cecily + stephen | a modern and relaxed excelsior wedding

To know Cecily + Stephen is to love them!!

Seriously. Their engagement session at Clipper Mill was so full of fun and laughter that I knew their wedding would be, too. Cecily + Stephen have the best personalities: laid back, loving, thoughtful, and up for anything. It made their wedding day at the Excelsior so much fun to photograph!

Cecily + Stephen’s wedding was the perfect blend of historical elegance and industrial chic. It was relaxed and fun, yet romantic with a bit of edge. Every single person that attended their wedding had the best time… the dance floor was full the entire night, with multiple generations dancing at all times!

11 Memorable Moments and Details from Cecily + Stephen’s May Wedding at Excelsior:

1. Cecily + Stephen got married at The Excelsior in Lancaster, PA. Since I hadn’t photographed a wedding there before, I took a trip up to Lancaster a few weeks before their wedding, to tour the space with Cindy of Planned Perfection, their wedding planner. Having plenty of time beforehand to get to know the space and plan out the photos I wanted to get really helped maximize our time together during their wedding.

2. Their venue was the perfect mix of historic and elegant yet industrial and unique — with exposed brick and plaster walls and exposed beams in the courtyard, the ivy growing up the brick walls softened the space and provided a gorgeous and lush natural backdrop.
   
   This multi-building property is a National Historic Landmark that includes outdoor courtyards, an elevator shaft turned speakeasy, and an underground brewer’s catacombs. I couldn’t get enough!

3. Since The Excelsior is right in downtown Lancaster, there were a ton of amenities around for Cecily + Stephen’s guests! Having a great hotel within walking distance of your venue is a big plus, especially with a large wedding party. The Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square is just a quick walk down King Street from The Excelsior which made it so easy for everyone!

4. Cecily was so confident and beautiful in her form-fitting Pronovias gown. It was a simple design with elegant beading down the sides that expressed her personality perfectly: effortless and subtle, yet interesting and striking all at the same time. Her long, voluminous ponytail, romantic makeup, and light pink Badgley Mischka heels complemented the look flawlessly.

Stephen’s suit was also full of style: a dark navy blue, it featured white polka dots in a strong and structured geometric design. I love when grooms step a little outside of the box and rock a wardrobe choice that reflects their personalities.

5. The flowers were as big and beautiful as Cecily’s ponytail and caught your eye in the same way. A classic white and green color palette with white orchids cascading down the front of Cecily’s bouquet left me speechless. Every arrangement was full, lush, organic and a little bit wild in the best way. ;)

6. Before meeting Stephen for their first look, Cecily had a first look with her dad. Exposed brick and plaster walls with tons of natural light provided the perfect background for these emotional portraits… everyone had happy tears streaming down their cheeks! Documenting these joyful, intimate and raw moments gets me every time.

7. Cecily + Stephen chose to have their first look on the observation deck of the venue. Private and quiet, I couldn’t think of a better spot for this intimate moment as they read notes they wrote to each other… this is my new favorite way to carve out a few minutes of memorable time together on your day. Bonus: you’ll always have these words to look back on and relive the memories of when you first saw each other on your wedding day!

8. We took all of their wedding party and family portraits before the ceremony, in the Empire Room. Located at the front of the venue, this room features historic floor-to-ceiling windows that flooded the space with natural light. Another plus? It was large enough to hold both of their families and large wedding party and still leave us with tons of space to work and move around. This room is definitely one of my top 5 favorite family portrait spots of all time. We were lucky enough to have a gorgeous sunny day, but if weather became an issue, this room would have been the portrait spot AND ceremony location… not a bad plan B!

9. Cecily’s uncle officiated their ceremony in the open-air courtyard and included lots of meaningful and hilarious stories about how their relationship came to be… lots of laughter plus super bright sun and warm afternoon temps with a green wall forming an epic backdrop for their vows made this an unforgettable ceremony.

10. After the ceremony, cocktail hour was held in the sunken courtyard and brewer’s catacombs. They had passed hors d’oeuvres, a Tuscan charcuterie station, and a seafood station complete with live goldfish swimming in bowls that decorated the table. I’ve never seen anything like it!

11. When it was time to start the reception, Cecily + Stephen entered from the corner… a grand sweeping entrance down the historic, curving staircase. The reception also included an elevator shaft turned speakeasy where guests could grab Old Fashioneds, a dessert bar with every dessert imaginable, and a late night snack of cheeseburgers and fries. Howie from 3 West Productions kept the dance floor rocking at the highest level and C+S danced their way into newlywed life with the best energy!

Cecily + Stephen, you are the sweetest and most adorable couple, both inside and out. You are so effortlessly in love and were such a joy to photograph! No matter what the future holds, I am confident that you will come out on top, because of your laid-back and confident personalities. Thank you for letting me capture your wedding day. I hope you love your portraits as much as I do!

xo,
Naomi

VENDOR TEAM:

planning: Cindy of Planned Perfection
venue + catering: Excelsior
photography: Urban Row Photography
videography: K and A Photo & Video
florist: Petals with Style
DJ: Howie of 3 West Productions
hair: Tousled Beauty Co.
makeup: Theresa Walker Makeup
draping: Shumaker PDT
alcohol: Red Rose Beverage

kim + joe | an intimate summer wedding at stone gables estate

Falling in love while quarantined during Covid, Kim and Joe knew very quickly that they had a special connection and were meant to be together…

Celebrating at Stone Gables Estate in Elizabethtown, PA provided a beautiful and serene setting with multiple ceremony backdrops to choose from for their summer micro wedding. Kim and Joe stayed at the Liberty Spring House and chose to have their intimate ceremony overlooking the lake, adjacent to the historic Star Barn.

Sharing a love of dogs, this sweet, thoughtful and loving couple wanted to celebrate their unique love story among a close group of friends and family and I was absolutely honored to be a part of it! Their energy, emotion and smiles just say it all. Kim has this incredible laugh that makes you feel so welcome and at ease… and Joe has this quiet, goodhearted nature about him that makes you want nothing but the best for such a wonderful couple.

Kim shared with me that something Joe dreamed about since he was a boy, was to find a woman that he wanted to buy a Tiffany’s ring for… not only do they each now have Tiffany’s rings, Joe’s daughter Danielle wore a beautiful dress that carried a Tiffany’s blue ombre tone throughout the ceremony.

After the ceremony, we explored part of the 275 acre property up near the barn, taking photos in front of the stunning iron gate enclosing St. Michael’s vineyard and the Grande Gazebo as well as in and around the stunning Star Barn.

Congratulations, newlyweds!! You chose one of the most serene, picturesque and relaxing venues to start your married life together; I can’t wait to see where your relationship takes you and am so grateful to have been able to document your memories!

xo,
Naomi