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Real Weddings

Erika Grady & Vaughn BlackMay 11, 2007 / Moscow, PAPhotographed by Bill White

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Brenda Healey & Kevin BorrelliOctober 13, 2007 / Olyphant, PAPhotographed by Church Street Photography

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Julie Mecca & Justin ScagliottiJuly 14, 2007 / Jessup, PAPhotographed by Oaktree Photography

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32Elizabeth Hart & Marcus McDonaldDecember 31, 2006 / Scranton, PAPhotographed by Guy Cali

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Erika Grady&

Vaughn BlackMay 11, 2007

Moscow, PA

paying for most of the nuptials themselves, while also sav-ing for a house, so Erika was determined to find ways to save on costs and still have the wedding of her dreams. Currently a registered nurse at Wayne Me-morial Hospital, Erika had begun her nursing career just out of college at Scranton’s Com-munity Medical Center. She was on duty one night in the ER when her future husband brought in a woman who had fallen and broken her ankle during a concert at Montage. Vaughn has worked as a policeman in Mayfield, Car-bondale, Jermyn and Scranton, and also holds a nursing degree. He is now com-bining both of his career inter-ests by working as a nurse at the Federal Prison in Waymart. The couple met for the second time when they worked a shift together in CMC’s emergency room. In time, they shared their first kiss in Nay Aug Park, just a short stroll from the ER, so that is why

W hen Erika Grady began to plan her wedding, she was determined to be a “Bride on a Budget.” She and her fiancé, Vaughn, were

Vaughn chose to propose to Erika on April 3, 2006, on the steps of the park’s Everhart Museum. Erika, who remembers being in a jogging suit and wear-

ing a ponytail, was completely taken by sur-prise. “Vaughn had written a little poem, and he had his little daughter, Anna, with him, and I wasn’t able to get words out af-ter the proposal so I just hugged him. Finally he asked me if I was saying yes or not.” Anna gave her father and his new fiancé a hug, then im-mediately asked if she could be a flower girl at the wedding. When it came time to set a date, Erika knew she wanted to choose a time when the weath-er would be warm, since she knew she wanted a bridal gown designed with a strapless bodice. The couple also knew that they wanted to spend their honeymoon in the Caribbean, so they wanted to avoid the summer and fall hurricane season. Consequently, they chose May 11, 2007, for

their wedding date, and booked The Regal Room in Oly-phant for the reception. Erika found the dress of her dreams at Head To Toe, a

NEPA Wedding Day • March ~ April 08 • 17

bridal salon in Dunmore. Designed by Mori Lee, the A-line gown featured a sculptured, strapless satin bodice over-laid with cascading lace and styled with a modified basque waistline. The fully gored skirt featured an extra long, chapel length train edged with scalloped lace. Because of her busy schedule and budget concerns, she then took to looking online for many of the other wedding items. She located a flattering purple A-line bridesmaid dress with spaghetti straps online, and found that it could also be ordered at Head To Toe. This dress was fashioned of chiffon accented with crystal beading and sequins, a curved neckline, and asymmetric wrap skirt accented with chiffon flowers and matching crystal and sequin beading. Erika found her tiara at A.C. Moore (“It was $40 and

gorgeous”) and her bridal jewelry at Claire’s. Her grand-mother, Patricia Ann Anzuoni, had passed away in 2002, so Erika also pinned her nana’s wedding ring inside the waistline of her gown. Next, she located a small two-person company in North Carolina online where she was able to order silk flowers. She selected a lovely bouquet of silk roses with hydran-gea accents for her wedding bouquet, and also ordered the bridesmaids’ flowers, corsages and boutonnieres for a total of $265. “I was able to save a lot of money this way,” she explains. “I know many girls want fresh flowers, but this really helped me stay within a tight budget.” Her mother, Trish Kuehner, ordered the bouquets for the church from a Moscow florist, and Erika used simple cen

“I wasn’t able to get words out after the proposal so I just hugged him. Finally he asked me if I was saying yes or not.”

