Chris and the Boys Bachelor Weekend
Chris and 9 of his buddies celebrated his bachelor days for an entire weekend.
Chris’ brothers and closest guy friends put together a jam-packed weekend. They all congregated at Chris’ in Erie to mark the last days Chris will spend as a bachelor. First, the boys drove downtown to Perry Square Park and attended Erie’s annual Rib Fest. They sampled all the vendors and voted for their favorite fare. The stag also listened to live music and simply hung out and relished every bro moment.
To a night we will never forget!
The boys.
Next was hanging out more, like boys do. And it isn’t a guy weekend without a little healthy competition and for this bachelor party, it was playing lawn games. And….
it was that evening where the carousing got a bit out of hand….so out-of-hand, that the neighbors called in a noise complaint. Double drats!
But, kudos to the Erie PD. Upon arrival, they found out the noise was from a relatively low-key bunch of guys enjoying a few pops and a friendly lawn game contest, all in honor of a bachelor! The deputies simply advised the party to keep the noise down and went on to their next call, to fight real crime.
Most of the guys would agree, that the most exciting moments were while boating at Presque Isle State Park. Just kicking back, soaking up the sun and buzzing around on the water was relaxing itself. Everyone also had a go at tubing. Good times!
On a Boat, Ya’ll
The real celebration, August 12 at Quincy Cellars is almost here!!
Bridal Shower Tea Held in Honor of Savannah
Savannah’s future mother-in-law and sister-in-law, Laurie and Katie DeMayo host an elegant tea in honor of Savannah.
The ladies hosted the bridal shower tea in the DeMayo home in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Mostly local friends and family attended the shower. Chris’ (groom-to-be) out-of-town aunts traveled from New Jersey for the tea as well. Savannah’s future father-in-law toasted Savannah to kick-off the party, despite a ladies only tea.
Chris also made an appearance at the end of the party with a lovely bouquet of flowers that he presented to Savannah – so sweet!
Savannah’s Bridal Shower Tea Invitation
A close friend of Laurie’s loaned her the tea set for the day. It was an exquisite National Wildlife Society set. Laurie and Katie served sandwiches and desserts along with an array of teas, champagne and wine. Potted geranium plants accompanied each place setting and served as the favors for guests to take home. Along with the geraniums were specialty soaps with a label,
“From Savannah’s Shower to Yours”.
The table is set for Savannah’s bridal shower tea.
Party hosts and bridesmaids organized several games for the guests to play. First, there was an over/under game where party-goers guessed facts about the bride. Next, the ladies played a wedding themed Mad Libs game. The group voted on the best and the funniest entries to award the winners. In more modern terms, the party played a wedding emoji decoding game while they also played the traditional what’s in your purse game.
Savannah was a little uneasy being the center of attention while unveiling her gifts. She and Chris received many items from the bridal registry. Savannah tells us she truly appreciates how every guest added special additions, creativity and greeting cards to each gift as well.
Savannah opens bridal shower gifts.
Everyone is excited as the wedding date inches closer and closer!
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!
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!
Less than 150 Days Till Katie and Matt’s Big Day
With 150 days left till the wedding day, what does a bride in our modern Information Age do in preparation for her big day? Creates a save-the-date card, a website and a hashtag – but, of course! #ACoupleOfBucks
Katie was stressed about creating the save-the-date, having a tough time deciding whether or not to place an engagement photo as the focus or a different graphic related to the Fall country chic theme. She also knew that time was of essence and getting it designed, printed and sent out no later than 4 months prior to the wedding date was critical. After much fretting and procrastination, Katie finally pulled the trigger and went with an engagement photo. She also created the card herself to save time.
Katie chose Zazzle.com as the vendor to produce the cards. Zazzle.com is an online store where you can collaborate with makers & designers to make almost anything. It has easy-to-use templates to help customers create a variety of event planning and marketing collateral. In addition to artwork as the focus, the details of the day are important in producing a save-the-date card. Here is what Katie’s design looks like – fabulous! She is waiting for the printed product to be shipped – cross your fingers it is what she expects! 
