Once Upon a Time…
Allison and Shawn were set up on a blind date by the mother of his best friend in January of 2010. They messaged back and forth for a while before deciding to meet up for their first date, dinner at Austin’s in West Lawn and later a showing of The Book of Eli at Fox Berkshire.
The Proposal…
After a romantic dinner at the couple’s favorite restaurant, Go Fish! Seafood and Sushi in West Reading, they arrived home. They enjoyed a glass of wine and Shawn surprised Allison by getting down on one knee. She was shocked. “I kept telling him to get up,” Allison recalls. Shawn designed a custom engagement ring for his bride to be, crafted by Kay Jewelers at the Lehigh Valley Mall, and even invited her parents to go shopping for it with him.
The Big Day…
The girls and the gents all got ready for the big day at Bear Creek Mountain Resort, Macungie, where the ceremony and reception were also held. The bride and groom exchanged gifts, which resulted in lots of tears and smiles. Recalls Allison, “Shawn gave me a name change kit, a 'Mrs.' embroidered travel bag, a custom made book of ‘tickets’ to redeem, a first Christmas wedding ornament, and a bride's book. I gave him a flight bag, an ‘I love my smoking hot wife’ t-shirt, a monogramed watch case, initialed cuff holders, and a piece of his deceased grandmother's wedding dress with the words "Always in your heart" embroidered on it.”
It was a very warm day with some drizzle, but the rain held off (a great thing since the ceremony was outdoors). There were just fewer than 100 attendees at the wedding and the bridal party consisted of only a best man, Charlie Lin, and a maid of honor, Ashley Shewell. The ceremony was completely customized and brought both tears and laughter throughout. Allison’s father, Michael Walker, attending with her mother, Lisa, was extremely emotional all day, in the best way possible, of course! Also in attendance were Shawn’s dad, Joseph Borelli, and his step-mother, Desiree Stetler. The bride and groom wrote their own vows and decided to “tie a knot” as their unity ceremony.
Allison wore a unique and perfectly pink gown purchased from Bridals by Sandra, Nazareth; her hair was done by Image Hair Studio of Kutztown and her makeup was perfected by Lauren’s Make-Up Designs of Allentown. Shawn and his best man were handsome in tuxedos from J.C. Penney Tux Rentals, Allentown.
The After Party…
The bridal party had an amazing entrance into the purple, dark gray and silver-themed venue, with the maid of honor picking up the best man and swinging him around. It was certainly a celebration! Dinner selections included chicken, beef, sole-stuffed crab and ravioli, and all received rave reviews. The bride and groom exchanged cake crafted by Piece a Cake, Macungie, very nicely and followed that up with an anniversary dance, as spun by Celebrations DJs of Kutztown. Instead of a traditional bouquet toss, the couple opted to give the bouquet to the women who had set them up on their first blind date. Guests danced the night away and flooded the photo booth. The night ended with a sparkler exit.
Looking back, Shawn says, “My favorite part of our big day was standing in front of all our friends and family, seeing Allison walk down the aisle with her father.” For Allison it was her alone time with Shawn.
“For our first look and some time during the reception, we were able to just sneak away with our photographers and videographer and just have a minute to talk and really slow down and take in every part of the whole day,” she says.
The Honeymoon…
Shawn and Allison enjoyed a belated honeymoon of sorts this past November in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Future Plans…
The couple resides in Ontelaunee Township. Shawn is the Managing Director at Borelli Designs and Allison is the Production Manager & Marketing Coordinator at Borelli Designs. In addition, they are both co-owners of a local real estate investment property company, ProCore Properties. Their future plans include continuing to grow their businesses and working hard to retire early so they can do lots of traveling and volunteering.
Details
Videographer: Kevin Fonash Studios
Rings: Kay Jewelers, Lehigh Valley Mall, Allentown
Wedding Planner: DPNAK, Perkasie
Flowers: Buttonwood Blooms, West Reading
Stationery: Allison created the invites herself
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Photos by Maggie J Photography