18 • NEPA Wedding Day • March ~ April 08

terpieces at the reception with candles centered on a square glass mirror, accented with lavender rose petals. While searching online for bagpipers, she happened across photographer Bill White of Scranton, who teaches bagpipes, but also happens to be a wedding photographer. Erika was thrilled with his price ($1,200) and the fact that he had no time limit for his services on the day of the wed-ding. In addition, he provided the bridal couple with an album containing all 250 proofs, as well as a disk of all the photos he took. The couple found affordable favors by using wine bottles from Maiolatesi Wine Cellars. “I bought purple and silver ribbons and tied the place cards with each guest’s name and table number on the wine bottle, so the wine bottles served

a double purpose,” Erika explains. All of her careful planning paid off, when 132 happy guests dined and danced the night away. “In fact, people were having such a good time dancing that we never got around to throwing the garter or bouquet,” Erika recalls. She did manage to fit in the dollar dance, which was re-ally special, since Vaughn’s mother, Beverly Black, made Erika’s babushka, apron and money bag by hand. As promised the year before at Nay Aug Park, five-year-old Annaliese Black was flower girl, wearing a white dress with purple accents, and she joined the couple at the altar for the unity candle ceremony before joining everybody on the dance floor at The Regal Room. Erika’s favorite memory of her wedding is the couple’s


Ideas You Can Use:•Ordering silk flowers online helped Erika stay within her budget, and she was very happy with the bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres.•The couple was pleased to find a photographer who had no limit on his time on the day of the wedding, nor any extra charges. He provided them with an album of 250 proofs, as well as a disk of all the photos.•Erika doubled up the favors (bottles of wine) as place cards.•Knowing she would never wear it again, Erika elected to pay a thrifty $40 for her tiara headpiece at A.C. Moore. “I loved it,” she enthuses.•Erika honored her late grandmother by pinning her wedding ring inside the waist of her bridal gown.•To symbolize the new family joining together, Erika and Vaughn had his daughter join them at the altar to light the unity candle.

first dance, “She’s Everything” by Brad Paisley. “Vaughn chose the song, because he said it described how he felt about me,” Erika explains. “He sang all the words to me while we were dancing and I remember feeling like there was nobody else there.” Her other favorite memory is a poignant one. She danced to “I Loved Her First” by Heartland with her father, John Grady of Gouldsboro. But she had also insisted on a dance to “There You’ll Be” with her stepfather, Raymond Kuehner (above). Today, she looks back on that dance with great emotion, for Ray was killed in a tractor-trailer acci-dent two months later. “I’ll always be glad that we planned that special dance together,” Erika says. “As I look back, I feel like I had a beautiful wedding that was very meaningful, and we managed to do it within budget,” Erika says.

“I’ll always be glad that we planned that special dance together.”

“I bought purple and silver ribbons and tied the place cards with each

guest’s name and table number on the wine bottle,

so the wine bottled served a double purpose.”

Erika & Vaughn’s DetailsCeremony: Moscow United Methodist ChurchReception: The Regal Room, OlyphantFlowers: Bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres by PerfectPetals.com. Church flowers and bows by McBesket Flowers, Moscow.Engagement ring: Custom designed by Vaughn online at BlueNile.com.Wedding gown: Mori Lee ordered at Head to Toe, Dunmore. Bridesmaids Dresses: ordered at Head to Toe, Dunmore,Music: Processional at church was “Pachelbel’s Canon. Reception music by Encore DJs, Moosic. First dance: “She’s Everything” by Brad Paisley. Photography: Bill White, Scranton.Invitations: WillowTree.com.Formal Wear: Sarno & Sons, Scranton.Hair and makeup: Totally Tan Salon, Moscow.Favors: Wine bottles from Maiolatesi Wine Cellars, Childs and Hawley.


Julie Meccaand Justin ScagliottiJuly 14, 2007Jessup, PA

J ulie Mecca of Peckville always had a vision of what she wanted her wedding to look like. For instance, she remembers, “Since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted my bridesmaids to wear pink.” When the time came to plan her July 14, 2007, wedding to Justin Scagliotti of Jessup, she did not have far to look for help in completing her vision since her mother-in-law, Debbie Scagliotti, is a wedding planner with her own busi-ness, Magical Memories. With her own mother, Ann Marie Mecca, helping every step of the way, the trio put together the wedding of Julie’s dreams. Julie and Justin were friends at Valley View High School, where they “had a little thing,” then parted ways and dated other people. Julie was a year ahead of Justin, although she is only 18 days older. Three years ago, the two ran into each other on the night before Thanksgiving, and, she says, “That was it.” The two began dating steadily and Justin proposed and gave Julie a princess cut ring in the somewhat unromantic setting of his family’s kitchen in July, 2006. Julie had already been calling around to find a recep-

