Stan Hywet Fall Wedding
I arrived early to the Courtyard Marriott in downtown Akron on Saturday morning, worried that I would encounter Marathon congestion. Thankfully, my only hiccup was the construction that seems to be the staple in Akron right now! I knocked on the bridal suite’s door, and to my surprise, all the girls were done with hair and makeup, and they were evening enjoying a game together. Want to talk about walking into a relaxed room, with a completely chill bride? That was certainly the atmosphere for Saturday morning!
After hugging my sweet Bride hello, I got started on her photographing her classic details. The beautiful invitations with the gold foil accents, Stephannie’s grandmother’s necklace that complimented her dress so well, her momma’s veil that she wore on her wedding day, and my favorite detail of all – Great-great-great-great grandma’s necklace (YES – that’s FOUR greats!!). The gold, delicate, decades-old necklace has been worn by all the women in Stephannie’s family on their wedding day. How special for Stephanie to be able to start her wedding day being apart of a beautiful tradition?!
After Stephannie was finished getting dressed and accessorized, the day moved very quickly. She had a teary first look with her daddy, exchanged gifts with parents and Nanny, and then we were off to Stan Hywet for her and David to exchange vows. Call it the pregnancy hormones if you wish, but I had a constant pool of tears in my eyes from the necklace until the letters. Stephannie has a beautiful voice and a pure talent for playing the piano. To David’s utter surprise, after he finished reading Stephannie’s letter she wrote him, she began to play the piano and sing a beautiful song to her soon-to-be husband. Once David heard the piano, he asked if that was Stephannie, and the room quickly began to disappear. He said the only thing he could focus on was the sweet sound coming from behind him. The moment was intimate, with only the moms in the room. I can promise you there wasn’t a dry eye in the carriage house at Stan Hywet!
This beautiful Stan Hywet Fall Wedding might not have felt very much like fall thanks to July-like temperatures, but there were parts of the iconic property that made it look like mid-October. The Burch tree alley looks a little more yellow than green, a tree or two overlooking the tea houses had some autumn colors, and the row of trees off the south side of the house were all yellow and orange!
Once portraits were completed at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, we made our way back to downtown Akron for the reception at Greystone Hall. This beautiful and classic architecture with high ceilings venue was the perfect cap for a classical Stan Hywet fall wedding! The tables were decorated with white and gold pumpkins, lanterns, and high vases with white hydrangeas and accented with red berries.
Despite the high temperatures on Saturday, we couldn’t have asked for a better day to celebrate Stephannie and David! It was such an honor and pleasure to spend the day with these two, their family, and their closest friends!
The women in Stephannie’s family have all worn this very delicate and sentimental necklace on their wedding day! The necklace was originally worn by Stephannie’s great-great-great-great Grandma!!
