Their Wedding Day: Scranton Cultural Center Wedding
Francesca & Christian’s Scranton Cultural Center Wedding was such an incredible day! Scranton Cultural Center is such a unique wedding venue in Pennsylvania, and so much fun to photograph in! It was the perfect setting to celebrate their marriage! One of my favorite parts of the day was Francesca & Christian’s first dance! They danced to “The Bones” by Maren Morris, and I’ve been listening to it on repeat ever since. It was such a meaningful song choice, and with the sparklers set up by DJ Hersh, made it even more epic!
I love when couples include some sentimental details in their wedding day! Francesca had her grandmother’s restored hand mirror for her getting ready details! It was so special and beautiful!
There are so many favorite shots from this day, and I can’t wait to share! But first, let’s dive into their love story!
Their Love Story
When I asked these two to share one thing they love about each other, they gave the sweetest answers. Francesca said, “I love how dependable Christian is. No matter how busy our lives get, I know that when I need him, he’s there with love and support.” Christian said, “I love how genuine and authentic Francesca is. She’s also crazy smart, yet so unassuming about it.”
How They Met
You’ve got to hear about how these two met! Francesca told me, “Christian and I met about two weeks before we were about to start law school. We had both moved in to a house down the street from the school that was divided into two separate apartments. (Fun fact: my mom met Christian first when we were moving my things in. She told my sister right then and there “one of you are going to marry that guy.” She still gives herself credit!).”
“Anyway, by the time school began, we were classmates, housemates, and best friends. Everyone around us quickly realized we were a package deal. We actually remained the best of friends for 2 and a half years before realizing that our relationship was more than that. One day, during our final year of school, I kissed him totally out of the blue. A few days later, Christian told me he was in love with me. Everything just fell right into place after that.”
“Fast-forward to post law school, and our relationship looks a little different. We no longer are able to run across the hallway to each other whenever we please. After graduation, I moved to Scranton and started a job there. Christian, who commissioned into the Army in 2014 and was in law school on an education delay, received his assignment to Fort Bragg, NC. We’ve been doing long distance every since — from Christian’s deployment to the Middle East to my job relocation to Tampa, FL, we make it work. We are SO looking forward to the day where we can physically be together again, on a more permanent basis.”
The Proposal
This proposal story is one I’ll never get over! I still get chills when I read what Francesca wrote. She said, “We always tell people that the key to making long distance work is putting in the time and effort to see each other as much as possible. That being said, seeing each other often results in us taking trips to random places not only around the country, but around the world. This particular weekend, we had planned to meet in Asheville, NC for a “Pre-Christmas getaway.” We spent the day exploring all that the mountain town has to offer. Randomly throughout the day, Christian kept giving me different rocks, each one marked with a place we’d been together — Greece, Dubai, Atlanta, Seattle, to name a few.”
“Christian explained that he had been collecting the rocks since our very first trip as a couple. While I thought it was totally sweet he had been doing this for the last several years, he always surprises me with his thoughtfulness, so I didn’t think too much of it. We finished our day in Asheville with a “Christmas by Candelight” tour of the Biltmore Estate. The last stop of the tour was the most magnificent Christmas tree I’d ever seen. As I stood there admiring the tree, Christian told me that he had one last rock for me. Before I knew it, he was down on one knee!”
To the Newlyweds
Francesca & Christian, congratulations on starting this next chapter of your love story! You two are the absolute sweetest and I’m so honored to have been a part of your day! Cheers to all the joy to come! Sending you the biggest hug and all my love! xoxo
Vendors:
2nd Photographer – Alaina Elizabeth Photo
Photo Assistant – Ryan Hardin
Venue – Scranton Cultural Center
Coordinator – Every Little Thing, LLC
Hair Stylist – Bridal by Courtney
MUA – Maria Martin & Ashley Levandowski
Florist – POSH Life Floral
DJ – DJ Hersh
Videographer – Fonash Studios
Invitation Suite – Minted
Dress Designer – Watters
Dress Boutique – The Blushing Bridal Boutique
Bride’s Shoes – Kate Whitcomb
Earrings – Kate & Mari
Veil – White and Ivory Custom Veils
Perfume – Jo Malone London
Bride’s Wedding Band – Hayman Jewelry Company
Cake – Lynn Sandy Bakery
Catering – POSH @ The Scranton Club
Bridesmaid Dresses – Birdy Grey, Dove Grey
Transportation – Central PA Limousine