tion hall that could hold up to 400 guests, and all were booked for Saturdays the following July, which was when she wanted to get married. The Hilton Inn and Conference Center in Scranton had one Saturday open, so Julie--who knew Justin had bought the ring--nudged him a little bit by reminding him that they might lose that date. “It really became a question of finding a place for July that could hold the amount of people we planned to invite,” Julie explains. “In the end, we invited 505 guests, and 380 of them came to the wedding.” Julie holds a bachelor of science degree in communica-tion sciences and disorders from Marywood University, and a master of science degree in speech language pathology from East Stroudsburg University. She is employed as a speech pathologist at Valley View School District. A gradu-ate of Bloomsburg University with a degree in elementary education, Justin teaches fourth grade in East Stroudsburg. Julie set to work immediately after her engagement by calling Msgr. Patrick Pratico (“He has married all of our friends,” she says), as soon as she determined that he was available, she booked the Hilton.


Early in August, 2006, her mother suggested they go look at wedding gowns, an excursion that eventually in-cluded her mother, Justin’s mother, her grandmothers and godmother. “I knew I wanted a puckered style skirt, and when I first walked into the bridal shop I saw the dress I dreamed about, but it was a bit out of my price range,” she recalls. She tried on more than a dozen gowns, and narrowed it down to two, which couldn’t be more different, since one was very fitted and the other had a very full skirt. “Then my mother suggested I try on the first gown I saw, and when I put it on, I didn’t want to take it off!” Julie says. She admits she was so infatuated with the diamond white satin dress with beaded trim at the top of the bodice, waist-

line, and back of the train, that she used to visit the bridal salon to “visit” it or to put it on and walk around the store. “I went out of my price range for my gown, but it was re-ally worth it,” she concludes. She added a cathedral length veil, which was longer that the train of her dress, held by a sparkling tiara. She carried a bouquet of raspberry roses centered with fuji mums with the stems wrapped in pearls. In keeping with tradition, the bride borrowed her god-mother’s rosary beads, which also served as her “something old.” Her dress was new, and her garter was blue. For her bridesmaids, aside from the pink color, Julie visualized a strapless bodice with a puckered skirt. She found the perfect style, which was flattering to everyone, in a raspberry shade and then added chandelier style earrings


as a gift to her attendants to complete the elegant look. She had selected ten bridesmaids, but one was pregnant and had her baby early, making it impossible for her to participate on the day of the wedding, although she was in attendance. Justin had ten ushers, and his brothers served as best men. When the big day arrived, the bridesmaids had walked down the aisle to Pachelbel’s “Canon in D,” while Julie en-tered St. Mary’s Assumption Church in Jessup to the strains of “Trumpet Voluntary.” During the Mass, the bride’s mother presented a large gift basket of food items to the church to distribute to a needy family. After the ceremony, the wedding party went to the bridegroom’s home for some refreshments and relaxation before the big reception bash. At the Hilton, her future mother-in-law, Debbie Scagliot-

ti, had gone into high gear coordinating chair covers with raspberry bows and dinner napkins, and filling tall, slim glass vases with beautiful flower arrangements. The bottom of the vase was surrounded by 18 votive candles. “The room was just breathtaking,” Julie remembers. “I literally gasped when I walked in the door and saw how beautiful it was.” Mrs. Scagliotti made certain that the grand piano was decorated with more votives, as well as raspberry rose petals and crystal pebbles, as were the tables holding the guest book and the place cards. The couple had a portrait of themselves framed and matted, which guests also signed. The large crowd of wedding guests dined on prime rib and chicken marsala, then enjoyed a vanilla cake with rasp


Ideas You Can Use:•Julie asked her baker make a smaller, three-tier cake, which the couple cut. Guests were served from sheet cakes which were cut up in the kitchen to serve to guests. This tactic saved her half the price on her wedding cake.•The baker also provided a miniature of the actual cake, which is called a honeymoon cake. She explained that, most of the time, the bride and groom never eat more than the small piece of cake they feed to each other, hence the miniature cake can be enjoyed on their honeymoon.•When the couple got engaged, the bridegroom’s sister gave them bride and groom piggy banks for family members to drop their change into. In a year’s time, between $600 and $700 was deposited in the banks, which helped defray wedding costs.•During the offertory at the Catholic nuptial mass, the bride’s mother brought up a basket filled with food goods to be distributed to a needy family in the parish.•The bridegroom’s mother, a wedding planner, used 18 votives to circle each centerpiece, creating a majestic glow.

