The Ledges in Hawley, PA is a magical place. The boutique hotel is built into the
side of a waterfall. Of course I was beyond thrilled to perform Kelly + Jason’s
equally breathtaking wedding ceremony in this magnificent environment,
surrounded by their closest family and friends. Kelly's vision for their ceremony was romance, she wanted "everyone to fall in love all over again."
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| Built into the side of a waterfall, guests gather on ledges to watch the ceremony at Ledges Hotel in Hawley, PA. |
Their Love Story: Love arrived, in their case;
at first sight … well at least it did for Jason. Like in a movie, Jason remembers seeing Kelly for the first
time, from across the cafeteria at Jackson Memorial High School. Clearly
smitten, he declared to his friends that “one day” she would be his.
Perhaps because of their one-year difference
in age-- Kelly was a sophisticated Sophomore and Jason was just a Freshman after
all—it took five whole years for Kelly to notice Jason back.
Kelly finally did notice Jason at a Fourth of
July party, when as she remembers “the only cute boy” in attendance started
gathering his things in preparation to leave early. Determined not let him slip
away, she did what any sophisticated woman would do: she asked her friend to
ask Jason out for her.
The romance had officially began, but six
months into it, Kelly left for a semester abroad. Already head over heals in
love, the distance was difficult for Jason to bear. Over his Spring Break of that semester, Jason
flew to Spain to visit Kelly. Kelly remembers falling in love with Jason while
she was away. They spoke everyday, became best friends and developed an
incredible bond of trust.
And as F. Scott Fitzgerald once described it,
“they slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they never recovered.”
Their Ceremony: Spanning over 10 years, it wasn't difficult to integrate their love
story into their wedding ceremony.
Their “I do” highlights included a remembrance for Jason’s father,
family heirlooms and multiple ways for their friends and family to demonstrate
their good wishes for the couple and their marriage.
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| Kelly chose to honor the memory of her grandmother Clare by wearing her wedding band as her own. |
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| The groomsmen take their turns adding their blessings into the rings before Kelly and Jason exchange them. |
Their
ceremony started with a Ring Blessing, where their rings are passed through the
crowd and guests were invited to add their blessings, hopes and dreams for the
couple and their marriage. A
powerful influence in her life, Kelly chose to wear her grandmother Clare's wedding band, a
cherished family heirloom, as her own.
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| Jason helps his mother with her yellow corsage, a remembrance and tribute to his late father's favorite color. |
In a
tribute to his late father, forever close to their hearts, Jason and his mother,
wore yellow flowers (his favorite color) as a reminder of how
his love is an integral part of their joy and celebration.
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| Kelly surprised Jason by walking into "Come Away With Me", a special song for them. |
On their wedding day, Jason brought a stone from
his family’s home in the Poconos--a place that had already played a significant
role in their love story. So many special memories and promises have already
been set into this stone, like when Jason first told Kelly that he loved her
and then again when he asked her to marry him. When they exchanged vows, both Jason and Kelly placed their
hands on their oathing stone and added to the memories and intentions that had
already been set into it.
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Because
of the natural properties of stone, the Celts had a custom that incorporated
them into their practice of making agreements. It was believed that an oath
just given near a stone was considered more binding because the promises spoken
were thought to get “set into the stone.” -Alisa Tongg, Celebrant
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| "Jason,
the woman whose hands you hold loves you very much. She’s fun, hardworking, a
loyal friend and approaches life with a sense of determination that astounds
you daily. She was, and is still, the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen."--Alisa Tongg, Celebrant |
Seven Steps Into The Sunset™: Immediately
after they sealed their vows with a kiss, Kelly and Jason took their
first seven steps together as a married couple, while I read blessings
over them and their friends and family showered them with encouragement.
When
I asked Jason what his hopes were for the future, he said, “I expect to be with
Kelly forever and have from the start…What our future holds exactly I cannot
say, however I know that we will be there with each other every step of the
way, to support and love one another and help each other accomplish our goals.”
Kelly agrees, "I want to live happily ever after. I want to grow and experience life with Jay. He's my best friend and I can't imagine taking this journey with anyone else."
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| "May peace live always in your hearts and
in your home."--Alisa Tongg, Celebrant |
A
special thanks to JF+AB Photography for capturing the candid action and emotion
of this heartfelt day. Specializing in outdoor and destination wedding photography, Josh
Finsel and Amber Breiner are a husband and wife photojournalistic team based in
Jim Thorpe, PA. See more of Kelly + Jason's celebration here on their blog.
