Savannah’s Bachelorette Party in Pittsburgh
Savannah, her bridesmaids and close friends spent a memorable bachelorette weekend in Pittsburgh, saying goodbye to her single days.
Friday night Savannah wore a “Sweating for the Wedding” t-shirt while the group participated in a Fitness with a Twist event. Fitness with a Twist is the latest fitness fad where participants learn how to, you heard it right – pole dance! Pole dancing uses all the core muscles giving enthusiasts a well-toned body. The Pittsburgh based company also hosts fun events for amateurs and ladies interested in a lively group bonding activity. Priceless!
The fun continues Saturday
The next day the ladies started off with the Pittsburgh Party Pedaler. Savannah’s friends and family did it again, and planned an entertaining activity for the bachelorette party. The Pedaler drove the group around the Strip stopping along the way at various points of interest, namely bars and pubs. The ladies did grab lots of attention. Their beauty alone would have done it but the friends also planned matching outfits. The ladies wore black tanks that said, “The I Do Crew” in fancy white script. Savannah’s tank said, “I do” in a more bold white script. Savannah also wore a “Bachelorette” sash and a tiara that glimmered, “Bride”. Many onlookers cheered and took photos as the glam gang toured the city.
The bachelorette party posed in front of the Pittsburgh Party Pedaler.
Savannah shows off her “Bride” tiara, along with three of her mates.
Next the ladies got dolled up for an amazing evening ahead. The agenda included dinner and dancing! The supporting ladies wore their favorite little black dress and Savannah wore her fav, in white. She also modeled her brilliant sash and tiara. Savannah and her crew thoroughly enjoyed their dinner at the Melting Pot. Such a novel interactive idea that has withstood time, dipping foods into gooey yet gourmet and full-flavored cheese and chocolate – absolutely deliciousI! After dinner the bachelorette party went dancing and closed out the fun.
Savannah had a great time and now truly ready for the next step in her life – her wedding day!
The Wedding Party
It is time to introduce Savannah and Chris’ wedding attendants. They chose closest family and friends to be members of their wedding party.
Bridal party
We have already met several of the wedding party members when learning about the proposal. First is Savannah’s sister, Athena Hobbins. Athena is Savannah’s Matron of Honor. Next is Michelle Zubasic, one of Savannah’s best friends. Michelle was also present on the engagement day and is a bridesmaid.
Savannah’s best friend, Michelle, Chris, Savannah, Savannah’s sister Athena and husband Derek just after Chris’ engagement proposal.
Savannah comes from a large family and granted her younger sister, Jiselle, the honor of being Maid of Honor. Sisters Gabrielle and Johna will also be alongside Savannah as will Chris’s sister, Katie. Another one of Savannah’s besties, Lizzi Holmes, will stand up for her. The flower girl is Chris’ cousin, Maureen Hennelly.
The ladies are using an online rental service for the bridesmaids dresses called Vow to be Chic. This service has been a great experience so far – Savannah was able to select the same designer and same color but with different styles so that each member of the bridal party could find a style that best fits her – and one in which she feels amazing. Each of the ladies simply went to the website and selected her style and size and ordered it as part of Savannah’s wedding day. Dresses will be sent prior to the wedding date with a 2-week rental period provided. When the day is done, returning the dresses is as simple as dropping them off at the post office. The dresses are a French blue color which Savannah chose for its soft and natural feeling – stunning!
Bridesmaid dresses
Groomsmen
Chris chose his best friend, Josh Shaffer to act as Best Man. Both of Chris’ brothers, Billy and Ryan are wedding party participants. Additional family members who are part of the big day include Savannah’s brothers Jordan and Noah; and, Savannah’s brother-in-law, Derek Hobbins (he was the one who sneaked the proposal photos without Savannah knowing). Chris’ friend, Daniel Finger is a groomsman and Luke Tarr is the ring bearer.
Chris’ friend, Patrick Bertolini will play two roles and act as groomsman and Officiant for the ceremony.
The gentlemen will wear tailored suits in a light grey, complementary to the French blue. The suits are being sourced from Jos A. Bank. Chris plans to purchase his suit while most of the others will rent from Jos A. Bank. The suits are pictured below.
Groomsmen suits
With the wedding party aligned, it clearly will be an amazing day at Quincy Cellars for all of Savannah and Chris’ family and friends!
Savannah and Chris’ Engagement Photos
One year after Chris proposed to Savannah, they decided to shoot their own engagement photos. They sought a natural, casual and romantic look for the special sitting.
