Photo by Sam Rodriguez
Jennifer & Andrew
June 18, 2016 | Hotel Bethlehem
What is the very best part about getting married in the Lehigh Valley?
The talented local vendors! My husband and I live outside of New York City. Friends of ours who got married near Manhattan were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of vendors and how expensive they were. You can find that same talent in the Lehigh Valley for a much more affordable price. Most venues will even go as far as to recommend their favorite vendors to help you narrow down your search!
Do you have any local cost-saving tips for brides and grooms on a tight budget?
Work ahead of time to chip away at projects that can be done weeks in advance—this way you aren't scrambling and splurging. You can find creative DIY ideas online that will save you money! Also, reach out to friends and coworkers who recently got married. You will be surprised how many former brides have centerpieces, sweetheart table signs and other decor that were only used for one day and will never be used again!
Looking back now, is there anything you would have changed?
Just one thing: We wish we had gotten a videographer! Lay out and rank your wish list. Whenever a budget is involved, not everything will be achievable. Think about what is most important to you. At the time, we didn't think a videographer was necessary, but now that the wedding is over, we wish we had footage to look back on.
Where/how will all future anniversaries be celebrated in the Lehigh Valley?
By reliving our wedding weekend! Dinner at our favorite Italian BYOB, Tre Scalini, in Downtown Bethlehem where we had our rehearsal dinner. Brunch in the Terrace Room at Hotel Bethlehem—a place that will always be dear to our hearts!
Photo by Photography by Lynn
Kristen & Joseph
May 21, 2016 | Hanover Grande Ballroom
What is the very best part about getting married in the Lehigh Valley?
It’s home! My husband and I grew up and currently reside in the Lehigh Valley and we absolutely love the area. We wouldn’t have considered anywhere else to celebrate our special day. In addition, the Lehigh Valley has so many beautiful venues, gorgeous photo spots and wonderful vendors available to match various styles and themes to make any bride’s wedding visions a reality. We had a blast attending bridal shows and meeting these vendors in our planning process. I wish it were socially acceptable to still attend them!
What do you think your guests enjoyed most about your special day?
I worked very closely with my venue and vendors to make sure that the ambience of our wedding day defined my husband and me as a couple. I wanted our personalities and interests to shine through so that our guests would look around and think “This is without a doubt Kristen and Joe’s wedding,” and I think they enjoyed that. I’ve also heard rave reviews about my father’s welcome speech (he now thinks he has a career as a stand-up comedian) and our venue’s cheesesteak bar that was opened up toward the end of our reception as a late-night snack.
What advice would you give to newly engaged couples that are about to embark on the wedding-planning process?
Enjoy every minute and make decisions together! The wedding-planning process can be very stressful and making decisions is challenging at times, especially if you have a particular vision in mind. However, it is also very fun and goes by very quickly! Take time to remember why you are planning this day in the first place and use it as a time to grow closer with your future spouse. Planning together and laughing through the craziness of it all truly alleviated a lot of our wedding-planning stress. Even though we both groan and say “We’re so glad the planning is over,” I know we both secretly miss it!
Where/how will all future anniversaries be celebrated in the Lehigh Valley?
I love the idea of anniversary photo shoots! I want to visit the Malcolm Gross Rose Gardens (where we took our wedding photos) every year in May to document our years together. We have our favorite restaurants (Grille 3501, Corked Wine Bar & Steak House) and are always up for trying new places as well. There are also highly rated B&Bs in the area (Sayre Mansion Inn, Stone House Inn & Spa), which would be perfect for an anniversary getaway close to home!
Photo by Erin Joyce Photography
Erika & Kyle
August 1, 2015 | Woodstone Country Club
What is the very best part about getting married in the Lehigh Valley?
Having all of our family and friends able to attend our wedding. My husband and I were born and raised in Easton, so this is home to us. To have our wedding here in the Lehigh Valley with people who helped us grow as individuals and as a couple was so gratifying. We had 150 guests at our wedding and about 95 percent of our list was local. We did include hotels close to our venue just so that our guests had the option to stay close by after having a fun night of partying!
What do you think your guests enjoyed most about your special day?
Long after our wedding passed, everyone told us that our “little touches” made our wedding so personable and hard to forget. One thing that was important for my husband and me was to have a table at our wedding of photos of our loved ones that had passed away. I had recently lost an aunt, and my husband had lost his uncle when he was young. It was a great way to show our family members and friends how much we miss and love them and that their memory would continue on. We also had a barbershop quartet sing during our cocktail hour. Their style of singing and personality really won the hearts of our guests. From signature cocktails, dancing on clouds and a fireworks exit, we surely kept our guests entertained all night. People still to this day tell us that it was the best wedding they ever attended!
What advice would you give to newly engaged couples that are about to embark on the wedding-planning process?
One thing my husband and I wanted to never lose sight of was the fact that we were getting married. Our wedding day was about our love for one another and the commitment we were about to start together. It wasn’t about the details, the venue or how the weather was supposed to be. It was about our love and how God brought us together for this new chapter in our lives. One piece of advice I would like to give newly engaged couples is to stay consistent with your spouse. A lot can be thrown at you, which can make the wedding planning super stressful and unenjoyable. If you have a specific theme or color palette, stay true to it. Keep to your budget, know what you want and don’t want and always communicate with each other. Communication is key! One thing I recommend is to schedule a couple's massage during your wedding planning and don’t forget those date nights either! Couples can get wrapped up in wedding planning, but at the end of day, it is about you and your spouse and the love you have for each other. That’s all that really matters!
Do you have any local cost-saving tips for brides and grooms on a tight budget?
My husband and I had a honeymoon registry set up with VIP Vacations in Bethlehem. We had bought our home four years ago, so we really didn’t want a traditional home registry. By doing a honeymoon registry, we were able to enjoy our honeymoon in Jamaica with no stress of having to pay for it. The staff at VIP Vacations made our honeymoon effortless and super relaxing. I highly recommend any brides and grooms to have a honeymoon registry!
