A Rustic Yet Elegant Ashford Estate Wedding

Their Story

Pia and Aaron Seeger, who wed at the Ashford Estate in Allentown, met “how any millennial would meet: online,” says Pia. “But this was before dating apps or even before ‘sliding into the DMs’ was a term, but I did, indeed, slide into his DMs. We went to the same college, Hunter College, and we were both freshmen. I am standing by my word that our meeting was fate, though, because I remember meeting up with my best friend Chelsea (who was my MOH!) and telling her that I friended this cute guy named Aaron on Facebook and it was like the universe heard me; at that exact moment, in a school of over 1,000 students, he happened to pass by with his friends.”

Aaron was “adamant” about not wanting to have a girlfriend in college, but the two ended up being really close friends. He was there for Pia when her father passed away, and even listened when she “ranted to him” about other guys she was seeing (“I’m sure he didn’t like that, LOL,” says Pia.).

“Now, he did keep his word in not wanting a girlfriend in college, but by one month short, we made it official in April of 2016 and were met with many comments of ‘freaking, finally!’ from our family and friends.”

The Proposal

“If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I am obsessed with Christmas, like our tree goes up the day after Halloween (I would have it up earlier, but we compromised),” says Pia. “So Aaron knew he wanted to make that a part of the proposal.”

The couple booked a trip to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for its annual holiday festivities, planning to propose during a carriage ride through the city. But due to icy conditions, the carriage ride got canceled. But he ended up popping the question during a moment walking around Bethlehem that Pia describes as “magical.”

“We ended up visiting that same spot this past Christmas, but as a married couple—and I’m so glad we have that spot that we can keep returning to,” she says.

Details of the Day

“For our wedding theme, we wanted to convey a rustic charm yet elegant vibe,” says Pia. “And even though it just turned Fall, we wanted to incorporate Fall colors.”

The color scheme was cabernet red, dusty rose and white, with pops of green and gold. For the ceremony, they chose a lighter color palette, but “when it came to the ballroom, we went all out with the flower colors.” Gold decor tied everything together, and chocolates from L.A. Burdick, which came in white boxes with Pia and Aaron’s names on the ribbon, were a delightful treat for guests to take home.

Choosing the Venue

“Like any girl knowing she’s going to get proposed to would, I saved the Ashford Estate even before I had the ring. I remember seeing it on social media and was in awe. So once the proposal did happen, I went to my husband and said, ‘I have a venue we can look at!'” The couple booked right away after touring.

Pia loved the charming barn, the main house, where the cocktail hour was held, and the rooms upstairs where their family members got to stay. “But the ballroom… I am a sucker for high ceilings and windows and they delivered,” she says.

Favorite Moment

“Oh that’s such a hard question!” says Pia, who had two favorite moments from the day. The first: Despite the forecast of rain, and drizzle early in the day, the sun came out when the couple stepped out for their first look. “I like to believe that our guardian angels were looking out for us that day. Because the timing was impeccable and the weather for the rest of the day was so amazing,” she says.

The second moment was during the reception, when “the desserts were flowing, and for the first time that day, my husband and I weren’t talking to family or being pulled in a hundred different directions. So we took a step back, hand-in-hand, and just looked around the ballroom for a minute and I am so grateful that we did that—it felt like a movie scene. We got to take in the moment, see all of our hard work pay off, being surrounded by family who travelled from near and far just to celebrate us.”

One Detail They Couldn’t Live Without  

Pia says the sentimental detail she couldn’t live without was the bouquet charm that honored her dad, who passed when she was 20. “I always knew that my wedding day would be a little painful without him. So, to commemorate him, he was my ‘something blue.’ I had a bouquet charm made and it was like him, my mom and I were walking down the aisle together. And I usually get anxiety and nervous when being the center of attention, but I just felt so at ease and calm—holding that charm made me feel better.”

She also loved the wedding painter, Kathryn, who was “phenomenal.” “We hung up her painting in our room and it’s the first thing we see in the morning – I wouldn’t have it any other way. She captured our day and details in such a timeless piece—I’ll forever rant and rave about her.”

Advice for Future Brides

First, “Like we were told: take in the day and live in the moment….There will probably be a few mistakes, nothing ever goes perfect, but try not to let that affect you. It’s your day!” Second, “Do not leave your husband/wife’s side! You’re going to be pulled left & right; make sure you’re pulling your hubby with you.” Third, “Eat your food! You chose your menu for a reason, make sure you enjoy it! Photos can wait, convos can wait—actually, at our wedding, people came up to us and I literally said, ‘You can keep talking, but I’m just going to keep eating my salad.'”

And, finally, “Please remember, it’s your day. Weddings are the types of events where tensions can be high, family members can say not-too-nice things, people can have opinions, requests, all of the above. It’s the day that you’re going to remember for the rest of your life—make sure that you’re making the decisions that you want to make….Easier said than done, for sure, but this is a day where you can be selfish—try not to allow other people to plan your day for you or let other people’s opinions get in the way of make it your special day.”

Honeymoon

The couple tied the knot in the Philippines, where Pia is from, and spent a little under three weeks in Sydney, Auckland and Fiji.