Seriously guys, no words for this rustic Pennsylvania wedding by Stephanie A. Smith Photography! I am absolutely in awe at everything about this one: the gorgeous couple, the incredible venue, the sweet decor. You can just see the love between these two in their first look, and and it’s the simple details that really bring it all together. Don’t believe me? Take a look and judge for yourself!

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

My sister had gotten married less than 6 months earlier was such a help. We sort of went through the process together. I ended up using two of her vendors, hair and florist. She is also very crafty so was the brains (and hands) behind many of the crafts. 

What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?

My first criteria was to find people who were reasonably priced and had quality reviews. After that it was really important that I felt comfortable with them. I knew that these were going to be the people who were all around me during my big day so wanted to make sure they would add to my happiness. This was particularly important choosing a photographer since they are with you the entire day. As soon as I met Stephanie, she felt like a fast friend and I actually enjoyed having her by my side. She just makes you feel comfortable and at ease 

What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?

I went with rustic chic. Although we live in the city now, both My fiancé and I grew up in the country. My family owns a working farm and he grew up in an old stone farm house with lots of land. I am admittedly very much a city girl these days, But thought it was representative of our backgrounds and definitely my finance’s laid back take on life. Mixing some chic in seemed to meld in with my current lifestyle as well. And it was so fun to go with this type of theme! We went with burlap table runners, mason jars candle holders covered in lace, old distressed shutters from my in-laws farmhouse to hold the escort cards, and mismatched bottles for table vases. We also were our own table numbers to add a little fun into things! 

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

I loved it all. It was magical to see everything come together that day from a year of planning. Having all of our family and friends in one place was euphoric. If I had to pick one thing though it would be our ceremony. I had been to so many weddings over the years and the ceremonies always were the exact same. I really wanted ours to be unique and personal and to talk about us and our relationship and love for each other. So after much thought, here is what we decided…

My husband’s best friend from college was our officiant and we actually married ourselves. In Pennsylvania you can have a Quaker wedding license which means you marry yourselves. That was very empowering and really felt right to us. We then wrote our entire ceremony, including our vows. I had our closest family and friends write something about us and our relationship and send to the officiant. He selected a few to read during the ceremony which was awesome. He then did a beautiful, touching, personal reflection on us just before we gave our vows. There wasn’t a dry seat in the house. So many people have told me it is the best ceremony they have ever seen

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

It is your wedding so make it what you want! Everyone has an opinion but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. Do what you want! Also don’t sweat the small stuff. Know that things will go wrong that day but it doesn’t matter. You will be lost in the moment so stay there and don’t let anything bring you down! 

See what I mean? What a beautiful, sweet, intimate wedding! Everything from the mismatched flowers to the long tables and rustic touch is just perfection. This just might be one of my favorites!

xoxo, Joelle

Vendors who made it all happen…