Marisa + Rachael | Real Wedding at French Creek Golf Club

It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since the pandemic, a time when going out and meeting new people brought its own set of challenges amongst lockdowns and social distancing. Yet, love finds a way, and in December 2020, Marisa and Rachael were planning to head out on their first date after meeting on Hinge. Having to change dinner locations last minute due to indoor dining restrictions, they ended up outside at The Great American Pub in Phoenixville, PA. As it turns out, they went to the same high school, but graduated two years apart. While it took 12 years for the two to start dating, after a few months they knew they had each found the one.

Soon Marisa and Rachael found themselves planning a wedding with one stipulation: it had to be a summer wedding. Marisa is a physical education teacher, and this was the only time they could get married. So, they picked a date at French Creek Golf Club in mid-July, a perfect sweet spot in the middle of summer break. This also meant that it would be pretty hot out, but their guests made the most of it to see Marisa and Rachael marry each other.

Our Advice: One piece of advice I would give is to try your best not to get caught up in the stress of it all, especially as the date gets closer. I would struggle to fall asleep at night overthinking what our flowers would look like or if we had the best assortments of desserts. The planning process is so fun and special. Looking back, I wish I focused more on how exciting it was to get to pick out vendors and try on dresses as opposed to focusing on everything being perfect. Enjoy the process, focus on the fun, and everything else will fall naturally into place. (You also don’t need every single little detail you see on social media!)

During the reception, Rachael’s sister and maid of honor surprised the couple during speeches with a gift bag. Not sure what to expect, they opened the bag to reveal a clock. But this wasn’t just some home decor item purchased off the registry. Looking closely at the clock, Rachael realized the time was set to when she and Marisa shared their first kiss. It was such a heartfelt moment that left guests in awe and brought tears to the newlyweds.

So many sweet moments were present throughout the day. And it was so special to see their families and friends there to support and celebrate the love that Marisa and Rachael found in one another.

“I would say the most special part of the day were the speeches. I know they can be long and boring to the audience but they were truly special to me. I sobbed when my sister gave her speech. During her speech, she also gave us a clock set to the time we said I do and that was such a special moment for me. I would say a special moment for Marisa was when she surprised her mom by walking down the aisle to her mom’s favorite song – “You’ve Got a Fast Car”.”