Lindsey and Ryan were both Wilson Bulldogs (Ryan was a state champion wrestler), but they didn’t start dating until they were college students at East Stroudsburg University when Ryan got a mutual friend to give him Lindsey’s number. After a weekend of hanging out, the pair was pretty much inseparable. Eight years later, Ryan popped the question.
The Proposal
Lindsey was working in New Jersey for a few days in May of 2012 before Ryan came to keep her company. After work was finished for her for the day, the couple enjoyed dinner at Point Pleasant, followed by a stroll on the boardwalk. She was ready to head home when Ryan said he had something he wanted to ask her first, getting down on one knee. Recalls Lindsey, “I had to keep working for the rest of the weekend, which was so difficult! I kept taking pictures of my ring and texting with him throughout the days, saying things like ‘here’s my ring eating nachos; here’s my ring doing paperwork.’ I couldn’t help it; it looked so pretty! I couldn’t wait to get home to share the good news!”
The Big Day
The couple said “I do” on July 26 at the Reading Public Museum in the arboretum in a fun, casual celebration with family and close friends, including Lindsey’s mother, Susan Bertolette, and Ryan’s parents, Randee and Dan McCullum. Janelle DePalma, Lindsey’s best friend since their kindergarten years, served as the Maid of Honor, and Jamie and Danny McCallum, Ryan’s brothers, were his Best Men.
Lindsey wore a dress from David’s Bridal, but her mother made her belt, and the pearl details inside the flowers on it were from her great grandmother’s necklace. The bridesmaid dresses were also from David’s Bridal, and the groom and groomsmen were outfitted by Men’s Wearhouse.
A special detail from their ring provider, Ream Jewelers of Lancaster, was a pair of Batman cuff links worn by the bride’s brother, Jason, in honor of their father, Dana Bertolette, who has passed but was once a stuntman and worked on the film Batman Forever. “I got those cuff links for my brother so part of our dad could be with us when he walked me down the aisle,” Lindsey explains.
Because the couple was on a budget, they opted for hors d’oeuvres and drinks versus a sit down dinner at their reception in an outdoor tent on Museum grounds. Lindsey said the sangria made by Tavern on Penn in West Lawn was so good it was gone before everyone finished eating. Hillary Mace of The Scarlet Runner, Lancaster, was the caterer, serving up delicious eats including a cheeseboard station with meats, cheeses, fruits, peppers, breads and heirloom tomato salad. Other dishes included carved beef tenderloin with chimichurri, horseradish crème, smoked tomato jam and grilled baguettes. The passed hors d'oeuvres were smoked chicken and veggie empanadas and jumbo lump crab cakes with lemon aioli.
The décor was all about flowers, and Lindsey’s mother, a former florist, took care of the details. “She worked so hard on everything the day of the wedding so it would all look perfect; she did an amazing job, and everything looked beautiful because of her,” Lindsey says. The floral details were accented with ball jars, candles, chalkboard signs and string lights. Recalls Lindsey, “I found glass balls I could hang from the trees outside, and we put tea light candles in all of them so it would light up in the trees after dark. My brother Jason spent all morning hanging 100 of them because I was afraid they wouldn’t be there if we did it the night before.”
The Best Part
Lindsey says their wedding day all turned out exactly as they wished, with “all the most important people in our life together in one place, perfect weather, and just an overall great day.” Her husband Ryan’s favorite memory was watching his bride walk down the aisle, as well as their niece, Sophia, walking down the steps to the aisle; he recalls, “They were bigger than her!” If you asked their niece Grayce about the best part, though, she’d likely tell you it was the photo booth.
Future Plans
Lindsey, who works for LNP Media Group, Inc., in Lancaster as an advertising sales supervisor, and Ryan, who works for Tompkins Financial Advisors in Wyomissing as a wealth advisor, purchased a home in West Lawn shortly after their engagement. For now, they share their home with their schnauzer/poodle mix, Charlie.
DETAILS
Cake: Cupcakes from Lancaster Cupcake
Hair: Fandangled, West Reading
Photographer: Jeff Frandsen
