The whole week leading up to Tony & Cecilia’s wedding at Historic Penn Farm & St Peter the Apostle Church, the weather called for rain, all evening and especially during their time for portraits. We knew we could make it work and we were prepared with umbrellas and ideas for covered locations. However, when their day finally came, there was good weather during the getting ready, ceremony & portrait part of the day and the rain that did ensue created such a cozy atmosphere in the barn at Historic Penn Farm!
There were so many beautiful moments to capture as these two families converged to celebrate. Cecilia is the first of her large family to get married and it was the same for Tony. So the excitement was truly doubled. Allison and I are only sharing a fraction of the images we captured last week - there were just too many to share all at once!
The Bride and Groom added many special touches and traditions to their wedding and we found them captivating. Cecilia had hand-sewn pieces of her grandmother’s lace added to her dress sleeves. She wore the same gold cross she had worn to her other Sacraments on her Wedding day. She reenacted a coming-down-the-stairs shot that her Mamere had when she was married. At the Church, she and the groom, separated by a partition so as to not see one another, prayed the Rosary with both sets of families and Bridal Party before the Wedding Mass. At their Wedding Mass they were lassoed with a large rosary and the Priest prayed the accompanying prayer and he also prayed and blessed their crucifix for them.
At the Barn Reception, Priests from Harlem traveled with the Groom’s family from NY and gave the blessing of the meal. The Bridal party entered the barn wearing hats combining and joining parts of the Bride and Groom’s last names. The dancing was non stop and spirited and under the twinkle lights in the barn rafters with added percussion of the rain on the tin roof. Everything was special and so is their love and union. We could not be happier for them and truly felt their love. Cecilia and Tony, thank you! Thank you for the honor of letting us witness and capture these moments with your tremendous families….so much love exuded!
Getting Ready & Details
Rosary in the chapel
The Ceremony at St peter the apostle catholic church
Lasso Rosary
The Lasso Ceremony is a symbolic declaration of intention that you are voluntarily binding yourselves together before your family, friends and God. A prayer for the couple is then said as they stand or kneel.
What Is a Wedding Lasso Rosary?
A wedding lasso rosary, also called el lazo, is an oversized rosary large enough to be entwined (lassoed) around the couple. After the couple has exchanged their vows, their wedding sponsors (witnesses) called el padrino and la madrina, place the rosary around the couple’s shoulders, starting with groom’s shoulder and then the bride’s shoulder, to form a figure eight shape. The priest recites a prayer, similar to the following: "Let the union of binding together this rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary be an inspiration to you both. Remember the holiness necessary to preserve your new family can only be obtained by mutual sacrifice and love."
Portrait Time
The weather radar was forecasting thunderstorms but we were blessed to have some time to capture stunning images of these two before the storm rolled in. There were so many good portraits that I had a hard time choosing which ones to share!
Reception At Historic Penn Farm
The Bridal Party
Speeches, Toasts, and Dancing
WOW did their guests know how to celebrate! From the chicken dance, to the YMCA, practically everyone was out on the dance floor celebrating the newlyweds. They also played the wedding shoe game which filled the room with so much applause and laughter! What a fun celebration!
Both Cecilia & Tony chose to do thank you dances with their guests. Pictured below is Cecilia & her grandpa’s emotional embrace during their dance at the end of the night. It was one of the sweetest wedding traditions we’ve witnessed!
Allison & I love bringing clear umbrellas to our rainy day weddings because we can get images like this one! The barn lights and the rain drops create such a cozy ambiance.
That wraps up the end of this post but there are still so many images left to share! Congratulations again Tony & Cecilia & thank you for entrusting us to capture your wedding day! We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness together.
Thank you to everyone who helped make their wedding day a beautiful event!
Florist - Ramone's Flowers
Wedding dress - David's Bridal & Her mom and Nana (they made the sleeves and overskirt)
Bridesmaids dresses - Baltic Born
Table and chairs - Freedom Farm Tables
DJ - Terry O'Sullivan from DJs Available
Photography - G Photography