A Romantic Wedding at Excelsior in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, With Gold Accents

Samantha will be the first to tell you that she started planning her wedding when she was six years old, she even has the scrapbook to prove it. When it came time to pull together her wedding to Andrew, her dream of a romantic, detailed and timeless wedding came to fruition—the couple hosted an elegant wedding at Excelsior in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with gold accents and plenty of lush greenery. 

"Andrew and I booked our wedding in November 2018 and were originally set to get married on October 2, 2020. However, due to the impacts of the pandemic, we made the decision to move our nuptials to August 27, 2021—exactly 8 years from the day we started dating," explains Samantha. "Planning a wedding for nearly three years gave us plenty of time to explore all our options and truly refine the style of our wedding, but truthfully I had been planning this day since I was a little girl. When I was six years old I started ripping out pages from magazines and books that had to do with weddings—little did I know I was building my vision board for the celebration that would one day come to life. Just like the inspiration I saved in my 'Dream Wedding' book, our wedding style was romantic and timeless with florals and drapery everywhere. Soft neutrals, blush, creams, champagne and gold, an ode to my personal style, washed over every element. One of the most creative touches was the very subtle nod I gave to classic princesses I grew up loving. The cloche jars filled with table numbers and garden roses were a nod to Belle. My beautiful hair was a nod to Rapunzel. I walked down the aisle to a string version of 'Part of Your World' from The Little Mermaid. Our wedding day was dreamy, magical, and a day worth waiting my whole life for."

Samantha goes on to share that "having chosen an August date, we knew the weather would be tricky. As a notorious planner, I made the venue's 'rain plan' my main plan—and in hindsight, it was the best decision since our wedding day brought record heat, humidity, and rain. Our entire wedding took place indoors and it was truly breathtaking. Since Excelsior gave us access to an entire historical building, we thoughtfully transformed each space with drapery, greenery, and enough florals for one to feel like they were in a garden outside. Our ceremony and reception took place in the second floor Empire Room, which by doing so allowed us to use our window installation and flower arrangements twice! The design was classic and romantic with lots of drapery, flowers, lace and soft colors. It truly created the most magical feeling being in that room to say our vows and toast with our guests. However, once guests made their way down to dance in the first floor Grande Salon, we decided to do a decor and dress change that brought all the glitz and glam! Downstairs the design switched to champagne sequin linens, a trio of disco balls that sparkled, and a blush beaded gown to match it all.

"Personalization and details were where I thrived," shares Samantha. "Guests were greeted upon hotel check-in with welcome bags that included local Lancaster items I spent months sourcing. Upon arrival to the wedding, we had a beautiful rose wine display, a nod to all the garden roses. I designed booklets myself that looked more like a magazine than programs. We hand-selected all the wine for our wedding from Seneca Lake, the place we got engaged. We handcrafted the recipes for our signature cocktails. To enhance the guest experience we had a live band, photo booth, cupcake display and a sweet ice cream truck from a local small business outside for guests to enjoy!"

Looking back on the romantic wedding Pennsylvania wedding, Samantha and Andrew encourage to-be-weds in the throes of wedding planning to remember that "it's okay to plan your wedding and your lives at your own pace. Wedding planning creates so much inspiration, but can also create a comparison. It's okay to speed things along and it's okay to take your time. As long as you and your partner are doing what is right for both of you as a couple, that is all that matters."