2012 bride and groom

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The Grand Garments ...............PAGES 6, 8

The Fantastic Flora.......................PAGE 20

The Eye-Catching Images .....PAGES 16-17

The Just-Right Requests...............PAGE 11

The Perfect Provisions .........PAGES 14, 19

The Trendy Transportation.........PAGE 22

The Tremendous Trimmings ......PAGE 27

The Lovely Locales.......................PAGE 28

The Energizing Entertainment...PAGE 29

The Happy Honeymoons.............PAGE 30

INSIDE

FEATURES EDITORSandra [email protected]

PRESENTATION EDITORLindsey [email protected]

FEATURES REPORTERSMary Therese [email protected]

Sara [email protected]

ON THE COVERAndy Di Duca plants akiss on his new bride, theformer Ainsley Maloney ofForty Fort. Photo courtesyof Mo Gallagher.

AT RIGHTThis photo by Mo Gallagherhighlights the rustic settingof a wedding.

OUR TEAM

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Theweddingwas fast approaching when a re-centbriderealizedshehadn’t fulfilledthetra-ditional mandate to carry “something bor-

rowed.”Too late to see if a friend or relative had a necklace,

earrings or maybe a blue garter to spare, she hastilyasked hermother to lend her someunderwear.“You can KEEP it,” hermother assured her.“No,I’llgiveitback,”thebrideinsisted.“Ithastobe

BORROWED.”So, how important are wedding traditions? Quite

often, the sentimental value is tremendous.

But weddings also can be a time to celebratewith a twist, whether that means cutting yourcake with hockey mascot Tux, firing the gunson a battleship or choosing a honeymoonwhere you can go rock climbing.

Expecting the ship will have a climbing wall,Wilkes-Barre native Jessica Jones said she andher fiancé, Anthony Campanile, probably willtake a cruise after their Oct. 28 wedding.

“We’re not people who can sit quietly on abeach,” said Jones, who teaches first grade inNew Jersey.

Theirs may not be the most conventionalhoneymoon, and the bright purple shoes thebride plans to wear under her gown may sur-prise at least a few of the 270 guests, but stillthere’s room for plenty of tradition in theJones/Campanile nuptials.

Not only will the couple exchange vows on

Jones’ parents’ 28th wedding anniversary, thebridewillbethe fifthgenerationofher familytoexchange vows at Holy Saviour Church inWilkes-Barre.

Her great-great-grandparents, Patrick Wal-laceandMargaretGallagher,were the first cou-ple to get married at the church in the late1800s, before it was even completely built

She’s collecting “something old and some-thing new,” etc., and her “something bor-rowed,” tucked into her bouquet, will be a starpinthatsignifiedher father’s lieutenant-colonelrank in the U.S. Marine Corps.

For her October wedding, Amy Buydos Gra-binski of Harveys Lake took the old rhyme a lit-tle further, honoring the lesser-known line thatcalls not only for “something blue” but for “a

Area couples put personal stamp on wedding festivities

COURTESY PHOTO

Nicole Angeline Borocci and Leo Wentline III dance at their reception after exchanging vows at Holy Family Parish in Luzerne.

MAKING IT THEIR OWNBy MARY THERESE [email protected]

See PERSONAL, Page 10

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Her style, she said, has a sleek-er fit. On a recent Saturdaymorning at Gerri’s Bridal Shopin Pittston, she was pretty sureshe’d found two examples ofwhat she really liked. One of thegowns is very likely the oneshe’ll wear during her weddingto Jason Hiltabidel, which is setfor Sept. 8 at the Boldt Castle inAlexandria Bay, N.Y.

The couple chose that loca-tion because the groom didn’twant to get married in thebride’s hometown of DicksonCity, and she didn’t want Pitts-burgh. The majestic castle,which a millionaire started to

Bride-to-be Laura Dobreniecki ofBloomsburg swished from side to side,her impromptu dance allowing her

mother, sisters, girlfriends and two little niecesto admire the effect of a full, swinging skirt.The “jury” murmured with appreciation.

The gown was lovely. She looked beautiful inthis one, too.Dobreniecki, 31, smiled at her entourage

with the grace of a benevolent queen. But sheknew inherheart thiswasnot thegown forher.

build circa 1900 as a gift for hiswife, became the perfect com-promise.

When it comes to thepersonaldecision of what to wear, many abride hopes there will be noneed to compromise.

Fortunate is the woman whofinds an outfit that expresses herpersonality, takes her breathaway when she looks in the mir-ror, and, often as not, makesMom dab at her eyes.

Mother-of-the-bride Ellen Do-breniecki of Dickson City did in-deed wipe away a few tearswhen she saw her daughter inthe gown Laura liked best.

Still, owner Judy Monko said,during the more than 45 yearsGerri’s Bridal Shop has been inexistence, there have been timeswhen she or her mother, “Ger-ri,” the founder of the business,have had to give a bride someguidance.

“You have to find out what agirl wants and then find some-thing that suits her body type,”Monko said.

Speaking of dresses that suit aperson’s body, bridesmaid JessieWard of Lakeland, Fla., said sheis glad some bridesmaid styles

THE QUEST FOR THE DRESSAIMEE DILGER/THE TIMES LEADER

Friends tell Laura Dobreniecki she looks beautiful in this full-skirted gown she tried on at Gerri’s Bridal in Pittston, but she believes a slimmer fit is more her style.

Fit, style are most important qualities in finding the right gown

By MARY THERESE [email protected]

See GOWN, Page 7

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have disappeared.“This ismyeighth timeasabri-

desmaid,” said Ward, who metDobreniecki when they were stu-dents at Embry-Riddle Aeronau-tical University. “I’m glad to seethe puffy sleeves go and that hot-pink color and all the taffeta.”

