jones theme song to save the day with a copy of the vows! He was just as excited to see us as we were to see him.”
Wedding Planning Advice
“Make sure you enjoy the journey, not just the destination. It may sound corny, but wedding planning is months and months of your life, and the wedding is only one day! Try your best to enjoy as much of the wedding planning as possible, because a lot of those things are really fun too. Also, as much as you can plan in advance before the day of (i.e., photo shot list, vendor arrival times, timeline, etc.) to ensure things run smoothly, the better. Once things get rolling, there are so many moving parts and you will just want to enjoy your day to the fullest.”
Wedding Vendors
“I had a vision for how I wanted the wedding to look and how I wanted the day to go, so it was important for me to find vendors that I could trust and could help bring my vision to life. Planning a wedding for the first time, there are so many things I would have never considered or thought about that my vendors brought to my attention, and so I always relied heavily on their opinions and trusted their input. They’re the professionals and were all great!”
