Janel & Tony's Elegant Autumn Wedding at Hotel Bethlehem

I met with Janel and Tony during a very busy time in their lives. Not only were they planning their own wedding, but it felt like they were part of a million other bridal parties for other couples at the same time, including Janel's sister. They were so calm during such a hectic time and just seemed like they were thoroughly enjoying ALL of it! When we started discussing their wedding plans and how much they love Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, I knew we had to include the Moravian Star. The Moravian star has special history and significance for the town and their venue, the Hotel Bethlehem. I love the beautiful geometric pattern created by the star; it is beautiful, simple and architectural. A gorgeous design element to shine as the foundation for Janel and Tony's invitations. Combined with their warm fall colors of burgundy and gold, we designed an elegant pocket invitation suite.

Read on for more details from Janel & Tony's elegant wedding at Hotel B...

What did you want your wedding to feel like? We wanted our wedding to have a classic and elegant feel.    What was your inspiration for your wedding? Having a fall wedding inspired the color scheme and the florals. Pinterest was a big help in aiding in inspiration, as well!

What made you choose a custom stationery designer (me) to create your wedding invitation vision? We wanted our wedding invitations to have a classic/elegant feel and to set the stage for our wedding. I had a general idea in my head of what I wanted the invitations to look like. After doing some online research, we decided choosing a custom stationery designer was the best way to have our invitations match my vision. How did your stationery set the tone for your reception or wedding day? The stationary had a theme, in using the star of Bethlehem. With our wedding being in Bethlehem, PA, the star really tied it all together. The stationery had a classic feel, which is exactly how we wanted our wedding to feel.

Take us back through your wedding day; share your wedding story. The bridal party was up bright and early for a 7am hair and makeup start time. I had 10 bridesmaids, a flower girl, and both mine and Tony’s mom getting hair and/or makeup done. It was a relaxing morning with my bridal party and great having conversations with my friends to help calm my nerves. We were all done by noon and had time to have lunch together and pop champagne. Tony, his groomsmen and his dad also had lunch together and then started getting ready in preparation for the photographers arrival. The two photographers arrived around 1:30pm and we went right into taking photos. Tony and his guys had their photos taken in the Hotel and outside before leaving for the ceremony at 3:30pm. The girls and I took a few photos in our pjs and then my mom and sister helped me to get ready. The photographer took some getting ready photos of my mom, sister, and I. I did a first look with my dad (he accidentally walked in the room and saw me haha). We still did the first look and it was a beautiful shared moment. We then took some family photos of myself, sister, mom, and dad. I also did a first look with my bridesmaids and I couldn’t have asked for a better reaction! My friends’ faces were priceless and a few of them were crying. I’m so happy I didn’t share my dress with them until that moment. After that, we went outside for more bridal party photos before leaving for the church a little after 4pm.

I wasn’t as nervous as I anticipated once we got to the church. I walked down the aisle with my dad and focused on Tony the whole way down. It was as if no one else was there in that moment. I remember getting to alter and starting to feel more calm. Tony teared up as I walked down the aisle and said once I got to him, he too, felt calm. The ceremony was beautiful and went by so fast. I teared up a little as Tony stated his vows and we both looked at one another smiling the whole time we were up there. After the ceremony, we took photos in the church and then headed back to Hotel Bethlehem for mine and Tony’s photos. We didn’t make it to cocktail hour, however, we’re able to see a few of our guests prior to our reception entrance. Our wedding party nailed their entrances. I was so happy I could see them from where we were standing and they were very entertaining. Tony and I were then introduced and went right into our first dance song. Our guests joined in towards the end and then we sat for the first course. During this time, Tony and I walked around to some of the tables to greet our guests. The speeches were next and they were AMAZING. My sister was my Matron of Honor and gave a very thoughtful and heartfelt speech. Two of Tony’s best friends were co-Best Men and their speech was hilarious. It was very thoughtful, as well. I teared up during both speeches and we are so grateful to have the three of these people in our lives. After dinner, we did our first dances with our dad and mom respectively. My dad and I did a slow dance that faded into “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez to get the party started! We cut the cake around 10pm, which was delicious! The rest of the reception was spent on the dance floor, which was packed the entire wedding. We truly could not have asked for a more beautiful fall day and wedding. Everything was perfect and we had such a wonderful time celebrating with our family and friends. It was a day we will remember forever.

What was your first dance song? Grow Old by Florida Georgia Line What was your favorite moment to see or create? Our favorite moment to see was how everything came together on the wedding day. From the florals, to the band, to the cake, to the stationery and other decor, and our wedding party dressed in their bridesmaids dresses and tuxes, watching our vision come to life was amazing. It was such a special day.

How did you end the night? Did you have an after-party? Our band played an encore song (“Shout”) and our guests LOVED IT. It was such a fun way to end the night and everyone was on the dance floor! We had an after party at Corked. What surprised you most about planning your wedding? How much coordination and organization it takes to plan a wedding and how certain aspects tie together. For example, needing to have the seating cart finalized before you could place the order for escort cards and working with both the band and our contact at Hotel Bethlehem in planning the schedule for the reception. What advice would you give your friends getting married? Be organized throughout the planning process. It’s helpful to have everything in one place and it keeps you on track task wise (spreadsheets are very helpful). Discuss a budget with your partner prior to booking all your vendors. This saves time when it comes to actually booking your vendors. Most importantly, ENJOY every minute of your wedding day! It goes by so fast. Try and take it all in and take a moment to look around and appreciate everyone who came to celebrate with you.

Take a moment to check out Janel & Tony's wedding team of professionals and venues:

Ceremony: Notre Dame of Bethlehem Church

Reception: Hotel Bethlehem

Photographer: Dan Mezick, DMPFamilyLife

Floral Designer: Allium Floral Design Band:  Bachelor Boys Band Hair & Make up: Studio 329 Dress:  The Country Bride and Gent Bridesmaids dresses: Bella Bridesmaids Allentown Cake: Piece a Cake