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COURTESY PHOTOS
Melody Robinson and James Hamill merged traditional and novel elements into their wedding. At the reception, they showed a movie in which they re-enacted cinematic love scenes, such as the one at top, from ’Lady and the Tramp.’
INSIDE Page 5 ............................................Tuxedos Page 7 ...............................................Gowns Page 10 ...................................Photography Page 12.............................................Flowers Page 15 .............................................Venues Page 16........................................Invitations Page 20 ..............................................Cakes Page 21 ...........................................Catering Page 26 ..............................................Décor Page 28 ..........................................Lighting Page 32.................................................Gifts Page 34 .................................Honeymoons
OUR TEAM Project Editors: Sandra Snyder and Lindsey Jones Project Reporters: Mary Therese Biebel and Sara Pokorny
Make the big day your own with a little creativity
A
By MARY THERESE BIEBEL mbiebel@timesleader.com
bride asks for a doghouse to be set up at her shower, the better to collect donations for the SPCA. A groom surprises his beloved with harmonica music – and a pair of handcuffs at the reception. Friends ask another bride-to-be if she’ll ride one of her family’s horses to the church. She’s not going to – it’s not practical, she says – but if she wanted to, why not?
Your wedding is a time to express yourself as you see fit, whether that means getting married in a theater, asking a thirtysomething friend to be your flower girl or starring in your own movie and screening it for your guests. A Hollywood flair Melody and James Hamill incorporated each of those last three elements into their Oct. 9 wedding, which took
place at The Campus Theatre in downtown Lewisburg, close to their home. “It’s a beautiful, non-profit theater, like the Kirby Center,” said the former Melody Robinson, who grew up in Exeter. Preceding the bride and her father down the aisle were nine bridesmaids, a maid of honor and flower girl Sara Katrenicz of Seattle, who has been a friend of the bride since they attended
kindergarten in the Wyoming Area School District together. “She had carnations in a basket and handed them randomly to women as she went down the aisle,” Melody said. “Then she had some for my mom and James’ mother.” Another highlight of the moviethemed wedding was a 10-minute bit See SIGNATURE, Page 4
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SIGNATURE Continued from Page 3
of cinema in which the wedding couple re-enacted some of their favorite love scenes from various movies. The flick shows the couple re-enacting the pottery scene from “Ghost,” the “you-hadme-at-hello” sequence from “Jerry Maguire” and the balcony scene from “Romeo and Juliet” as well as – Disney fans must have loved this – paying homage to the Italian-restaurant scene from “Lady and the Tramp.” “We dressed up like dogs,” Melody admitted with a giggle. Indeed, the movie shows Melody with her hair arranged in two ponytails, to look like Lady’s ears, while James sports a dog-ears headpiece of his own. The two beam at each other as a voice sings “Oh, this is the night. It’s a beautiful night, and we call it bella notte.” Yes, the couple does begin eating either end of a long piece of pasta and ends up in a kiss.
CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/FOR THE TIMES LEADER
Among the presents at Kim Meehan’s bridal shower at Irem Temple Country Club was this doghouse filled with dog treats and food intended for the SPCA. Today’s brides sometimes opt out of wishing wells and ask guests to fill other vessels with gifts for local charities.
And, yes, James does use his nose to nudge an extra large meatball toward his companion, just as Tramp did. Their movie took quite a bit of planning for Melody, a career counselor for Central Susquehanna Opportunities Inc., and James, a reporter for WNEP-TV, Channel 16.
Handcuffs? Sometimes, the novel aspects of a wedding are a bit more impromptu. “You never know when the instruments are going to come out,” Judy Gingher of Tunkhannock said, reminiscing about how her husband, Carl, pulled out a harmonica and
played a bluegrass number called “Rabbit in a Log” at their reception. He also surprised her by suddenly producing a set of toy handcuffs and attaching his wrist to hers just in time to greet guests in their receiving line. “I still have them, 35 years later,” she said. Judy Gingher has weddings on her mind once again, because her daughter, Amy, is planning to get married in August. The family owns six horses, and Amy loves to ride. “Everybody asks me, ‘Oh are you going to come riding in on your horse?’ ” Amy said as she and her mother shopped for a wedding dress. The future bride doesn’t plan to bring a horse to her wedding – though the guests certainly would long remember such a feat. Helmets work, too People who attended the Moon/Collins reception at the Green Ridge Club in Scranton in July were no doubt impressed by the sight of the bride dancing with her husband’s brother fire-
fighters. The former Andrea Moon wore Brandon Collins’ hosecompany jacket to dance with that particular group of friends, and each of them took a turn wearing her husband’s fire helmet as they twirled the bride around. NOT in the doghouse for this And, when friends reminisce about Kim Meehan’s bridal shower, they’ll be sure to remember the doghouse that was set up as a drop-off spot for the less fortunate. “I wanted to do something special for animals,” said Meehan, of Wyoming who suggested guests bring to her shower at the Irem Temple Country Club donations of pet food and cleaning supplies for the SPCA. Her future brother-in-law Matt Smith, brother of her fiancé, Robert Smith, crafted the doghouse for the shower, and animal-lover Meehan wasted no time getting the donations to the shelter. The shower took place on a Sunday. “We dropped them off Monday morning,” Meehan said.
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SPECIAL SECTION, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
BILL TARUTIS/ FOR THE TIMES LEADER
Alycia Forney, general manager at Savvi Formalwear by Sarno & Son, assists Nick Nardone in trying on a Jean Yves charcoal-gray tuxedo jacket at the Edwardsville shop. By SARA POKORNY spokorny@timesleader.com
L
ook for a more streamlined man to walk down the aisle this wedding season. “The European style is a hit because it’s fitted, less boxy,” said Ted Poulos, Sarno & Son regional manager. “It’s tapered at the waist and short in the body. The very avant-garde man is in right now.” The European style also boasts a drastic change in pants.
