Amy & Jon’s Traditional Wedding at Van Abel’s of Hollandtown

Maid of Honor, Meet the Best Man

Jon and Amy met through Amy’s sister and Jon’s best friend. “We were the Maid of Honor and Best Man at their wedding,” Amy says. “They ended up being the Matron of Honor and Best Man in ours!”

When Jon proposed, it was just a normal Monday night. Amy was at home on the couch, sitting comfy in her oldest pair of pajamas. “Earlier that day, I had family members asking when he was going to propose,” she says. “That night when Jon got home, he asked me to help him with something in the family room. When I got into the room, he was down on one knee.”

A Church Ceremony & Surprise Flower Girl

Amy and Jon planned a November wedding with a traditional Catholic ceremony at the church where Amy’s parents were married. One of their favorite parts of the ceremony was gaining a second flower girl two days before the wedding. “One of my cousins came in from out of town, and she has a little girl a few months older than my niece, Morgan,” Amy explains. “Morgan was telling her how she was the flower girl, and my cousin’s daughter asked if she could be one too!” It just so happened they had purchased two flower girl dresses to decide between — perfect for a surprise addition to the bridal party! “It ended up being the absolute sweetest thing to see those two walk down the aisle together holding hands. It will be something our whole family will remember.”

Reception Salvation at Van Abel’s of Hollandtown

What do you do if your wedding venue permanently closes its doors just five months before your wedding? That’s exactly what Jon and Amy had to decide. Thankfully, they found Van Abel’s of Hollandtown. “Van Abel’s saved us when our original venue closed,” Amy says. “They went above and beyond to make sure our day was perfect. Our event planner, Danica, was kind and very easy to work with. She took the time to go over the numerous options they offered, answered all of my questions, and completely took the stress out of planning a wedding.”

Van Abel’s offers decorations they can set up in the hall, providing the perfect atmosphere for a wedding. “I remember walking into the hall that evening and seeing it filled with our family and friends. I just couldn’t believe how beautiful everything turned out. I still get compliments on our reception, and it is thanks to Van Abel’s.”

Dinner & Dancing

Dinner, catered by Van Abel’s, was a traditional family-style meal of broasted chicken, ham, tossed salad, and mashed potatoes with gravy. There were also assorted dessert bars to cap off the meal. “We had two types of beer available, and instead of wedding cake, we went with cupcakes. We also offered a popcorn and snack bar during the reception. This had a few types of popcorn, pretzels, peanuts, and M&Ms.”

After dinner came dancing — one of Amy’s favorite parts of the night. “I had my dad pick our song, and I didn’t know what he picked until that night. My dad had the DJ start with an instrumental song. I was very confused and kept waiting for the lyrics to start. Then, after about 30 seconds, the DJ switched to the song ‘Amie’ by Pure Prairie League. It was the song that inspired my name, and I grew up dancing to it with my dad. About halfway through the song, the DJ invited my mom, sister, and brother up to dance, too. Our two flower girls joined as well!”

After that, Matt’s DJ Service kept everyone dancing all night long. “There’s a reason Matt’s is so popular. Our DJ was kind and professional.” At the end of the night, Jon and Amy had a final dance together. “Everyone who was still there danced arm-in-arm around us in a large circle. It wasn’t planned at all, but was one of our favorite moments and a great way to end the night.”

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