Gwen + Bryan / Stone Mill 1792 Wedding / Glenville, PA

Gwen and Bryan’s Stone Mill 1792 wedding in the tiny town of Glenville, PA, is one I will cherish forever.  This was a very special wedding for me, and I’m so excited to share this story.

I met Gwen at the library in April of this year.  I had brought my son there to play and she was there with a little babe she was nannying.  I noticed the engagement ring on her finger, so naturally, I asked her about her wedding.  She lit up and told me she was getting married in July at a venue in the small town of Glenville, PA, which happens to be the same town I spent half of my teenage years.  It turned out the venue was about a mile from my old house!  When I asked her about her photographer, I noticed a change in her demeanor and felt a little sadness.  She said that they were both paying for Bible College and couldn’t afford one, and that they had been praying that they would find someone.  At this point, she didn’t even know I was a wedding photographer.

The few minutes that I spent with Gwen, she seemed like the sweetest, most genuine and kind spirit.  There was something about her that drew me to her.  I told her that I was a wedding photographer and that we could work something out (at the time, I wasn’t even sure what that meant, but I knew that I had to do something).  When I asked her her budget, I was surprised by the amount, which was only a fraction of my normal cost, but I gave her my info and said, “We’ll work something out.”

In this industry, you hear many strong opinions from other photographers about what everyone else charges.  People say, “Don’t de-value the industry,”  “Charge what you’re worth.”  “Don’t negotiate your prices!”  I had all of these thoughts running through my head, but I just felt called to work with this girl.  I decided to seek advice from one of my photography groups, and I was pleasantly surprised when I received 40+ responses from other photographers telling me to “Do it!”  I didn’t hear one response telling me not to.  Many of them even said they do one of these types of weddings per year.  My faith in humanity was restored, and I was excited to let her know that I would be honored to shoot her wedding and would be happy to work with her budget.  I was met with the most sincerest of thank-yous and happy tears.  I was the answer to their prayers, and I was incredibly humbled by their gratitude.

After talking with Gwen that night, she told me the name of her venue, Stone Mill 1792, and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I looked it up.  It was like a fairytale!  A hidden gem that I didn’t even know existed in the tiny town.  I couldn’t believe it when Gwen told me her similar story with the owners of the Stone Mill.  She had called to inquire about the cost, and after learning that it was much beyond her budget, she tried to say thank you and goodbye, but the owner, Pam, heard the same kindness in Gwen’s voice that I had, and insisted that she stay on the line because she wanted to hear her story.  Pam and the wonderful family at Stone Mill 1792 essentially gifted Gwen and Bryan their gorgeous venue.

I’ve never seen so many people come together so beautifully to help someone in need.  Gwen and Bryan would have been perfectly happy to tie the knot anywhere, just as long as it was the two of them with their loved ones to witness it.  But by the grace of God, so many friends, family, and strangers came together for this miracle.  Her friends put the bouquets together and helped with all the decorations from thrift-shopping, crafting, and other DIY projects, Gwen bought her dress off of Amazon and did her own makeup in the car on the way to the venue, AND the shop in the Stone Mill was full of beautiful signs, decor, flowers, and lights that were all donated to these two for their special day.

I don’t know Gwen’s past, but I do know from some of the speeches that night, that she has endured quite a bit of pain and suffering.  You would never know it after talking to her, because her light shines so bright.  Gwen and Bryan are both so full of love and goodness, and there really is something so special about these two.  There is no couple more deserving of this fairytale ending.  When I sent them a questionnaire to get to know them, Gwen told me how they met and fell in love while watching each other from a distance in their prayer group at school.  When they finally spoke, they knew they were going to be married.  When asked about the most important thing that she wanted to get out of her wedding photos, she responded with this:

“I have read and dreamed my whole life of fairytales and of true love and my handsome Prince… silly I know. But I have always believed in it. Now I have been blessed, to be deeply loved by a wonderful, kind, gentle, man who wants to love me for the rest of my life- and the feeling is completely mutual. I would like to have some pictures that look a little dreamy and romantic and elegant/classic if possible ♡.”

I think we all nailed it. 🙂 Congratulations, and so much love to you both!