She and Dobreniecki’s other at-tendants expect to wear some-thing slim and more subdued.

So what are the trends thisyear?

The sleeveless look continuesto be popular, Monko said, de-spite the lacy sleeves that cov-ered Kate Middleton’s arms dur-ing her much-publicized wed-ding to Prince William last year.

Therese Krauser, owner of theBridal Chateau in Berwick,agreed, but noted: “I am seeing alot of lace bolero jackets for thechurch. It seems the girls are a lit-tle more traditional, a little morecovered up.”

Jackets can be removed for thereception, as can detachable capsleeves.

When you’re looking at a high-qualitybridal dress,Krauser said,you’ll notice built-in bustiers that“hug the body and give a smoothbody form.” The gowns usuallyhave some sort of bustle as well,to which the train can be hookedup after the ceremony.

“Ninety-five percent (ofbrides) want trains, but they’renot as dramatic as they used tobe, not cathedral length, which isvery extreme and long, but a littlemore practical.”

Krauser also has noticed a

trend toward colorful accessoriesfor some brides, especially ontheir feet.

“I justhadayoung ladycome in– we made pink flowers for herhair –andshe’swearingbold, hot-pink shoes.”

GOWNContinued from Page 6

Laura Dobreniecki looks at fabric swatches and jokes with herbridesmaids, Jessie Ward, Amy Dobreniecki and Sandy Hiltabidel,as her mother, Ellen Dobreniecki of Dickson City, watches thebridal party model gowns.

Even if it’s exciting to be in her Aunt Laura’s wedding, Ruby Lennon, 3,of Dickson City, would rather go to lunch than try on a flower-girl dress.

AIMEE DILGER/THE TIMES LEADER

Bride-to-be Laura Dobrenieckishows off the pockets in a bridaldress to her sister Jill Lennon atGerri’s Bridal in Pittston.

“You have tofind out what agirl wants andthen find some-thing that suitsher body type.”

Judy Monko, owner of Gerri’s Bridal

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The Big Day typically fo-cuses on the bride. It’s allabout the dress, the hair

and the shoes. The man usuallystands next to her in classic blackor gray,which is fine bymost, butthis year accessories are helpingthe groomstand out and incorpo-rate his personality into his en-semble.

One such accessory comesfrom Tuxedo Junction in Hanov-er Township, and it belongs sole-ly to that shop.

“NFL vests,” owner Michael Panta-no said. “We have every team here, andif you’re a Giants fan, like me, you’re inluck. For that team, we’ve also got abowtie.”

The vests are reversible, so thegroom can keep the black side to thefront during the ceremony but switchit over to his team’s symbols come re-ception time.

“It’s a fun way to put a personaltouch on the tuxedo, without goingcrazy with it,” Pantano said.

Bowties themselves are comingback into play for the groom’s war-drobe, whether plain or patterned.

“People are looking to go more for-mal, to get away from the suit lookwith the long tie and jacket,” Pantano

Men’s formal wear takes a more laid-back approach


Tuxedo Junction in Hanover Township carries a full set of NFL vests, perfect for the fanatical groom. Perhaps pleasing to the bride, the vests are revers-ible, offering a traditional look during the formal ceremony and a more laid-back look during the reception.

A FAN FAVORITE TUXEDOBy SARA [email protected]

This gray Manhattan shoe follows the pointed-shoe trend seen at many oftoday’s weddings.See TUXEDO, Page 9

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said.“If you look at the awards

shows, a bowtie with a peak lapelis the combination that’s popular,”Charlie Smith of Sarno and Son,which has locations in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton and Edwardsville,said.Those who still prefer ties have

a new style to choose from in theskinny tie, which is significantlythinner than a typical tie.Popular vest and bowtie colors

arestilldarkpurplesandblues,butSmith said a lighter tone, a brightyellow, is slowly filtering into themainstream.Tuxedos themselves are taking

a turn to a lighter color as well.Smith points to The Latte Wind-sor by Perry Ellis.“The color is great for both des-

tination and summer weddings,”he said. “It’s very light but formal.”Classic black and gray tuxedos

are still quite popular, though thefit has changed over the years.

“It’s slimmer,more athletic,” Pan-tano said. One such example is anew line designed by Michael Sor-rentino. Sorrentino is better knownas “The Situation” from the hitMTV reality show “Jersey Shore.”“He added a stripe that goes

fromthe shoulder to thebottomofthe coat that creates a taperedlook, thinning the person out,”Pantano said.The thinning-downdoesn’t stop

at the jacket.“Fitted undershirts are available

as well,” Smith said. “That waywhen the groom or groomsmentake their jackets off, they main-tain a sleek, tailored fit.”


Taking a nod from the 1980s,though not as painfully thin, isthe skinny tie, the newest look ingroom and groomsmen neckwear.

TUXEDOContinued from Page 8

The entire wedding processbegins with one small piece ofjewelry: a ring. While the ringstill holds weight throughoutthe engagement and ceremonyitself, brides also choose otherembellishments to complete thewedding-day look.“Sparkle. It’s all about spar-

kle,” Elva Valentine, of Valen-tine’s Jewelry in Dallas, said.Diamond-cut necklaces in all

shapes are popular. One addi-tion to such a necklace, thepearl, is also a popular bridalchoice.“A full strand of pearls is

sometimes too much, so manybrides are choosing a diamond-cut necklace with a pearl on it,”she said. “The samegoes for ear-rings; many have tiny pearls onthe end.”Full strands of pearls are still

very popular.“You see a lot of dresses with

pearl embellishments,” RoseWateski of Rainbow Jewelers in

Kingston said. “Brides like tomatch the jewelry upwith that.”Tommy Tovon of Tovon and

Co. inWilkes-Barre said a strandusually consists of pearls sizedbetween 6 and 6-and-a-half mil-limeters. The strand itself is typ-ically 18 inches.The style and type of jewelry

also depends on the shape of thedress’s neckline.“Apair of longdangle earrings

works best with a high-neckeddress, forgoing the pendant,”Valentine said. “A scoop neckcalls for a great necklace withless of an earring so that they’renot competing with each other.

