Christopher and Heidi first met at West Reading’s Community Garden, but they didn’t truly connect until they ran against each other for a borough council seat. Chris won by only a few votes, but Heidi would likely argue that both really won in the fateful event that brought them together.
The Proposal
Chris took their relationship to the next level when the couple was on their annual ski vacation in Beaver Creek, Colo. Recalls Heidi, “It was the last run of the day, and Chris had it planned that we would ski a run that, three years ago, we had skied off the trail and had gotten lost!” Heidi’s brother John “pretended” to fall knowing Heidi would stop to check on him. After he got up, Heidi and her brother skied around a curve and Chris had also “fallen.” Heidi said, “Get up! We need to meet up with everyone else.” She then turned around to take a photo of the mountains (being a photographer and all), and when she turned back around, Chris was on one knee. Afterwards, they skied down the mountain and Heidi’s family was waiting with balloons, her favorite donuts, champagne and music. The next night, Chris had arranged for he and Heidi to take a sleigh ride to a private restaurant on the mountain for dinner. Upon returning from Colorado, Chris had one more surprise to celebrate: a ski weekend in Vermont!
The Big Day
Chris and Heidi were married at Heidi’s family lake house property in Towanda, PA. The day was perfect, despite one of the biggest thunderstorms the lake has ever seen rolling right through the middle of cocktail hour.
Christina Loffredo, a college friend of Heidi’s, was Maid of Honor, and Brian Lawry, a childhood friend of Chris, was Best Man. Heidi’s parents, Don and Nancy Reuter, and Chris’s mother, Joan Lincoln, watched as the couple was married by Tim Diehl of Koinos Community Church in Sinking Spring. Their dog, Dewey, was “Best Pup,” walking down the aisle and standing next to Chris during the ceremony. Heidi’s gown was from POSH Bridal, Lancaster, and Chris wore a suit from Joseph A. Banks, Wyomissing. Their wedding rings were from MADE Jewelry, West Reading.
That fateful cocktail hour featured delicious dishes for guests, including spring rolls with dipping sauces; seared tuna with wasabi dip; mini Philly cheesesteak sliders; parmesan crisps with goat cheese, pear and preserved lemon; and a 16-foot-long antipasto bar.
Dinner at the reception space, decorated by the amazing David Reppert of Wishes by Boscov’s, Reading, in shades of blush, navy, grey and sage, included a grill station with lemon-marinated chicken and red pepper kabobs and tequila-marinated filet with sauces; a crab cake station; a potato bar station with three varieties of spuds; a salad station and a dessert station featuring assorted finger pastries. The cookies and cream cake, and catering, was by The Epicurean Delight of Tunkhannock.
Entertainment was provided by Clinton Quartet of Syracuse, NY, as well as Eclipse DJs of Morgantown. The newlyweds first danced as husband and wife to Can’t Help Falling in Love by Kina Grannis.
When looking back on their wedding day, Heidi says it’s hard to choose her favorite moment, explaining, “I loved the décor, food, dancing, having all of our family and friends in a location that is very special to me. But, at the end of the night, Chris and I were able to sit under the stars where the reception took place and soak it all in – just the two of us – and Dewey.” For Chris, it was the first look at his beautiful bride.
Honeymoon & Future Plans
Heidi, a photographer, and Chris, a traffic engineer, enjoyed a week at their engagement spot in Colorado, but the West Reading residents plan to spend a few weeks in Alaska during the summer of 2020 as their “official honeymoon.”
Additional Details
Stationery: Leigh Musser, Young and Fresh, Reading
Videographer: 4LC Studios, Allentown
Tent and Rentals: Boulevard Rental, Clarks Summit
* Fun Fact: Heidi’s engagement ring was her great grandmother’s, which had been passed down to Heidi’s mother.
