Ross & Mallory’s Bohemian Wedding In Gettysburg, PA

Mallory and Ross had a wedding so spectacularly unique to them that it’s going to be almost impossible to mention everything in a small post like this, but boy I sure will try. Because Mallory & Ross are both writers and avid readers, books were everywhere. There were garlands with words and their definitions, pinwheels made from salvaged book pages, and a collection of thrifted books were strewn on the tables. She carried a book down the isle (so the bridesmaids!), they gave out vintage copies of Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys books to guests (wrapped in book pages, no less), and scrabble letters were used as identifiers for the cake flavors. Her dress, made from scraps of thrifted vintage wedding gowns, is something her sister and she made together. The delicious vegan cakes were made by her and her second sister. And the plates were mismatched vintage china she scooped up from various thrift stores. (She and Ross love the thrill thrifting almost as much as they love books!) Everything else was created by Mallory herself, by hand. I realize you haven’t looked at the photos yet (or maybe you did that first- you rebel!) but just trust me when I say that is an incredible feat. She is, a wedding DIY master.

Their vows brought me to tears. They wrote them together, as writers often do, and they were adapted from the Lemony Snicket series. It was an adorable banter back and forth alternating the ways in which they will love each other- I will love you as the starfish loves a coral reef and as kudzu loves trees. As pesto loves the fettuccini, and as the horseradish loves the miyagi. As the dark spot loves the leopard, as the tempura loves the ikura and the pepperoni loves the pizza. I will love you as the beard loves the chin, as the crumbs love the beard, and the damp napkin loves the crumbs.

And then at the end Ross became quite serious & said: I will love you if you don’t marry me. I will love you if you marry someone else. I will love you if you have a child, and I will love you if you have two children, or three children, or even more, although I personally think three is plenty, and I will love you if you never marry at all, and never have children, and spend your years wishing you had married me after all.

Then, because they’re also both Dr. Who fans, they finished with a hand-fasting using Ross’s bow-tie, because bow-ties are cool, and the words, “Here stands Mallory, the girl who married me.” And, of course, with roaring applause.

The best man’s wedding toast was phenomenal as well. While written by him, it was pre-recorded, but the moment it started we realized why- he actually managed to get Larry Blamire to read it. I think it conveys a lot more than I could in these last few paragraphs. If you’d like, you can listen to it here. “May their union last a thousand years. I’m speaking of course of space years.”

PARTICULARS & PRAISE

Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania // Venue: Mont Alto State Park // Music: Micah // Books: The East Shore Area Library // Vintage China & Tableware: Resource York // Bridesmaid Dresses: Vintage Gunne Sax, Thrifted // Special Thanks: Larry Blamire