Cory & Allie | Summer Wedding at The Grand Estate at Hidden Acres in Freeport, PA

Cory & Allie met 8 years ago in college. Brought together by a co-ed dormitory & them both studying medicine, their relationship had just begun when it was presented with an obstacle: and that obstacle was called “Europe”.

Allie was given the opportunity to travel & study in Europe for a few months & she desperately wanted to go. There was just one thing holding her back, and that was her desire to stay & continue growing her relationship with Cory. She knew they had something special & she did not want to lose it by going to another country & being apart so early on in their relationship. Conflicted, she talked to Cory about it & they made the decision that she could not pass up this opportunity & that Allie should go. They determined that even though they would be separated by hundreds of miles & an ocean, that they would specifically carve out time every day to talk & Facetime & continue building their relationship.

And they did – their friendship & love grew and deepened, even though they were half-the-world away from each other.

When Allie came back to the United States, her schooling took her to Virginia & so their long-distance relationship continued.
Studying to be a doctor, Allie then got her residency in Harrisburg. When Cory heard the news, he said enough long-distance relationship stuff, and he moved to Harrisburg so they could be together (and living in the same state) for the first time since those initial 3 months of their relationship.

As they got to know one another, Cory & Allie each realized that they had a very special, favorite place in common. Each of their families vacationed at Stone Harbor, NJ on a very regular basis & they both had a slew of beautiful, wonderful, but separate memories tied to this same location.

Knowing that there was only one place in the entire world that he could propose, Cory laid his plans to add one more especially joyful memory to their Stone Harbor memory banks & this one would be together.

Cory’s family always goes to Stone Harbor in July, and 2019 was no exception. He went with his family (even though Allie was unable to go) in order to scope things out & create a plan, as Allie’s family was planning a trip to Stone Harbor the following month and Cory had plans to join them for the weekend.

August arrived and Allie & her family went to Stone Harbor. Cory joined them & set his plans in motion. He rented bikes for he & Allie to take a ride together & he steered them out to a certain spot he had specifically picked during his previous visit.

Cory had arranged for a bottle of champagne to be at the place they stopped & he planned for Allie to spot it & ask about it.
There was just one problem: Allie never noticed the bottle of champagne. They parked their bikes & stood together enjoying the view of the ocean. They walked all around the bottle, taking photos & enjoying each other’s company, but Allie was still completely clueless as to what was going on.
Eventually, Cory had to point out the bottle, which instantly set Allie on alert that something special was about to happen. And for good reason: as Cory then pulled out a diamond ring & asked her to spend the rest of her life with him.
Of course, she said YES.

They rode their bikes back to Allie’s family, and as an added surprise, Cory’s family was there too.

This past Saturday was the big day and it was perfect. Cory & Allie’s friends & family gathered at The Grand Estate at Hidden Acres in Freeport, PA to witness the two sweetest people & their incredible families being joined together. Words cannot describe how beautiful, relaxing, and happy Saturday was. Joy seemed to seep from every single person, converging & flooding & overflowing at the center of the day: Cory & Allie & their love for one another.

Cory & Allie – you guys have been an absolute dream to work with! I know that every bride & groom is happy on their wedding day, but you guys took that joy to a whole new level. It was contagious & you infected every single person with your sheer delight (I’m still floating on Cloud 9 myself!) It was quite obvious to everyone that you both are made for each other & that you make the other a better, stronger, happier, and perfectly whole person. It was my absolutely honor to celebrate with you!!

I have followed The Grand Estate on Instagram for several years now & it has been at the top of my bucket list for wedding venues to shoot at for a long time. Let me tell you: it did not disappoint. In fact, I think it is my new favorite venue in south western Pennsylvania – just wow. (But, see for yourself!)

Cory & Allie decided that they wanted to do a First Look in order to maximize their time with their guests after their ceremony. This allowed us to take all of their bridal party portraits & family portraits before their ceremony & allowed Cory & Allie to join cocktail hour with their guests!
I love when a couple does a First Look!

So, while I was capturing the photos of Cory & Allie on the bridge, Darcie, my second shooter for the day, snuck around & got this photo of them from across the pond! I’m obsessed!

Allie explained that she really doesn’t care for cake, so instead of a traditional wedding cake, they had a “cake” created for them out of CHEESE!

As dinner was finishing up, we snuck out for just a few moments of sunset photos!

Cory & Allie ended their night with sparklers and (as a surprise to their guests) fireworks!! It was the perfect ending to the perfect day.

Huge shout-out and thank you to the amazing team of vendors, as well as friends & family, who helped make Cory & Allie’s wedding day absolutely perfect!

Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Grand Estate at Hidden Acres in Freeport, PA
Wedding Coordinator: Courtney Kolesha of Plan + Simple Event Design Services
Officiant: Reverend Margaret Rafalko
Invitations: Shutterfly
Catering & Cheese Wheel Cake: Hoffstot’s Cafe Monaco in Oakmont, PA
Florals: Dormont Florist in Dormont, PA
Hair Stylist: Shelly Cabana
Makeup Artist: J. Casaldi Artistry in Pittsburgh, PA
Bridal Gown Shop: This Magic Moment Bridal Studio in Pittsburgh, PA
Bridesmaids Gowns: Azazie
Groom Attire: The Black Tux
DJ: The Soundwaves Event Group in Pittsburgh, PA
Favors: Lindt’s Chocolates
Videographer: Just Hitched Wedding Films in Pittsburgh, PA
Second Photographer: Darcie Lindsay in Pittsburgh, PA
Photographer: Kara Abbey Photography in Irwin, PA