Chris is a photographer and was excited to try out his profesional selfie skills! The engagement photos were taken in Autumn to reflect the time of year they first got engaged. They agreed Presque Isle State Park was the perfect choice due to its picturesque landscape and the opportunity to create art. It too is the spot where Chris proposed, making it an even more splendid spot for their engagement shoot.
Most pictures were shot at Beach 8 at the State Park. The blog cover shot is a romantic introspection of Savannah and Chris with the brilliant beach-water gleaming. The couple’s beauty shines through and elegantly complements the natural backdrop on each and every photograph.
Engagement Photos
A magnificent historic Light house is shown in the background of this photograph.
One of the engagement photos taken of featured couple Savannah and Chris at Presque Isle State Park.
Chris gave an exquisitely unique engagement ring to Savannah to show his commitment to her.
The next photograph shows a fun side and sheer joy they share when together. It is set next to one of the inlets at Beach 8. The final shot symbolizes their love for one another and the future path they will embark upon together.
Savannah and Chris are engaged!
Savannah and Chris are on a romantic walk at Presque Isle State Park “posing” for engagement photos.
I believe the photos turned out amazing!
Stay tuned to learn more about this devoted couple’s storybook wedding journey. Chris and Savannah will exchange vows and celebrate at Quincy Cellars, August 12, 2017.
Chris Proposes to Savannah
Chris is an art teacher and a hobby of his is photography. Every month Savannah and Chris travel somewhere interesting together for a photo shoot. So, when Chris suggested to Savannah they go to Presque Isle Saturday, September 19, 2015, she agreed.
However, when Saturday arrived, it was raining! Chris insisted it was just misty and would still be a nice photo opportunity. Again, Savannah agreed, thinking it was their usual photo date. She freshly applied her make-up and put on an outfit appropriate for a Fall shoot.
Not long after getting to the park, Chris snagged a nice spot for the photo opp. The setting was a picnic area, off the West Pier Boat Launch. Depending on where the subjects stand, the water and/or the city could be in the background. Once they were settled, Chris handed Savannah a photo album full of pictures from all the photography dates they had had since they started dating in 2009…
Chris went on to say, “all of these photos are special because they make up all the photo dates before we got ENGAGED”.
The proposal
He proceeded to get down on one knee to propose– and Savannah said, “Yes!”. Chris presented Savannah with an exquisite emerald-cut yellow gold engagement ring. Savannah finds the ring very special because Chris took such care finding a ring just to her liking. She tells us now she is so in love she would have said yes even without a ring!
Chris proposes marriage to Savannah at Presque Isle State Park, with the city of Erie in the background.
Savannah’s brilliant engagement ring nestled in a lovely bouquet.
Chris found an exquisitely unique engagement ring, perfect for Savannah.
Chris also planned the day so that a few close friends were present. Savannah’s sister, Athena, her then fiancé Derek, and Savannah’s best friend, Michelle were all hiding in the bushes, watching the proposal go down! Derek was even able to snap pictures of the moment!
Savannah’s best friend, Michelle, Chris, Savannah, Savannah’s sister Athena and husband Derek just after Chris’ engagement proposal.
After the friends and family showed themselves, they celebrated with champagne. It was quite a photo shoot, despite the rain!
Introducing Savannah and Chris 2017 Featured Couple
With pleasure, Quincy Cellars introduces 2017 featured couple, Savannah and Chris.
Bride-to-be, Savannah Bubin is a recent graduate from Gannon in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. She practices early intervention for children with special needs at a local behavioral health center. Her fiance, Chris DeMayo, also works with children and is an elementary school art teacher and soccer coach.
Savannah and Chris both have big hearts working in helping professions. They also embody romantic love. Their love for each other is steadfast, lasting throughout high school, college, graduate school and now marriage! The high school sweethearts started dating at ages 15 and 17. They attended 3 proms together.
Their wedding day at Quincy Cellars will create many many more romantic memories beyond prom!
Savannah and Chris are from Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Ligonier is named the “Best Mountain Town in America” due to its history and variety of specialty shops. The town is nestled in a picturesque valley which adds to its allure. The natural beauty of this small town sparked the couple’s affinity for the outdoors.
Chris and Savannah chose Quincy Cellars as their wedding venue because of its natural beauty and professional staff. They were looking for a romantic, natural feel and immediately fell in love with the rustic beauty at Quincy Cellars. And to their delight, the event coordinator Amy Nolan is amazing and anticipated all their questions with ease. The wedding ceremony, cocktail hour and dinner reception are all planned at Quincy Cellars Saturday, August 12, 2017.