The necklace is usually a Y-shape, so it drops down lower.”Earrings range from dangling

and chandelier silhouettes tosmaller studs but never hoops,Valentine said.Wateski has seen many a

bride on the search for gem-stones that match the dresstone.“Anymore, dresses have color

tones in them, such as pink, sobrides look for a pale-pink gem-stone to bring that out of theirgown.”The colored stone is most

popular among bridesmaids.“Inexpensive jewelry, such as

sterling silver, with coloredstones that match the brides-maids gowns are popular,” To-von said.“You don’t want to spend too

much on the party’s jewelry, ormake it stand out more than thebride’s, since it is her day,” Wa-teski said. “Usually if a bridewears pearls, the bridesmaidsdon’t. They want to stand apartfrom the bride, without takingaway from her.”

ACCESSORIZE WITH SPARKLEBy SARA [email protected]

FOR THE TIMES LEADER/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK

Chandelier earrings, like thesefrom Valentine’s Jewelry inDallas, are a popular choice.

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lucky sixpence in her shoe.”“Ievenhadarealsixpence,”Gra-

binski said, explaining her lategrandfather, Anthony Szchowski,brought the coin from England,whereheservedduringWorldWarII, and gave it to herwhen shewasa child. “I was really close to mygrandparents,” she said.Grabinski and her groom, Da-

vid, made sure the bridal dance,the mother/son dance and the fa-ther/daughter dance were part oftheir reception.Another 2011 bride, Kimberly

Pisanti Bartoli of Mayfield andMountain Top, happily reported aspecial guest – Tux, the Wilkes-Barre/ScrantonPenguinsmascot,who“cameanddancedwithevery-body” – helped her and her hus-band,Gino, cut their cake.The couple, whomet at a hock-

ey game, intended to arrangeTux’s visit to their reception them-selves, but when the groom’sbrother died themonth before the

wedding, Bartoli said, the plan“kind of fell to thewayside.”Thebridal attendants, however,

quietlymade it happen.When Tux walked in, Kimberly

Bartoli said, “I was just like, ‘OhmyGod, they got him.’ ”Earlier that day, the Bartolis in-

cluded trumpet music in theirweddingceremonyinmemoryofafriend who had died and lit a can-dle in church in memory of thegroom’s brother Greg and otherfamilymembers.

PERSONALContinued from Page 4

COURTESY PHOTOS

Tux, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins mascot, poses for pho-tos with Kimberly and Gino Bartoli at their February 2011 wedding.

There wasmuch dancing at the September reception of Nicole Borocciand LeoWentline III at the East Mountain Inn. Here the bride and bri-desmaids dance with family friend John Phillips of Schuylkill County.

When Nicole and Jeffrey Alta-villa got married in October, thebride’s mother surprised herdaughter with bagpipe music.See PERSONAL, Page 13

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The invitation is squareand simple, but wrappedaround the top is a piece

so delicate and intricately de-signed anyone would swear it’slace.Uponone touch, it’s obviousit’s just paper.

“Laser cutting is becoming verypopular and is a way to add very de-tailed design to an invitation,” saidKristy Rice, owner of Momental De-signs on Bodle Road in Wyoming.

The laser-cutting process begins inMomental’s shop, with the designersworking with couples to pick out theexact pattern they would like. The de-sign and the chosen paper it’s to be cutfrom are then shipped out to a compa-ny that has high-end equipment usedto cut the design out.

“This works best with floral pat-terns and patterns with very tiny andintricate details,” Rice said.

Intricate details also are a part of an-other style that’s taking over invita-tions: Baroque-like, gilded frames.

“Again, very ornate, very Louis theXVI-inspired,” Rice said. “These havea bit of a more romantic feel to them.”

The frames, like most invitations atMomental, are hand-painted in thestudio, a personal touch for which thecompany is known. The colors thatadorn these invitations are heavy onthe gold accent, but Rice said peopleseem to be sticking with rich blues andpurples for the most part. She alsopoints to Pantone’s color of the year,Tangerine Tango, which is making anappearance in all facets of the weddingcircuit.

Couples also must consider thewording on the invitation, which isjust as important as the look. Familydynamics have changed throughoutthe years, with many couples placingnot only mothers and fathers but step-mothers, stepfathers and sometimesgrandparents on invitations. Family-member inclusion is up to the couple,and the placement of more than Momand Dad on an invitation is acceptable,experts say.

Dr. John Mellon, an etiquette work-shop instructor for the GuaranteedPlacement Program at MisericordiaUniversity, said the most importantwords to pay attention to are those

THE INVITING DETAILS

SUBMITTED PHOTO

The top band of this invitation from Momental Designs in Wyoming is laser-cut paper, which is becoming popular inthe world of invitations. A closer inspection shows the intricate detail that laser cutting provides to any pattern.

SARA [email protected]

See INVITING, Page 15

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Similarly, August newlywedsLaura Reeves Flynn and Ryan Pa-trick Flynn of Hunlock Creek pre-sented their wedding flowers tothe parents of the groom, Josephand Gloria Flynn of Plains Town-ship, to show the groom’s latebrother, Ronald Milgate, was notforgotten.