“Men are enjoying the flat-front trouser, where you can no longer see the pleats in the pants,” said Alycia Forney, general manager of Sarno & Son in Edwardsville. Grooms also are looking to tuxedos that are navy and brown, instead of the traditional black. One very popular tuxedo is the Calvin Klein Cadbury Brown. “We’ve been seeing a lot of pink and brown weddings, which this tux is perfect for,” Forney said. The Cadbury tuxedo also works well with a white-and-ivory combination. “People are opting for the white
shirt paired with an ivory vest and ivory tie,” Forney said. “The contrasting colors give the tux a very clean look, instead of an area of just white or just ivory.” Both bowties and long ties are holding steady, but what they’re paired with is changing. “Grooms are putting a colored tie with the same-color pocket square, as opposed to a same-color vest,” Forney said. “This avoids a large block of color right in the middle of the tux.” Michael J. Pantano, owner of Tuxedo Junction in Hanover
Township, thinks the traditional, very formal look is coming back. In fact, he said, he just booked his first wedding in more than 10 years in which the groom wanted a cummerbund. “I think a cummerbund and a bow tie define what a tuxedo looks like.” He attributes this route back to tradition to the bride. “Brides generally never deviated from the traditional white or ivory dress, and I think they’re starting to prefer to have their groom look the same traditional part.” PAGE 5
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SPECIAL SECTION, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
AIMEE DILGER/THE TIMES LEADER
Kathy Nardone of Kathy’s Bridal helps bride-to-be Kristen Killian with a headpiece as her mom, Jeannette Killian, looks on.
By MARY THERESE BIEBEL mbiebel@timesleader.com
S
tanding on a pedestal and surrounded by mirrors, Amy Gingher of Tunkhannock inspected her reflection. Did she want an A-line wedding gown after all? How wide did she want the skirt to be? Would this dress be comfortable for waltzing with her husband at their reception in August?
Putting her hands up to her face on a wintry Tuesday evening, she seemed a trifle overwhelmed by all the choices at Kathy’s Bridal Salon in Edwardsville. “So many of them are so pretty,” she said. That’s when Kathy Nardone stepped in with a little pep talk. “This is something you need to think about,” the bridal-shop owner said quietly. “Don’t let anybody, including anybody here, pressure you. You’ll know when you’ve found your gown.
“When you put it on, you’re going to know. Sometimes, I can feel the hair on my arms standing up when someone has found her gown.” Gingher may not have found “her gown” among the first few she tried on that evening, but she may have found her headpiece. “Are you a crown person?” Nardone asked. “I’m doing the crown,” Gingher See DRESSES, Page 8
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SPECIAL SECTION, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011 PAGE 8
DRESSES Continued from Page 7
replied firmly. Soon a glittering tiara was on top of her head, and Nardone gently eased Gingher’s hair from its elastic ponytail band. “It gives you a very regal look,” Nardone said, showing the bride-to-be the different ways a veil could be attached to the jeweled headpiece to accentuate either a flowing hairstyle or an upswept ’do. Naturally, a crown can only help a bride feel like royalty. As a recent bride in another section of the store said, “That’s the best part of (wedding planning). “Other things can stress you, but you feel like a princess when you shop for the gown. You can have anything you want,” Cheryl Fazio of Plains Township said. Fazio’s wedding took place in September, but she was back at Kathy’s to look for a bridesmaid dress to wear in her friend Kristen Killian’s wedding. Killian’s wedding will take place in October, and the color scheme involves raspberry and dark purple. As for the style of the dresses the five bridesmaids will wear, they may be strapless or possibly have the one-shoulder look. “For anyone not comfortable with strapless (the one-shoulder effect) is kind of a security blanket,” Fazio said as she modeled one for her friend. There are plenty of choices as far as bridal and attendants’ gowns, Nardone said, pointing to hand-sewn sequins on one gown and, on another, organza ruffles cut to look like feathers. Ruffles are big this year, confirmed Kim Keck of Exclusively You Bridal and Formal Wear in Bloomsburg. “They can be along the bustline or one side of the skirt. Ruffles are huge right now.” Other feminine touches are bows, embellished sashes and fabric flowers on the gown, feathers or flowers on the headpiece, she said. “People are looking for
AIMEE DILGER PHOTOS/THE TIMES LEADER
Kathy Nardone of Kathy’s Bridal shows bride-to-be Kristen Killian of Wilkes-Barre a dress adorned with a great deal of detail work.
something to make them stand out. They’re being very creative.” “What I love is that girls are taking more risks,” Keck said. “I tell them this is a chance for people to see them in a way they don’t get to see them every day … so surprise them a little bit.” What kind of image do you want your dress to portray? “It all depends on what kind of girl you are,” Nardone said. “Simple and elegant? Traditional? Sophisticated?” For the bridal gown she’ll wear this fall, Killian knew she wanted something sophisticated rather then demure. Then the WilkesBarre woman surprised herself by starting to cry when Nardone held a blusher veil in front of her face. “When she put a blusher on me, that’s when I cried,” Killian said. “I thought it was charming and traditional.”
Mother-of-the-bride Judy Gingher and her daughter, Amy, look through the gowns at Kathy’s Bridal in Edwardsville.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL STRAUB PHOTOGRAPHY
Michael Straub of Michael Straub Photography of Mount Pocono captured this loving moment during Melissa and Brian Osick’s September 2010 wedding.
By SARA POKORNY spokorny@timesleader.com
T PAGE 10
ime was when a wedding photographer pretty much had a sole purpose: to capture enough images to fill a traditional, often large and heavy wedding album that would serve as a lifetime keepsake. Today’s shooters, however, do so much more, and their job often begins before the vows are exchanged.
Shane East Photography in Mountain Top, for example, uses a couple’s engagement photos to put a spin on the traditional guest book. “We leave some blank space throughout the book for people to sign or give best wishes to the couple,” manager Lisa East said. “It’s not your normal ‘sign your name on the line’ book.” “We really liked all that Shane had to offer, but this book stood out to us,” said Jessica Pizano of Exeter, who in July will marry Erik Vanston of Old Forge. “It’s a fun way for everyone to see all of the engagement pictures and a new spin on how to
make them a keepsake.” Shane East Photography also offers “brag books,” small books that have about 100 photos from the wedding day in a 5inch-by-5-inch or 7-inch-by-7-inch format. “It’s a fun little book that the bride or groom can carry around after their wedding to show everyone their special day,” Lisa East said. Cami Haynes Photography in Scranton, meanwhile, offers Apple iPad albums that are engraved and uploaded with the couple’s wedding photos. See IMAGES, Page 18
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COURTESY PHOTOS
ABOVE: October bride Karen Kaleta Alessi and her bridesmaids carried bouquets from Ralph Dillon Flowers of Bloomsburg. TOP: Erin Kovach of Kingston chose lavender, pink and white roses from The Flower Warehouse in Forty Fort for her wedding party.
