Lizzy and Nate – 5.21.16

Posted on June 17, 2016

Oh man.. Lizzy and Nate’s wedding! Sometimes… just sometimes…. one of those couples comes around that are just so unique and awesome that when they ask you to photograph their wedding… you start doing a happy dance in your living room. THIS was one of those couples. And THIS was one of those weddings. I mean, two people that met at an invitational board game convention, does it seriously get any more offbeat and up my ‘favorite wedding alley’ than that?

When I got an email originally from Lizzy asking for information for their wedding at KNOEBELS, I was a little more then just excited. Our original consult went off swimmingly, which left me wondering… ‘I wish these two didn’t live all the way out in Washington State because I would like to hang out with them quite regularly.’ Have you ever been so excited about something you just find ways to bring it up in every conversation? Literally me. For about a week after I booked their wedding. For example, random stranger… “Oh hey Alysha, how are you today?” Me, “I BOOKED A WEDDING AT KNOEBELS.” I’m sure I left a lot of my coworkers scratching their heads lol.

So why did these two, from Washington, decide to have a Knoebel’s wedding in Elysburg, Pennsylvania? Wellllll, originally Lizzy is from this area. These two actually got hitched earlier in the year and now wanted to share in their celebrations with friends and family! They’ve actually had a few different weddings, from one side of the country to the other. In turn, bringing together their friends and family that they have all of the US. How cool is that? The way they described their wedding celebration day was, ‘a lot less formal and more like a big family reunion.’ And that’s exactly what it was!

Two people, surrounded by the friends and family who clearly love them and all their uniqueness to death! I was sooo excited to meet these two after many phone/Skype calls and when they saw me, I got a big running hug! That’s how the whole day went. Lots of hugs, laughter, funny stories and I mean.. duh.. lots of rides. It was a theme park wedding after all!

For their ceremony, these two had a hand-fasting ceremony on the entrance of the Phoenix! Yes, the Phoenix. I mean… it’s only one of the top TEN wooden rollercoasters in the world! Hands tied together, these two literally took their first ‘plunge’ with their guests. While they did have the Pheonix for an hour, they also planned to meet up at various rides and take them over throughout the day. We took over the Carousel and the Bumper Cars. What fun! Plus, Knoebel’s staff was awesome and helped me throughout the day. We even got the brass ring at the Carousel for some fun ‘ring’ shots and bumper cars placed in just the right way for couple shots!

What a wonderful day! Plus, a totally and awesomely unique couple. They’re like a unicorn and they only come around every so often (not to say I don’t love all my couples, but I mean… rollercoasters.. come on!). So here’s to a gazillion more years of mutual weirdness for these two!

Photography and writing by:

Alysha Yoder Photography

(b) www.alyshayoderphotoblog.com www.alyshayoderphoto.com

(e) alyshayoderphoto@yahoo.com (p) 610.762.7810

Vendors:

Venue and Catering: Knoebel’s Amusement Resort

Cake: La Dolce Vita Bakery

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Joan and Tim – 4.16.16

Posted on May 11, 2016

What a wonderful wedding to start the season with! These two lovebirds have been together for 17 years! After a long romance in the summer of 2015, Joan proposed to Tim on their boat with the light of a thousand candles and their children’s cheers from their dock. While neither was looking for love, Joan and Tim met out on the water where Tim was captioning the boat Joan had been assigned to. With a mutual love of the water, biking, and hiking, it was a match meant to be!

There wedding day couldn’t have been more beautiful (especially considering the previous weekend it had snowed!). Along with their family, they made a lot of the decorations too! Even creating custom cocktails for the event (mojitos and Italian guava bellinis). They even had the florist create a beautiful floral piece around a piece of driftwood they had found. The wedding was held in their backyard right on the water in beautiful Calvert County, Maryland. It was rustic, but chic with tiny touches of elegance throughout. They even set up a popcorn machine with Italian sodas and a movie screen to boot!