Savannah and Chris on a romantic walk at Presque Isle Park “posing” for Engagement photos
Savannah and Chris are shown here at Presque Isle State park. The photo emphasizes the couple’s love for nature. Savannah’s exquisite beauty, Chris’ handsome charm and their obvious love for one another underscores the natural backdrop.
Can’t wait to see Savannah and Chris’ raw elegance exude at Quincy Cellars in August!
Wedding Countdown: Matt’s Bachelor Party
Matt’s bachelor party will be a classic one – a Buffalo Bills game outing!
Matt’s friends and family truly know him – he is a number one fan! With amazing Fall weather, Matt and his 4 groomsmen camped out last night near Bradford and are headed to the game. The Bills are on a 3 game winning streak and play the San Francisco 49ers at 1 p.m., today, October 16 at New Era Cap stadium in Orchard Park. It will prove to be a day to remember!
Matt sporting his Bills shirt on the couple’s engagement day!
Matt and buddies at his Buffalo Bills Bachelor tailgate.
The tailgate will be pretty basic for Matt who isn’t into frills. Lots of chips and dip, cheese puffs and hot dogs with a trunk full of Miller Lite. If watching or streaming, look for the soon-to-be groom and his buddies decked out in Bills gear! Their seats are in the tunnel end-zone right behind the goal post. The seats are prime for cheering the Bills entrance. And, hey – maybe they will get to see End-zone Elvis.
The Bills kept the winning streak alive and won 45 – 16!!
The Buffalo Bills’ fan – Endzone Elvis
Katie and Matt’s Invitation is Ready!
Katie, our featured bride-to-be, chooses a trendy one-page invitation. The invitation is a sheet on white card stock with foiled lettering. An illustrious gold header announces Matt and Katie’s wedding celebration. The headline is a sophisticated look yet with a care-free flair, in a very modern scripted font. The wedding day details are also modern in gray print wth lots of straight lines and a mix of lettering.
Katie selected invitations from minted.com. She found this online company easy to work – they quickly mail requested samples (at $1 a piece). Because Katie ordered the invitation online, it was a relief for her to have the ability to touch and feel the paper and print before ordering a full package.
Minted.com offers printing the addresses to the invitees on the mailing envelope. Katie took full advantage of this option – the professionally addressed envelope nicely matches the invitations and makes a lovely package. Also Katie did not have to stress over trying to magically create beautiful handwriting!
When we talked to Katie about this important invitation mailing step, we learned a hack. As the bride invites guests, a RSVP card request is sent along with the announcement. The RSVP asks invitees to write in the number and names of who plans to attend the celebration. Sometimes in haste, guests forget to write in the names (or number) and simply send back the RSVP, with essentially no information. So, Katie assigned a number to each invited party and has a record of the number, respective to each invited addressee. She placed the assigned number on the RSVP card so if it happens to come back without a name, she will know whose invitation came back. Knowing whose invitation is returned is key – that way she will know who should be added to the expected guest list. And, if they did not include any information she can always message them to find out if they plan to attend or not.
Sound complicated? Not really. And totally worth avoiding aggravation of keeping track of the unknown! Thanks for sharing, Katie – your invitations are fab!!
Katie Nails Down Guest Favors
Katie and her mother are working hard looking for materials and ideas to make the favors and signage but it doesn’t feel like work at all! Katie tells me she is having a blast checking out all the craft stores. She and her mother have frequented Hobby Lobby, AC Moore and Michaels – all of which are fun and full of ideas and goods!
To start, Katie is assembling a special favor that indicates each guest seat. It is a unique decoration that is a mason jar on top of a wine bottom. The jar handle will be adorned with a charm. Katie and her Mom are still on the hunt for that charm. Each guest’s name and table number will be printed on the charm. Having the charm makes for a nice idea – that way guests will be able to re-use the glass as it won’t have wedding day details etched on it as you probably have seen many times.
As we know, Katie has an obsession with doughnuts and will have a doughnut (and cookies) table for guests. Katie found brown bags at Hobby Lobby for guests to fill with doughnuts and take home! The bags are country chic (functional yet classy). Katie will also decorate the bags with catchy labels that say something like, “Glazed and Delicious from the Mister and Missus”; “All you need is love and doughnuts”. Mighty-fine!
