Sarah & Jason / Christmas in July Wedding at Chautauqua Suites

Bride & Groom Portrait on Chautauqua Lake in Mayville, NY

As we were walking out for Sarah & Jason’s First Look, I couldn’t help but sarcastically comment to Sarah, “I’m not sure if you’re happy & excited enough. You might want to take it up a notch.” I was completely kidding of course because Sarah was literally giggling & squealing in delight. Nothing could wipe the smile from her face the entire day.

Since meeting that wonderful day in Orchestra Class at Grove City College and Jason conning his way into spending Fall Break with Sarah & her family – the two became inseparable. The only problem was that their families were from opposite ends of the country. So, even though they spent as much time together as they could deepening their friendship & falling head-over-heels in love at college, when breaks & holidays came, each would go their separate way.

That is, until they breached the 2 year dating mark & Jason graduated from college. As the fall semester came to an end & Christmas Break was upon them, Jason invited Sarah to celebrate Christmas with his family in New Orleans. Not able to imagine another lonely holiday without him, Sarah anxiously agreed.

December 23rd arrived and as the evening wore on, Jason was on the alert for his moment. As cousins and aunts and uncles slowly turned in for the night, Jason suggested to Sarah that they exchange gifts early. Excited, but oblivious to his hidden motives, she agreed. But then quickly decided that they needed to wait until midnight, so it would officially be Christmas Eve. Jason agreed. And in true awesome style, they watched Star Wars to pass the time.

Midnight arrived and the house was quiet. Everyone had gone to bed. Since Jason’s brother was sleeping under the big Christmas tree, they moved their gifts into the next room. Sarah gave Jason her gifts first and then he handed her a wrapped box. She instantly knew what it was. Sarah had mentioned to Jason that she really wanted a keepsake box to hold items that had special meaning. He had found her that box – it looked like a book but was obviously hollow in the middle.

As Sarah opened the gift & giggled in delight that he had remembered her wish, Jason took a deep breath: “I already put a first memory in the box for you.”

I can only imagine that the world stood still as Sarah opened the box to find a diamond ring.

Before anything else could be said, Jason’s brother Sean staggered into the room. Half-asleep, he bumbled his way through. “What are you doing?” Jason asked. Sean muttered something about needing a snack as he continued stumbling through into the kitchen. (They asked him the next morning if he had any recollection of this occurrence & he can’t remember this at all!)

Interruption gone, Jason turned back to Sarah and asked that all important question. With tears streaming down her cheeks and her heart literally bursting with happiness, she said yes.

This past Saturday was the perfect wedding day. Jason & Sarah planned a Christmas in July wedding & I loved all the little Christmas elements they added in! There was enough cloud cover on Saturday to diffuse the light & make it dreamy, enough of a breeze to keep the humidity at bay, and just enough of a light sprinkling of rain for good luck. Sarah & Jason pledged to love each other until death parts them and it was one of the most joyful weddings I’ve ever witnessed!

Jason & Sarah – y’all are obviously soul mates. It’s easy to see, after spending just a few hours with you, that God had a twinkle in His eye when he created each of you for the other. I was honored to be a part of celebrating your wedding day & wish you more and more happiness every day for the next 100 years!

Getting Ready at Grandma's House in Mayville, NY - Wedding Details

Sarah got ready, in the “Blue Room”, at her Grandma’s house, right on Chautauqua Lake.

Getting Ready at Grandma's House in Mayville, NY - Wedding Details Christmas in July Wedding Theme at Chautauqua Inn in Mayville, NY

Sarah’s Grandma’s house is a very special place for Sarah. She & Jason even tried to figure out how they could get married in her backyard, on the shore of Chautauqua Lake. In the end, the decision to have Chautauqua Suites host their wedding was made, and they decided to do a First Look on Grandma’s property instead.

I love First Looks for so many reasons and Saturday just solidified that love. One of my favorite merits of doing a first look is how it calms the bride & groom’s nerves. Usually the bride is the one super nervous, but for Sarah & Jason, it was the other way around. Poor Jason was so anxious Saturday morning that he threw up – twice. However, as soon as he saw his beautiful bride – all of that nervous anxiety melted away. You have to see for yourself to believe it!

Docks traditionally make me nervous on wedding days, but Sarah was confident that she & Jason would be fine out on her Grandma’s dock!

Our plan was to head over to Mayville Lakeside Park to meet up with their bridal party & take more photos. However, there was a huge regatta going on Saturday afternoon and the park was swamped with people. We changed things up last minute and went to the Depot Museum just up the road. It was empty & absolutely perfect!

In an effort to be like Sean – Jason’s brother (yes, the one from the story!) – the guys found these red wigs! Hilarious!

Oh Sarah – you were the most gorgeous bride!!

I loved this moment! The Moms were seated and waiting for the rest of the bridal party to process down the aisle. Jason’s Mom looked over at Sarah’s Mom & asked, “Do you have any tissues?”
Sarah’s Mom said, “No! I forgot to grab some!”
To which Jason’s Mom responded, “That’s okay! I have extras!”
And she tossed a pack of tissues across the aisle.

What an incredible location behind the Chautauqua Suites!

Sarah had told me that there was a photo of her Mom that she wanted to replicate & I loved that we were able to! It is just another item to add to the list of “Sarah is so so sweet & here’s why..”

DJ Nick Meyers of Prime Time DJ Service in Jamestown, NY packed the dance floor & kept it hopping all night!

Do these two look familiar? Jake & Laura were part of Jason & Sarah’s intimate circle of friends at Grove City! It was so fun to see them (almost exactly 1 year after their wedding)!