Casual Candids PHotography
Wedding 2013
From the time they play tea party with Disney Princesses, little girls dream of getting married. Some day, after what seems like endless dating, Prince Charming proposes with a ring. And on her wedding day, Cinderella can have it all—the dress, the flowers, the church, the dancing. But first, she needs to do some research into businesses and the latest bridal trends to plan the magical event.
Emilie Haertsch said “Yes” to Michael Messina on December 21, 2010. Mike gallantly proposed to her at a Georgetown University fountain that they had jumped into during a rain storm years before as high school students on a scholarship program. Mike personally designed the traditional round cut engagement ring on a vintage pattern. The couple was engaged for a year and a half, and chose July 7, 2012 as their wedding date.
Emilie planned the wedding herself, but did have a friend who is an event planner serve as her day-of coordinator. “We wanted something that was vintage and elegant, but still relaxed. We did not want our guests to feel uncomfortable. We also wanted to have the wedding in an historic part of Philadelphia,” she says.
It was decided that the ceremony would take place at Old St. Joseph’s Church. Founded in 1733, it is the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Philadelphia. A friend of the couple, Father Ray Donaldson, traveled from North Carolina to conduct the mass. “The church had special meaning for me because my grandmother used to go there when she was a girl. It also was the church I went to when I was going to Temple University,” Emilie says.
For the reception, Society Hill Dance Academy was selected. “We wanted a space that was more personal. It was an historic building going back to the Colonial period. It also was a few blocks away from the church,” Emilie says. Emilie’s cousin, Ray Haertsch, a professional musician and disc jockey, provided entertainment. Emilie and Mike took ballroom dance lessons before the wedding and performed a choreographed Foxtrot style dance. Their wedding song was The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra.
To see more about this picturesque wedding, turn to page 126 in the Spring 2013 issue of Bucks County Magazine.