andrea + peter // Knox Farm East Aurora

I met Andrea several years ago when she was the maid of honor in her best friend’s wedding (our beautiful bride, Kate)!! Years went by, and then one day, she popped into my inbox to say that she remembered working with us at Kate and Afton’s wedding and had always said that when it was her turn to get married, she would get in touch with us. Well, that email made my entire life!!  What a feeling to know that we had made that much of an impact! I was thrilled to be a part of Andrea and Peter’s wedding day, and so, so grateful that they chose us.

Andrea and Peter met in 2008 during grad school at the University of Virginia where they were both studying to be biologists! They started out as lab partners, and when Peter finally got the courage to ask Andrea on a date they decided on the perfect setting for their shared love of all things green – a beautiful nature hike. As they hiked around the trails of Charlottesville, in true biologist fashion, Peter looked up for birds and Andrea looked down for plants. Towards the end of their hike, Peter surprised Andrea by pulling out a thermos of hot tea and some gluten-free cookies, which do not come cheap (especially for grad students)! Andrea, being a Celiac, was completely charmed by this sweet gesture. The rest, as they say, is history.

So, what happens when two sweet and shy biologists fall in love? You get a gorgeous nature inspired outdoor wedding filled with flowers, greenery and lots of unforgettable moments. Oh, and an incredible dress that was customized by the bride herself! (Who would ever think that a veil didn’t actually have to go on your head?! Well, apparently a scientist would. And it was amazing.) Lucky for you, Andrea and Peter shared some beautiful words about their relationship together and the special moments of their wedding day. Read along as your scroll through!

Andrea: “After grad school, Peter and I decided to take separate post-doctoral positions ‘of our dreams’. This meant that our relationship was going to be long-distance for about three years. It ended up being much harder than we both had expected. We only got to see each other about twice a year.“

Andrea: “On Christmas 2014 Peter proposed. He had been working with my mom and the jewelers on the ring via Skype, and she had hidden it in her house for him. I had just picked him up from the airport and it was quite late. He suggested we exchange Christmas gifts, and then disappeared into the bathroom for a long time. He eventually came out (after finding the hidden ring). After I gave him a scarf (not a fair exchange, as it turns out…), he gave me a ring. The proposal was perfect – it was simple, quiet, and just the two of us.“

Andrea: “I remember feeling so nervous when I woke up morning of our wedding. Luckily, everything got busy very fast, so I didn’t have too much time to get worried. I had a lot of fun getting ready with my bridesmaids and my parents. It was so meaningful to me to get ready for my wedding in my parents’ house.“

Andrea: “I think that our personalities balance each other out. Peter has a calming effect on me, and I think that I bring Peter out of his shell a little bit. We can also always be 100% ourselves with each other, and it’s been like that since we started dating. Even though we’ve been together for eight years, I still feel like we’re learning new things about each other. And, we push each other to be better people.“

Andrea: “One of my favorite things about our wedding was my ring-bearer nephew, Roman. He is the apple of my eye, and did really well for a 1.5 year old, busy, little guy. We didn’t give him a pillow or rings because he was in a phase where he threw almost anything you gave him.“

Andrea: “I was nervous walking down the aisle – I’m pretty sure I had a death grip on my dad’s arm. But, I was so excited to be getting married to Peter, and so relieved that our wedding day was finally here.“

Andrea: “Honestly, a lot of the things in the wedding probably made both Peter and I nervous, since we are a pretty private couple. But since the ‘crowd’ was our friends and family, it made it less intimidating. Looking around at everyone’s faces during the ceremony is a memory I will never forget – it was so surreal and wonderful to have all of our friends and family in one place. Plus, Peter was so calm during the whole ceremony. He always calms me, and I relaxed (a bit!) holding his hands.“

Peter: “During the ring exchange, Andrea put my ring on the wrong hand, even though we had discussed which hand was the right one. We laugh about it now, and she tells people that she was putting my ring on my right hand because that’s the hand that most men in Europe wear it on.”

Peter: “Andrea looked so pretty. She had mentioned to me that she wasn’t wearing a traditional veil, which made her nervous. But I really liked her veil skirt.“

Andrea: “My favorite part of taking pictures was after the ceremony, at the ‘golden hour’. We got to walk in a field, and it felt like we were mostly alone. It was a really nice time to step away from the reception and catch a breath. The open field is not only a beautiful setting, but it also reminded us a little bit of work (in a good way!), and what we initially bonded over as biologists – the natural world.“

Andrea: “I loved being able to finally meet some of Peter’s extended family. They were so lovely, and it was nice that they came for the wedding.“

Andrea + Peter: “Jenn and Ben were really awesome and calm. We’ve always felt like we’re a bit awkward to photograph but we were so happy with the results, and in particular we loved that they caught real and candid moments with us and with our guests.“

Andrea: “I spent a long time on the phone with Jenn before the wedding, where she walked me through the various steps of the photography and asked me if I had any questions or concerns. I thought that it was really meaningful that she spent so much time with me, and on our wedding.“

Wedding Vendors Include:

Venue: Knox Farm State Park
Hair Stylists: Erica Mineo and Val Grabski
Make-Up Artist: Chelsea Ackerman
Dress Shop: Anna Be Bridal Boutique
Dress Designer: Watters
Custom Veil Skirt: Sara Gabriel
Bridal Earrings: Sara Gabriel
Bridesmaid Dresses: M.A. Carr Bridal
Groom’s Look: Men’s Wearhouse
Wedding Coordinator: Carla Costamagna
Invitations: Morgan Calhoon
Florist: Costamagna Design
Cake: Ohlson’s Bakery
String Trio: The String Brothers
Furniture Rentals: Quaint
Catering: Oliver’s
Macaron Favors: Blue Eyed Baker
Videographer: Justin Bondi Productions
Band: The Party Squad