Let’s GLOW!!! This Linwood Estate wedding brought lots of color, a 1967 SS Camaro & so many glow sticks to Carlisle, Pennsylvania! Myrissa and Chuck’s big day had so many unique and artistic elements including vibrant florals and a “watercolor” cake– what a treat!!
I (Lisa) book up quickly, and for weddings that I’d love to cover but no longer have the date open on my calendar, I have a solution :). I have a few trusted photographer friends that work under me on the day of to be my eyes and ears, and then I do the rest (the editing, album design, emails, wedding day timeline etc). In this case, my associate was Jim– one of my long-time photography friends that I met at a conference over a decade ago. We have shot dozens of weddings together at this point.
As soon as these photos arrived from Jim, I was absolutely blown away, dude’s got talent! I know firsthand how challenging it is to get glow sticks to pop with color amped up, showing movement yet still getting joyful (also moving) subjects to be still in the frame. Dang, he delivered!
Why Rhinehart Photography?
Myrissa says, “I chose Rhinehart Photography for our Linwood Estate wedding because I loved the dynamic and bold photos that were full of color. We love color, so Rhinehart Photography was a perfect match to capture our special day! I could also tell that the photos were well edited with care and true to the emotion of the day and moment.”
She adds, “Jim was so easy, calming, and positive throughout the day. He always had a smile on his face, my guests even commented so. He popped in at the right times to capture genuine emotions and was thoughtful with our “staged” photos. He was on top of it and looked like he was also enjoying himself!”
Myrissa continues, “Lisa was energetic and positive for every correspondence and meeting. I felt the energy and passion for her craft and excitement for the end result. Lisa was organized and communicative which helped really understand the order of the day and what our priorities were.”
Myrissa’s Preparations at Linwood Estate
Chuck shares, “I appreciate how Myrissa is loving and caring and I think she is smart, attractive, and understanding. Since we worked together, I got to see her in meetings and running projects and saw how thoughtful, efficient, and intelligent she is. The wedding was relaxing and a time of celebration. The only stressful part was the hand flipping and holding for the ring portion of the ceremony. When Myrissa walked down the aisle I thought she looked beautiful and I really liked her dress.”
Myrissa adds, “They say opposites attract and we find that especially true for us. We couldn’t be more different but love the balance it gives our relationship. “
She says, “The similarities we do have come in our core values in life. We are loyal, hard-working, caring, and protective, and we both try not to take things too seriously and like to have fun, be creative, and explore.
The couple shares, “We love to camp in our camper, Myrissa has encouraged Chuck to travel more, which they both enjoy, and Chuck has shown Myrissa a life of 4-wheeling and cars. It’s true what our MOH and Best Man said in their speeches that we are totally different people from different worlds, but it’s a good contrast and we have blended our lives well.”
Unique Florals and Ladies at Linwood Estate
Myrissa smiles, “Wow, the flowers were by far my favorite thing about the wedding! I even loved the ones Annette put in my hair and I was upset I couldn’t see them! Sarah is literally the cutest person, she is so sweet and thoughtful. I thought Linwood had a lot of character on its own so I didn’t need a bunch of decorations. But what I did want was a pop of color with the flowers.
She continues, “I wanted them to be bouncy, whimsical, bright, and colorful. I love tulips and anemones and she used both in the arrangements super well so all the flowers worked together. Really I just shared my general thoughts and favorite flowers with Sarah and gave her artistic authority to do what she thought was best. I even noticed there weren’t even many leafy greens, maybe a couple of ferns, just to keep the color punch up. My mom had orchids for her wedding so we asked for those to be put in too. I understand that Sarah used orchids from her own home to put on the boutonnieres, in my bouquet, and my hair. It was very special.”
Myrissa says, “My bridesmaids are so dear to me. I wanted a small, intentional group by my side and these girls were it. My Matron of Honor, Stephanie, is my closest friend. We met in college and haven’t skipped a beat. I even introduced her to her husband. My second bridesmaid, Aleena, is my cousin. She is my Aunt Brenda’s daughter, who is also my Godmother and spoke during the ceremony. Fun fact, Brenda was my mom, Virginia’s, MOH at her wedding!”