By MARY THERESE BIEBEL mbiebel@timesleader.com
PAGE 12
W
hen Karen Alessi of Mountain Top got married in October, her bridal bouquet was all about color – in particular some striking flame-orange roses and lilies. Erin Kovach of Kingston decided a mix of lavender, pink and ivory roses was a beautiful complement to her bridesmaids’ black dresses last spring.
For herself, she said, “I had the same thing with a lot more ivory roses.” And for her wedding coming up next fall, Kristen Killian of Wilkes-Barre plans to carry a bouquet that includes not only gerbera daisies and other blossoms but raspberries and olives. “They’ll be real,” the brideto-be said with a laugh. “If I get hungry, I can always eat an olive.”
All kidding aside, Killian said, the berries and olives will be nice touches for a harvest-time wedding, adding notes of interest to her “Dutch bouquet” of precisely arranged flowers. Killian’s flowers have been ordered from Central Park Flowers in Olyphant, where owners Dorian and Eloise Butovich say the bouquet is a See FLOWERS, Page 18
Karen Alessi of Mountain Top decided to make vivid colors the most important aspect of her wedding bouquet.
SPECIAL SECTION, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
THE TIMES LEADER
Fantasy 8 2 . b e F ugh thro 8! 1 Mar.
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Send us a video of you and your fiancé!
Tell us how you met and show us your personalities. The 10 best videos will be selected by a panel of judges at The Times Leader. These winning couples will participate in a live contest. The winning couple of the live contest will receive The Times Leader Fantasy Wedding! Return the entry form below along with your video or enter at timesleader.com or theweekender.com. Videos must be no longer than 3 minutes! THE TIMES LEADER
Fan Fantasy edding G GIVEAWAY
Return this form and your video to: The Times Leader, Fantasy Wedding, 15 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711. All entries must be received by Friday, March 18, 2011. All entries must include an official entry form. Your wedding date must be between July 31, 2011 and December 31, 2012 to qualify. Must be 21 years of age or older to enter. Finalists will be notified by phone and will move to a final round.
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By SARA POKORNY spokorny@timesleader.com
hen it comes to picking the place for the big day, couples must consider many variables: the size, the atmosphere, the amenities. Some couples go traditional and choose a hotel or banquet hall, while others will always look for that “different” venue, that place perhaps no guests have been before. tional venue; we’re unique,” said Ken Bond, owner/operator. “Instead of the typical square ballroom and chandeliers, you’re surrounded by water, koi ponds.” “I do believe we’re the only place of its kind.” The Gallery accommodates a minimum of 40 people and a maximum of 150 for a wedding, and both the ceremony and reception can take place there. “We’ll do as little or as much as the host wants,” Bond said. “If they want us to take care of the floral arrangements, we can do that. Otherwise, I can point them in the direction of someone who might be able to help them with what they’re looking for.” One of the biggest draws is the food. “We customize every single menu we do. There’s nothing we cannot make,” Bond said. “We actually did a camouflage-themed wedding and imported elk from New Zealand for it.” Bond is always concocting new dishes. “I made a wild-berry horseradish demi-glace just as an experiment and ended up serving it at a wedding. If a couple has an idea they want to express to me, I’d be happy to make it happen.” When tradition wins But another school of bride and groom will always seek out a more conventional ballroomstyle venue. The area has several time-honored and popular options. “By far, the Appletree Terrace in Dallas was the nicest place I’ve
COURTESY PHOTOS
A little creative table-arranging can turn the Gallery at Pierce Plaza in Kingston into a reception venue.
been for a wedding,” Samantha Good, 25, of Pittston said. “It was very lavish, yet laidback and comfortable all at the same time.” Local hotels also get local support, while some couples opt for venues up to an hour or so away. Popular regional choices in the past few years have included The Inne of the Abingtons in Dalton and Skytop Lodge in the Pocono Mountains. And remaining popular with Wilkes-Barre-area brides and grooms are two downtown mainstays. “When I think wedding I think Genetti’s,” said Tammy Keeler, 37, of Wilkes-Barre. “It’s traditional, it’s classic, and the food is really good.” “The Radisson is just perfect, especially if you’re looking for something really classy and fancy,” said Joan James, 29, of Kingston.
Friedman Farms in Dallas offers a different choice for a reception.
PAGE 15
Friedman Farms in Dallas is one example. “On our grounds we have both a barn and a chapel, so you can have the ceremony and reception in one place,” proprietor Allison Friedman said. The chapel holds 140 people, and the barn holds 200. Friedman has hosted a spectrum of weddings. “I always joke that it’s a BYOC: bring your own clergy,” she said. “We have all different kinds of wedding ceremonies here. Military services, every religious affiliation, justice of the peace; we welcome it all.” In terms of décor and overall atmosphere, Friedman also takes a wide-range approach. “We like to say you can run and do with it what you wish,” she said. “It’s not by any sense of the imagination your typical wedding venue.” Friedman offers rental items, such as tables, chairs and a dance floor and works to accommodate the couple as much as possible. “If a couple is looking for a certain caterer or band, I’ll help them out the best I can,” Friedman said. The venue is not limited to the barn or chapel. “Some people choose the field to get married; some choose the barn. We’ve even had a wedding on horseback,” Friedman said. Another location that sees itself as out of the ordinary is the Gallery at Pierce Plaza in WilkesBarre. “We are definitely not a tradi-
SPECIAL SECTION, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
DON CAREY/THE TIMES LEADER
Jessica McCafferty works on hand-crafted wedding invitations at Momental Designs in Wyoming.
