9.24.11 - Scottish Rite - Erie, PA

Picture this, a beautiful day in Erie at a beautiful location in Erie, the Scottish Rite. Add family members, friends and co-workers from the Erie area, Pittsburgh and beyond. Add that up and it's a guaranteed recipe for a successful and fun wedding day on Saturday for Emily and Gary! After the church ceremony, guests began gathering at the Scottish Rite about 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of the reception. The catering staff from Calamari's had cookies out for everyone to enjoy. This combined with cocktails and great conversation and the day was off to a wonderful start! The room looked wonderful!

Emily and Gary had chosen the music of Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble etc. for cocktails and dinner, and excitement was building for the arrival and formal introduction of parents and bridal party members! Emily and Gary had decided on customized song introductions for the bridal party, which was perfect, since they were a fun, animated group! There were even props, including an inflatable boom box! Once Emily and Gary were introduced, they immediately made their way to the dance floor for their first dance, "Stolen" from Dashboard Confessional.

Once everyone was seated for dinner, toasts were given from Emily's sister and matron of honor, Kara, and from Gary's friend and best man, Joe. Both individuals have a wonderful sense of humor, and their toasts made everyone laugh. The Calamari's staff then directed everyone through a delicious buffet dinner, including a carving station of turkey and beef! After dinner, the parents dances and bouquet and garter were completed, then it was time to DANCE! Everyone had so much fun that overtime was added to the festivities to ensure people didn't leave with unhappy feet!

My thanks to the success of Saturday's successful reception goes to Brad from the Scottish Rite, the wonderful staff of Calamari's for the catering, Jennifer White and her assistant from Jennifer Photography, and, of course, to you Emily and Gary! It was such a blast and your reception! You picked out some wonderful music to dance to, and complimented with your guests requests, it made for a perfect day! Enjoy your first month of married life, then all the best for your honeymoon and the rest of your lives together! I was so happy to have been a part of the day and meet your family members and friends. So glad everyone had such a great time!