We searched for months trying to find the perfect venue. As soon as I set foot in Whitehall Manor, I knew it was THE place. It had everything we were looking for: a breathtaking wooded backdrop, gorgeous natural light, a secluded location, and rustic-yet-modern vibe. It just felt...right. We wanted our wedding to be a celebration of our love and all the people with whom we share it.

We are very fortunate to have such a strong, supportive group of family and friends, most of whom were there to witness the beginnings of our relationship. The day was not just about us, but about all of the people who had supported us along our journey. Shawn and I wanted our wedding to reflect our personalities – we’re really goofy and love to have fun.

We incorporated little details here and there that were unique. For example, instead of having a guest book, we asked each guest to fill out a Mad Libs-style card (many of which came back hiiiighly inappropriate, which was part of the fun). One of my favorite details that might have gone unnoticed to most guests was my ring bearer’s “pillow,” which was made up of two books. One was my late grandfather’s arithmetic book from the 1920s that still had all of his notes and calculations written in the margins, and the other was my grandmother’s Italian cookbook from the 1940s. I loved that we were able to include a little piece of each of them in our big day.

Another aspect that was very special to us was our ceremony. We worked with Reverend Julie Price to create a completely personalized ceremony that told the story of our relationship, and included funny memories of how we came to be a couple. Many of our friends and family had a hand in getting us together, so it was special to recognize them.

When we started planning we focused on two things: we wanted everyone to have an awesome time, and we wanted to document the awesome-ness. The first two vendors we booked were our amazing DJ (Michael Bell of MyDeejay.com) and the very-talented Mary Kate McKenna. Everything else came secondary. At the end of the day we wanted our wedding to be a celebration of our love and FUN! No one will remember what color your linens were, what food they ate, what the cake looked like or what drinks you served.....but they will remember the love you shared and fun times they had. And that is all that matters! :)