Katie has spent time creating chalkboard signage as well. These signs are the trend especially for rustic weddings like at our Quincy Cellars restored barn and outdoor setting. They are very helpful in informing guests where to go. Guests like to have clear direction when at a party – it makes them feel special and cared for knowing you thought of every detail to make them comfortable. Check out Katie’s touch!
Sounds like Katie is very organized and her love never-ending, creating such lovely and delicious details for her guests!
Katie & Matt book the Honeymoon!
Katie & Matt – the Future #ACoupleofBucks
It may seem a little early to talk about the honeymoon since Katie and Matt’s wedding day is in late October but, wait it is never too early to talk about plans as exciting as your honeymoon!
The couple plans to embark on a fun trip after the wedding – driving straight to Charleston, SC. A 13-hour road trip during the (literal) honeymoon phase of their marriage will be a breeze for these crazy in-love kids! They expect to have a full day in the lovely low-country historical city and take in the romantic battery, rainbow row, the market and other steamy spots.
Next, #Acoupleofbucks will depart Charleston on a cruise to the Bahamas – that’s right the Bahamas on a 5-day cruise! They are both incredibly eager for this first-time cruise vacation as a couple – romance is in the sea! Speaking of sea, there are two “fun-at-sea” days where they plan to get decked out for dinner one night while the rest of the time they will simply relax and be pampered poolside, with a tropical drink in-hand.
Katie has a shopping trip planned to freshen-up her tropical wardrobe – her list includes a cocktail dress, swim suits, sunglasses and sun-hats as well as everyday comfy yet smart cruise attire. Snorkeling is on the itinerary for their day in Nassau. Another other shore day includes the gorgeous exclusive beach at Half Moon Cay! Looking at the photos it is no wonder they are thrilled to experience this scenic islet retreat.
Sounds like a fantastic romantic respite to me considering all the effort and emotional ups and downs that go along with a wedding day.
Katie and Matt’s Wedding Day Menu
Quincy Cellars is known for its fresh gourmet food with a contemporary flair and so I personally have been very curious to hear all about featured couple Katie and Matt’s menu choice for their upcoming special day.
Events manager, Amy, guided the couple through this important decision. First she presented them with owner/chef Kevin’s decadent wedding fare options – which by the way totally impressed Katie. Next, considering Matt is an outdoorsman with a traditional American palate (hot dogs, tacos, burgers, you get the picture), Katie wanted to make sure he was happy and asked him to take the first pass at the menu choices. He chose at least two options per category – despite a little trouble with some of the pronunciation of the contemporary options (wink, wink) and, Katie filled in the blanks in request for their personal tasting.
The couple worked with Amy, scheduled the tasting and ultimately discovered a perfect menu just for them. Drum roll please… and, here it is:
Hors d’oeuvres will be offered in the venerable wine cellar, including an assortment of classic and mod artisan cheeses, meats, and crackers at the bar. Black-tie serviced hors d’oeuvres include a one-of-a-kind Bloody Mary shrimp cocktail, along with delicately created spinach and artichoke phyllo cup pastries (Katie’s fav!). My mouth is watering already!
North 40 Photography captures Abbey and Chris in the cellar at Quincy Cellars in 2012.
The main course includes a locally-sourced field green salad with house-made intensely flavored and fresh vinaigrette. The salad is accompanied by bread freshly baked onsite, served along with compound butter. If you are like Matt (and me) and wondering what compound butter is – it is just that a combination of fresh herbs and spices added to the butter giving it amazing flavor, kick and sweetness – a perfect match spread upon the out-of-the-oven hand-crafted bread.
Abbey and Chris’ menu. Year 2012 by North 40 Photography.
All guests will be served a paired plate which includes a poultry and a meat entree. The bird is a slowly roasted chicken breast with a honey pomegranate sauce which assures a moist white meat along with an incredibly sweet and tangy flavor – divine! The hoof is an exquisitely selected filet mignon cooked just right using Quincy’s very own Merlot along with a hint of rosemary garlic for a flavorful yet subtly infused steak. Katie and Matt chose a parmesan and herb mashed potato for the starch. A seasonal farm-stand vegetable will also be prepared with care and served with the paired plate.
Kevin and Andrew in the Quincy Cellars kitchen making the magic happen!
Drinks include Quincy Cellars’ fine wines and 7 Sins Brewery crafted beers. Per Katie’s request, a variety of 5-star doughnuts from Mighty Fine Donuts in Erie will be served along with locally pressed apple cider.
October 22 cannot come soon enough!
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