Summer Wedding Feature
We invite you to a sweet, summer breeze of a wedding at the Oak Lodge venue! With our greenery in full bloom, Sasha & Mike tied the knot in a classy & cool way as we do in the heat of July. Summer sweeps us into the hustle & bustle of the wedding season, while nature gives us good vibes on our Laurel Highlands hilltop. Imagery provided by Kaitlin Powell & aerial captures by Legacy Films.
Where does the story begin
Sasha & Mike met at their first job after college graduation. She was a new nurse and Mike was a physical therapist, both working at the same hospital. They became friends, but soon realized how much they had in common and enjoyed spending time with each other. They’ve been together ever since!
Phase 2: Popping the Question
Golf is something that these two both share a joy for, with their first date being on the course! Sasha’s family holds an annual golf outing in memory of her brother who passed, raising money for various charities and causes. Mike had a custom golf flag made and worked with the course staff to put it on the 18th green. After a long day of golfing, they approached the last hole. Walking onto the green, Sasha looked at Mike and said “That flag looks a lot bigger than normal”. Mike told her to go look at it, that maybe it was a memorial flag or something special for the event. As she went to look, Sasha pulled it taught to read, “Will you marry me?” with a picture of them. She turned around and he was on one knee, Sasha said yes with happy tears flowing! Her family and friends, attending the event, were watching and popping champagne as they came off the green happily engaged. Mike truly pulled an Ace on this round!
Saying YES to the Venue
Oak Lodge was a close to home pick! A mere ten minutes from Sasha’s family home, they’ve visited the Café for dinners, as well as supporting different events the venue has held. Sasha was also awarded the property owner, Jim O’s., leadership scholarship in high school! They explained that Oak Lodge is beautiful, simple, elegant, and rustic – the perfect combination of everything they wanted in a venue.
Favorite wedding day memory
“Seeing her after they opened the chapel doors. I’ll remember that moment forever. The light was shinning behind her and I could just see her silhouette until she walked through the doors. It was perfect.” – Mike
“At the end of the night our DJ played ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’. Somehow Mike and I ended up in the middle of a circle as all our guests turned on their phone flashlights and swayed around us as we all sang that classic song together. It was oddly beautiful and something I will remember forever.” – Sasha
Fill us in on the Fashion
Sasha found her dress at Luxe Redux in Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh. The designer and the gown was Enzoani – Karter. The groomsmen wore grey tux’s with sage green bowties to match the bridesmaids dresses. The guys and Mike got their tux’s from Men’s Warehouse and the bridesmaids got their dresses from Azazie!
Insight into the Theme
Their goal for the décor theme was simplicity. Sasha made all of the decorations and floral arrangements herself! She explained that she is all about the simple vibes, and that Oak Lodge has beauty itself that didn’t need much added to let her vision show through. The flowers were from Sam’s Club, with the center pieces and Chapel flowers being put together the night before! All of the signs, including the seating chart, welcome sign, bar sign, etc., were made by her as well. The pictures hung on the wall behind the sweetheart table are snapshots from their engagement session, which the couple thought would be a cool idea. Added in with the canvases were memories from their childhood, teenage years, and then finally when they met! This gave the perfect personal touch to the reception hall, as guests could reminisce about this charming love story.
Favorite location on the resort
Who can really only pick one spot? Sasha & Mike have a top three! Coming in at spot number three… The Farmhouse and Lake. Providing an elegant photo op as the sun sets in the background! Runner up for the big pick, in second place we have the giant soaking tub in the bridal suite – Sasha’s favorite for sure. Winning first place was Church Rock, where they read their vows overlooking the valley of our little spot in the Laurel Highlands!
special moments to share from the day
A bit of background from the couple was that neither were interested in a traditional wedding. They had initially planned on eloping to have a small beach wedding, but were however persuaded into planning out a larger celebration. For two people that did not want the big white wedding, they exclaim that they had the most wonderful day and continue to talk about it ever since! Sasha + Mike thought the entire day was perfect, and there wasn’t one thing they would have changed.
Here are a few moments they wanted to share! Sasha & Mike actually exchanged vows in private at Church Rock after their ceremony and they say they wouldn’t have done it any other way. The couple cried and laughed, and they tell that that memory will forever be engraved in their minds. Now some events have a small bump in the road, and that bump was their officiant had cancelled the morning of! Not to fret, a replacement was sent and the day was saved with no worries among the woodland scenes. Sasha’s dad had given their dinner blessing, and it was also written by her grandfather who wrote it down for them to keep forever. Following their first dances, the couple snuck away to capture some dreamy sunset photos at the Lake! Highly recommended by the couple, as some of the best pictures from their wedding were from that little 45 minute session.
Cheers to the Tarr’s!
