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Erin + Brent, The Best of What’s Around

After being together for 10 years, Brent and Erin made it official and tied the knot surrounded by family and friends this past summer. A fun loving couple, they planned an action-packed celebration for their loved ones starting with a rooftop ceremony at The Cosmopolitan followed by a colorful reception just down the street at The Barrister’s Club.
The Cosmopolitan in Allentown. DeLorenzo Photography
  
Early in the ceremony creating process, I asked Brent what emotion or vision, he wanted his guests to take away from their wedding ceremony. Brent said, “I would like them to leave the ceremony with the understanding that Erin and I were truly meant to be together, and that this love, this marriage, will not only last forever, but last forever with the utmost happiness.”

Brent can't help but give Erin a kiss at the start of the ceremony.



 
 
Love Story
Erin and Brent met at a party at the start of fall semester 2004 at the West Virginia University. She was 19 and he had just turned 20 years old.
 
 
 
 
Erin honored her two Dads by asking them both to bring her down the aisle.
Brent says that he can still “remember exactly what Erin looked like and what she was wearing, like it was yesterday.” He crossed the room to introduce himself and “distinctly remembers feeling completely comfortable, as if he had known Erin forever.”

 
 
That night you could not pull Erin and Brent apart, on the few rare moments when they were not completely enthralled with the other, laughing and talking all night, Erin and Brent found themselves smiling at each other from across the room, or stealing glances through doorways.

When Brent woke up the next morning, Erin was his first thought. He says, “If you would have asked me the day before I met Erin, I would have told you that I was young, in my second year of college, living with friends, I did not want a girlfriend.” Everything changed however, the moment he met Erin. 

From that point forward, Erin spent almost all of her free time with Brent. She quickly endeared herself to Brent’s housemates and because of her kind and caring nature, she became the known as the “house mom” to their group of friends. The early days of their romance involved, a lot of silliness, a shared dedication to demonstrating their Mountaineer pride, date nights to Buffalo Wild Wings for 25-cent wing night, and helping Brent cope from the recent loss of his father to cancer.


One day Brent caught Erin just looking at him, smiling. When he asked what she was doing, Erin said with a smile, “I finally met my match.”
“Erin, the man whose hands you hold loves you very much. He’s appreciative, accepting and selfless, and confident enough to be vulnerable with you. He finds joy in filling others’ days with laughter and has the most beautiful outlook on life. He absolutely cherishes and adores you. This is the man who makes you feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. A determined man who “could not wait to propose”, he drove 300 miles in a snowstorm so he could surprise you early in the morning, on your porch, to ask you to marry him.”—Alisa Tongg, Celebrant
“Brent, the woman whose hands you hold loves you very much. She’s thoughtful, generous, affectionate, intelligent, kind-hearted and compassionate. She brings out the best in you, makes your world bigger and fills it with possibility. Her blue eyes and infections smile stay with you even when you’re apart. These are the hands that leave you love notes around the house and can always figure out what’s for dinner...”—Alisa Tongg, Celebrant 
Ring Blessing, Erin and Brent’s wedding rings are infused with the love of their family and friends before they exchange them in the service.

The past 10 years have seen a lot of changes for Erin and Brent. They’ve experienced the stressors of living in different cities, the uncertainty of starting careers and the joy that comes from pursuing their passions.

One thing that has not changed for these two, is how much they love each other and always can find a way to laugh together. Early on in their relationship Brent says he realized that “making Erin laugh, making her smile, making her feel safe, actually made ME happy!
Wine Box & Love Letters Brent + Erin decided to create a tradition of reminiscing and reliving the highlights of their shared lives as they start their married life together, they wrote each other a letter and sealed it in a box with a wine bottle to be enjoyed and replenished every year on their anniversary.
Brent and Erin are grateful to have found a partner to grow with, someone who lovingly encourages the other to become the best version of themselves. Erin says, “we eventually learned to put each other first…We’ve given each other the chance to grow together…I can’t imagine having shared all of my moments with anyone other than Brent…Brent has already been my family for years.”


An affectionate couple, for their big finale, Erin and Brent figured out how to get three kisses in to their wedding ceremony by ending with Seven Steps Into The Sunset. Seven blessings for their marriage were read by Erin’s brother John and sister Sarah Kate.