By SARA POKORNY spokorny@timesleader.com
T
he invitations are key. They introduce guests to the wedding’s overall feel and represent what the couple and the day are all about.
PAGE 16
“Brides are doing everything they can to make sure guests would never think of throwing them out,” said Kristy Rice, founder of Momental Designs in Wyoming. Extreme personalization is
huge, she said, noting couples are hiring caricature and landscape artists to create special designs. Momental takes personalization a step further with the Curated Collection, which is “all about found objects. We act as your curators and find objects for you that will serve as invitations,” Rice said. These objects can range from adornments, such as brooches and handkerchiefs, to books or handpainted bottles into which invites
are inserted. “We have a bride that’s a teacher and her fiancé is a computer programmer,” Rice said. “She wanted to incorporate books, so we’ve found old books to put the invitation in and wrap a hand-painted ribbon around with a design like the inner workings of a computer.” Another trend is the pocket concept, which pleases the organized. See INVITATIONS, Page 18
SPECIAL SECTION, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
PAGE 17
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FLOWERS Continued from Page 12
way for a bride to make a statement. “Whatever it is that gives you a good feeling, bring it in and we’ll get a good idea of your style,” Eloise Butovich said, explaining some brides have shown her a favorite shoe, purse or fabric for that purpose. As far as flowers are concerned, Dorian Butovich said, he wants to put the world at your disposal. Orchids? “For orchids, I’ll go to my contacts in Bangkok,” he said. Lilies of the valley? “There are some great farms in New Jersey,” he said. “And you can get them from Holland. Usually they come with the root ball attached, so they’ll be fresh.” “If you want a peony in December, you can have it.” John M. Barancho of Floral Designs in Forty Fort agrees. “The world is our oyster. Let’s try to find the pearl,” Barancho said. “Lily of the valley is probably the hardest to find, but I’ve found them in October. And tulips, we can get them for the fall now. “Look at it this way: It’s always spring somewhere, and it’s always fall somewhere,” he said. “Everything is a matter of taste anymore,” Barancho continued. “Certain themes come into play. A bride might say ‘I like Victorian’ or ‘I like contemporary,’ ‘I like garden flowers’ or ‘I like field flowers.’ ” Gone are the days when wedding flowers were, more often than not, orange blossoms. “Last year we used more hydrangea, orchids and calla lilies,” said Barancho, who discovered a trend toward color combinations of white, pink and green. There really are no rules, Barancho said, explaining some brides go so far as to carry vivid, rainbow-hued bouquets themselves while choosing white flowers for their bridesmaids.
Perfect propriety
By SARA POKORNY spokorny@timesleader.com
T
he wedding landscape has changed drastically over the years, particularly when it comes to family dynamics. Now, more than ever, couples must be mindful of how to word that all-important invitation, a paper piece of the wedding process that’s a major indicator, really, as to who is the primary benefactor of this grand affair. Traditionally, this isn’t a difficult task. “A traditional formal invitation always announces the parents of the bride, who are usually the people paying for the event,” said Mary Hepner, the director of and a teacher at the Protocol School of Pennsylvania. Those in the wedding field are finding that, most often, this isn’t the case. “There’s probably no scenario I haven’t seen or heard,” said Carl Besancon, graphic designer at Nick of Time Printing in Dallas. “There are a lot of couples with parents that are divorced and remarried, and some couples just don’t have any parent involvement at all.” “Tradition has such a spin on it now; it’s really about what wording makes sense to the bride,” said Kristy Rice, founder of Momental Designs in Wyoming. “It’s about what’s respectful given
the particular situation.” The proper way to handle the invitation wording is to emphasize those who have played a vital part, no matter who they are, the experts say. “You should honor those most integral to the wedding process, someone who has been exceptionally important,” Hepner advised. “It can be a sister, both sets of parents, whoever,” Rice said. “In today’s society, we see a lot of people putting their money together,” Besancon said. “It can be parents and grandparents that are helping out, as well as the couple themselves.” “If the couple finds themselves footing the bill, it’s perfectly acceptable to list no host at all,” or to simply say the couple requests the guest’s presence, Hepner said. So what happens if the list of contributors is a long one? “You do list all of them,” Hepner said. “As long as they’re in the game and they’re hosting and really supporting this, they should be acknowledged, and you should acknowledge all or none of them.” “It’s a couple pieces of paper. It’s not like you have to move heaven and earth,” Hepner said. “It’s an easy thing to do, as well as the right and mindful thing.”
SUBMITTED PHOTO
A worn copy of ‘Tom Sawyer’ is the latest invitation creation in Momental Designs’ Curated Collection.
INVITATIONS Continued from Page 16
“Brides are choosing invitations that are almost like a brochure,” said Carl Besancon, graphic designer at Nick of Time Printing in Dallas. “It opens up on both ends, with the invite in the middle.” “There are sleeves on each side where each piece, the response card, directions, whatever needs to be included, can go.” Another organized invite is the seal and send, which folds into itself, Besancon said. “By the time you’re done folding it, it’s the invitation, response and envelope in one.” A perforated postcard at the bottom serves as the response card. These “are about a quarter of the cost you’d normally spend,” Besancon said.
IMAGES Continued from Page 10
Haynes also offers a float wrap. “The image is wrapped around masonite to create a thin wrap,” Haynes said. “It’s like they appear to be floating on the wall with the main focus on the image. It’s striking and beautiful.” Michael Straub Photography in Mount Pocono cites social networking as something photographers also are considering part of their modern-day role. “Photographers are putting together a short 30-second slide show that the couple can upload to something like their Facebook page,” Straub said. “It allows the couple to share the video with as many people as possible.” Straub offers many of the traditional wedding-album styles, but he said what couples expect of the layout is changing. “They’re leaning towards clean and simple layouts. They aren’t trying to make the album look like a scrapbook. They want the book to be about the images of the day, not what you can fade into the background or put on the
COURTESY PHOTO
Shane East Photography in Mountain Top uses engagement photos to make a custom, eye-catching guest book.
borders.” Straub likes to capture a couple’s candid side, which was a big draw for Melissa and Brian Osick, who marred in September 2010. “Michael provided the combination of posed and candid shots we were looking for,” Melissa said. “I was especially excited that we would be given proof books with 3-by-5 images of all of the photos taken of our wedding day.” “I find that the bride and groom prefer natural shots as opposed to standing,” Straub said. “They just want to be with their families and friends more and enjoy their time with them.”
