This Gettysburg Hotel Wedding has deep roots!  Bobbie and Shawn met as kids on separate trips to Massachusetts, became pen pals, and are tying the knot 30 years to the day of meeting!!  She got lost during a girl scout trip and Shawn escorted her back to the campground.  The next night and every night after that they looked for each other.  After they became pen pals and the rest is history!!

They saved their love letters from the 1990s, and I placed their wedding rings on them!  The way he dots the “I” with a heart, though:

Gettysburg Hotel Wedding Preparations

Bobbie shares, “I couldn’t sleep the night before the wedding and was up at 6 am.”

Her preparations began with hair and make-up:

She adds, “The whole day felt like such a dream, and I found it hard to believe that it was finally the day that I got to marry the man of my dreams.”

Practical Jokester

Bobbie smiles, “Shawn’s dad, Tom, is a very laid back individual, and kept telling me that I was lucky that he liked me, because I wanted him to dress up for the wedding. We came to an agreement that as long as he got through the wedding, that at the reception he could change into his flip flops.”

Bobbie had no clue what was waiting for her in hallway when she was called to the door!! Tom has always had a special way of getting everyone to smile and relax, and certainly managed to do that on his son’s wedding day:

First Look at the Gettysburg Train Station

Shawn shares, “At our first look I had my eyes closed at first. When I saw her, she was breathtaking in her dress. I could not have imagined how beautiful she would look.  I was marrying the most beautiful woman in the world, and I wondered how I got so lucky. I’ll never forget how stunning she looked.”

We Are Family

Shawn’s kids played a huge role in the wedding, the wedding was not about Bobbie and Shawn getting married,  it was about the five of them becoming a family.  You can really see that throughout the wedding day.

Little Round Top Wedding Portraits

Bobbie & Shawn share, “Since we met camping, we knew we wanted to include some photos that involved nature for our wedding day.  We visited Gettysburg in the spring with our family, and knew the views at Little Round Top were amazing from there.”

Colorful Gettysburg Wedding Party

Bobbie shares, “The wedding party was comprised of the kids and three of our closest friends.  Joe was Shawn’s best man- they have been friends since high school. He’s part of the family and is lovingly called Uncle Joe by the kids.”

Shawn adds, “On Bobbie’s side, the two Matron’s of Honor, are her two closest friends.  Laura came in from Michigan for the wedding.  She may be the newest friend in the wedding, but she is like family to Bobbie and Shawn.  Susan came in from Indiana, and she is the friend Bobbie has known the longest.” 

Gettysburg Hotel Ballroom Wedding Ceremony

Look how stunning Bobbie is! Her bouquet (made by Shawn’s mom) totally compliments her look.

Unique Wedding Vows

They share, “We chose to write our own vows, that included promises of Bobbie bringing Shawn cookies when she was being a handful.”

Sealed with a Kiss

Bobbie & Shawn were pen pals, so I found the caption fitting. 😉

Look at this gorgeous ceremony space inside Gettysburg Hotel!

All the Love

Bobbie shares, “I felt surrounded by love on our wedding day.  Not just from Shawn, but because we had all the people who love us most gathered in one space.”

It was such an emotional day for Bobbie & Shawn and all of their loved ones. So many happy tears were shed & tight squeezes were given. 🙂

Cocktail Hour at Gettysburg Hotel

A Unique Guestbook & Signature

Bobbie and Shawn’s wedding package included a custom-designed guestbook.  It contained their engagement photos and was printed on watercolor paper.

The signer is even more interesting as she was one of Bobbie’s childhood friends (and fellow girl scout) who was there when the happy couple first met!

Bobbie shares, “She was the one even way back then that said Shawn liked me (even though I didn’t believe it at the time). She has been there through all of the years of back and forth between us.”

Homemade Gettysburg Hotel Wedding Reception

Bobbie & Shawn share, “We picked The Gettysburg Hotel because it was an amazing venue.  The ballroom was beautiful and then to find out it was being renovated before our wedding was even better.  The room looked amazing for both the ceremony and the reception.”

They continue, “The decor was made by a combination of both of us (maybe a little more Bobbie as she has had a thing for pink and green for a long time).  All of the decorations were homemade, Shawn’s parents helped, the kids helped, and we did a lot of it.  All of the place setting pieces, the resin coasters, were poured by Bobbie, Shawn, and the kids.”

Gettysburg Hotel Wedding Traditions

They share, “Calleigh bravely stood up and gave a toast at the reception that Colin and Tyler helped write, expressing that they were so happy to have Bobbie in their lives and what a blessing it was to see their Dad so happy.”

Spotlight on the Gettysburg Wedding Guests

They share, “There was so much dancing.  It was amazing to get to dance across the floor as Husband and Wife.  To get to boogie down with our kids, friends, and family was great.  It was a small celebration that was bursting with love, laughter, and well wishes.”

Keep scrolling to see how happy all the guests were and to see all the fun dancing photos. 🙂  

Best Night of Our Lives

Bobbie & Shawn smile, “We both agree that it was the best night of our lives. Bobbie could not stop smiling every time Shawn called her “Mrs. Hepler”. Her dream had finally come true, and she got to marry the boy she fell in love with 30 years ago.”

 

Bobbie & Shawn’s Gettysburg Hotel Wedding Slideshow

See even more photos from Bobbie & Shawn’s Gettysburg Hotel Wedding set to music in the slideshow below!

Gettysburg Hotel Wedding Vendors

• Venue: Gettysburg Hotel – “The wedding coordinator, Megan Wherley, was such a godsend to help navigate through all of the changes related to the COVID pandemic.  The entire staff of the hotel was amazing from helping us turn the ballroom into our dreams, to preparing a meal that was beyond delicious.”
• Make-up and Hair: Khara Williams
• Flowers: Lea – Shawn’s mom – “Shawn’s mom, Lea, did the flowers on the cake.  Lea did all of the flowers for the wedding, from the bouquets, the arch, and all the table decorations.”
• Formal wear: Suzanne’s Bridals
• DJ and Lighting: Great Scott Productions
• Cake: Main Street Sweets – “The cake from Main Street Sweets was amazing!”
• Officiant: A Wedding by Summers

Hungry for More?

• Check out Bobbie & Shawns Harrisburg engagement session here
• See my other Gettysburg Hotel Weddings here
• View my recent central PA weddings here