This Woodsy Fall Wedding in the Poconos Was Full of Ethereal, Earthy Romance

The wedding planning dream for Emily + Austin was to tie the knot somewhere surrounded by nature—bonus points if the venue could serve as a getaway for their friends + fam. 

When they found Magnolia Streamside Resort in the heart of the Poconos they knew it was the spot. And from there their warm, autumnal early October wedding came to life. 

“We knew we wanted the design of our day to enhance rather than take away from the beautiful natural surroundings,” say Emily + Austin. That’s why they leaned into a color palette full of warm, earthy tones like forest green, sepia, terracotta, amber, mauve, dusty blush, and burgundy. 

Building beautiful weddings was nothing new for bride Emily who, along with business partner Melissa, created floral + event design company Stems Floral + Event Design. So all of this dreamy day’s planning, event design, and floral magic came straight from Stems!

We’re so enchanted by the woodsy romance of Emily + Austin’s day and the way that photographer Tori Kelner perfectly captured it all. 

Let’s take a peek!

Marsupial Papers put the dark + delicate colors of Emily + Austin’s palette to perfect use. We can’t get enough of those embossed details and that marbled envelope liner.

Love the way these round terracotta ring box showed off Emily + Austin’s wedding rings in this enchanting details shot.

Matching pajama sets! One of our all-time fave bridesmaid gifts. This super cute terracotta toile pattern fit perfectly into the feel of the day.

Groom Austin started off the celebration sipping a cold one from his sage green Stanley beer stein 🍺.

Generation Tux decked these handsome fellas out in their matching slate blue three piece wedding suits. So into pop of warm orange from their ties!

“In addition to all of the special details woven into our weekend, one of my favorites was Austin’s pocket square flowers,” says Emily. “Months before the wedding, I had asked him what kind of boutonniere he wanted. He chose a Protea flower…which simply did not fit the aesthetics! Trying to stump me, he said the only other thing he would agree to would need to have mushrooms, and a Gnome. Laughing, I gladly accepted the challenge, and the day of the wedding I presented him with his flowers- which included a dried mushroom and tiny clay gnome tucked into the design. Our friends and family loved hearing the story and Austin was pleasantly surprised at the outcome.”

Emily’s slingback block heel wedding shoes from Charlotte Mills sparkled in the autumn leaves.

Emily’s crew looked so fab in their terracotta bridesmaid dresses from Birdy Grey! If you know you want to stick with a single color, varying silhouettes and fabric textures like this is such a fun way to subtly nail the mismatched bridal party palette.

A little rain definitely won’t wreck your big day! Grabbing some umbrellas like Emily, Austin, and their wedding party did is one way to roll with any weather. Check out our rundown of what to do if it rains on your wedding day for more tips + ideas!

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding
From the bride: Other than marrying my best friend and dancing the night away surrounded by our favorite people...a memorable moment of the weekend was my mom's arrival. Five days before our wedding, my mom was admitted to the hospital. After many stressful days of not knowing what was going on, we got news the day before that she would likely need surgery on the day of the wedding unless her condition drastically changed. Our families jumped into action and planned to set-up Zoom to stream the ceremony for her to watch, but we were all crushed that she wouldn't be there. The morning of the wedding, Austin, my dad, and I went to the hospital at 6am to see her (luckily it was only 30 minutes from our venue). While she was feeling better, it still didn't seem possible that her drs would discharge her in time to make it. Long story short, my mom checked herself out of the hospital and walked right outside...where my aunt and uncle were waiting to rush her back to the venue. I was outside with my bridesmaids popping champagne and taking photos when we saw her walk up, and we all immediately broke into tears. My amazing make-up and hair vendors waited for her arrival, got her all made-up, and she was able to attend the ceremony in person, and after a nap, even made part of our reception. It rained all day, threatening to move our outdoor ceremony under the pavilion, but I kept saying that I didn't care about the weather...as long as my mom made it. Literally minutes before guests arrived, the clouds opened up, and the sun came out. I like to say that I called in all of my luck and favors that day, because it truly all worked out perfectly for us, making it a day I'll never forget and one I am so grateful for!

Emily found her ethereal off-the-shoulder Martina Liana dress at Brides By Young. The subtle shimmer and floral appliques are fall forest wedding perfection.

A Streamside Forest Ceremony

These mossy tree trunk floral installations full of fresh white, blush, and orange blooms were like something straight out of a fairytale!

Explore our list of songs to walk down the aisle to if you’re still on the hunt for the right music for this special moment.

Our Musical Choices
			
Processional:  “Thank You” by Led Zeppelin (Chris Cornell cover) + “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica
			
			
Recessional: "You Are the Best Thing" by Ray LaMontagne
			
			
First Dance: "Your Song" by Elton John
			
		

Get into our guide to writing your own vows if you like the idea of sharing something from the heart like Emily + Austin did!

Can we get a round of applause for this stunning ceremony spot!? The stream running through the background 😍!

Love the way that Emily’s wedding veil caught the glowy fall sunlight in this pic!

Solie & Sable created Emily’s wavy half up half down look, and Natural Beauty by KB was behind her gorgeous neutral glam.

A Warm + Woodsy Reception

Emily + her partner Melissa (aka the Stems Floral + Event Design dream team) created this custom wedding reception seating chart for the event! How sweet are those flower boxes!

These minimalist black wood table numbers were a perfect balance for the organic feel of the reception tables’ lush blush floral centerpieces.

“Being an owner of a floral & event design company, the tablescapes and florals for the day were definitely a top priority, and something I agonized over!” remembers Emily. “My business partner and I created a tablescape design with plenty of flowers, plenty of candles, and even extra touches like fresh mushrooms, figs, cheesecloth napkins, and decorative mauve water glasses.”

Grab a set of ribbed mauve glass stemware some ribbed glass amber votives to add some of this warm + romantic energy to your own table.

This glowy candle-filled setup surrounded by trees was truly indoor/outdoor reception dreams!

Emily + Austin created these clever cocktail infusion jars themselves! Total unique wedding guest favor goals.

That rustic naked icing! Those beautiful blush cake florals! The super sweet script cake topper! We can’t decide what we love most about this delicious creation from Pattycakes.

Congratulations, Emily + Austin, on your perfect Poconos wedding weekend! GWS wishes you all the best!