The purpose of the save-the-date notice, the wedding website and the hashtag is to give guests enough advance notice about your date. Having this knowledge for one, assures guests reserve your wedding day on their RL (real life) social calendar. Secondly, when friends and family talk about your day through social media like FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, via the hashtag, all chatter, photos and links can be searched and viewed easily. The date, time and venue are the most important details to share at this point. Also, if the venue is in a busy region, if your date falls on a holiday or otherwise busy weekend and/or guests are traveling far (typically, 30 miles or more), you will want to suggest accommodations for them.
Again putting her creative skills to work, Katie designed the website and a hashtag. She went to theknot.com to produce a personalized wedding site. She had fun with this one, telling the “Matt and Katie” story and simply used the Knot’s boilerplate to fill in the blanks for their special day. The address is theknot.com/us/acoupleofbucks. She also had fun with the hashtag creation – #ACoupleOfBucks – Matt’s last name is Buck and before you know it, so will Katie’s – and that, my friends, makes a couple!
Phew, who knew wedding planning was so fun??!! We at Quincy Cellars are so glad to be a part of it!
Matt & Katie – The Ring
Matt is a true romantic and amazes Katie again – this time, with the engagement ring. Katie has urbane taste and had not specified what she wanted in a ring but Matt listened. He “creeped” around and talked to Katie’s family without her knowing so that he could create an extraordinary ring.
First, he asked her parents’ permission to marry her. Being the gentleman he is, Matt also spoke with her grandmother upon which she gave him her engagement ring. Knowing Katie’s special bond with her late grandfather Matt was able to take the stones from her grandmother’s ring and arrange it in a token of love personally made for Katie.
Katie expresses her joy and states, “Knowing that my ring has the stones that were on the ring my grandfather selected and gave to my grandma means the world to me.”
Her grandfather passed away when Katie was in middle school 10 years ago and she still misses him to pieces. For many years she was his only granddaughter so she was royally – and justly – spoiled. The two of them spent lots of time together – as a high school principal in the Erie Area Katie’s granddad often brought her to extra-curricular events with him. As as special treat, when they were out and about, he would always stop at local donut shops to satisfy their love of donuts (by the way, Katie is having donuts at her wedding reception – yumsters!).
The engagement ring story gets better, Katie had no idea that Matt was working with the jeweler located smack dab between their workplaces at the time – on several occasions during his lunch break he sneaked to the jewelry store, praying she wouldn’t spot his car in the lot! Check out the ring and witness Katie’s pure awe in the proposal photo shown.
Come back to our blog regularly for Katie and Matt’s storybook tale – their big day culminates at Quincy Cellars October 22, 2016.
Matt and Katie – the Proposal
Some brides will say the most exciting part of getting married is the proposal – and from Katie’s perspective, hers was truly special.
First, Matt completely surprised her – she had no clue as to what he had planned nor if/when to expect it – can you say, romantic??!!
Katie and Matt live in the northern tier of PA, close to Bradford – sometimes known as God’s country. Their property has a lovely and scenic view on top of a steep hill overlooking the valley and town. One beautiful Autumn day last September, without suspicion, Matt asked Katie to hike up the hill to enjoy the colorful and picturesque foliage.
Once they reached the peak, Katie was bombarded with hugs and sweet nothings when suddenly she spied Matt pulling something out of his pocket … and, her heart stopped. Matt presented Katie with an exquisitely radiant ring and requested her hand in marriage. (Check our blog often and learn the beautiful story behind the ring.)
Katie immediately said YES. For someone who loves simplicity, this was an absolute perfect and amazing day for Katie (and Matt!).
Knowing Katie and Matt’s love for natural beauty and simplicity, it is no wonder the couple has chosen Quincy Cellars to celebrate their marriage together this coming October. We cannot wait to host their big day!
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