Real Wedding: Jocelyn & Shane
Floral Design: Gardenworks of Salem
Catering & Event Rentals: Giffy's BBQ
Photography: Carrie Ann Photography
Jocelyn Linendoll and Shane Nolan have known each other since the very beginning. Growing up in adjacent farming towns in New York, the two went to school together starting in kindergarten all the way through high school. Although they were very close friends, and even had a secret crush on one another, the two never dated.
While going to different colleges, the two kept in touch and spent more and more time talking on the phone and visiting each other. It was during this time that Jocelyn told a friend that she knew she would one day marry Shane, in which her friend responded by telling her they better start dating first. Taking her friend's advice, Jocelyn and Shane finally began seeing each other officially and had been together for the next six years.
Unlike many proposals, Jocelyn and Shane's didn't occur over a candle-lit dinner or romantic walk on the beach, but rather over hot-fudge sundaes in her parents' house. While lounging in her pajamas, Shane had come over bringing the ice cream treats along with him. After noticing that her sundae was a little messy, Jocelyn dug in, but her spoon hit something unexpected. At first she thought her treat was contaminated, but the initial shock and disgust quickly turned to excitement and joy after realizing Shane was proposing.
Wanting a meaningful wedding day, the newly-engaged couple decided on having the event held on the farm that Shane's family operates. The owners of the farm complied and allowed the ceremony to be held by the pond and the reception to be in the barn. With help from family members, the barn, which was used for storage, was transformed over two months into a perfect spot for the reception. Shane's sister, Courtney, used old milk cans, baskets and buckets to put flowers in for decorations all over the farm. Other decorations fit the farm theme as well. Galvanized wash tubs and an old feed cart were used to hold bottles of water and place cards that Jocelyn made were hung on bailing twine with clothespins.
Wanting to commemorate her favorite grandmother, Jocelyn chose to use several of her antique canning jars for the floral centerpieces on the tables. She also had the florist put her grandmother's ring on Jocelyn's bouquet so it would be with her during the ceremony. In honor of the way Shane proposed, they also had a sundae bar available for guests to enjoy. The newly-weds also received some surprise gifts during the reception such as a beautiful quilt made by several family members from both sides and a wooden bench that Jocelyn's father crafted.
The professionals used at the wedding provided outstanding service. Giffy's Barbecue catered the event and gave the guest several delicious options to choose from. Instead of party favors, a photo booth was rented and the attendant encouraged the guests to have a good time with it. Photographer Carrie Ann Bombria was able to capture every wonderful moment and guests raved about how much fun they had the whole time.
An after-party was held in the second floor of the barn where guests enjoyed a band playing and snacks such as popcorn and trail mix were available to munch on. This part of the wedding was much more relaxed with people just hanging out and dancing into the wee hours of the night. The perfect evening was capped off by a gorgeous sunset and heat lightning in the distance.
Advice offered by the bride and groom includes the suggestion to start planning immediately. Just doing a little bit at a time, piece by piece, makes the difficulties of wedding planning go much more smoothly. Having a binder helps to keep everything organized and when details need to be found, you can have everything kept in one place. Also, make sure to enjoy the fun and excitement of planning a wedding and cherish every moment because it certainly goes by very fast.