In a lighter vein, there are manywaystomakesurefavoritehobbiesand sports, people and even petsare represented on the big day.

Nicole Borocci and Leo Wen-tline of Allentown chose the EastMountain Inn as a reception ven-ue, partly drawn to its large dancefloor.

“I was dancing the whole time,”the new Mrs. Wentline said. “Wehad songs from the ’70s and goinginto the ’80s. (The DJ asked) whatsongs did I want, what songs did Inot want. We had the Beatles, theRolling Stones. Frank Sinatra wasour first dance.”

For another kind of musical ex-

perience, recent bride Nicole Grif-fith Altavilla of Wilkes-Barre said,“Mymotheractuallysurprisedmewith bagpipers. They played theNotre Dame fight song.”

Pets also find themselves withwedding roles.

“Bella did not come to the wed-ding,” Ali Ostrum Schappert ofHanover Township said of herplayful little dog, all decked out inwhite. “But I made sure to get lotsof photos with her at my home be-fore and after the wedding.”

Schappert also was pleased toinclude a young flower girl andring bearer, McKenzie Bannonand Hunter Wesolowski, amongthe attendants.

Ifyouhaveaspecialniece,neph-ew or child of a friend, Schappertsaid,theycanbelivelyadditionstothe festivities.

Forperhapstheliveliestcelebra-tion of all, Nicole Konopki andJohn Cantone of Toms River, N.J.,havescheduledtheirSept.1recep-tion for the Battleship New Jersey,which has a view of both Camden,N.J., and Philadelphia.

“We wanted somethingunique,” explained Konopki,whose mother lives in Plains

Township. “My fiancé is a bigWorld War II buff.

“Instead of numbers for the ta-bles, they’re named after battle-ships, like the Missouri and theBismarck. We even get to shoot offthe guns,” she said. “It’s a buttonyou press, and the guests will allwear ear protection.”

PERSONALContinued from Page 10

The Ostrum/Schappert wedding party included a large number ofbridesmaids, groomsmen and a young flower girl and ring bearer.

Friend of the bride Hunter Wesolowski was ring bearer and niece ofthe groom McKenzie Bannon was flower girl when Ali Ostrum andFrancis Schappert were married.

COURTESY PHOTOS

When Jessica Jones and Antho-ny Campanile get married inOctober, the wedding will takeplace at Holy Saviour Church inWilkes-Barre, where four previousgenerations of the bride’s familyalready have exchanged vows.

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The flavorswerevanilla andchoco-late, the icing butter cream, thelittle bride and groom on top a

“Precious Moments” figurine.And the former Laura Beth Reeves,

who became the bride of Ryan PatrickFlynn in August, loved her cake.“Wehada really, really pretty cake,” the

Hunlock Creek woman said, describing“a small waterfall underneath it, withsome flower petals lying on the table.”The many-tiered confection came from

the Sanitary Bakery of Nanticoke, and thetopper was something the bride’s mother,Jessica Harvey of Plymouth, had beenkeeping for her daughter for a long time.

While many brides and groomsopt for the cake tradition, otherscast their vote for a different dess-ert.

“We do make cakes, but we canalso do a cupcake tower,” saidLindsay Bezick, banquet coordi-nator at the Genetti Best Westernin Wilkes-Barre. “We can do theViennese desserts with cream-puff swans and mini cannolis.”

“We can set up stations for youto make your own ice-cream sun-daes.”

“Or, a new trend is a cookies-and-milk station. You can havegourmet cookies and differentflavors of milk, served in littleshot glasses.”

“People are doing candy buf-fets, big dessert bars. Sometimesthey want ‘late-night, gourmetjunk food,’ ” she said, explaininghow popcorn and pretzels with

dipping sauces or just about anyfood you might desire can appeara few hours after dinner, aboutthe time people might want asnack.

Some brides and grooms,when they choose a dessert like

Move over, cakes – milk-and-cookie bars, cupcake towers and bananas Foster grow in popularity

BILL TARUTIS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER

Gourmet cookies and chocolate-covered pretzels and strawberries can figure into a dessert bar or ‘late-night snack’ during a wedding at Genetti’s in Wilkes-Barre.

A SWEET TRADITION

Laura Beth Reeves and Ryan Pa-trick Flynn celebrated their wed-ding with a towering cake, toppedwith a Precious Moments figurine.

MARY THERESE [email protected]

See SWEET, Page 15

A cupcake tower takes theshape of a cake but offers moreease of use.

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that express the actual invite.“If it comes down to any word-

ing at all, it should be ‘request thehonor of your presence.’ You’retelling the guests that it would bean honor to have them attend thewedding.”

Though it’s not often seen in aworld of mass-printed invites,Mellon also said it’s important tohand-write the guests’ names.

“You should leave a blank lineon each invitation where theguest’s name should go and hand-write that in. It’s incredibly per-sonal and a nice touch.”

Mellon said all single inviteesshould have an “and guest” at-tached to their names.

“Brides and grooms just wanttheir guests to be comfortable,”he said, “so inviting the plus onefor a single person from the startgives that option and eliminatesthe possibility of a guest beinguncertain if they may bring a dateor not.”

INVITINGContinued from Page 11

gourmet cookies and milk, alsomay display a cake that will becut and sent home with theirguests.

Others will forget about cakesentirely and opt for a dessertsuch as chocolate mousse, cher-ries jubilee or bananas Foster.