“The room was just breathtaking,” Julie

remembers. “I literally gasped when I walked in

the door and saw how beautiful it was.”

berry filling (“to match the bridesmaids’ dresses,” explains Julie). The three-tier cake was adorned with matching flowers and topped with the couples’ initials. Julie asked the baker to make a smaller cake for the cutting ceremony, and to serve guests from sheet cakes which were cut in the kitchen, a tactic which she estimates saved her half of the cost for a cake. The baker decorated the table with a puckered tablecloth, and provided a smaller version of the wedding cake which is known as the “honeymoon cake.” She explained that the couple often only tastes the piece of cake they serve to each other, so the smaller cake is designed to be taken on the honeymoon for the couple to enjoy. Julie points out that the wedding was truly a family affair. Her sister-in-law, Jenna Scagliotti, made the invita-tions and after the engagment, she also gave the couple a set of bride and groom piggy banks where family members dropped their change in the months before the wedding. In the end, the couple realized between $600 and $700 from this “change,” which helped with the cost of the wedding. Julie’s mother also handmade the babushka which her daughter wore for the traditional bridal dance. The couple’s first dance was to the music of “I Cross My Heart” by George Strait, while the groom and his mother

Julie & Justin’s DetailsReception: The Hilton Inn and Conference Center, ScrantonWedding Attire: Henry Roth satin bridal gown from A Touch of Elegance (now closed), which also ordered the bridesmaid dresses, gowns for the mothers of the bride and groom, and flower girl dress.Formal Wear: Sarno & SonsPhotography: Oaktree Photography, PeckvilleVideography: Skip WardMusic: Elaine Sofko was church organist. Pianist Dino Noto played for the cocktail hour, while the band Take Five provided dance music at the reception.Cake: “Kim-Possible” Confections.Flowers: The floral arrangements, bouquets, centerpieces, decorations, chair covers and bows were provided by Magical Memories, a wedding planning business owned by the mother of the bridegroom, Debbie Scagliotti.Hair Stylist: Michelle Smargiassi of Eynon

“In the end, we invited 505 guests, and

380 of them came to the wedding.”

danced to “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. The bride’s father, Anthony Mecca, who was once a mem-ber of the band, Now and Then, surprised his daughter by singing “Daddy’s Little Girl” especially to her. “I just sobbed on his shoulder through the entire song,” she says. Mr. Mecca then played drums most of the night with the wedding band, Take Five. Despite all the help, including the professional expertise of her mother-in-law, Julie admits she obsessed as much as any other bride over the details of the wedding. “My advice to other brides is to enjoy the experience and not let the stress get to you, although that is easier said than done,” she says. In the end, she treasures two special memories. The first was her processional in the church when she first saw Justin at the end of the aisle. “It was such a relief to me,” she explains, “because I kept dreaming the night before the wedding that Justin broke up with me. It was such a vivid dream that I had my father call him the next day to make sure he was coming! Someone told me later that a dream like that is good luck, but it had me really upset.” Her second favorite memory is of dancing with her father. “I will never forget how he sang to me,” she says. “It was very special and I will remember it all my life.”


Elizabeth Hartand Marcus McDonaldDecember 31, 2006Scranton, PA

hen Elizabeth Hart and Marcus McDonald started to plan their wedding, the concept took shape based on the special date they chose—New Year’s Eve. The couple had become engaged on December 31, 2003, and decided that it was the perfect date to be married. “It not only tied in with our engagement, but we liked the idea of a new beginning, a new year, a new marriage,” says the groom. The couple decided early on that their celebration would be part wedding reception/part New Year’s Eve bash. They had visions of fireworks at midnight and holiday hats and noisemakers as favors. They chose Elkview Country Club as the venue for these festivities. Elizabeth is a senior member of the club, just like her father and late grandfather, and she has many happy memories of family outings at the club, which is located between Newton Lake and Crystal Lake. But, first things first. Elizabeth, like all brides, also had visions of the perfect wedding gown, which in her case, became two dresses. She elected to wear an antique satin