COURTESY PHOTO
This shot of Melissa Osick, by Michael Straub, puts a detailed veil in the spotlight.
SPECIAL SECTION, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
PAGE 19
SPECIAL SECTION, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
COURTESY PHOTOS
ABOVE: Her husband, Alexander, better known as Chuck, is quite the Eagles fan, a fact Erin Kovach of Kingston noted with this cake topper. RIGHT: Melody and James Hamill of Lewisburg are film buffs, so their chocolate wedding cake was decorated with white-chocolate-coated popcorn and film strips.
By MARY THERESE BIEBEL mbiebel@timesleader.com
F
PAGE 20
or movie buffs Melody and James Hamill of Lewisburg, the perfect wedding cake turned out to be five tiers of dark chocolate adorned with film strips and popcorn kernels. Erin and Chuck Kovach of Kingston, meanwhile, saluted the groom’s love of football with a cake topper that showed a determined bride pulling her husband away from a Philadelphia Eagles helmet.
Wedding cakes and groom’s cakes, too, can reflect a couple’s personality in many ways, said George Blom of Bakery Delite in Plains Township, who has made confections resemble anything from a “Beauty and the Beast” castle to a “Star Trek” scenario to a mountain climber’s rocky summit. Still, the baker said, most couples opt for less complicated cakes, with relatively simple decorations. “In spring and summer, probably 50 percent of the cakes that go out of here have fresh flowers on them,” he said. The biggest decision might be what flavor do you want to taste on the big day? “Orange creamsicle is a popular flavor,” Blom said. “Red velvet is pretty popular.” Of course, the baker said, there’s always
room for the purists who opt for “the traditional silver-white wedding cake batter.” Silver? “The main difference between silverwhite and regular vanilla is that it’s made with egg whites instead of whole eggs, to get it whiter,” Blom explained. Cathy Reppert of Truly Scrumptious in Kingston, who has been known to sculpt a Nittany Lion from cereal and fondant and perch him on top of a cake that looked like a rock, also has found lots of brides and grooms opting for the kind of wedding cake their parents likely enjoyed. “It’s a dichotomy right now,” Reppert said. See CAKE, Page 23
SPECIAL SECTION, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
AIMEE DILGER PHOTOS/THE TIMES LEADER
Chef Dave Sinoracki of the Waterfront Banquet Facility plates a vegetable stromboli alongside eggplant towers and mini calzones. Hors d’oeuvres come in all shapes, sizes and categories these days, and a nice variety can make your feast memorable.
By MARY THERESE BIEBEL mbiebel@timesleader.com
T
Sinoracki said, pointing out the bite-size calzones that are among the most popular choices for appetizers at wedding receptions. Other ethnic dishes work their way into the menu as well, bringing the spices of India, Asia and Africa to many weddings. “What I’m really proud of,” the chef said, “is we make everything here.” After you’ve whet your guests’ appetites with some See CUISINE, Page 23
What’s your pleasure? Chef Dave Sinoracki of the Waterfront Banquet Facility holds trays laden with freshly prepared hors d’oeuvres of roasted pepper and goat cheese, shrimp and gournay cheese, mini Reuben sandwiches, mini calzones and more.
PAGE 21
he shrimp with gournay is simple but elegant, the roasted red pepper with goat cheese makes a bold statement, and the veggie stromboli is stuffed with plenty of creamy broccoli. Which will you choose? The mini Reuben sandwich, the tidbit of chicken cordon bleu and the half-dollar-size eggplant Parmesan pack all the flavors of their full-size sibs, but they’re smaller and cuter. So which do you want to try?
Don’t worry. We’re talking hors d’oeuvres here. They’re so petite you can sample all of them and still have room for your entrée and dessert, Chef Dave Sinoracki of the Waterfront Banquet Facility in Plains Township said. The Waterfront has a list of some 30 hors d’oeuvres for brides and grooms to peruse, and the chef is open to experimenting with other items if your favorites are not on the list. “You know what is really big around here? Italian cuisine,”
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AIMEE DILGER/THE TIMES LEADER
Chef Dave Sinoracki of the Waterfront Banquet Facility plates a chicken-based hors d’oeuvre.
CUISINE Continued from Page 21
little treats, they’ll probably be looking forward to an entrée. “A couple years back, lots of people were dead-set on Chicken Francaise, Chicken Marsala,” Sinoracki said. “Now, if you want to be a little different you can try Chicken Cathy – that’s a big seller now – with Boursin cheese and broccoli folded inside. We also came up with Chicken Ballantine with pistachios.” Chocolate fountains aren’t too popular anymore, Sinoracki said, and he knows the staff isn’t sad to see them go. “They’re hard to clean up af-
ter,” a co-worker said. What is becoming more popular, the chef noted, are cupcakes as an alternative to wedding cake, and “candy bars” that allow guests to select an assortment of old-fashioned candies and take them home in a little bag. Another kind of bar that doesn’t involve alcohol is a one that offers cappuccinos instead of Kahlua and sodas instead of chardonnay. Karen and Stephen Alessi of Mountain Top opted for a coffee bar during their reception at Hayfield House, the gracious old mansion on the campus of Penn State/Wilkes-Barre. “Alcohol isn’t allowed there, and my husband and I are not drinkers, so it wasn’t important,” Karen Alessi said.
