Vintage DIY Wedding : Marie + Charlie

She has him wrapped around her… and Kathie held up a pinkie finger to demonstrate her point as she arranged flowers on the table. Marie has her father wrapped around her finger–her mom said–so when it came time to plan her dream wedding, Marie told him she wanted it in her dream location: grandpa's knitting mill. Perkiomen sat empty for years since the business closed decades ago and has since been used as a storage facility, but where others saw a mess, Marie saw a treasure. With friends and family pulling together to refurbish the factory, it was ready for a wedding six months later.

As Marie descended the stairs of Perkiomen Mill in her wedding gown, gently placing each foot in front of the other, she opened the factory doors and walked down Jefferson Street toward her grandparents' home. The same street which held sweet childhood memories was now the street leading her to the man of her dreams. Charlie waited patiently in the backyard, in front of grandma's barn like Marie requested, and there they met under clouds of gray. Charlie wrapped his strong arms around her thin frame and reminded her not to cry. She nodded and they smiled. In front of grandma's barn. It was the start of a perfect day and at the end of the night no one doubted why the good Lord gave Marie two pinkie fingers: one to wrap dad around, and the other for Charlie.

Marie and Charlie…I like you more than I should. Like, I wanna pack you in my back pocket and carry you away from Philadelphia. You both are incredibly kind, generous, and giving people and I am honored to have documented your day. It was a slice of perfection and I felt lucky to witness your union. JD, Lori, and I were blessed to be there surrounded by your loved ones. Much Love and Appreciation… j* (p.s. Marie, I promise one day we'll do a Zumba class together!)

Marie and Charlie used vintage sewing machines they found in the mill as wedding decor…

I just about died when I saw Marie's OdlR wedding dress….to say I was obsessed would be an understatement….

A little color with red wedding shoes…hellllllllo Jimmy Choo!

The entire wedding was a labor of love and DIY…Marie and her family assembled each bouquet and centerpiece with the utmost level of pride…

Marie and Charlie opted to see each other before the ceremony…but she couldn't resist a a sneak peek before the First Look

After the wedding, the rain started. As we drove from Pottsville to East Greenville, it poured. And the entire time I'm sitting in my car praying for a miracle because we still needed to photograph the entire bridal party and commence bride and groom photos. Here's Marie and Charlie leaving the church in a happy oblivion…

…and just LOOK at this dewey light! As we parked our cars, the skies magically parted and gave us just the perfect amount of time for photos…

And before anyone gets a lil crazy about posing my clients on railroad tracks…never fear…it's an inactive track…

While we were shooting wedding pictures on the railroad tracks, a neighbor beckoned us into her backyard and offered her porch for more photos…with flowers like this, I couldn't resist…

For the seating assignments, guest cards were made as timecards…so cute!

After six months of hard work, the mill was transformed into a beautiful wedding reception venue in East Greenville, Pennsylvania. When I walked into the space, I couldn't help but feel the life emanating from every nook and cranny…I loved it!

Marie spent hours cleaning each vintage sewing machine, but I think it makes for a perfect wedding reception setting…

The Grand Entrance…

Heartfelt and beautiful speeches…

To see more of Marie and Charlie's vintage Pennsylvania wedding, feel free to check out the slideshow for a full scope of the day with music provided by Amy Seeley found at WithEtiquette