Dana and Phil FINALLY got married! After almost a decade of dating they finally tied the knot. If these two weren’t ready for marriage, I don’t know who is! A decade of being together at only 26 years of age and moving together to Northern VA for jobs really puts a couple to the test and I’d say these two get a pretty good grade. Besides, Dana’s pretty smart and pretty good at math…haha. 😉

Dana and I went to high school together and have seen each other here and there since graduating in 2004 (almost time to plan the 10 year reunion…whoa!). It’s always so nice to reunite with Geibel friends and see them start their marriage journeys. I love that my job brings my high school friends and I back together. It’s such a special treat!

 

I love when my brides where fun shoes. Shows they aren’t afraid of showing a little pizzazz on their big day!

Dana’s dress had some gorgeous details. I especially loved the lace!

A little bubbly with the bridesmaids…

One of my favorite pictures from the day…

My mom caught the next two! Thanks for being my helper, mom!

Cutest flower girl ever!!!! She got her dress on Etsy!

I spotted this light during the ceremony and am so glad I asked Dana and Phil to humor my idea. It didn’t look like a pretty spot, but Dana and Phil made it pretty!

The stained glass windows were so pretty and so inspiring!

Ah romantic…

Phil asked if he could show off his new bling!

These girls outdid themselves! Check out that height! I also love Teeghan in this one…she’s just chillin’. 🙂

This pose was my mom’s idea and it turned out beautifully! That’s her shot on the left…and maybe the one on the right, too. Ha!

My mom also captured these from the sideline. She’s gettin’ pretty good! 😉

Here we are…the Geibel ladies of the day! We all graduated together in 2004 and I hadn’t seen Mariesa since then! So good to see you all!!! 🙂

Southwestern PA-ers sure know how to put together a good cookie table! Not sure where the tradition comes from, but it’s a good one to have around!

Their reception was held at the beautiful Willow Room in Belle Vernon, PA. While I’m not always a fan of a ballroom reception, this one was different. The Willow Room might be a new favorite venue for me! It photographs quite well. 🙂

Dana and Phil practiced some first dance moves before they were introduced…

And moments later they showed off their skills on the dance floor!

Hahaha, Dana’s look is a little funny in this one, but I just love the light…

Another fave from the day…Dana dancing with her dad…

Love all the expressions in this one!

And this one’s for you Casey! 🙂

This is Dana’s great aunt. She tore up the dance floor all night long! So impressive and so entertaining!

Southwestern PA not only knows how to put together a good cookie table, but we also know how to put together a good money dance. Ever heard of them? If not, let me explain. Basically, it’s a way to really celebrate the bride and sort of “cap off” the evening. The bride places herself in the middle of the dance floor and everyone else lines up to dance with her. But they must pay to do so. That’s right, guests literally hand over dollar bills to dance with the bride! After they share a dance, the guest is usually offered a shot of liquor, which encourages them to return to the line and pay to dance with the bride again! As all this is going on, guests also form a circle around the dance floor and wave hankies to a special polka song that is usually put on repeat because the money dance lasts for a while…sometimes 30+ minutes! Read on to find out how this all ends…

After everyone has danced with the bride and her dad has had his last turn, the guests crowd around the bride to create a barrier between she and her hungry groom. The groom must then break through the crowd and capture his bride. But he must put up a good fight first. My husband Brian remembers being picked up off his feet by my uncle and being removed from the room, that’s how serious this gets! Of course it’s all in good fun and guests usually don’t make the groom fight for more than a few minutes. After he’s captured his bride, the groom carries her off into the sunset. Well, not the sunset, but close. 🙂

Dana and Phil, your wedding was one of my favorites of the season! I loved being reunited with Geibel friends and I love that you two had so much fun taking pictures. Your wedding was gorgeous and my mom and I had a blast being a part of it! Thanks a million for having us and I’ll see you at the 10 year reunion! 🙂