A Diamond in the Rough
Does anyone else hear the genie’s voice saying that from Aladdin?
An abundance of diamonds glitter from all three rings! Rhinehart Photography offers a variety of perspectives (super close to the rings, a reflection in the mirror, a wide shot that brings in the landscape). Our goal is not just to capture what things look like, but what it feels like, too!
Myrissa shares, “We dated over several months after meeting on a construction project. It was casual and friendly at first but Chuck was always asking me out. He was persistent and pursued me for a long time. I appreciated his dedication and attention and after a few months, we decided to become official on July 4th when we went to his friend’s party. We celebrate that each year and keep the tradition of going to the same friend’s July 4th Party and camping in our camper there.
She adds, “After knowing Chuck more, I realized how safe and happy he made me feel… plus, his garage had all the tools I needed for my art, craft, and building projects! We both appreciate handmade items and doing things with intention and dedication.”
Myrissa laughs, “I also thought it was funny that he wanted diamonds on his ring. He has his Grandfather’s ring that is gold and has a few diamonds running diagonally. He has worn it in the past when he would dress up in a suit, which always cracked me up but was super cute. I think that’s why he picked one with diamonds.”
Lindwood Estate Wedding
Myrissa shares, “We both really loved the speech from my Aunt Brenda and Uncle Greg. They have been counselors for Catholic Pre-Cana preparation courses at one of their old churches and were extremely supportive during our relationship and engagement. The vows I put together for the ceremony were a combination of vows I found through research. A little catholic, but mostly from Cherokee and Apache vows, and I pulled responding together from Buddhist vows.”
The couple says, “Listening to the heartfelt and encouraging words of our officiant and readers were touching. We plan to live by those words. Many of our guests loved the suggestion from the readers (Myrissa’s Aunt/Godmother and Uncle) to “always kiss each other goodnight”. People were repeating it all night!”
She adds, “My dad and I can be extremely emotional when it comes to each other. I was so nervous to cry the whole time and he was too. I was impressed that he didn’t cry and it kept me from crying too. He said he had to keep reminding himself that this was a happy day and to celebrate. I absolutely loved that he wore his dress uniform for me and he was very diligent about keeping the pace down the aisle and properly handing me over to Chuck.”
Myrissa smiles, ” I was also very appreciative of his speech during the reception and all of the gratitude and honor he gave Chuck.”
Linwood Estate – The Perfect Venue!
Myrissa says, “I fell in love with the character of the entire property of Linwood Estate. There was a perfect combination of formality with its mansion, reception hall, chandeliers, Remington sculptures and the whimsy of the lush landscape, old trees, flowers, and architectural details. I couldn’t wait to show Chuck.”
She adds, “The best part of the property was the ability to have my family and friends stay onsite for the entire weekend, that’s the second item to sealed the deal for me and Chuck. We were able to have the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, full day of getting ready, ceremony, reception, and afterparty without ever leaving the property! To be able to stay the whole weekend surrounded by family and friends without having to shuffle from venue to venue made for a relaxing wedding day and only focus on the happiness.”
Chuck and Myrissa share, “Since we loved the property so much, we were glad to use so many parts of it to capture our day. The weather was perfect, everything was in bloom, and it really highlighted the general celebratory emotion of the day. The driveway landscaping with all the trees and flowering trees is one of my favorite backgrounds that I’ve seen.”
There was so much to work with during Myrissa & Chuck’s Linwood Estate wedding, from a pond to flowering trees to a 1967 car!!
Myrissa says, “The car is Chuck’s 1967 SS Camaro that he built himself. We repainted it the week before just to make sure it looked great for the wedding! I taped it all off and Chuck painted it. It’s Hot Rod Black – a matte paint that I think is so cool and perfect for a muscle car! He actually does Drag Race it!!”