“It makes the entire dining ex-perience more memorable,”Chef John Hudak Jr. of Vander-lyn’s Restaurant said of the flam-ing desserts.

Speaking of food, autumnbride Amy Buydos Grabinski ofHarveys Lake said she has onewedding-related disappoint-ment, which she offers as advicefor future brides and grooms.

It might have happened be-cause she was so busy or so ex-cited.

“I didn’t eat a lot, which I re-gret,” said Grabinski, whose re-ception was at Appletree Ter-race at Newberry Estate. “Every-one said it was phenomenal.”


In addition to cake, there are other options for dessert, rangingfrom gourmet cookies and milk to flaming cherries jubilee tosomething heavy on the chocolate, such as these chocolate cher-ry brownies, served recently at the Genetti Best Western indowntown Wilkes-Barre.

Cake pops, such as these fromGenetti’s, are a different way togive your guests a taste of cake.

Cake is great, but some bridesand grooms are opting forother desserts, including gour-met chocolate cookies such asthese served recently at theGenetti Best Western.

SWEETContinued from Page 14

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A grilled cheese sandwich issimply grilled cheese. Butadd a slice of lobster and a

shot glass of tomato bisque, andyou have an appetizer designed towow your wedding guests.

Chef John Hudak Jr. and his crewat Vanderlyn’s Restaurant in King-ston recently whipped up some lob-ster grilled cheese and several othersamples of fancy hors d’oeuvres,showing off a variety of colors, tex-tures and presentation.

Atop a round sourdough crouton,for example, there was a relish of ba-con and corn. And on top of the ba-

con and corn, a pair of shrimp ap-peared entwined in an embrace, un-der their drizzle of barbecue sauce.

The spinach salad with warm ba-con dressing came in a margaritaglass, the Asian panko-encrustedscallops with plum sauce arrived inan Asian-style spoon, and the flat-iron steak was adorned with microgreens.

“It sure beats a meatball on atoothpick,” Vanderlyn’s co-ownerSuzanne Rismondo said as the kitch-en crew brought out more and moresamples.

Presentation means a lot duringan elegant affair, Hudak said, andhe’s happy to entertain guests by let-

Grilled cheese is dressed up withlobster and shots of tomato soup.

Shrimp are served with bacon cornrelish on sourdough croutons.

Panko-encrusted scallops are servedin plum sauce.

Slices of flat-iron steak are servedwith micro greens.

FUN, FANCYMIXWELLBILL TARUTIS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER

‘Fire adds excitement,’ said executive chef John Hudak Jr., who often prepares bananas Foster for weddings at Vanderlyn’s Restaurant in Kingston.

Traditional dinners complemented by contemporary hors d’oeuvres


See FARE, Page 23

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“Nine out of 10 ask for color,” theflorist saidSometimes that color is just a

hint of delicate pastel.“I had a mix of white and a little

bit of light pink,” said Nicole Grif-fith Altavilla of Wilkes-Barre, whoexchanged vows with Jeffrey Alta-villa on Oct. 7 at Bentley’s in Ash-ley.Other times, a bride requests a

rainbow.“My flowers were very colorful,

which iswhat Iwanted. I have a col-orful personality, and this was kind

Gerbera daisies may suit the spring, and hydrangeasmay look fetching in fall, but if you ask florist AnnaWadas for the most popular bridal flower any time of

year, she’ll tell you: roses.“They stay firm in no-matter-what temperature,” she said.

Earlier this month Wadasshowed off a sample of the kind ofrose bouquets she builds at A &MFloral Express on Carey Avenue inWilkes-Barre.The stems had been neatly

clipped and hand-bound with rib-bon, and a sparkling crystal hadbeen inserted into the center ofeach rose, the better to show off itsbrilliant ruby-hued petals.“A lot of my girls do red roses,”

Wadas said.Nomatter what kind of flowers a

bride may choose, gone are thedays when tradition demanded shecarry only white blossoms.

Stem selections vary widely based on a bride’s preference

COURTESY PHOTO

Rainflorest Floral & Gifts crafted the large ‘love’ sign for the Ostrum-Schappert wedding reception.

A BLOSSOM OF COLORS

CLARK VAN ORDEN PHOTOS/THE TIMES LEADER

LEFT: Anna Wadas of A&M FloralExpress in Wilkes-Barre puts aspecial touch on her bouquets of redroses.

ABOVE: Anna Wadas insertedsparkling crystals into red roses todress up a classic look.


See BLOSSOM, Page 21

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of my way of making it show up,” said Ni-cole Borocci Wentline of Allentown, whowed Leo Wentline III on Sept. 24 at HolyFamily Parish in Luzerne.For her October wedding to David Gra-

binski, Amy Buydos carried a bouquet ofwarm fall colors into Holy Trinity Churchin Nanticoke. She wanted to continue theautumn theme during the reception at Ap-pletree Terrace at Newberry Estates inDallas.“I was going to do pumpkins, but then I

thought thatwouldbe toomuch,” she said,adding shewas thrilledwith the “tall cylin-ders filled with apples and willow-treebranches” that florist John Mackey ofScranton arranged for her. “They weresimply gorgeous.”AliOstrumSchappert ofHanoverTown-

ship said she’s grateful to her new in-lawsfor arranging for Rainflorest Floral&Giftsof Scranton to supply the flowers.Her bou-quet contained calla lilies among an as-sortment of blossoms, and the brides-maids’ bouquets “each had a different typeof flower.”For the reception at the Sand Springs

CountryClub inDrums, florist BethLewisadded an innovative wall decoration – theword “love” spelled out in moss.Lewis said she crafted “L-O-V-E” from

chickenwire and plywood, covered it withpreserved moss and added silk roses forthe wedding. Earlier this month, the samemoss creation graced the front window oftheRainflorest shop,withhearts added forValentine’s Day.

