The relationship: When her friend Keanne told Dana, “I just met your husband,” Dana laughed. Then Keanne told Tom she had someone “perfect” for him. Tom: “Nah, I’m not into dating women that are perfect for me right now.” Tom was trying to move to Florida; Dana was “trying to stay single forever.” Oh, the best-laid plans…also Dana Alexandra, a singer-songwriter from Shrewsbury, recently signed with producer Chad Taylor of the alternative rock band LIVE as Zoe Labelle.
The proposal: Within the first month, Tom began badgering Dana to marry him. The second month, they crossed their fingers and took her father to dinner. He took it well.
The plan: Tom and Dana planned a wedding in a small garden where they first met in Philly. Soon the details overwhelmed Dana (“I don’t CARE what kind of centerpieces we have!”). The invites already printed, they quietly cancelled. They almost eloped. Instead, they texted 15 people each and tied the knot where Dana’s parents had, followed by dinner at The Blue Heron. Dana joked that if they had attendants, half the guests would have been standing up there with them.
The look: Dana—flower child in a dreamy lace bohemian ball gown with a sweetheart neckline, cap sleeves, low back, fluffy tulle skirt and 82-inch veil. Tom—spiffy-casual in slub heather-navy linen. Dana requested “an explosion of spring colors, the messier the better,” and her bouquet and floral crown expressed that beautifully.
The serendipity: Dana’s late mother’s lilac bush burst into bloom just in time; the flowers were strewn down the aisle.
Resources
The threads: Bride—David’s Bridal, Plymouth Meeting, PA, davidsbridal.com; Groom—Suit Supply, Philadelphia, suitsupply.com; Shoes—Aldo, Lancaster, aldoshoes.com
The ring: Bario Neal Jewelers, Philadelphia, bario-neal.com
The blooms: Flowers by Laney, Shrewsbury, flowersbylaney.com
The reception and food: The Blue Heron, York, blueheronyork.com
The wedding cake: The Lil Pop Shop, Philadelphia, lilpopshop.com
The images: Ken Bruggeman Photography, York, kenbruggemanphotography.com
The ceremony: West Liberty United Methodist Church, White Hall, MD
By Cindy Kalinoski | Photography by Ken Bruggeman Photography