gown originally worn by her maternal grandmother, Helen Holland. It was a simple enough decision, but the dress had to be cleaned and material had to be added under the arms and the waist needed to be taken in. Her seamstress recommended that Elizabeth go to the Garment District in New York City, where, sure enough, the experts found a matching fabric in mere minutes. Because the gown was old, and because it gave her limited arm movement, Elizabeth knew from the start that she would need a second gown for her wedding reception. She began by trying on gowns at a large bridal emporium in New York City, where the prices seemed staggering. She took note of details that she liked, and decided to have a local seamstress make a dress of her own design. This was a slim silhouette, strapless, and with a drastic knot accenting the back waistline. The resulting design was stunning, and one guest recalls, “I saw her coming down the stairway at the country club and it was like seeing Audrey Hepburn when she was ready for the ball in ‘My Fair Lady.’”

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“We really enjoyed the planning of our wedding, and we did most of the decision making together,” the bride explains. “Some grooms don’t want to be involved with the details, but Marcus and I really enjoyed the experience.” For flowers, Liz and Marcus consulted with House of Flowers in Forest City. The floral designer came up with a sophisticated arrangement of poinsettias, red roses and berries in a square glass container for the tables, a design that was replicated in the bridesmaids’ bouquets. Liz and her attendants had chosen a dramatic black strapless evening gown with a bolero jacket that served as a perfect backdrop for the vivid red flowers. The elegant ensemble was finished off with white gloves. For her own bouquet, Elizabeth asked the florist to replicate her late mother’s bridal flowers, a classic cascade of gardenias and stephanotis, which was attached to a family bible. Seeking other ways to honor her mother, who had died suddenly in August, 2005, Elizabeth decided to make a donation in the name of each guest to the Meg Hart Children’s Clothing Fund, a foundation set up in her mother’s memory which provides warm coats and jackets to needy students in the Scranton School District, where her mother had been employed as a teacher and then as a guidance counselor for many years. Elizabeth had the staff at the club set up a display featuring a notice about the donations placed next to her mother’s wedding portrait. It was accented with rose petals and votive candles. As a way to save money, Marcus and Elizabeth waited until after Christmas to buy trees on clearance, which they then decorated with white lights to ring the hall. Underneath the trees they placed yards of white tulle, sprinkled with glitter, and accented with pots of red poinsettias. They bought up all the red poinsettias they

could find at after-Christmas sales and placed them on the fireplace mantel and other key sites in the dining room, foyer, and outside steps. “The effect was magical and really inexpensive,” Elizabeth points out. “And we also saved money because the church was already decorated for the holidays. We just added pew garlands and candelabra.” When the couple left St. Paul’s Church in the Green Ridge Section of Scranton, their guests awaited them outside with lighted sparklers. Their first stop after the ceremony was to have pictures taken in the Rotunda at Marywood University, which was beautifully decorated with a huge tree and garlands. Elizabeth is an alumna of Marywood, as were her mother, the late Meg Holland Hart, and her 91-year-old


grandmother, Berniece Gilmartin Hart. They rode to the reception in her father’s antique Packard, and thoughtfully provided bus transportation from Scranton for guests who did not want to drive to the country club. “Weather was a concern for us at that time of year, but we really lucked out,” says the groom. “It was a little bit cold, but we didn’t have any snow or ice to worry about.” One of their first ideas turned out to be one of the hardest to fulfill. They knew they wanted fireworks, but it was difficult to find a pyrotechnic firm that wanted to work on New Year’s Eve. In the end, even that worked out and guests poured out onto Elkview’s terrace to watch the display as the band played “Auld Lang Syne.” “This was one of the things that we discovered about a holiday wedding,” Marcus remembers. “You can save money on things like the church decorations or buying the poinsettias on sale, but the vendors generally charge more because it is a holiday.” Now, as they celebrate their one year anniversary, Elizabeth and Marcus look back on a wedding that was elegant, magical, and lots of fun. “So many of our guests told us that it was the best New Year’s Eve they ever had,” says the happy bride.


