This was a fairy tale. A fairy tale wedding of a beautiful princess in a shimmering ballgown with her handsome prince on an incredible sunny day. Everyone said so. There was a majestic church, a carriage, a grand estate, lush flowers, fair maidens, sweeping ballroom dances, and surprises. The only thing missing was the villain.
I arrived at Overbrook Golf Club on a clear summer day. Jessica was getting some last minute touch-ups and her ladies were sipping champagne and laughing. Jessica was tense. She is type-A through and through. We had exchanged dozens of emails to make sure the day flowed like water. Nothing had been overlooked. Still, she was nervous. The day had hardly begun and there was so much swirling around.
Once the action began, the jitters disappeared. That’s all they were. A good set of girlfriends can be magical for stuff like that.
The guys were a different story. They ate hoagies and bowled in the club’s underground bowling alley and got themselves gussied up in the library.
Jessica’s maid of honor (hi, previous LDP bride, Lindsay!) and mother helped her step into the beaded, off the shoulder lace confection. If she hadn’t looked like a princess before (and she surely had), it was undeniable now. The blonde curls that framed her face, tiny waist, sparkling green eyes and simply the grace she had in this foreign situation were amazing.
Jessica’s father could hardly touch her when he saw her descend the impressive stairs under Overbrook’s lovely chandelier.
Jessica and Rick met each other on the grounds. Rick couldn’t believe his eyes when he turned to see her. He teared up at the vision.
I left for the ceremony at St. Denis Church in a limo with the bridesmaids. They were singing Going to the Chapel the way there.
The wedding ceremony in the church was lovely. Rick and Jessica couldn’t help but kiss when they first met up at the aisle; it made for a happy moment when the congregation laughed at their embarrassed faces.
As the crew packed in the limo on the way back to Overbrook Golf Club, the group was in a great mood, grooving and giggling. We stopped partway up the stately and winding tree-lined drive to get some pictures.
When we arrived at the club, we took some family and wedding party formals on the back patio among garden-beautiful plantings.
Then I had Jessica and Rick to myself! We had taken a walkthrough a little while before the big day and it was easy to see what had led Jessica and Rick to fall in love with the wedding venue. The Manor House was recognized as one of the finest examples of French Loire Valley Chateau architecture in the Philadelphia area. There were umpteen photogenic scenes both in and out of its doors. I would have walked them across those grounds all day if they had let me.
Ultimately, I (had to) let them go to start the celebration with friends and family. The freshly renovated main ballroom welcomed Jessica and Rick as they blew everyone away with their choreographed first dance to Everything by Michael Buble. This is one of the few instances where wedding photography just doesn’t do them justice. They glided and spun over every inch of that floor with smiles on their faces and a roaring crowd.
In a surprise to even me (how did he even fit this into the meticulous timeline?! A prince’s magic, that’s how), Rick brought Jessica out onto the dancefloor for a serenade of Beautiful in My Eyes. Turns out this guy can sing too.
Oh, did I not mention that Jessica’s parents met while ballroom dancing? It seems the whole family is graceful on its feet.
The rest of the evening was a blur of hilarious and touching speeches and a jam packed dance floor.
The night flew by and ended in a ribbon wand exit through the front doors. What a fairytale of a day!
You will always be, beautiful in my eyes.
~ Joshua Kadison, Beautiful in My Eyes
And the passing years will show,
that you will always grow,
evermore beautiful, in my eyes.
Wedding Ceremony: St. Denis Church, Havertown, PA
Wedding Reception: Overbrook Golf Club, Villanova, PA
Engagement Session: Longwood Gardens
Wedding Photographer: Lindsay Docherty Photography
Getting Ready: Overbrook Golf Club
Flowers: Posey Hill Flowers
Hair Stylist: Up Your Do!, Jill Kozar
Makeup Artist: Dylan Michael Cosmetics, Cindy Singer
Ceremony Music: Richard Grillone, Michele Grillone, Erika Sato Bar-David
Reception Music: Cutting Edge Entertainment, Pedro Coelho
Caterer: Overbrook Golf Club
Wedding Cake: Anne’s Cake Pan
Wedding Gown Designer: Demetrios
Wedding Gown Shop: Irini’s Originals
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Amsale
Groom’s Suit: Michael Kors
Videographer: Abigail Jill
Wedding Bands: Macy’s Fine Jewelry
Ring Designer: Michael’s Jewelers
Invitations: Citrus Press Co.
