Amber & Eric Landes
THE BIG DAY: May 3, 2014
THE PHOTOS:Tassia Schreiner, Birds of a Feather Photography
How They Met
Amber and Eric met in 2009, thousands of miles from home, as members of the PA Army National Guard. Amber’s unit was based out of Reading, while Eric’s was based out of Lancaster. The now newlyweds did not meet until they were stationed in Taji, Iraq, during a year-long deployment. Merely friends at the time of their deployment, the pair reconnected a year after returning from serving overseas and decided to give dating a try. They instantly found a connection that eventually blossomed into a relationship.
Eric proposed to Amber on March 5, 2013. He recalls, “I decorated the living room of our house and hung a giant sign saying ‘Marry Me?’ from the ceiling fan. When Amber got home from work that evening, she turned the corner from the kitchen into the living room and got the surprise of her life. In the background, I had the song If I Didn’t Have You by Thompson Square playing. The song would later play as we danced our first dance as a married couple.”
The Big Day
Amber and Eric were married at The Barn at Flying Hills, a beautifully restored 150-year old barn on May 3, 2014. The reception was out back on the lawn. They exchanged vows in front of the bride’s parents, David and Leslie Baldwin; the groom’s mother and father, Roger and Cindy Landes; and bridesmaids Aubrey Baldwin and Alexa Jones, sisters of the bride. Eric’s best friend Andrew Hill served as Best Man, and his brother, Jeremy Landes, was a groomsman in the wedding party. Also in attendance as a special guest was Eric’s grandmother, Gloria Seifried.
Entertainment at both the ceremony and the reception was provided by The Party People. Amber’s father kicked off the celebration by wheeling in Jello shots on Eric’s childhood little red wagon! Rhein’s Classic Catering served delicious dishes to guests in attendance. On the menu were good old backyard BBQ favorites, including pulled pork sandwiches, beef brisket, marinated chicken, baked beans, mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables, corn- bread and salad. The couple’s rings, solely selected by Eric, were purchased at Campbell and Co. Jewelers on Jeweler’s Row in Philadelphia. Amber’s dress was selected at David’s Bridal, while Eric wore Express. Stationery was customized by Aster Studio, Inc. of Phoenixville. Parties Planned For You By Gina and Decorative Strokes assisted with all of the wedding planning. The theme was rustic with a bit of vintage charm and birds. Colors were mint, coral and light grey. The centerpieces featured wildflowers in mason jars with wooden birds that were designed differently for each table. Each table was named after a different bird, and table assignments were labeled by bird nests with eggs.
The Best Part
For Eric, the best part of the couple’s wedding day was sharing the moment with their closest family and friends. “Our relaxed, laid-back atmosphere had everyone up, moving and dancing the night away. We dodged some rain showers here and there, but they could not dampen the spirits inside that building. It was perfect,” he explains. Amber also loved sharing their special moment with those near and dear, and enjoyed the first look with the photographer. She explains, “I loved the look on Eric’s face when we saw one another for the first time.”
The Honeymoon
Husband and wife jetted off to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic the very next morning. They spent a week at the all-inclusive Secrets Resort. It was their first time visiting the Caribbean, and the twosome enjoyed every minute of every day and night in the tropical paradise.
Future Plans
Amber, a registered nurse with Reading Health System, and Eric, a refrigeration technician with Triangle Refrigeration, reside in Exeter Township and enjoy working on projects to improve their home, including a just-completed renovation to their backyard patio, where they hope to spend many evenings enjoying the outdoors with family, friends, and of course their beagle, Remington. They also envision a couple of children in their near future to complete the family.
