laura + nathan // timberlodge

Laura and Nathan’s beautiful wedding at the Timberlodge in Akron, New York was able to come together flawlessly with a little help from their family and friends. Lucky for us we were there to capture all of the important moments. Scroll on through their summery nuptials and I bet by the end all of their sweet memories will have you wanting s’more! (See what I did there??)

Laura: “Nathan and I planned our entire wedding from another country. No small task! Jenn and Ben were so amazingly accommodating. We Skyped once and I knew I could rely on a quick email reply to all my questions along the way. I even was able to turn to Jenn for some vendor advice when I was having trouble finding one. When we finally met in person just a few days before the wedding Jenn and Ben brought examples of their work, just in case we wanted to see more. Of course I had stalked their blog and Facebook page and had seen it all online beforehand, but I thought it was a really nice gesture.”

Laura: “Our first look area was about a 5 minute golf cart ride away from our ceremony site. I was pretty nervous to see Nathan and trying my best to not start crying. Jenn was great at telling stories to keep my mind occupied. It was a small touch, but really appreciated!“

Laura: “Our first look was amazing. I don’t like to be the center of attention and let’s be honest, that’s what a bride is. For our first look I was so excited, but also so comfortable because it was just Nathan and I. It was so personal and special.“

Nathan: “The first look was really incredible. I admit I was pretty nervous, especially waiting to see Laura, but once we were together all the nerves just went away. It was great to enjoy the moment: just the two of us, surrounded by trees, and away from all of the craziness. Just to see how happy Laura was – that was probably my favorite moment of the day.“

Laura: “I chose to do a unique take on my bouquet. Our ceremony started with me pausing at the end of the isle and receiving a flower from each of my closest friends and family to make my bouquet. I felt this made my bouquet more meaningful. It was one way to quickly connect with the most important people in my life and take a piece of them down the aisle with me. Then once I got down the aisle Nathan was waiting for me with the last flower for my bouquet. A perfect ending and addition to my support system.“

Nathan: “During the wedding planning process, Laura had told me about ‘groom’s cakes’ and I told her that I didn’t need one (as long as there was indeed cake). She never brought it up again. On our wedding day, I was then quite surprised to find not just a groom’s cake, but a cake made entirely of Oreos and fish-shaped gummies (I’m a fish ecologist). It was both awesome-looking and delicious. When I learned that the cake was made by my sister-in-laws I was blown away and appreciative of all the effort they took to make the day that much more special.“

Laura: “I really enjoyed sneaking off for more photos at sunset. As much as I wanted to party with family and friends, it was great to have a reason to sneak off together and reflect more on our day.“

Laura: “Nathan and I are not the ‘golfer’ type. I never in a million years would have thought we’d get married on a golf course. But, one fun thing that came out of this was a golf cart ride with tin cans dragging behind us. It was a lot of fun (come on, who doesn’t love driving/riding in a golf cart) and provided for some great photos. My only regret is that we didn’t ride in it longer!“

Laura was kind enough to offer some words of advice to upcoming brides:

“If you’re considering a first look, do it! The first look was a very special time for us to spend together. We were able to speak more freely to each other than we would have at the ceremony. Not only was I able to see Nathan’s reaction to me in my dress, but also hear his comments instead of just a smile or whisper. Also, Nathan is one of the best people in the world to help calm my nerves and being able to laugh, hug, kiss, and see each other put me at a much bigger ease for the ceremony. Lastly, Nathan and I didn’t do any engagement photos so the first look allowed us some time to get used to a camera on us at all times (not that I even noticed Jenn or Ben during the ceremony!). One concern I think a lot of people have is that the first look will take away from the ceremony. Even with a first look, I still had tears in my eyes during the walk down the aisle. Hearing the music and walking down the aisle with my dad was still just as special to me. If anything, I felt like I could focus more on the ceremony because of the first look. I don’t regret a thing about our first look!

Advice that was given to me that I found extremely true: This is a very unique time in your life when family and friends are more than willing to help you with anything! People will offer out of the blue! And, it’s awesome to have so many personal touches in your wedding. So, don’t hesitate to take some of the help. My sister-in-law married us, my friends created our cake topper, my sister-in-laws created our groomsman cake, and friends and family saved glasses for our center pieces and my brothers helped make them. With some minor direction I even let the venue pick the aisle decorations. Involving others in my details resulted in some outcomes that might not have been exactly how I imagined or would have done it myself, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.“

Wedding Vendors Include

Ceremony and Reception: The Timberlodge
Hair and Makeup: So Chic Now
Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal
Groom’s Look: Moores
Florist: Lipinoga Florist
Cake: Wegmans