A Joyful New York Wedding Marked by Answered Prayers

Bethany and Dave’s wedding day in New York was filled with rustic charm and joyful celebration, but more than that, it was a testament to the power of prayer. 

The wedding was on a crisp autumn day at White Hollow Acres, nestled into the hills of the Allegheny Plateau, set ablaze with fall colors. From the antique Chevy pickup truck to the elegant white floral arrangements by Cherish the Moment Floral Studio, the scene was a charming blend of cozy and classy.

It was a day full of laughter and unique moments. But what made it most memorable was how God answered prayers for the father of the bride.

“I am not a stranger to loss,” Bethany shared with me. “I experienced it very early in life, and Dad had more than a few close calls himself over the years. After a particularly serious round of health stuff he experienced in my late 20s, I stopped imagining him walking me down the aisle someday.” 

Bethany said that though her dad was in good shape when she got engaged at 33, only about three weeks before the wedding did she have the courage to imagine again that he might walk her down the aisle. 

But five days before the wedding, her father was admitted into the hospital. He had cut his foot in the garage and developed a painful infection throughout his leg, compounded by preexisting health challenges. The doctors said they would work hard to get him to the wedding, but told him that things were serious enough that they couldn’t make promises. 

“The church prayed! Our friends prayed! My fiance and I prayed! I am confident there was more, but that week was a bit of a blur!” she recalled. Michael and I prayed as well. 

And God answered. The doctors released Bethany’s father the afternoon before the wedding.

Not only was he present, he was the one to walk her down the aisle. And though his pain was intense, his face beamed as he and Bethany danced the father/daughter dance.

“I am in awe many times over when I look at those wedding pictures!” Bethany recalled. “They are strikingly beautiful, full of life and joy, and walk me through the day all over again. But they have also changed my prayer life as they bring God’s faithfulness into focus.”

“I had lost courage to believe Dad would be there. And yet, as the photos scroll through…I see a groom beyond my wildest dreams, the Dad who did walk me down the aisle, and the presence of my 96-year-old grandmother. God does care about the dreams of my heart–in great detail! And His plans for me truly are good!”

“What a gift to have the story preserved in such wonderful photography,” she concluded. “They’ll be a reminder to me for years to come of the mighty works of the Lord!”

The activities during preparation photos were amusingly characteristic of the difference I tend to see between bridesmaids and groomsmen. Bethany’s gown hung gracefully on a white wrought iron hook while the ladies talked, exchanged gifts, and shared sweet memories. Dave and the groomsmen played ping pong and knockoff Chinese video games while his suit hung wrapped in trash bags. 

The moment when Bethany first saw her father, supported on the arms of his two sons, had us all in tears of joy and gratitude.

Bethany and Dave’s Christian faith is central to them, so it was a beautiful theme running throughout the wedding day. The congregation sang worship songs during the ceremony, and the bride and groom took communion together. The bread and wine symbolize the sacrifice that Christ made for his people, His body broken and His blood poured out so that we can be reconciled with God.

Jerry Karns is a fantastic DJ. You know how guests clink their glasses with their forks to make the bride and groom kiss? In order to draw out guests and give the newlyweds some time to eat, Jerry has a wheel guests spin instead. It could land on “kiss”, but it can also land on prompts to share a memory, sing, or give a toast. Brilliant. 

In addition to a beautiful cake from Laurabelle’s Scratch Bakery, Bethany and Dave had cupcakes made by the groom’s nephew, Owen, in tenth grade at the time and already baking professionally. 

It was hard to stay dry-eyed during the father/daughter dance, such a joyful and visible answer to prayer.

There was a ton of dancing, everything from “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” that the bride loves to dance with her younger brother, to the groom and a friend doing the Worm, to the Chicken dance (which they tricked everyone onto the dance floor to do), and a polka for the bride’s 96-year old grandmother. It was so sweet to see Bethany’s grandmother whirling through the polka in her wheelchair, surrounded by kids and grandchildren. 

Oh, and did I mention my incredibly good-looking assistant? This was my first wedding with my husband assisting me, and it was amazing. It was like having an assistant, bouncer, and sherpa all in one. Michael has a special gift for gathering people for group photos. I would just tell him who I needed and a few minutes later he’d materialize with them all, like some attractive superhuman version of a sheepdog. At one point toward the end of the evening when guests started to leave before the sparkler exit, he just blocked the exit and cheerfully hollered to get seven guests on their way out to come back. 

And there you have it, friends! A joyful New York fall wedding marked by much dancing, sweet celebration, and answered prayers.

Venue: White Hollow Acres
Hair: Linda Derrick
Florals: Cherish the Moment Floral Studio
Dress: Church Street Bridal
Rings: Kay Jewelers
Bride shoes: Dream Pairs
Cape: Easedaily
Suit: Kenneth Cole from Mens Wearhouse
Groom shoes: Florsheim
Cake: Laurabelle’s Scratch Bakery
Cupcakes: Melissa & Owen Roloson
DJ: Jerry Karns at Prestige Worldwide Entertainment