Roses and grape vines figured in the décor during the reception for Ali Ostrum andFrancis Schappert.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Pink flowers mingled with white when Nicole Griffith became the bride of JeffreyAltavilla in October.

Fall colors added a colorful accent whenAmy Buydos became the bride of DavidGrabinski in October at Holy TrinityChurch in Nanticoke.

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All heads turn as a horse-drawn carriage pulls up to the front ofthe church, a beautiful bride sitting in the seat, beaming fromear to ear. It’s a fairy-tale scenario of whichmany girls dream,

and it’s no longer just for Cinderella. Black Horse Farm in Honesdalemakes this dream come true for many a bride.

For years, owner David Swingle hasprovided horse-drawn carriages forcouples.“We can do whatever the bride and

groomwant,” he said. “The couple canbedriven to theceremonyorpickedupafterwards and transported to the pho-to or reception site.“Many couples tell me that the ride

after the ceremony is the perfect quiettime, the only time no one is pokingand prodding them throughout thecourse of their wedding day.”Swingle provides a carriage, horse

and driver for two hours and up to a25-mile radius for $500. An additionalhorse can be requested, or may some-times be necessary depending on howlong theroute is andwhetherornot it’sa smooth or hilly ride, at an additional

$100.The horses are European Belgians

and Pertrons and are black, gray andstrawberry colors.If a large bridal party needs trans-

porting, Black Horse also provides ahay wagon that seats 18.“There’s no mess,” Swingle said. “I

cover the bales up with wool blanketsso the ride is comfortable and hayfree.”Thehorse and carriage is not the on-

ly alternative to traditional limousinesor multicar processions. AJ LimoCoach in Berwick rents out the “5thStreet Trolley,” an old-time San Fran-cisco cable car that runs on wheels.“Manyplaceswill paint abus to look

From horse and carriage to trolley car, these services are going to the chapel

DON CAREY FILE PHOTO/THE TIMES LEADER

Meghan Horn and Daniel Upton leave their wedding rehearsal at St. Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre in a horse-drawn carriage on their way to a dinner atthe Stegmaier Mansion.

TRENDY TRANSPORTATIONBy SARA POKORNY

[email protected]

SUBMITTED PHOTO

The 5th Street Trolley from AJ Limo Coach in Berwick is an authenticstreet car that not only seats many guests but provides beautiful photoopportunities.See TRANSPORT, Page 23

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ting themwatch the creation of aflamboyant dessert such as ba-nanas Foster.Flames leapt into the air asHu-

dak added rum and then bananaliqueur to a hot pan. “Fire bringsexcitement,” he said.Another type of excitement

comes when you serve novel cui-sine, he said, remembering atime when a couple wed in Ha-waii, then had a local receptiondesigned togive guests a touchofthe islands.“I had to do some research,”

Hudak said, explaining he put to-gether a Polynesian-flavored me-nu.Other restaurateurs have

found many brides and groomswant to offer their guests thekind of comfort food that hasbeen a tradition at Wyoming Val-leywedding receptions for gener-ations.“They seem to be staying tradi-

tional,” said Michael Augello,

owner of the Gramercy Ballroom& Restaurant in Pittston. “Theyusually pick some sort of beef,some sort of chicken and usuallyanother meat or two.”Italian sausage and Italian

meatballs are favorites with fam-ily-style dinners, he said. “Withsit-downs,weoffer veal parmigia-na and chicken scampi.”“You should have at least a

cheese table and a few hot items”during the cocktail hour, to holdpeople over until dinner, he said,and lest your guests be disap-

pointed, “Make sure you includea dish of our pasta.”At the Genetti Best Western in

Wilkes-Barre, home to OysterRestaurant, banquet coordinatorLindsay Bezick said“We’ve started to have Oyster

weddings. We consider that the‘platinum’ wedding package ofNortheastern Pennsylvania.”If you wish, you can have raw

oysters on the half shell, or Oys-ters Savannah, which are fried.But there aremany other types

of food. Popular entrees are surfand turf, wasabi-encrusted filetmignon and just about anythingyou would like.“We can set up pasta stations

where guests can add whateverthey want, whether it’s chickenor sundried tomatoes. We alsohave risotto stations where youcan have your risotto made to or-der.”Name your pleasure: Cheese

fondues and chocolate fondues?Hand-rolled sushi? Fresh-bakedbreads and fruits? The ever-pop-ular prime rib?It can all be arranged, Bezick

said.

FAREContinued from Page 19


Spinach salad with warm bacondressing can be served in amargarita glass at Vanderlyn’sRestaurant in Kingston.

like a trolley, but this is built as atrolley should be,” owner JohnBower said. “It’s nostalgic andornamental and great for photoopportunities.”The trolley seats 22 with

standing room left for 16 people,thoughBowersaid they typicallytry not to pack it that tightly.There’s a deck on the back of thevehicle that a couple can walkout on and use for photos.“Manypeoplechoosetouse the

trolley for photos in the early partof the day, then use it as a shuttlefor out-of-town guests from thehotel to the reception site lateron,” Bower said.

“The nice thing about the trol-ley is that it won’t go out of stylein five years, not like a limodoes,when the bodies change shape.This is timeless.”Limousines are still around,

though Carl Gross of LuxuryLimousine in Pittston said over-size vehicles such as limo busesare more the norm.“Bridal parties are bigger and

want to travel in one vehicle,plus it saves on cost,” he said.Luxury Limousine provides

18-passenger limo buses thatGross saidare “basically little liv-ing rooms.” There is also a 14-passenger Cadillac Escalade anda newaddition to the fleet: a Bar-bie-pink Hummer.“ThepinkHummer is away to

stand out, to add your own twistto the wedding,” Gross said. “Italso looks great in pictures.”