“People loved the coffee bar. They had cappuccino, espresso, frozen drinks, Italian sodas that most people never experienced before, iced tea and water.” At Genetti’s Best Western, wedding planners get a choice of served dinners, buffet and family style, banquet-sales coordinator Lindsay Griffin said. Carving stations can be a popular addition to the meal, she said, along with pasta, stir-fry and risotto stations. Guests have even been enjoying potato stations, where mashed potatoes are served in martini glasses. “We usually do white potatoes as well as sweet. It is kind of fun,” Griffin said. If you choose a buffet, she said, you might want the selections to include chicken, beef, pasta and
maybe some baked haddock with lemon butter, she said. If you’re looking for a top-ofthe-line meal, that could be a sitdown dinner of prime rib or surfand-turf. You can name your pleasure at Via Appia in Taylor, too, where owner Francesco Lepri said carving stations, seafood stations and dessert stations are popular choices. The dessert stations serve not only the wedding cake but usually Viennese pastries and a sampling of other cakes, he said. Via Appia is known for its Northern Italian cuisine, Lepri said, and he’s especially proud of the pasta. “I usually tell people, if you’re trying to conserve a little with the budget, take something else away. Don’t take the pasta away.”
“One segment wants an individualized cake, something unique that isn’t white frosting. Another segment is going back to the traditional all-white cake … maybe with fresh flowers or Austrian crystals.” For her spring 2010 wedding to Chuck Kovach, the former Erin Peters chose a vanilla/white cake from Bakery Delite as part of the wedding-reception package at the East Mountain Inn and crowned it with a Philadelphia Eagles topper she ordered from www.funweddingthings.com. “We received a lot of compliments,” she said, “especially from the Eagles fans that were there. We even had the DJ play the Eagles fight song at our reception.” For edible decorations on the outside of your cake, glazed fruit or nuts could be just the ticket. If you want an extra taste treat inside the cake, you can ask for filling. When Melody Robinson, formerly of Exeter, married James Hamill in October, the chocolate cake they ordered from Wedding Cake Artistry in Mifflinburg had both fudge and cherry filling. “It was scrumptious. People were raving about it,” Melody said, describing how the cake also had “dark-chocolate ganache icing with white-chocolate-covered popcorn cascading from top to bottom.” “The bottom tier was created to look like a film reel,” in keeping with the wedding’s cinematic theme, “and a film strip was draped around the entire cake.” “That was a fun cake,” baker Donita Keister of Wedding Cake Artistry recalled.
SPECIAL SECTION, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
CAKE
PAGE 23
SPECIAL SECTION, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
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SPECIAL SECTION, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
COURTESY PHOTOS
The Magpie Vintage Rental Collection at Details in Exeter demonstrates what store owner Maggie Farrell calls ’controlled eclectic,’ a combination of flea-market, antique and thrift-store items combined to form an appealing table spread.
By SARA POKORNY spokorny@timesleader.com
S
PAGE 26
o many wedding decoration options are available it can get difficult to nail down preferences. Heather Dehnel, of Event Planning 911 in Wilkes-Barre, said couples should focus more on pulling out what’s already at the venue and keep in mind that less is more.
“The table linens, the centerpieces, they’re all going less,” she said. “Tables aren’t as heavylooking. Centerpieces are going tall, but they aren’t the huge spray that they used to be.” Where there might be less décor, there are more color options. “Matchy-matchy is completely out now,” Dehnel said. “You want to find colors that are in the same family, that complement each other.” “When brides bring in their color swatch, they think it’s the starting and ending point, but it’s not,” she said. “We try to pick out four more colors that complement it.”
Another trend is the complete opposite of matching. “I like to use the term ‘controlled eclectic,’ ” Maggie Farrell, founder of Details in Exeter, said. “It can be anything from mismatched dinner plates to mismatched reception chairs,” she said. “It’s eclectic but beautiful because the pieces complement each other in some way.” Although less is more, some brides might want to spend a little extra on specific decorations. Farrell said a bride should consider what’s most important to her. “If a bride’s main focus is the
table, it’s worth the splurge on detailed linens or Chiavari chairs,” Farrell said. “If they are opting for a tent wedding and they’re doing a lot of work themselves, they might want to spend a little more to have the ceiling draped and chandeliers added.” Farrell has seen a growth in tent weddings during the past year and attributes it to the clean slate a tent provides. “People are becoming drawn to the idea of it because you can make it completely your own,” Farrell said. “It’s a blank canvas; there’s no funky wallpaper or carpet to work around.”
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AP PHOTO
Lighting designed by Bentley Meeker is shown at the wedding of Melissa Rivers at New York’s Plaza Hotel. ‘Wedding lighting is really about what people are always trying to do with their weddings, which is to create a certain vibe and atmosphere,’ the New York City lighting pro said.
By DIANA MARSZALEK For The Associated Press
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ou’d be hard pressed to find a bride who doesn’t make flowers, centerpieces and tablecloths a priority when it comes to creating a certain mood for the wedding.
PAGE 28
But talk to wedding-lighting designer Bentley Meeker — whose clients have included Chelsea Clinton and Catherine Zeta Jones — and he’ll tell
you that simple tricks, such as changing the color of light bulbs, can create the desired ambience more effectively then roses and fancy tablecloths ever could. “Wedding lighting is really about what people are always trying to do with their weddings, which is to create a certain vibe and atmosphere,” the New York City lighting pro said. “Say you’re going to do a wedding in your office, and you bring in flowers and the tables and you still have fluorescent lighting,” he said. “It will look like your office decorated for a wedding.
“But if I came in and lit the office and didn’t do any other decorations, we would have transformed that space.” Diann Valentine, a Los Angeles wedding designer and expert on the cable station Wedding Central, agreed that lighting should top brides’ decorating priority lists because it “allows us to program the mood of an event.” That might mean changing the intensity of light throughout a wedding — dimmer for cocktails, brighter for dinner, for example — or using it to See LIGHTING, Page 31
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custom light a wedding. But there is plenty that brides and wedding planners with more limited resources can do quite simply, he said. One cost-free suggestion: Dim the lights. “If you want to transform a space, you put everything on dimmers,” he said. Meeker says he dims lights somewhat darker than you’d expect (“Your eye adjusts”); whether you can see your shoes and laces clearly is a good barometer or whether you’ve hit it right. Other wise advice: “Ask your mother or mother-in-law-to-be, and if it’s not too dark for her, there’s your atmosphere.” Meeker also suggests this fairly inexpensive trick: Use small spotlights (about $30 each, he said) to highlight architectural or decorative features around the wedding space.
