It was a scorcher for Abby and Jon’s stunning Cairnwood Estate wedding in early July, but that didn’t get anybody down. Least of all the happy couple when their sweet pup Iggy showed up for some pictures with his mom and dad!
Getting Ready for the Cairnwood Estate Wedding
The thermometer was already pushing 90-something when we arrived at the Courtyard Marriott in Doylestown to begin capturing the day’s festivities. As we walked in, we received a rather intriguing text message: “…we had a bit of a brunch disaster …. but everybody will be [there] by 12:30” . What, pray tell, could this brunch disaster be? Besides not getting to have brunch, because that’s the only real way to ruin brunch. (we love brunch around here). Turns out, we were almost right. The service was quite slow so the guys had to pack their food to go the instant they got it and bring it back for getting ready. But hey, brunch was had!
Because of the brunch snafu, Jon was a little anxious to make sure that they didn’t fall behind their timeline. This is where we come in. Rachel stepped in to reassure him that there was plenty of time and that we would be able to get everything we needed in an expedited manner. Among the important details was a beautiful bottle of cologne from Coach that Abby had gotten for him. When you have a Cairnwood Estate wedding reception, you have to smell the part. Once everything was ready to rock, we rolled out on the bus to the church. Rachel must’ve really made an impression because she got another text message, “Rachel I can’t stress enough how appreciative I am that you were patient with us throughout all that”. Kind words go such a long way.
Meanwhile, Abby was “cool as a cucumber”. Her natural look for her hair was so beautiful and we were so excited to capture all her hand picked details. Her stunning Badgley Mischka dress boasted a full skirt with delicate lace details. It was a lot of dress on the hanger, and she absolutely rocked it. In a nod to family, she borrowed her sisters veil from her wedding four years prior. The Arthur Yates & Sons Jewelers engagement ring glittered and sparkled in the sunlight. The bands from Gold & Diamond Source formed the perfect complement. When she stepped into her gown, the picture came together into perfection. Truly a bride ready for her Cairnwood Estate wedding! So we delayed no longer, it was church time.
The Holy Cross Church Wedding Ceremony
A short jaunt down the PA Turnpike took us to Holy Cross Church where Abby and Jon would exchange their vows. The ceremony before their Cairnwood Estate wedding reception was a labor of love. Everyone sat in the steamy church and watched these two proclaim their love for one another. It was a ceremony filled with love and when they happily kissed and turned as husband and wife, there was a cheer from everyone. We hung out and made short work of the family formals so everyone could find some air conditioning. That’s when we made our way over to Cairnwood Estate and Glencairn Museum for some epic portraits of these two.
Portraits at Glencairn Museum & Cairnwood Estate
Directly next to the Cairnwood Estate wedding reception, is the incredible Glencairn Museum. Filled with glorious artifacts and stained glass that date back to the crusades, we were excited to have the museum and it’s grounds to ourselves for some photos. We began with bridal party and had lots of fun capturing Abby and Jon with their best friends and siblings. Once we’d gotten that checked off, we sent the bridal party to Cairnwood Estate to get ready for the reception while we brought Abby and Jon over for a special surprise.
Jon hadn’t seen his dog Iggy in something like 3 weeks and when he showed up for some pictures, he was over the moon. Abby and Jon had a blast taking photos with him and didn’t want to let him leave. It was seriously sweet. Ashley, as a dog mom, had her day made with kisses from Iggy and in photographing him being super cute. Rachel can rustle a treat bag like nobody’s business. What a team!
Once we all said reluctant goodbyes to Iggy, we ventured inside for more portraits. We were thrilled to learn that we would be able to ride up to the top of the Cathedral. A hundred feet high, the view was breathtaking. Abby and Jon snuggled up and we captured the vast amounts of beauty and love until it was time to get back down to earth. We made use of the beautiful mosaic archway and crusades era stained glass in their portraits. Talk about unique. Then we made our way back towards Cairnwood Estate. After a little walk in the grass, we finally released them to their Cairnwood Estate wedding reception.
The Cairnwood Estate Wedding Reception
The skies were beginning to darken, and just a few minutes after we’d all made our way inside, the heavens opened up. The rain cooled things down a bit and the terrace was soon filled with people again. After an incredible cocktail hour from Sage Catering, everyone was ushered into the Great Hall for the announcements of the bridal party and newlyweds. Abby and Jon entered the fray and opened the dance floor with their first dance. They chose “Stand by Me” as performed by Florence and the Machine. When they were finished, they each shared their special parent dance which brought up toasts. Abby’s father spoke of how she scared the crap out of them on multiple occasions and how that only made her dearer to him. Her sisters toasted the middle sister and described the happy couple as loyal and awesome. Jon’s brother spoke about how much he appreciated his brother always making time for him. And finally, Jon’s dad spoke for a moment about how amazing the day had been and invited everyone to eat.
Dinner commenced and before we knew it, it was time for cake cutting and bouquet toss! Everyone gathered together on the dance floor after cake cutting and a lucky single lady caught the bouquet. In the few moments we had left, the DJ tore it up and we captured so much dancing (including dancing with a large toothbrush) in just a few moments. Everyone was having an amazing time at Cairnwood Estate. Outside, a perogie food truck was serving up some deliciousness and Beiler’s donuts made a delivery of their scrumptious wares for all to enjoy. Even us. We rolled out of Cairnwood Estate happy and so grateful that Abby and Jon brought us on board to capture their spectacular Cairnwood Estate wedding!
Their special day was made possible by:
— Photography — Ashley Gerrity Photography — Venue — Cairnwood Estate — Ceremony — Holy Cross Catholic Church — Florist — Wegmans Warrington — Caterer — Sage Catering — Cake — Bredenbecks Bakery — Entertainment — Cutting Edge Entertainment — Wedding Dress — Badgley Mischka — Bride’s Shoes — JustFab — Wedding Rings — Arthur Yates & Sons and Gold & Diamond Source — Hair and Makeup — Blush Bar — Menswear — The Black Tux — Food Truck — Mom-mom’s Food Truck —
