Just Married: Kiya & Jonathan Emerich

December 28, 2012

7:53 AM

September 8, 2012

THE THEME

1. Woodsy, as in held in the woods in an open-air chapel that took them five months to build. 2. Hand-crafted, by breaking up the rocks with hammers and laying the limestone themselves…and home-brewing the favors. 3. Casual, barring gowns and heels but encouraging umbrellas. 4. Soaking wet, but very fun.

THE DETAILS

When they call for tornadoes on your wedding day, you have to be flexible. Despite the elements, Jon and Kiya’s outdoor wedding was full of joy…and humor shown in a cake featuring their goldendoodle, rainbow wands to wave in lieu of rice, and a drink named the “Ball and Chain.” Kiya wrote the vows for a self-uniting ceremony her brother performed (note: Pennsylvania does not require a minister or justice of the peace to perform the ceremony, a heritage dating from its Quaker roots). A Pennsylvania Dutch Witness Certificate was signed by the guests, who traipsed through the woods to the stone-hewn chapel.

THE THREADS

Kiya’s gown was a graceful silk crepe de chine, sleeveless with a plunging back, a cowl neck, a draped skirt and a cathedral veil. The bridesmaids wore rich wine dresses with crown braids and held wildflower-style bouquets; the groomsmen sported purple shirts, suspenders and bowties. Hand-made crowns for the flower girls were the perfect touch.

THE EATS

Fifty of Kiya’s relatives flew in from the Dominican Republic, and friends and family contributed, creating Pennsylvania Dutch and Dominican dishes: a roasted pig, whoopie pies and Grandma’s famous shoofly pie on the groom’s side, and rice and beans, tipili (a tabouleh-like salad), and suspiros, or meringues, on the bride’s. Wedding favors were more right-side-of-the-aisle: each guest received a 4-pack with two beers brewed by Jon and his groomsmen, along with birch beer and root beer from Reading Draft.

THE AFTER PARTY

The bride and groom, along with a dwindling list of courageous friends and family, camped out that night. Heading off for a European beer tour, the couple had gifts from wanderables.com, where they had registered. Guests treated them to stops at breweries in Upper Bavaria and Dusseldorf, the Oktoberfest in Munich, the Neuschwanstein Castle at Hohenschwangau, and the Chocolate Museum in Cologne.

Vendors

THE THREADS

Bride: gown by Melissa Sweet and cathedral-length mantilla veil from Priscilla of Boston (priscillaofboston.com); Bridesmaids: J.Crew (jcrew.com); Groom and Groomsmen: Tommy Hilfiger from Macy’s (macys.com); Flower girls: Gymboree (gymboree.com)

THE CEREMONY & RECEPTION

Springhaven Woods Chapel, Newmanstown (springhavenwoods.com)

THE EATS

Pig Roast and BBQ Chicken by Sensenig’s Meats, Hanover (turkeyleg.com); Desserts by Sweet Jennie D’s, Myerstown (sweetjennieds.weebly.com)

THE REHEARSAL DINNER

The Franklin House, Schaefferstown (franklinhousetavern.com)

THE STATIONERY

Invites: Minted (minted.com); Pocket envelopes & outer envelopes: Cards & Pockets (cardsandpockets.com)

THE BLOOMS

Weiler’s Produce, Womelsdorf (610-589-4744)

THE IMAGES

Epic Photography, Elizabethtown (epic-photos.com)