VENDORS Hair and Makeup: Salon EveLeila, Reading Cupcakes: Ever So Sweet, Reinholds Honeymoon Planning: Boscov’s Travel
Lori & Steven Dougherty
THE BIG DAY: June 7, 2014
THE PHOTOS: Heidi Reuter Photography
How They Met
Lori and Steven grew up in different parts of Berks County, attending different high schools, but becoming friends during those formative years and staying such through their college days and beyond. Ironically, they both made a move to Southern California in their 20s, Lori to San Diego and Steve to Orange County — that is, until they took their relationship to another level and Lori moved to Orange County to be with Steve.
They stayed in Cali until they came home to Berks for their wedding day, and then returned to make Berks home in August.
So how’d it happen? Just how did Steven propose? It all unfolded here in Berks County on a visit to his childhood home. Recalls Lori, “We had just arrived from the airport, and he asked if I’d like to have coffee on the patio before starting our day. Steve put on music as I went for a walk in the yard, and when I met him on the patio I asked if he’d like to dance with me. We started to dance and he asked if I’d like to get married and removed a ring from his back pocket. It was a wonderful surprise and great to be home to be able to celebrate with our friends and families!”
The Big Day
The engagement site was also the site of the couple’s wedding day in Steve's hometown of Kutztown. The ceremony was conducted under a tree in the side yard of that childhood home. The reception took place on the opposite side of the yard.
Two old pews from a nearby church created an aisle and provided seating for those in attendance, including the bride’s parents, David and Terry Waid; the groom’s father, John Dougherty; Tara Armstrong, Maid of Honor; and Nate Dougherty, Best Man.
DIY and sticking to a budget were the names of the game. As were games themselves! The backyard was set up for such fun as giant Jenga, croquet and horseshoes. And a large white tent on the other side of the yard was the main reception site and housed guests, dessert and a dance floor.
Dinner was a crowd pleaser to be sure, featuring a mobile brick oven pizza company, Switchback Pizza. Switchback brought their oven on site and made four different pizzas for guests. The business uses fresh, local produce and meats and served several salads with the pizza. Lori and Steve decided to forgo the traditional wedding cake and used local donut shop The Frying Dutchman to create a tiered "donut cake.” To personalize the occasion, the couple crafted table numbers out of vintage postcards Lori collected throughout their year-and-a half engagement. The postcards were all of places the newlyweds had lived or visited together. Vintage bottles collected by Lori’s mother, Terry Waid, served as centerpieces for flower arrangements pulled together by Lori, a friend and her mother. The card box — an old suitcase with a homemade sign draped across the front – was also Lori’s creation.
The Best Part
When asked about the highlight of their big day, Lori says it’s hard to pinpoint one thing. She explains, “The entire day was wonderful! It was amazing to be surrounded by all of our friends and family in one place. However, one important part that will always stick with me is the “first look” photos and exchanging of private vows prior to our ceremony. It was important to us and very special to have that time alone to speak privately and take a few minutes to enjoy being with each other.”
The Honeymoon
After the wedding Lori and Steve returned to California, spending a day at home to relax and then flying to San Francisco for what they call their “minimoon.” They spent a night in Santa Rosa, then drove to Napa. The couple spent four days beer tasting, wine tasting, visiting farmers markets and eating — all things they enjoy! In Napa, the newlyweds stayed at a small bed and breakfast called the Blackbird Inn that was well suited for honeymooners and afforded an easy walk into town.
Future Plans
In August the couple returned to Pennsylvania permanently and purchased a home in Kutztown. They both work from home: Steve as a Project Manager and Lori as a Healthcare Recruiter.
VENDORS Tent, Tables, Dance Floor, etc.: Knight’s Rental, Leesport Windows for the Table Setting: Red Barn, Blandon Transportation: Michael’s Classic Limo, Reading Bouquets:Zimmerman’s Flower and Gift Shoppe, Fleetwood
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Ashley & Shawn Cieniewicz
THE BIG DAY: October 11, 2014
THE PHOTOS: Tania Colamarino, AMA Photography
How They Met
Ashley and Shawn met seven years ago when visiting Dewey Beach, DE. The strangers, ironically, lived less than 5 minutes from each other in Exeter Township but had never met before that weekend at the beach. Ashley lost her sunglasses in the ocean and Shawn managed to find them not once, but two different times. Recalls Shawn’s now-bride, “I still think he had them in his pocket and waited until the perfect moment to say he found them! Then, after I got back home to Reading, I found HIS sunglasses in my beach bag; he hid them in there so I had to call him! Now if you ask him, you might hear a slightly different version!” (Sneaky, Shawn.)