AP PHOTO
Bentley Meeker also designed the lighting at Billy Joel’s wedding in Centre Island, N.Y.
268612
completely change the feel of a room. Rainer Flor, who married wife Candice at singer Gloria Estefan’s Costa d’Este in Vero Beach, Fla., said lighting effects enhanced the “Miami chic” atmosphere they were looking for. With floor lights and strategically placed LED lights, he said, the room, right off the beach, “looked almost like an aquarium.” Central Florida wedding planner Karry Castillo, who helped design the Flors’ wedding, said effects can range from simple spotlights on particular room features or decorations, to lighting motifs and patterns on walls, floors and ceilings. In addition, lighting effects can be relatively inexpensive, anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands, depending on complexity. “In many ways, lighting not only enhances the elements you
SPECIAL SECTION, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
LIGHTING
have in place, but it can also give you a lot more bang for the dollar too,” Castillo said. Meeker is particularly fond of using pink and amber light bulbs, though he warns that those colors must be used cautiously (“There is ugly amber”). Dimmed incandescent light is another of his favorites. Particularly in closed rooms, he said, use lighting that’s appropriate for the setting — fixtures that can be absorbed into, rather than take over, the larger setting. “Ithastolookbeautifulsowhen the guests walk in they lose their breath,” Meeker said. Make sure light isn’t so glaring — or dark — that it distorts or distracts from the wedding party. And choose soft, flattering colors to create a serene atmosphere, particularly by quelling strong lights. “Lighting can change so much that people really feel good about themselves,” Meeker said. Meeker sometimes works with crews120 strong and charges anywhere from $4,000 to $500,000 to
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SPECIAL SECTION, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2011
COURTESY PHOTOS
ABOVE: Bridget McFarland and Randy Deeble of Pittston plan to use children’s books as wedding centerpieces. Guests will get a similarly themed card indicating their table, where a note will explain the books will be donated to a library in their honor. TOP: A table note at Paul and Nicole Shaw’s wedding let guests know a donation had been made in their honor to the American Cancer Society.
PAGE 32
M
By SARA POKORNY spokorny@timesleader.com
ini wine bottles and personalized matchbooks are becoming things of the past in the world of wedding favors. “The idea behind favors anymore is that it’s either something fun and youthful or something that is philanthropic,” Heather Dehnel of Event Planning 911 in Wilkes-Barre said.
Many are opting to donate to local charities in lieu of, or in addition to, favors. The organization they pick is most often a result of personal ties. Paul Shaw, 27, and his wife Nicole, 28, of Wilkes-Barre, chose to donate to the American Cancer Society for their August 2010 wedding. “I was diagnosed with testicular cancer in December of 2007,” Shaw said. “After many surgeries and chemo, I am completely cleared of it as of November 2008.” “We opted out of favors and simply put a centerpiece at each table that was a smaller version of our cake with a note thanking the guests for being with us on our special day and
letting them know that we were donating to the Cancer Society in their honor.” “A lot of non-profits have wedding packages now where they will provide you with cards to put on the table to let guests know you’ve made a donation to them,” Dehnel said. Charitable donations aren’t only monetary. Bridget McFarland, 25, and Randy Deeble, 27, of Pittston, are both involved in the field of education and are personalizing part of their April wedding to show that. “For our centerpieces we’re using children’s books,” McFarland said. “Each table is named after the book, and the
guests find their seats through place cards saying that they’ll be dining in book settings, such as Hogwarts or Narnia, or with a character from a book, such as the ‘Very Hungry Caterpillar’ or ‘Flat Stanley.’ ” Each centerpiece will have a note letting the guest know the books will be donated to a local library in their honor. Candy buffets also are growing in popularity for those who like a youthful edge or who might have several younger guests. “We originally planned on having an adult reception only, but our families are full of See GIFTS, Page 36
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COURTESY PHOTO
Andrea and Brandon Collins of Avoca pose in front of the Eiffel Tower on their European honeymoon.
Simple or elaborate, post-wedding trips are all about comfort By MARY THERESE BIEBEL mbiebel@timesleader.com
PAGE 34
A
honeymoon can be as simple as a camping trip in the Adirondacks or a long weekend in New York City where you catch a Broadway show. It can be as adventurous as a trek through the Amazon rainforest or a safari in Africa.
Of course, if you have relatives in the military who happen to be stationed in Europe, why not use their house as a base of operations? “My husband has a cousin married to a man in the service who is stationed in Germany,” said Andrea Moon Collins of Avoca, who married Brandon William Collins in July. “They offered to have us come and visit them as part of a wedding gift.” The newlyweds happily accepted the offer and were able to
visit such internationally famous sites as the Matterhorn in Switzerland, the Brandenburg Gate in Germany, the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy and the Eiffel Tower in France. “It was fantastic,” Collins said. “My husband and I bought a Eurail pass, and we hopped on a train in Frankfurt and went to Rome and from Rome to Paris for a day, and then we met our cousins in Berlin.” People were so friendly, she said, that when she and her hus-
band were standing on a street in Italy, looking lost, a couple from South Carolina noticed, approached them and gave them directions. Another place you’re likely to find friendly people is at a Sandals Resort, travel agent Karen A. Monko-Nagle said. “They always welcome you with champagne and maybe strawberries and give you a chance to meet the other honeySee HONEYMOON, Page 38
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Delicate decisions
STILL FAVOR ACTUAL FAVORS? Charitable donations might be fashionable, but if you’d still prefer to offer a keepsake on your wedding day, options are as limitless as your imagination. And plenty of favors have practical use post-reception. We asked around and learned what some of the most appreciated favors have been.
How much should a guest give? Hard-and-fast rules don’t apply SARA POKORNY spokorny@timesleader.com
M
• Photo coasters: These can be filled with pictures of the couple or double as seating-arrangement place cards. • Shoeshine kits: Nothing says “sole mates” like a little footwear lovin’. • Photo snow globes: Perfect for a winter wedding, these personalized decorations can be of future use to the receivers, who can simply swap out the engagement photo for one of their own. • Beer cozies: A very popular item most often emblazoned with “To have and to hold and to keep your beer cold.” Your guests will appreciate this gift’s usefulness long after the wedding is over. • Mint tins: Functional for the guests, and quick with a pun, these personalized containers show that you were “mint to be.”
