Emily + Johnny had the most perfect and beautiful October wedding at Historic Shady Lane! I don’t even know where to start. As most of you know, Emily is my baby sister- we are SUPER close, she is my best friend..so buckle up this is going to be a BIG blog post! haha! Getting to see her marry her soulmate after 16 YEARS, yep you heard that right (haha!)… there are no words to truly describe how amazing the day was, but I’m going to try! First, I am beyond words thankful for my dear friend, and amazing photographer Cat Granger. She is my right hand girl & partner in crime in my business and I couldn’t have thought of anyone else I would want capture my baby sister’s big day! Cat was gracious enough to let me shoot their bride & groom portraits as well as edit the stunning images she created. She is an amazing human and photographer!! I can’t wait to share the beauty she captured with you.
Emily is an old soul (and a beautiful one at that) so the fact that she met the love of her life in middle school isn’t surprising. Throughout her life after meeting Johnny, they just always were Johnny & Emily…that was how it was going to be forever and we all knew it. It’s hard to explain, but pretty amazing to witness. Fast forward to the end of high school and Emily heads off to college in Ohio, and Johnny moves to Florida. They go through years of a long distance relationship, but again nothing changes, because they know their future is together. After college, Emily moved to Florida to start her life with Johnny. They got an apartment, Johnny became a police officer, and they welcome their sweet frenchie puppy, Vader, into the world.
I remember the exact moment I got the phone call from Johnny I had been waiting on for so long… Johnny is a man of few words, so the second I picked up I knew what he was going to say. “I want to propose to Emily” I was so giddy with excitement for my baby sister, that her fairytale was all falling into place. Johnny planned the perfect proposal during their December trip to Disney World. Disney is a HUGE part of our family. We’ve always been obsessed and Emily did the college program to fuel our obsession even further. If you know Johnny, like I said he’s a man of few words… he also is not one for crowds of people or attention. Well, he decided the perfect time to propose was in the middle of Main Street USA (main street in Magic Kingdom) at Christmas time, right before the parade was going to start, meaning that hundreds of people would see what was happening- that shows even more how much he loves my sister. It was so incredibly magical and everything that Emily ever wanted, her best friend asking her to be his wife, in their favorite place, at her favorite time of year.
They say a wet knot is harder to untie, and the morning of the wedding it POURED…and I mean torrenchally poured. We felt pretty calm, because we just knew that the sun was going to come out, they deserved for it to. And what happened…lunch time rolled around the clouds parted and the sun came out in full force. It was absolutely beautiful!
Emily wanted a Romantic Garden feel for their big day, and she found the most beautiful and perfect venue in Manchester, PA to fit that. Historic Shady Lane looks like it’s out of a fairy tale. Trees covered in Ivy all over the property, it’s absolutely beautiful. They chose a beautiful dusty blue and ivory color palette to accent their October Fall wedding. The look on Johnny’s face (the tears moreso) when Emily walked down the aisle, after 16 years of waiting for that moment, was PRICELESS. The room was filled with tears and happiness from everyone. The bridal party was intimate consisting of just me (Matron of Honor) and Johnny’s Dad as his Best man- and their frenchie Vader as the ring bearer! haha! The ceremony was beautiful, emotional, and exactly them. They got married in the beautiful greenhouse on the property then we went on an adventure exploring the property of Historic Shady Lane. The afternoon was filled with beautiful glowy light, love and laughter as they basked in the glory of finally being Husband and Wife.
Emily’s vision for their reception space truly came to life. The white tent was filled with Dusty blue and Ivory decor and accented with beautiful florals and greenery from the amazing Petals with Style. Emily put SO much thought into the smallest details of the day. Their guest book was an old book of “Disney Classic Fairytales” for people to sign, they had a custom monogram, Johnny’s mom Vicky BUILT a gorgeous photobooth backdrop wall and designed/created the dessert table, and our Dad built the coolest Donut Stand for “Officer Hettchen’s Donuts”. The night was quite the celebration and everyone had the best time ever celebrating our favorite couple!
Congratulations Mr & Mrs Hettchen! I am SO thankful to have you as my sister, and now BROTHER! And to have been able to stand by your side on the most important day. You two are amazing people with the kindest hearts, and I could not be happier that you found each other. I am so thankful, I couldn’t have asked for a better husband for my baby sister. I love you both more than you know…Congratulations!!
(Edited by me) Bride & Groom portraits captured by me!
Check out their amazing Video by Hannah Marie Film & Photo!
Venue: Historic Shady Lane
Photographer: Cat Granger Photography
Videographer: Hannah Marie Film & Photo
Planner & Coordinator: Fancy Peacock Events
Makeup: Bridal Glow by Victoria O
Hair: Megan Brackna
Florals: Petals with Style
Bridal Gown: Stella York
Bridal Gown Shop: Garnish Boutique
Matron of Honor Dress: BHLDN
Bride Shoes: Steve Madden & Ked by Kate Spade
Bakery: The Bakers Table
Donuts: Duck Donuts
Invites: Minted