The Details
The threads: Bride’s dress: Eden Bridals, www.edenbridals.com; Groom’s suit: Kenneth Cole New York/Calvin Klein tie; Bridesmaids dresses: Wtoo, www.weddingtonway.com
The beauty: Bride’s hair by Salon McBeth, Harrisburg, www.salonmcbeth.com
Rehearsal dinner: Suba at Mangia Qui restaurant, Harrisburg, www.mangiaqui.com/suba
The ceremony: The Historic Grace United Methodist Church State Street, Harrisburg, www.thehistoricgracechurch.org
The reception and food: Civic Club of Harrisburg, www.civicclubofharrisburg.com. Passed and stationed hors d’oeuvres and Russian style service: Karen’s Catering
The blooms: Plenty of Petals, Middletown, www.plentyofpetalspa.com
The paper suite: Programs and invitations, Justin Kulp
The wheels: Londonderry Limousines, Palmyra, www.londonderrylimo.com
The images: Jennifer Rotz Photography, www.jenniferrotzphotography.com/wedding
Videographer: Alexander Zemaitis (cinematography student in training)
Meant-to-be: Brian and Julie met as coworkers at the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. They went to the same gym. Joined the same kickball team. Were good friends by the time they became graduate school classmates at Penn State Harrisburg. That’s when the relationship deepened. “There were these driving forces telling us that God wanted us to be together,” says Julie.
The proposal: She fussed. Why bicycle the Greenbelt when only an hour of daylight remained? But she went. At the end, a stop on their favorite bench, overlooking autumn leaves in a ravine. He produced a ring. Would she spend the rest of her life with him? She said yes. She was still wearing her bike helmet.
The theme: City as backdrop. Harrisburg brought them together. The wedding day showcased the history, architecture and riverfront they love. Ceremony in a historic church. A walk to the riverfront reception. Pics all over town. Tables named after city neighborhoods, shown on an 1881 map on display.
The ceremony: The people of Brian’s church had always made Julie feel like part of the community. On their wedding day, she walked down the aisle to “Climb Every Mountain,” played by a last-minute pianist filling in for one who had backed out. To honor the Jewish heritage of Julie’s mother, Brian ended the ceremony by stepping on a beautiful glass given by a friend of her mother’s. All the guests and the minister cried, “Mazel tov!”
The serendipity: At the Hilton Harrisburg, in the whirl of pre-ceremony preparations, Julie was focused on her makeup. The photographer asked a question. Something about permission to hang the wedding dress from a window. Sure, said Julie. Wait, what? The dress was where? The result: An amazing shot of Julie’s pale pink dress dangling from a ledge. “You’re so excited and focused that you’re willing to let everybody do anything,” Julie says.
The quote: Brian and Julie worked together on every step of planning. On wedding day, a good friend told Brian, “Take the entire day in. It’ll fly by.” He shared the advice with Julie. “It really helped to appreciate every minute of the day,” she says.
By M Diane McCormick / Photography by Jennifer Rotz