After The I Do

Sharing couples’ wedding stories is the absolute highlight of the work we do at Pennsylvania Weddings Magazine. We love learning about your stories, seeing your details, and imagining the joy you experienced while planning a celebration that, for many, was years in the making. In fact, we love our couples and their stories so much that we often want to keep chatting with them. So, we decided to bring back one of the couples featured in each of our issues to talk about their first year of marriage. And in this issue, we’re so excited to reconnect with our Fall 2023 cover couple Elizabeth and Jason Stern.

Elizabeth and Jason enjoyed an incredible wedding day at Hotel Du Village, one of our favorite Bucks County wedding venues that’s located not too far away from Philadelphia. After they danced the night away with their family and friends, they jetted off on their honeymoon to Greece, and then happily settled into married life once they returned from their adventure. Below, Elizabeth shares more about what they’ve enjoyed since they recited their vows, what they loved about their honeymoon, what they might do differently if they had to plan everything all over again, and more.

Pennsylvania Weddings Magazine: What have you two been up to since your wedding?

Elizabeth: Since our wedding, we have really enjoyed the downtime of life without wedding planning! When we are not working, we enjoy going out to dinner, spending time with our friends, and trying new coffee shops. We’ve also been getting into cooking. Every Sunday, we do our best to cook a new meal that we’ve found online or from a cookbook. We are enjoying married life and have had a really enjoyable time creating new traditions with our new family.

PWM: As you look back on your wedding, is there anything you might do differently?

E: One thing we would do differently is change how soon we left for our honeymoon. We left about a day after we got married, which was pretty hectic. We were exhausted from the wedding, and would have loved to have a couple of days to recharge. Our suggestion to couples planning a honeymoon right after they get married would be to give yourselves about a week buffer. Other than that, we wouldn’t change a thing. Our venue was beautiful, all of our vendors were on their game, and we did actually do our best to live in the moment!

PWM: You celebrated your 1 year anniversary on September 4, so tell us about your first year of marriage.

E: Our first year of marriage flew by! I think we are finally understanding when we’ve heard couples who’ve been married a long time that the years fly by. We certainly feel that! We are looking forward to the years ahead and starting a family of our own!

PWM: Tell us about your honeymoon! Did you enjoy your trip?

E: Yes! We went to Greece, and we absolutely loved it! It was a beautiful honeymoon destination, and we would recommend it to anyone looking for a romantic getaway! The locals in Greece were very welcoming, the food and wine were incredible, and the views were truly stunning. Our favorite destination in Greece was Santorini. Make sure you order some fresh seafood, which they catch in the Mediterranean Sea! We cannot wait to visit again in the future.

PWM: What advice do you have for other couples after the wedding?

E: The year(s) of wedding planning is so exciting and filled with lots of events. The year after your wedding will feel like you have a lot of downtime. Enjoy the time, and use it to try new recipes and go on adventures together! Enjoy life as it comes your way, and don’t rush any moments. Try to enjoy each chapter one at a time.

Photographer | Jess Palatucci Photography