A Barbie-pink hummer is the newest addition to the fleet atLuxury Limousine in Pittston.

TRANSPORTContinued from

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Where once large, volu-minous floral ar-rangements almost

took over a table, smaller plantsnow provide a natural, scaled-down look. Elaborate, intricatecenterpieces have been replacedby do-it-yourself projects thatput personal flair into weddingdécor.

“Brides are looking to simplerthings now,” event coordinator Re-becca Parry of Harding-based compa-ny Rebecca Elizabeth Weddings andEvents said. “Flowers are becomingplayed out, so they’re looking to otheroptions.”Parry said candles are popular.“Different-sized candles and vases

that are layered and in different levelsof candlelight are being put togethertomake centerpieces and decorationsthroughout the room.”Parry, who has always been a crafty

person, makes such centerpieces onher own and guides brides throughthe selection process.“DIY can be daunting,” she said,

“but you need to understand that allyou need is someone to point you inthe right direction to make it easier.”The “organic” look is increasingly

popular.“We are slowly moving away from

plastic orunnatural decor andmovingtowards a more natural and rusticfeel,” wedding planner Danielle Pas-ternak of Clarks Summit said.Parry, who is planning her own

wedding, is using bamboo in place offloral arrangements.As far asmaterials go, burlap is pop-

ping up at many receptions.“Burlap looks great, but there’s a

downside to it,” Judy Broody of Col-lective Event Professionals in Dallassaid. “It gets all over you; it’s a littleallergy provoking. It’s a natural fiber.”The company now carries faux bur-

lap, which Broody says provides “anatural look, without the downside toit.”Collective, which can be found at

www.LinenStock.com, provides vari-ous linens and strives to add a person-al, artsy touch. The company doesmonogrammed and imprinted linenssuch as napkins, runners and table-cloths.When considering fabric and color

choices for linens, Broody said, thebride and groommust remember thatlinens are typically what cover thelargest amount of space in the room.“It’s on tables, chairs; it covers a

massive amount of square footage.Whatever color or fabric you choose,it will provide an impact on sizealone.”“Fabric is important because it’s not

only decorative but gets the job doneon a utilitarian level, covering up ta-ble and chair legs, sometimes even

walls and windows,” she said.For colors, Broody said couples

who do not choose to go the ever-pop-ular vintage route are leaning towardvibrant hues.“Color blocking is big, picking col-

ors that complement each other.”The biggest trend for the year,

though, is using Pantone’s colorchoice ofTangerineTango, so if you’reon awedding guest list any time soon,Broody said, expect to see lots of or-ange, red-orange and coral.

ALL THE BEST TRIMMINGS

PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER

Pairing pumpkins and a hay bale is a fun way to jazz up a fall wedding celebration.

By SARA [email protected]

Do-it-yourself centerpieces arecoming into play at many weddingreceptions, much like those weddingplanner Rebecca Parry builds.

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Location, location, location.When it comes to the bigday, that’s one of the big-

gest decisions, the one a coupleusually wants to nail down first.Northeastern Pennsylvania of-

fers several options for weddingsbig and small, formal and infor-mal.A venue relatively new to the

scene is Posh at the ScrantonClub on Washington Street indowntown Scranton.

“Everything is done on site,” co-owner Joshua Mast said, “from thefood, flowers, décor and even to ar-range any service we don’t alreadyprovide. We can do event planning forthe bride and groom as well, so it’s a

one-stop shop, allowing them to notworry about who they should call forthis and that.”The club was built in 1905. Two ball-

rooms on the second floor can accom-modate up to 150 people, providingspace for parties as small as 35 and asbig as 300.The menu, overseen by executive

chef Jim McNally, is customizable,and Mast said the venue strives to tai-lor it to a couple’s tastes.“We have done everything from a ve-

ry fancy cocktail party to a classicfour-course, sit-down dinner,” Mastsaid. “We want to accommodate what-ever our guests are looking for.”The Inne of the Abingtons in Dalton

also provides several options for wed-dings and offers ceremony coordina-tors who work side by side with cou-ples throughout the process.Outdoor weddings are performed in

the Garden Pavilion and Gazebo fromMarch through November.The ceremony is performed in the

gazebo as the guests are seated in theadjoining pavilion. The Ivy Room andFireside room are used for winter wed-dings.Packages include the top-tier Pre-

mier, the classic package, an indoor-outdoor package and a nomadic pack-age with food stations scattered

throughout the reception site.If a fancier or bigger venue doesn’t

seem suitable to your taste, weddingcoordinator Danielle Pasternak notedseveral less traditional options.“Smaller weddings are becoming

more popular at wineries, restaurantsand in people’s backyards,” she said.

VENUE A PIVOTAL DECISIONBy SARA [email protected]

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Would you like a full-blownorchestra at your recep-tion or maybe just a quar-

tet? How about a DJ who spins greatdance music all night long?

When it comes to choosing enter-tainment for a wedding day, it’s allabout preference and setting amood, but if someone prefers thebest of both worlds, Kris Sheridan ofTopShelf Entertainment in Peckvilleis the man to see.