Elizabeth & Marcus’ DetailsChurch: St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church, Scranton Reception: Elkview Country Club, Crystal LakeBridal Gown: Grandmother’s vintage satin gown for the ceremony. Bride custom-designed gown for the reception which was sewn by Debbie Sherman from Sew Smart.Bridesmaids’ Gowns: David’s Bridal, Wilkes-BarreFlowers: House of Flowers, Jermyn. (Red roses, poinsettias and berries for tables.)Tuxedos: Metallo’s Formal Wear, Dunmore.Wedding rings: Bride wore her late mother’s plain white gold band. Bridegroom’s from Tiffany’s in NYC.Cake: Minooka Bakery (Choice of chocolate, vanilla, or banana flavors)Ceremony Music: Caitlin McDonald, soloist, sister of the bridegroom, along with piano and trumpet. Reception Music: Brass and Ivory with Ken McGraw. First dance to “Let’s Stay Together.”Photographer: Guy Cali

Ideas You Can Use•Consider planning a wedding during the holiday season when the church and halls are already decorated. Elizabeth merely added pew decorations.•Handing out sparklers outside the church at an evening wedding will add glitter to the event.•Think about wearing your mother’s or grandmother’s wedding gown. It’s not only a lovely gesture, but you can save money. Remember, however, that heritage gowns will need cleaning, pressing, and alterations, which can be costly.•Fireworks are pricey, but they are a magnificent touch at the end of your wedding day.•Confused about flowers? Try duplicating your mother’s bouquet. Take a photo from her wedding to the florist, who will be happy to design a replica.•By planning their wedding for New Year’s Eve, Marcus and Elizabeth were able to buy Christmas trees, lights, and poinsettia plants on sale to decorate the dining room.

“...we liked the idea of a new beginning, a new year, a new marriage”


Ideas You Can Use•Not one for high heels, Brenda kicked off her shoes after the church ceremony and switched to flip-flips for comfort.•For shower favors, her attendants fashioned centerpieces that were baskets filled with useful items. An Italian-themed basket was filled with sauces and pastas, and the favors at that table were pasta scoops.•Kevin did the research for the honeymoon trip, and found that Punta Cana, Mexico, was reasonably priced at that time of year. Still, the couple had to postpone their trip until the day after Thanksgiving, since Kevin is a teacher and did not have enough personal days to use.•Brenda advises brides not to worry too much. “If anything went wrong that day, we certainly didn’t notice,” she says. •For transportation, the ever-practical couple rented a Lincoln Naviga-tor, which was large enough to hold five groomsmen, five bridesmaids, a flower girl, ringbearer, and the bridal couple. •Kevin’s mother, a member of the folk group at a Scranton church, wrote and sang a song especially for the newlywed couple.

Brenda HealeyandKevin BorrelliOctober 13, 2007Olyphant, PA

ou might say that Brenda Healey and Kevin Borrelli’s courtship got off to a running start. The couple met while they were students at Mid Valley High School, where both were on the cross country team. After Brenda, who was two grades ahead of Kevin, began her studies at Marywood University, she would often return to Mid Valley to see the races. When she was a sophomore in college and Kevin was a senior at Mid Valley, they began talking at an Alumni Cross Country party, and the two found themselves spending more and more time together after that. After Kevin left for Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, the couple continued dating over a period of six years. In September, 2006, Kevin, who is a middle school math

teacher, decided to come up with a unique way to propose after he ran the Race for the Cure in Scranton. As he neared the finish line at Courthouse Square, he lifted up his shirt to show his message: “Brenda, will you marry me?” It was a flamboyant way to pop the question, but unfor-tunately, his intended bride never saw it. She was walking the race and never knew about the public proposal until the couple went to Kevin’s house later. Although she managed to say yes, she also cried because she was sorry he had gone to such great lengths and she missed it. Even when the couple began to plan their wedding, running played a part in it. “Kevin was planning to run the Steamtown Marathon, so I knew it had to be after that,” Brenda explains. So, they chose an October date one week


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after the marathon when both the church, St. Patrick’s in Olyphant, and their favored reception venue, The Ramada Inn in Chinchilla, were both available. That wasn’t all. Kevin literally ran by a photographer during a race in Jessup, where he noticed the studios of Church Street Photography. When it came time to choose her bridal dress, Brenda’s criteria was that it would not be strapless. “But I ended up with a strapless gown anyway,” she laughs. She chose a ba-sic A-line dress with minimal detail on the bodice and train, which was only the second gown she tried on. “They say that when you put on your wedding dress, you just know it’s the one,” she recalls. “And that’s what

