When planning weddings couple’s are faced with the task of sorting out the identity, the theme/feel, of their wedding day. Anna Johnson & Chris Daugherty were no exception to the rule, they simply thought up a better mouse trap, sampling special elements from each of the vibes that they so enjoy. The Signature at West Neck was the first step, providing the perfect elegant and upscale environment not to mention the golf flavor which Chris so loves! Then came the picture perfect baby blue seersucker suits that the men wore, along with some proper BBQ food for the guests. Toss in a few choice nautical elements and you have the makings for the perfect day, and the truest expression of Anna & Chris. Vibrant hot pink along with calming blues really paved the way for this beautiful spring day wedding and while I personally am a heel girl, I am looooving Anna’s Sperry Top-Sider wedding shoes! These two are so very clearly smitten with one another, and Amanda Hedgepeth Photography did a gorgeous job featuring that love front & center!
Novella of the Bride…
Anna, a country girl from Northern Pennsylvania and graduate of Penn State University, is an avid crafter, reader, and budding photographer. She will graduate this year with an MBA from Old Dominion University. Chris, a native of Virginia Beach who loves all things hockey, surfing, hunting, and golf, attended prep school at Kent’s Hill School in Maine and has a degree in Finance from Lake Forrest College. Sometimes the one you’re looking for is right there in front of your face… or in the cube next door! It might have taken us a few years to realize it but the friendship that developed in the meantime was worth the wait. We can both honestly say… we married our best friend.
Our goal for the wedding was to create an overall feel that was a little bit back yard barbecue a little bit antebellum manor, and a little bit nautical. Our outdoor wedding and tented ceremony at The Signature at West Neck combined with lots of seersucker, Sperrys, and stripes gave us just that. The Signature was Chris’ suggestion. It’s the only venue we looked at. It was the perfect combination of my ideas for a “southern manor meets back yard pig picking” and his affinity for the game of golf. One look at the club house and I couldn’t picture getting married anywhere else. And they even had pulled pork sliders as a menu option!
We also wanted to make sure to honor our families in the details. The bridal party was full of family and my (Anna) cousin officiated over the ceremony. We displayed our parents’ wedding portraits. I wore my mother’s wedding gown, shortened and sleeves removed, for our rehearsal dinner and my wedding band had been my great-grandmother’s. Oh, and my dad walked me down the aisle in the exact same suit he wore when he married my mom; it was his idea.
The Signature was Chris’ suggestion. It’s the only venue we looked at. It was the perfect combination of my ideas for a “southern manor meets back yard pig picking” and his affinity for the game of golf. One look at the club house and I couldn’t picture getting married anywhere else. And they even had pulled pork sliders as a menu option!
Planning a wedding is hard work! Especially when your family is spread far and wide. All six of my bridesmaids, including my two MOH sisters, and my mother spent countless hours on the phone, supporting me every step of the way. My sister Karen was a lifesaver, always there to lend an ear or a shoulder, hunting down blue mason jars, scrubbing labels off Starbucks bottles, tying countless bows, picking up the Krispy Kreme donuts we packaged as favors the morning of the wedding, and so much more. Amanda Hedgepeth, our amazing photographer and one of the first vendors we hired, was with us from the beginning, capturing it all. After two e-sessions, two bridal sessions, engagement party, rehearsal dinner, and finally wedding, she became more friend than just awesome photog that she is. I can’t imagine the last year without her enthusiasm and support. She was practically my seventh bridesmaid!!
Bride’s Favorite Moment: “When Chris and I looked at each other, toward the end of our ceremony, and we both realized at the same moment that after thirteen long months of planning and hard work and anticipation, we had done it; we were finally married.”
Vendor Love
Venue: The Signature at West Neck | Wedding Dress: Galina for David’s Bridal | Shoe Designer: Sperry | Hair Stylist: Chez Madeleine | Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew | Groom’s Suit: Jos. A. Bank | Invitation Designer: Wedding Paper Divas | Transportation: Exotic Style Limousines, Inc, LPR Limos | Music: DJ CANROCK with East Coast Entertainment | Rentals: Distinctive Event Rentals | Florist: Fluttering Flowers by Debra Pence | Caterer: The Signature at West Neck | Dessert Bar: Sweet Temptations Dessert Café | Cake: Bonnie Borek {Family Friend} | Photographer: Amanda Hedgepeth Photography
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05.21.2013 8:30 am