Playful Linwood Estate Wedding Reception Decor!
Colors continued with uplighting, vibrant flower decor, and candy at their Linwood Estate wedding! Myrissa’s artistic flare can be seen in the cake and playful decor!
Myrissa shares, “Colorful, playful, and whimsical was definitely the ultimate direction we wanted for the wedding. The flowers were the main star of this and added so much color. I also had the DJ use vibrant colored uplighting throughout the night.”
She continues, “My mom and I found a cute collection of fabric and made each napkin so no one at one table had the same napkin. These were saved and will be used for the Wedding Quilt in combination with the “guest book” fabric signing squares. A couple of friends took them as pocket squares and had them in their suits at the end of the night! We plan to keep a set of napkins aside to use as well.”
Chuck smiles, “The place was just beautiful, I really appreciated the effort put into planning that Myrissa did and figuring out all of the more challenging stuff.”
Getting the Party Started!
Everyone was out on the dancefloor, from the happy couple to kids and even grandma for this Linwood Estate wedding!
Myrissa smiles, “I love to dance at weddings and I appreciate that Chuck likes to dance too. My main goal was to have fun on the dance floor. Luckily my husband did more of the talking with guests and came to the dance floor from time to time! I am glad everyone came out at one point or another to dance.”
She shares, “There were no kids allowed, but an exception was made for my little cousin! He is Susan’s (bridesmaid) son, and they flew all the way in from Crested Butte, CO. He was fun and we joke that as many pictures we saw Jim take of him, we’ll have to make him his own album!”
Myrissa laughs, “It was funny that a common theme in the speeches was how different we were and Chuck’s wacky obsession with Bud Light! He also bought way too many cases of Bud Light that the Pennsylvanian servers were warning everyone to get the Yuengling in case it ran out, haha!”
A Joyful End of the Night!
The glowsticks and getaway car were perfect for the end of the night at this Linwood Estate wedding!
Myrissa says, “I wanted to find a way to do a send-off with more color, and keep with doing things that I don’t see often at weddings. I also knew it would be at night and dark. I saw the glowsticks in my searches on Pinterest and they had great images with slow shutter speeds to get that cool effect. So happy you were able to do that!”
She laughs, “Even though we weren’t actually leaving the site, we thought it would be a fun way to end the reception with the traditional drive-off. It was special because anything to do with any vehicle is one of Chuck’s passions. So it was fun to incorporate something he loved because pretty much the rest of the wedding was for me, haha!”
Vendors
- Venue: Linwood Estate
- Officiant: Judge Mary (Cherry) France
- DJ & Special Lighting: “DJ Squirrel” David Floyd
- Wedding Planner: Jenna Saunders – Unique by Design Weddings & Events
- Caterer: Jessica Bianco – Greystone Public House
- Hair Stylist: Annette Comp-Patti – Annex Hair Studio
- Make-up Artist: Courtney Dixon – Butterfly Touches Makeup Company
- Nails: Tina – Amazing Nails
- Florist: Sarah Klunk – Sarah’s Floral Designs
- Marquees: Kate Hicks – Whimsy and Wild
- Bridal Gown/Veil Vendor: Janine Kline – Unveiled Bridal
- Bridal Seamstress: Camrin Edwards
- Bridesmaids Dress Vendor: Anna Shanks – Bella Bridesmaids Harrisburg
- Bridesmaids Dress Designer: Jenny Yoo & Twobirds Dresses
- Bridal gown designer: Allure Bridals
- Veil designer: JL Johnson Bridals
- Bridal Shoes: Marc Fisher
- Bridal Earrings: J.Crew
- Bride & Groom Engagement/Wedding Ring: Kay Jewelers
- Bride Wedding Ring: Helzberg
- Groom’s/Groomsmen attire: Tux, Shirt, Tie, & Shoes – Men’s Warehouse
- Pocket Square – J.Crew
- Invitations & Thank You Cards: Zazzle
- Favors: Lindt Chocolate
- Napkins: Virginia Mauk
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