happened with me.” A down-to-earth girl, who is a registered dietitian, Brenda wore a traditional headpiece and veil with high-heeled shoes, which she ditched right after the church ceremony in favor of a pair of flip-flops. Her five bridesmaids wore halter-top dresses featuring a cream design on a black background, accented with an ivory sash at the waistline. They carried bright autumn bouquets of red, orange and peach roses with yellow daisies from Rosette Floral in Dunmore, which is owned by a high school friend of Kevin’s. At St. Patrick’s Church in Olyphant, the processional music was played by a friend of Brenda’s mother, while the


folk group from Immaculate Conception Church in Scranton, of which Kevin’s mother is a member, provided the singing. Kevin’s mother also sang a song she had writ-ten especially for the newlyweds after they exchangedtheir vows. Brenda followed tradition and carried her godmother’s grandmother’s handkerchief as something old; her sister-in-law’s guardian angel pin as something borrowed, and wore new diamond earrings which were a gift from her godmoth-er. Before she passed away, her paternal grandmother had given Brenda a pair of blue earrings, which she attached to her garter for “something blue.” Brenda’s maternal grandmother, Eleanor Lanuti of Ey-

non, hand-fashioned Brenda’s apron for the dollar dance, as well as a pillow for the ringbearer. At the time, Brenda was most happy that so many members of both families were able to be there. Now, her favorite memory is that her grandfather was there, since he passed away three weeks later. “I am so happy that he was there, and he had a good time,” she says. There were 200 guests in attendance at the Ramada, since both Brenda and Kevin come from large families. The couple’s first dance was to “This Year’s Love” by David Gray, while Brenda later danced with her father to “Daddy’s Little Girl.” Kevin and his mother danced to “I Am Your Child” by Barry Manilow.

“Choose vendors who are friendly and helpful, even if they are more expensive.”


Ideas You Can Use•Not one for high heels, Brenda kicked off her shoes after the church ceremony and switched to flip-flips for comfort.•For shower favors, her attendants fashioned centerpieces that were baskets filled with useful items. An Italian-themed basket was filled with sauces and pastas, and the favors at that table were pasta scoops.•Kevin did the research for the honeymoon trip, and found that Punta Cana, Mexico, was reasonably priced at that time of year. Still, the couple had to postpone their trip until the day after Thanksgiving, since Kevin is a teacher and did not have enough personal days to use.•Brenda advises brides not to worry too much. “If anything went wrong that day, we certainly didn’t notice,” she says. •For transportation, the ever-practical couple rented a Lincoln Naviga-tor, which was large enough to hold five groomsmen, five bridesmaids, a flower girl, ringbearer, and the bridal couple. •Kevin’s mother, a member of the folk group at a Scranton church, wrote and sang a song especially for the newlywed couple.

Brenda & Kevin’s DetailsCeremony: St. Patrick’s Church, OlyphantReception: The Ramada Inn, ChinchillaFlorist: Rosette Florals, DunmorePhotography: Church Street Photography, JessupMusic: Immaculate Conception Church folk group for the ceremony. Soundstorm Music with DJ Eric Peterson for the reception.Cake: Creative Cakes, Clarks SummitGowns: Bridal gown by Lady Roi. Bridesmaids’ dresses by Alexis. Ordered at Head To Toe Bridal Shop, Dunmore.Formalwear: Sarno & Sons

Honeymoon: Punta Cana, Mexico

Brenda and Kevin enjoyed working with their DJ, Eric Peterson, who provided them with a packet of the most popular songs played at weddings so that the couple could chose their own music for the reception. “He was so helpful and gave us lots of ideas, so I would highly recommend him,” Brenda says. In fact, if Brenda could give advice to other brides, it would be: “Choose vendors who are friendly and helpful, even if they are more expensive. You want to work with people who are easy to deal with.” That same practical side came out in her choice of favors. “When my attendants were planning my shower, I insisted that they try to make everything useful,” Brenda explains. “I think too often people take things home and throw them into the garbage.” At the shower, the centerpieces were baskets which varied at each table, including one with bakeware, another with Italian foods. The favors were keyed to the theme of the basket. At the wedding, the couple used inexpensive little cups engraved with their names as favors, and filled them with Swedish fish or Hershey Kisses. “We figured we’d pick out candies that we both like so that if there was any left over, it would be something we would eat!” Brenda laughs.44 • NEPA Wedding Day • March ~ April 08

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nepaweddingday spring 2008