TopShelf has been providing a band/DJmix since 1991.“A lot of people would like a band but

can’t afford it,” Sheridan said. “They don’trealize that it canbecomepricey.Years agoI decided to combine the two elements sothat couples could choose what they wantwithout having to go over budget.”TopShelf is a full DJ company to start

but adds a twist in the form of an acousticguitar. Sheridan is available to play soloduring both the ceremony and dinnerhour.“It really helps to engage the guests dur-

ing the dinner hour,” he said. “I havemanypeople that come up to me and ask what Ijust played or they have song requests.”Sheridan offers a fully customizable

song set for both the acoustic and DJ por-tions of the night. He plays everythingfrom the Beatles and Sinatra to today’s ra-dio hits.TopShelf employees also act as coordi-

nators. Sheridan has four women whowork alongside him, and he always bringsat least one along.“They’re there to make sure everything

is in its place and people are where theyneed to be.”When the question of what form of en-

tertainment is settled, the question be-comes: What traditions are worth keep-ing? Chicken dance, dollar dance, fatherand bride, mother and groom … Are theyall still a crucial part of a reception?Clarks Summit wedding planner Da-

nielle Pasternak said while a mix of bands

and DJs is still seen at weddings, some ofthe dance customs are shifting.“The traditional dances are still there,

but the garter/bouquet toss is fizzling out,along with the dollar dance. Couples arefindingdifferentways tohave special danc-es that are more unique to them and theirstyle.”Chastity Slater of Clarks Summit is hop-

ing to put a spin on the dollar dance at her2014 wedding.“I’ve heard of people guest bartending,”

she said. “Basically, my husband and I willtake over the bar for a certain amount oftime, and we get all the tips that are givento us while we’re serving drinks.”Another twist to the dollar dance cou-

ples up with the old tradition of “kidnap-ping” the bride. Guests gather around thebride, and the groommust break the circleto reach her. After this happens, the wed-ding party can pass a jar, or several, amongthe tables to collect “ransom” to get thebride back.The money, of course, is meant to send

the couple off on their honeymoon with alittle extra pocket money.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Kris Sheridan of TopShelf Entertain-ment offers full DJ service for a recep-tion with the option to have acoustic-guitar music during the ceremony anddinner hour.

SETTING THE RIGHT NOTEBy SARA [email protected]

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When Alison and Fran-cis Schappert of Ha-nover Township

planned their 2011 honeymoon,they looked to the Hawaiian Is-lands. Not only would the 50thstate be a balmy, tropical paradi-se, they believed it could be theironce-in-a-lifetime chance.

“We figuredwe’dbettergo therenowbecause who knows if we’ll ever goback,” the former Alison Ostrum said.But after riding bicycles along the

side of a volcano – a relaxing twohours, downhill all the way – paddle-boarding in the ocean and swimmingwith sea turtles, the Schapperts resolv-ed: “We will definitely go back.”No doubt that’s the sign a couple

picked the right destination.“We’re going back again in May,”

said Nicole Altavilla, who visited Dis-neyWorld inFloridawithherhusband,Jeffrey, a few weeks after their Oct. 7wedding.By spending the end of October and

beginning of November in DisneyWorld, the Altavillas experienced theMagic Kingdom with both its Hallo-ween and then its Christmas decor.“Our balcony opened up, and we

could see the fireworks every night.The food was excellent. We ate in thecastle; all the princesses were there,”said Altavilla, who posed for photoswith Disney characters as diverse asSnowWhite and Piglet.While Disney World sounds like a

place where you might feel as carefreeas a child, otherdestinationsgiveyouachance to soak up some serious histo-ry.“My husband and I are both of Ital-

ian descent. He really wanted Italy; Ihad in mind Greece,” said Nicole Bo-rocci Wentline of Allentown, explain-ing she and her husband, Leo, compro-misedwith a honeymoon in bothMed-iterranean countries.The trip allowed the couple to expe-

rience fascinating sites, including “theAcropolis, archaeological ruins, all theoldGrecian theaters, a temple dedicat-ed to all the different gods, the Trevifountain and a day at the Vatican.”Americans may have seen recent

news reports about rioting in Greecesparked by its economic problems, butAltavilla said the only problem thenewlyweds experienced was a Metro

strike. They simply took cabs instead.Greece, Italy, Florida,Hawaii… they

all havewarmclimates. SodoesAruba,where Amy and David Grabinski ofHarveys Lake happily zipped aroundon an all-terrain vehicle after their Oc-tober wedding.“It only rained for five minutes.

Then it was 90 degrees and sunnyagain,” Amy Grabinski said.Newlyweds dogravitate toward sun-

ny locations, said KarenMonko-Nagleof Sea theWorld Travel Agency in For-ty Fort, who lists the Caribbean as atop hot spot. For couples willing totravel farther, she said, she’s starting tobook Australian honeymoons.There they can visit the capital of

Sydney, see its famous opera houseandeven climb thenearbySydneyHar-bour Bridge. “It’s amazing,” said Mon-ko-Nagle, who experienced the guidedclimb herself. “You have to wear aspacesuit type of attire, and you have acable around your waist for safety.”To get away from the big-city atmo-

sphere in Australia, you also can ride ahot-air balloon over the Outback “andsee kangaroos hopping around below,”Monko-Nagle said.The flight from JFK Airport to “the

land down under” is 22 hours, but youcan break it up by stopping in Califor-nia or Fiji.

HAPPY HONEYMOONERSBy MARY THERESE [email protected]

COURTESY PHOTOS

Amy and David Grabinski of Harveys Lake enjoyed riding all-terrain vehicles on their honeymoon to Aruba.

He wanted Italy, she wanted Greece. Nicole and Leo Wentline visited bothcountries for their honeymoon.

Snow White greets Nicole Altavilla, who enjoyed a honeymoon to DisneyWorld in Florida with her new husband, Jeffrey.

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