Morgan + Josh | Real Wedding at The Harper

Erie, PA, and “tropical oasis” typically do not appear in the same sentence, but Morgan and Josh’s wedding day brought both together when they wed at The Harper last July. From the moment guests stepped into the venue, they were transported to paradise. Thanks to the help of Morgan’s mom Patty, an event designer, who took the challenge of transforming this space into a modern oasis with a touch of Hollywood glam.

Amid wedding planning, Morgan and Josh, who are also chiropractors, were busy opening up their practice, Back Country Spine and Sport, 160 miles away in State College. So, having Patty assist back home with the wedding design was a huge help to the soon-to-be newlyweds and business owners. But that didn’t stop the couple from including their personal touches in the wedding. Morgan spent the days leading up to their celebration repotting her house plants to use as part of the decor, while Josh brought along a few of his favorite pieces like his go-to sneakers and sunglasses.

Taking a different approach to first looks, Morgan wanted to do something special and decided to have a first look with her grandmother. While Morgan’s grandmother wasn’t quite sure what a first look entailed, she was instantly overcome with joy at seeing her beautiful granddaughter as a bride. It was such a special moment between the two that they will forever cherish.

Despite a tropical storm coming through right before the ceremony—which everyone could agree was very fitting for the theme—their wedding continued without a hitch. Morgan and Josh were officially married in their very own tropical oasis, just like they envisioned from the start.

Our Advice: Our goal was to be as stress free on our wedding day as possible, so the biggest recommendation that I have for currently engaged couples is to choose vendors who match your vision. Just like creating any strong team, selecting vendors who meet your specific needs as a couple makes all the difference. My husband and I are busy small business owners so I knew that we should hire a wedding coordinator as a key member of our vendor team. Thank goodness we did! She was truly invaluable! We are so busy with our business that we never could have pulled it all together without her. Basically, know your strengths, weaknesses, and what your vision is. Having great people to work with makes the planning process so much more enjoyable and takes away so much stress.

“As healthcare providers and give our all to our patients. Having a day where we could just focus on each other and celebrating with our loved ones was absolutely unforgettable!”