-- Sara Pokorny
COURTESY PHOTO
Sarah and Simon Daywood, who married in August 2009, chose to have a colorful candy buffet at their wedding.
GIFTS Continued from Page 32
kids, and we wanted them to be able to celebrate with us since they mean so much to us,” said Sarah Daywood, 26, of Pittston, who married her now-husband, Simon, in August of 2009. “I remember going to weddings as a kid and going home with a candle or a bottle of wine, and it just didn’t serve me any purpose. We thought this would be fun for everyone.” Candy buffets also can cut costs. “I bought all the glassware
myself from craft stores and used discount candy websites to buy in bulk,” Daywood said. “I still use the glassware around the house.” Companies such as Sugar Plum, in Forty Fort, supply everything from candy and cookies to chocolate popcorn, as well as the trimmings for the buffet table. “Sometimes the bride and groom want what their favorites growing up, or they just want something that will make a colorful impact on the room and match their theme,” Frann Edley, owner of Sugar Plum, said. “We have so much at our fingertips to make the buffet special to the event.”
“A lot of non-profits have wedding packages now where they will provide you with cards to put on the table to let guests know you’ve made a donation to them.” — Heather Dehnel of Event Planning 911
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any think that when you attend a wedding what you put in the card should attempt to cover the cost of your plate. Not necessarily, said Mary Hepner, director of and a teacher at the Protocol School of Pennsylvania. “There’s no obligation to cover the cost of dinner,” she said. In fact, Hepner insists, a gift is just that.
“A gift is a gift, and if you choose to give money, that’s great,” she said, “but if you choose to give a vase, set of pillowcases or whatever, that’s perfectly acceptable as well.” If you do choose to go the monetary route, Hepner said, you should not feel pressured. “There is no minimum; there is no maximum; there is no guideline that you should follow,” she said. “You give what you’re able to afford.” Julie Terrana, of Wyoming, sees nothing wrong with giving the couple a personalized or household item as a gift. “If you feel you can’t afford to give enough to cover the plate, and you’re afraid of looking
cheap, buy a nice vase or frame,” she said. “There’s no dollar value on it, and it’s something thoughtful.” Hepner agrees. “I think that gifts given as a means to help the couple start out in their new life are always welcome.” Many also believe the weight of the gift depends on the relationship to the couple. “It depends on how well you know the couple, if they’re family or friends,” said Abby Kosta, 32, of Edwardsville, “and if it’s a friend, you have to think about how close you are to them.” “You might have to look at the relationship you have with their family or parents,” Hepner said. No matter what, it’s best to keep the reason for the day in mind. Michael Salvadore, 26, of Kingston, is getting married in April. “I know people who say things about making a profit on their wedding, and it just sounds disrespectful,” he said. “A wedding is supposed to be about celebrating with family and friends. If you get money along the way, great, but that’s not the point.” “The hosting of a wedding is simply this,” Hepner said. “To gather friends and family to bear witness to that love and to encourage the couple as they go down the road of developing their life.”
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Nominate A Local Hero AWARDS ITARIAN N A HUM 2011 Complete the nomination form and on a separate sheet of paper, write why you are nominating this person for a Humanitarian Award. Mail both the form and your essay to: The Times Leader, Humanitarian Awards, 15 N. Main Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711. Deadline for nominations is Wednesday, March 24.
Do you know a volunteer who has touched the lives of others and has taken on challenges without hesitation? If so, they should be recognized for their selfless efforts. Please recognize a true HERO – nominate this special person for a Humanitarian Award from The Times Leader. Your neighbors, friends and coworkers are all potential nominees. They have jobs, families and busy schedules, yet manage to serve as a role model for others through community service and volunteering. The Times Leader’s Humanitarian Awards provides the opportunity to recognize ordinary people who do extraordinary things. A ceremony will be held in their honor.
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HONEYMOON Continued from Page 34
mooners,” Monko-Nagle said, explaining she’s arranged many resort honeymoons through her business, Sea The World Travel in Forty Fort. In her experience, the top destinations for honeymoons are such sunny locales as the Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Antigua as well as the Riviera Maya in Mexico and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. “We don’t get too many honeymooners who want the mountain areas,” she said. “It’s the crystalblue-water beaches. Everyone wants that.” Recent bride Cheryl Fazio of Plains Township seconds the motion. That’s why she and her husband went to Aruba. “I just wanted to lie on the beach and do nothing. That’s just what a honeymoon should be.” Erin Peters Kovach, who jetted off to Hawaii with new husband, Chuck, in April, agrees warm sand is a wonderful place to relax. “We took a helicopter ride and did some snorkeling, whatever we felt like doing,” said Kovach, who brought back striking photos of volcanic cliffs and a luau. “It was a long flight (two hours from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to Chicago plus 10 hours from Chicago to Hawaii) but well worth it,” she said. “ For some honeymooners, the ideal wedding trip is to explore a part of the world neither has seen. “We knew it was hurricane season and we were taking a chance,” Karen Kaleta Alessi of Mountain Top said. “But neither of us had ever been on a cruise before. It was great. It was relaxing. It was perfect.” Their October cruise took Alessi and her husband, Stephen, to Key West and the Bahamas, and there were no hurricanes to disrupt such idyllic pastimes as kayaking in water that Alessi describes as “one part blue and another part green.”
COURTESY PHOTOS
A luau on Maui was one of the activities Erin and Chuck Kovach of Kingston enjoyed during their honeymoon trip to Hawaii.
Erin and Chuck Kovach of Kingston brought this photo of Volcano National Park back from their honeymoon to Hawaii.
“We took a helicopter ride and did some snorkeling, whatever we felt like doing.” Erin Peters Kovach, who honeymooned in Hawaii with her husband, Chuck
Andrea and Brandon Collins of Avoca pose in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa on their European honeymoon.
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