The Pine Knob Mansion Wedding of Chelsea & James: October 19, 2024
“I would highly recommend Mike Staff Productions. The communication leading up to our wedding day was great. They always responded back quickly to any questions we had. The turnaround time to receive the photos from the engagement shoot and the wedding was very quick. Both the photographer and DJ made sure to ask questions and get to know us before the wedding to ensure the pictures and music were in line with what we had envisioned.” – Happy bride, Chelsea
Our Love Story & Proposal
James was sent to Heidelberg, Germany for work. After he had been there for over a week for work, I flew out there by myself to meet him and make a vacation out of it. I had never been to Europe. On my first full day there, James planned a trip for us to tour an old castle and its grounds. It was beautiful. It overlooked the city and there was a river next to it. He pulled me aside in a garden area and proposed to me there. It felt like a real-life fairytale. The castle had a basement that was turned into a wine bar, and we celebrated their after the proposal.
Our Wedding Vision
We wanted our wedding venue to be unique and not just another banquet hall. We wanted to have an outdoor ceremony and indoor reception. I always knew I wanted to get married in the fall and have the beautiful fall colors of the trees. We found everything we dreamed of at Pine Knob Mansion.
Wedding DJ Experience
Our professional wedding DJ, Dave, had great energy and really took the time to listen to what mix of songs we wanted. I also asked him to do a couple of special announcements. He played my parent’s wedding song and invited both the bride and groom’s parents out to dance with us to it. He also did a shoutout for my aunt and uncle and played their favorite song since they bought my wedding dress. He was very fun and personable and did a great job playing songs that fit with what we requested. He was great at reading the room and adjusting the music depending on who was dancing.
Our first dance song was “Dance with You” by Brett Young. We loved how it is about being there for each other through the good and bad times. It is about wanting to just do life together and being there to support one another. That is exactly how our relationship is. We always support each other and take each other’s feelings, aspirations, and difficulties into consideration. Our relationship has always been a solid partnership, and this song just resonated so well with us.
Wedding Photography Experience
Wedding photography was one of the most important parts of the wedding. That’s the one thing you have to look back on for years to come to remember your special day. Holly was exceptional. She was great at wrangling up the family members and making sure everyone was posed properly. She made us feel comfortable in front of the camera as we are not people who take a lot of photos ourselves. She captured our day perfectly and we have so many gorgeous photos to look back on.
Our Favorite Wedding Day Memories
Our favorite thing about our wedding was the amazing venue, Pine Knob Mansion. Seeing everything come together and set up perfectly. The dramatic entrance where you would walk from the house to the gazebo as all the guests watched. It was like a dream with the backdrop of the mansion and all the fall colors. Another favorite part was doing the first look and the excitement of seeing each other for the first time that day. The weather was absolutely perfect (70 and sunny with no wind, rain, or humidity)- and it was in October! All the excitement and build-up. We were both so excited to celebrate with all of our loved ones.
Our Wedding Planning Advice
Enjoy every minute of it. It goes by so fast, and I truly enjoyed planning every detail. Don’t wait until the last minute. Start with planning the big things first (venue, photographer, DJ). The sooner you lock down the important stuff, the easier it is to plan the smaller things closer to the wedding.
Chelsea & James Vendor Team
- Wedding Venue: The Pine Knob Mansion
- Florist: Viviano Flower Shop
- Wedding Cake: Hodell’s Bakery
- Wedding Dress: Norah’s Bridal
- Wedding Planner: Monica Wiseman, MWiseCo
- Transportation: Lavda’s Limousine
- Hair & Makeup: Bridal Beauty Couture
- Invitations: Zazzle
- Officiant: David Genuit
- Live Wedding Painter: Haley Grant
- Wedding DJ: Mike Staff Productions
- Wedding Photography: Mike Staff Productions