Belhurst Castle and Winery Wedding

When Cassie and Andrew shared their plans for a celebration at Belhurst Castle and Winery Wedding, I was hoping and praying they would ultimately book me — and the DID! Jaime and I traveled together to the stunning Geneva on the Lake location. The castle is stunning, but the views of the lake are worth a million bucks! Truly stunning place for a wedding or any other special occasion.

Andrew and Cassie are some of the most authentic and kind people I’ve ever met. While their Belhurst Castle and Winery wedding was perfect in every way (see below), what impressed Jaime and I the most is how every single person we interacted with was JUST as kind and authentic as they are. The speeches were over the top — eloquent, caring and speak VOLUMES about the kind of people this couple are. I walked away that night feeling honored to have witnessed such an incredible display of love and goodness. Jaime and I have three kids and all I can say is, we hope to raise them all to be exactly the way Cassie and Andrew grew up to be. Their families are all close and like each other as adults — this is something money can’t buy. They love and respect their parents and grandparents, and have the best support system as they start the adventure of marriage. This is a couple I KNOW will make it. Congrats to seriously, one of the best couples ever.

What was your inspiration behind your Belhurst Castle and Winery Wedding day?

We are both very simple people when it comes to colors and design but we also like modern styles. When we were trying to come up with what we wanted it to look and feel like, Andrew knew he wanted to wear blue but I liked the classic timeless look of a tux so we went to Indochino and he was able to design his own look! At this point it all just started to fall into place with a classic and timeless look with modern touches. 

Advice to share with brides planning now?

I want to say not to stress but we all know that won’t happen so I will rephrase it and say it will all work out in the end. Your efforts will be noticed and it will be exactly how you want it to be.

How did you and your spouse meet?

It all started back in 2015 when Andrew and Cassandra attended the State College Art’s festival. They went out for drinks with some mutual friends and hung out a couple of times. Even though Andrew thought Cassandra was cute, she was taken at the time, and so they went their separate ways, only to be reunited again a couple of months later. This time around, it was Halloween of 2015. Andrew was staying with his friends, who were throwing a little Halloween party. To Andrew’s surprise, who walks in but Cassandra! They shared a few laughs, and chatted for a bit, but Andrew had some bad news. He was accepting a job in Michigan and would be moving 6 hours away from State College. As fate would have it, another meet up occurred just a couple weeks later, this time in Pittsburgh. Cassandra’s MacBook was broken and she had to take it there to get fixed. She stayed with a mutual friend, and fortunately for Andrew, he was able to get to see her while she was in town. Just a few short weeks later, however, he left for Detroit. It was now New Years 2015/2016 and Andrew was back in town for the holidays. Cassandra was in Pittsburgh visiting their mutual friend, and so they all decided to celebrate New Years together. But before the festivities began, Andrew and Cassandra went on their first official date.. They had a great evening, but as usual, they went their separate ways. Two weeks went by, and Andrew could not stop thinking about this amazing girl he had gotten to know over the past few months. He couldn’t let her get away. So he hatched a plan to surprise her in State College and made the 6 hour drive there. With the help of some friends, he managed to surprise her at Cafe 210 – a local bar at Penn State. The next day they were dating, and the rest is history.

Proposal Details! How did it happen? 🙂

It was fall of 2020. Andrew and Cassandra were both living in Atlanta, GA. Covid had been going on for nearly the entirety of their first year together. Because of this, they spent a lot of time with each other. Time they didn’t get to share while they were apart for the first 5 years of their relationship. By this point, Andrew knew Cassandra was the one. He started researching rings and ordered some stones to a local jeweler. At the end of October, with the help of some friends, he was able to slip out of the house to go look at them. He found the perfect diamond, and the perfect ring – but next was how and when to ask. Andrew had some ideas on how to pop the question, but the perfect opportunity presented itself, and he couldn’t pass it up. 3 years earlier, they had been to Asheville, NC and went on a beautiful hike to the top of a mountain. You could see for miles in all directions. Fast forward to 2020, and they were planning another trip there with some friends. This was going to be it. Andrew called up their friends, and revealed to them his plan. They would go on that same hike they’d done 3 years prior, and he would ask Cassy to marry him once they got to the top. His friends were in (and even offered to haul a gallon of OJ and champagne to the top). November 6th came, and they piled in the car and headed to the hike. They made it to the trailhead, and hiked to the top where to Andrew’s dismay, there was a crowd of people. They milled around, waiting for the right opportunity, and finally asked for their picture to be taken. After standing for a few, Cassandra proposed they sit down, to which Andrew yelled “NO! – We can’t!”. He knew he needed to explain why so he got on one knee, said the word “adventure” about 20 times in his poorly executed speech that he had tried to memorize, and then jammed the ring on her finger, only afterwards remembering it was best to ask first. So with that, he said “Cassandra, will you marry me” and got a resounding “Yes!

What was your favorite memory from your Belhurst Castle and Winery wedding day?

We both agree that seeing each other for the first time when I started walking down the aisle was the best feeling and memory we have from the day.

Photography: Steven Dray Photography

Venue: Belhurst Castle and Winery

Florist: New Leaf by Lori Gricks

Wedding Dress Designer: Martina Liana

Wedding Dress Style: Style #1387 – Fit and Flare

Wedding Dress Boutique: La Raine’s Bridal Boutique in Atlanta, GA

Hairstylist Name: Blush Beauty Bar

Make-up Artist Name: Claire from Blush Beauty Bar

Bride’s Shoe Designer: Betsey Johnson

Bride’s Ring Designer: Chaplin’s Jewelry in Atlanta, GA

Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: David’s Bridal

Groom Attire Designer: Indochino

Groom Ring Designer: Chaplin’s Jewelry in Atlanta, GA

Videographer: Roc Focus – Leif Nielsen

Entertainment: DJ Devan from Washburn Entertainment

Bakery: Holy Cannoli