An enthusiastic crafter, Erin had made the ribbon wands with bells for her guests to wave throughout the day, as well as her entire stationery suite. She has her own stationery shop Two Sisters Creations and can be found on Etsy www.etsy.com/shop/twosisterscre as well as Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TwoSistersCreations

This amazing day and colorful celebration was captured by one of my favorite photographers, Jessica DeLorenzo. You can find more of her work at DeLorenzo Photography

Brittany + Kyle, To Live An Adventure

Brittany and Kyle were married in the lush colorful gardens of Skytop Lodge this past summer. Friends and family came from all over the country to experience a Travel-Adventure themed destination wedding which celebrated their love story while incorporating traditions from their Christian and Jewish heritages as well as starting a new one--A Love Map to document their journey of a lifetime.
Brittany and Kyle practice their ceremony kiss in front of their loved ones at their rehearsal dinner. I took this picture using the Hipstamatic App and I love how it is reminiscent of a Monet painting.
Love Story:
"In the fall of 2010, Kyle and Brittany were both in the middle of serious life transitions. Brittany had just moved to Nashville from her home in Colorado to attend Tennessee State University. Kyle, just having returned from two deployments in Kuwait and Iraq, was preparing rigorously his application for dental school. During this exciting time, they found themselves both enrolled in Microbiology, a class neither of them “needed”, but as it turns out, a class they were both meant to take.

Week after week, after stimulating lectures on viruses, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, Kyle would wave on the street corner as Brittany headed to her car. Smiles became wider and glances between them got longer. After Veteran’s Day, patriotic Brittany approached Kyle to thank him for his service to the country. Finally, taking advantage of the face-to-face interaction, Kyle suggested that they prepare for the midterm together.

They hit it off on their study date, conversation came easily and time flew by, before they knew it, the restaurant they were eating at was closing. Kyle and Brittany say they both knew that this was the start of something special.

Everyone knows that Brittany and Kyle both failed that microbiology exam, but that’s the only test this couple has not passed since they’ve been together. “My love for Kyle continued to grow,” Brittany says "especially when I saw how much my cat Mischa trusted and loved him.” When Brittany was going to be out of town for training, she asked Kyle to take care of her cat. Kyle says, “Mischa means more than the world to her and it meant a great deal to me that I found someone who could trust me that completely.” When Kyle passed the Mischa Test, without even trying, Brittany says, Kyle found his way deep into her heart.

Over the past three years, this couple has passed the Travel-Adventure Test, discovering their strengths as partners as they’ve explored Key West, Jamaica, South Dakota and so many other new places together. And last year, Kyle surprised Brittany by simultaneously acing the dental boards and the Rubik’s Cube Test when he surprised Brittany with a proposal.

Through it all they’ve figured out how to become each other’s support and cheerleader as they pursue their passions and dreams together. Brittany shares her desire is to witness and do “everything possible to help Kyle’s dreams come true.” For Brittany and Kyle, a deep sense of mutual admiration, respect for the other’s well-being, and a complete trust in each other’s character are the key ingredients to their fairytale. Today they are promising to be by each other’s side as they prepare for the biggest exam yet -- The Happily Ever After."
The couple stood under a floral chuppah, created by Skytop’s Flower Shop, as a way of honoring the concept of family and home in their marriage.
Brittany leans in to kiss Kyle during the vows. "Brittany, the man whose hands you hold loves you very much. He's disciplined and determined, adventurous, genuine and protective. He's your hero."--Alisa Tongg, Celebrant
Brittany shares, “The most memorable part of the ceremony was hearing and sharing OUR story with everyone. It was our love story that was being shared. It was about us, our love, and our journey together. It wasn't a cookie cutter ceremony, it was ours.”

Brittany and Kyle used my new Love's Adventure Map to remember and share their most memorable moments traveling together, shared experiences that became pivotal in their relationship.
One of my strongest memories of the wedding was painting our previous travels as well as our first journey as a married couple," Kyle remembers. "It was really exciting.  We have so much to discover together over the rest of our lives. Not just physical destinations, but shared life experiences along the way.”
"Key West, Florida- Their first trip and first long car ride together. Brittany and Kyle “spoiled themselves” in a brand new white Camaro as they drove from Miami to Key West, they watched the sunrise and sunset, went sailing and wine tasting, explored their first art gallery and never ran out of things to talk about. It was on this road trip that Kyle and Brittany made their relationship official."--Alisa Tongg, Celebrant
"As you venture out on this adventure of a lifetime, may you find deep satisfaction as you pursue your dreams side-by-side and may your compass always be centered in the love you have for one another."--Alisa Tongg, Celebrant. Love's Adventure Map
Brittany's peacock-inspired color palette and travel-themed details made for a visually exciting experience. Here are just a few glimpses of my favorite details:





 The guests all cheered "Mazel Tov" as Kyle broke the glass, a moment that stands out in his memory, "I had always wanted to do that! It was fun and something you only get to experience once, so I want to hold on to it.”
Brittany + Kyle kiss, this time, surrounded by friends and family.

Kyle and Brittany knew they wanted their friends Richard and Elizabeth Suter of Richard Suter Photography to capture these most important moments. Richard and Elizabeth traveled up from Nashville, TN to join in as well as document this colorful and meaningful celebration.

The amazing team over at FireRock Productions, made this my first-ever wedding ceremony shot with a drone, here's the highlight film they created of Brittany + Kyle's amazing start.

Kyle & Brittany Sharow (Wedding Preview) from FireRock Productions on Vimeo.