Guests watched these two get hitched, with heartfelt speeches from their children and touching moments between them. Joan’s grandson even walked her down the aisle. After their first kiss was shared, a big family hug was had by all! Hugs, laughter and smiles were shared between friends and family at the reception. You couldn’t find a sad face in the crowd! At one point, Joan even tried to pull Tim into the water! What a fun wedding this was! I couldn’t have been happier to have this be my first wedding of the season. So without further ado, I give you Joan and Tim’s wonderful Maryland wedding:

This is one of my favorite wedding moments. The bride’s granddaughter had drawn her a picture and she’s giving it to her grandma right before the wedding. The look on her face as she gives Joan the picture is just priceless.

Photography and writing by:

Alysha Yoder Photography

(b) www.alyshayoderphotoblog.com www.alyshayoderphoto.com

(e) alyshayoderphoto@yahoo.com (p) 610.762.7810

Vendors:

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Jen and Joe – 12.19.15

Posted on January 20, 2016

What a fun and long brewing romance Jen and Joe had! This couple, originally both Carlisle natives, had a thing for each other in high school. It fizzled out and both went their separate ways. Fast-forward 35 years and BAM! They reconnected, had a whirlwind romance and before you knew it, wedding bells were ringing!

While these two both call Atlanta home now, they came back to the Carlisle area to celebrate with everyone they grew up with and got to show off their hometown to their Atlanta friends in the process. And what a party it was! Nothing could have gone more smoothly and look more lovely (thanks to the awesome planning and design of Tracy over at La Carta Luna Planning and Design). Seriously, did you see these venues and all the decor? It was stunning!

Jen and Joe’s wedding began with the ladies all getting ready at the beautiful Fallen Tree Farm B&B. Lots of laughs, smiles and dress adjustments were shared. Everyone exchanged small talk while oohing and awwing over dresses, shoes and accessories. The bride’s mother even matched her shoe and hair piece, how fun is that?

Shortly after, we all headed over to The Carlisle Ribbon Mill. The ladies freshened up in the bridal room while finishing touches were placed throughout. All the small details were just stunning, from the Gingko leaf earrings the bride wore, to the flowers frozen in ice centerpieces, little flower and feather bundles for each guest with their place settings and a beautiful ribbon alter piece to pull all the colors of the wedding day together!

As the groom and his groomsman started to arrive, they shared handshakes and hugs with all the wedding guests. The ceremony began shortly after. The lovely bride walked down the aisle escorted by her uncle as the groom looked on, beaming with a sheepish grin. The ceremony was beautiful with some tears and hand holding being shared by the audience. Everyone applauded as Jen and Joe were kissed for the first time and were announced as husband and wife.

While guests sipped on drinks and enjoyed a lovely cocktail hour I got to go out with Jen and Joe to get some outdoor shots. Despite the cold, the bride and groom champed through and Jen even rocked a little bridal overcoat! Their brother and sister assisted me through the whole thing. Who says iPhone’s aren’t good for some front lighting lol! Upon returning, while waiting for their entrance, Jen and Joe indulged me in a little one on one photo session with all the cool backgrounds The Carlisle Ribbon Mill had to offer! One of my favorite photos from the whole night is them against the white wall, holding hands and looking at each other. It’s just adorable and puts a smile on my face 🙂

Following their entrance, speeches were given. What a wonderful job all the speakers did! From a brother, sister and uncle, all of them had the crowd in stitches over childhood stories and relationship advice for the new couple. A beautiful dinner was served by The Uncommon Caterer prior to dancing and what a dancing crowd this was! After the couple’s first dance everyone joined in and got their groove on! From slow dances to disco this was a party crowd! Shortly thereafter, the beautiful cake was cut and guests enjoyed this delectable treat from The Camp Hill Bakery.

What can I say? This was such a wonderful wedding. The couple, their friends and family were just all so lovely. Happiness, love and laughter enveloped Jen and Joe’s whole wedding day. I am so thankful to be a part of it! Here’s to a long lasting a beautiful marriage! Enjoy all the photos celebrating Jen and Joe’s big day!