So it was only natural that the beach was where Shawn eventually popped the question. “The beach has always been a special place to us. It’s where we met, where we fell in love, and where Shawn asked me to spend the rest of our lives together,” explains Ashley. It all happened in Stone Harbor, NJ. The couple went to take a walk on the beach, and Shawn proposed in the same spot they had been sitting in when he first told Ashley he loved her on a past visit. Their friends were waiting for them back at the house where they were staying, and they all celebrated for the rest of the weekend.
The Big Day
Ashley and Shawn were married in Trudy’s Garden at the Reading Public Museum with Ashley’s parents, David and Diane Dautrich, and Shawn’s parents and step-parents, Mindy and Randy Bohn (mom and stepdad) and John and Suzie Cieniewicz (dad and stepmom), looking on. Nicole Dautrich and Jessica Luchetta served as Maids of Honor, and Michael Wasik was Best Man. Getting in on the photo sessions afterwards was Reese, the couple’s 50-pound pit bull.
At the reception, held in the Museum’s Stone Terrace Tent, Boscov’s Catering served guests amazing passed hors d’oeuvres including crab bisque soup shooters, bacon wrapped scallops, spanakopita and more, followed by a delicious buffet-style dinner which featured chicken Oscar and roast prime rib au jus with horseradish. Dessert was a French vanilla homemade wedding cake with buttercream icing baked by the bride’s mother, Diane. LEO planned the lighting and tent decor, and Mike Kindlick from Jam on Sound Productions rocked out as the DJ. Stein’s Flowers of Shillington crafted beautiful bouquets and boutonnieres, and the fall-inspired décor was accented with mums and pumpkins from Spring Garden Farms in Birdsboro. Jennifer Green Custom Jewelry, based in Philadelphia, designed the couple’s wedding bands, and fabulous stylists Sheri Wasik and Kristyn Walters of Lords and Ladies Salon and Medi-Spa styled the bridal party members’ hair.
The Best Part
For Ashley, the best part of the big day was exchanging the vows the couple wrote for one another. “It felt so surreal when we were standing up there together and actually saying them to each other,” she says. Shawn appreciated the “first look” before the ceremony, explaining, “It was so nice having that special moment just between us. It made us a little less nervous, too.” The couple couldn't sing enough praises for their vendors on their big day, especially for photographer Tania Colamarino of Ama Photography. "We knew all the images would be just incredible," says Ashley.
The Honeymoon
The newlyweds jetted off to tropical spot Sandals Regency La Toc in St. Lucia for their honeymoon, enjoying a boat tour to the Pitons where they took a mud bath in the volcano springs and swam under a waterfall. They also went snorkeling, rode jet skis, paddle boated and more. Eating was a big part of the trip too, and all of the restaurants were unique and the food was delicious, they say. Their favorite dinner was at Gordon’s (at Sandal’s Grande) on the pier overlooking the ocean. On their last night there, the newlyweds enjoyed a private candlelight dinner on the beach — the perfect way to end a honeymoon!
Future Plans
Shawn is a route sales representative at Aramark, and Ashley is an occupational therapist at HealthSouth Reading Rehab Hospital. As a couple, they’d like to do some more traveling, as they love to go on adventures to new places. Currently residing in Exeter Township, they will likely look to move to a bigger place to expand their family in the coming years. For now, their fur babies Reese and Jax serve as their only children.
VENDORS Bridal Gown: Cocoa Couture, Hershey Tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse, Reading
