Planning a Wedding During COVID-19 - Cara & Jason
It’s no secret that the global pandemic of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on important gatherings and special events. This has been especially true for weddings. With such short notice, couples are having to make the difficult decision of postponing their wedding date. This is no small feat, and brings with it an intense and unique wave of emotions and challenges associated with essentially having to re-plan their wedding day. With this daunting task facing many couples whose weddings were initially planned for the coming weeks and months in 2020, one of our couples at the Farm graciously shared their story of what postponing their wedding date has looked like for them. Inspired by an article published on Pennsylvania Weddings, we hope it is able to offer some light in these unprecedented times, and some hope in the midst of an uncertain future.
Tori Repp Photography at the Farm Bakery and Events
It’s no secret that the global pandemic of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on important gatherings and special events. This has been especially true for weddings. With such short notice, couples are having to make the difficult decision of postponing their wedding date. This is no small feat, and brings with it an intense and unique wave of emotions and challenges associated with essentially having to re-plan their wedding day. With this daunting task facing many couples whose weddings were initially planned for the coming weeks and months in 2020, one of our couples at the Farm graciously shared their story of what postponing their wedding date has looked like for them. Inspired by an article published on Pennsylvania Weddings, we hope it is able to offer some light in these unprecedented times, and some hope in the midst of an uncertain future.
Thank you, Cara & Jason, for sharing your experience with us!
We cannot wait to celebrate with you on August 23!
First of all, we can not express the immense respect we have for both Cara & Jason as educators transitioning their students and their curriculum to online learning at the drop of a hat - while simultaneously postponing their wedding day. These two are truly incredible and we can not thank them enough for taking the time to share their experience with us, and for being so gracious as they work through these difficult changes.
Cara & Jason’s wedding was originally one of two weddings scheduled for our opening weekend of the 2020 season on April 18, 2020. They elected to postpone their wedding date to August 23, 2020.
How did you meet?
“Even though we both moved to the same town around 1st grade, and we both went trick-or-treating on the same block, and we only lived about 5 minutes from one another for a decade, we did not meet until our senior year. This was primarily because Cara took all the smart classes and Jason took all the shop classes. But eventually we met in Gym class and Jason promptly annoyed Cara as first impressions were never his thing. But Jason won Cara over by getting her out of class with fake hall passes, helping her with her car, work, or just general life drama, and Cara helped Jason pass math class and learn to take a break every now and then. Really not sure if we would have finished our senior year if it wasn’t for one another.”
Tell us your engagement story!
“We got engaged Christmas Morning of 2018. Just the two of us. Jason dressed our dog up as a reindeer, with bells and antlers. He (our dog Charlie) wore a present on his back that contained the hand made ring box and custom designed wedding ring. Jason did not do a practice run however, and he discovered morning of that Charlie was terrified of the bells and behaved like a lunatic. After Cara and Jason got the bells off of Charlie (while laughing hysterically), Jason told Cara to open the box that Charlie brought her and she didn’t realize it was a real gift. Inside, she found the ring box and the ring. While Jason was saying nice pretty things, Charlie promptly ate the handmade ring box, sans ring thank goodness! It was chaotic, and a little messy, and very perfect.”
How did you find the Farm?
“We started planning Spring of 2019. We knew we did not want a very traditional wedding from the beginning. We first thought we might want a destination wedding; Cape May is a sentimental vacation spot so we looked there. While in all of these beach themed venues we realized that it just wasn’t us. The gold and ornate halls, or the fancy meals. So we thought about us and were reminded of the farm / country areas we used to drive through in PA, times spent in parks outdoors, and our absolutely favorite food venues - food trucks. We quickly landed on Meyers Farm and Bakery after seeing the location and started to put it all together.”
Are you able to use the same vendors for your new date as your original date?
“We are able to use pretty much all the same vendors. They were extremely accommodating and understanding. We were very nervous about having so many separate vendors when we realized we had to move our date, but it all came together very quickly. Jason really took care of this. We got the news on my first day of digital instruction as a third grade teacher, and I was overwhelmed by 23 eight year olds attempting to navigate Chromebooks and emails. By the end of the day, Jason had contacted all of our vendors, secured a new wedding date, and created/ordered a new invitation. I planned the first wedding, but he planned the second.”
How are you handling the additional time leading up to your wedding?
“A little sad about it, of course. It took us both a couple of days for it to really sink in. We went from 32 days ‘til our wedding to 162 days.
“We are both doing alright. There isn’t much for us to organize at this point, and we are both NJ teachers trying to digitally instruct our students. We have enough on our plates to keep us busy. Jason was actually a little relieved because he has been procrastinating making all of our center pieces and signs and now he has more time to work on it (not that he will get started anytime soon of course). We weren’t particularly attached to our original wedding date, it didn’t have any deeper purpose for us. We were just ready to be married. We discussed getting married on the 18th anyway, with just a witness or two. But we decided, since we were going to pay for this party, it might be nice to actually get married then too.”
Has anything helped to offered you hope in this situation?
“Yes. First, all of our vendors (Meyers Farm and Bakery included) have been incredible in maintaining our original expectations and contracts. Our families have been overwhelmingly supportive and positive about the change. They have done their best to find any and every tiny bright side to our new date, even the idea that now we can have a nice tan for our big day! Plus, our wedding isn’t canceled. We still get to marry each other. We still get to celebrate with our family and friends. And even better, we still get the same wedding we have been planning. This will always make a fantastic anniversary story for years to come!”
How have your guests reacted to the new date?
“Extremely understanding, and to be honest, very relieved. A handful were going to be unable to attend, or frightened to attend. It wouldn’t have been the celebration that we had hoped.”
Did you have many guests traveling from out of town?
“Not MANY. I would say we had around 10-15 guests traveling from out of town. Flights were booked, but we couldn’t do much about it. We are happy to say that everyone who reserved rooms in our hotel block were not penalized for their cancelations and many airlines are being accommodating as well.”
How did you let everyone know?
“For long distance guests/relatives, we gave phone calls very quickly, to be considerate of travel plans. We enlisted our families in help with this. Then, we created and sent our a revised wedding invitation, with the new date and time, asking our guest to RSVP once more. Jason was proud with his new invite design, he made a parody of the original “uninviting” guests from the first date and “inviting” them to the new one instead. He also bought a new domain, the original was www.jasonlovescara.com and the new one is www.jasonstilllovescara.com, our guests found it funny too.”
What advice do you have for other couples in the same situation?
“Try to make the best of the situation. This is a terrible set of circumstances, but with the right person by your side you can handle it.”
Cara & Jason, we are so thankful for the opportunity to celebrate with you. While we are (extremely) bummed not to be able to celebrate with you on April 18, we know that August 23 is going to be an incredible day and we can’t wait to be a part of it.
See below for the list of incredible vendors working with Cara & Jason to deliver them the perfect wedding day, no matter what:
Venue: the Farm Bakery and Events
Desserts: the Farm Bakery and Events
Coordinator: Jess Roth, the Farm Bakery and Events
Catering: the Munchie Machine
Catering: Dos Hermanos Tacos
Beverage: PJ's Bartending Service
Wedding Photography: Tori Repp Photography
DJ: the Pros
Spring Updates from the Farm
In the midst of these uncertain times, we wanted to send out an update from the Farm with all we have been up to this Spring! As most of you know, we have been busy putting on a large addition to our facilities to house our brand new commercial kitchen, bridal suite, men’s and women’s restrooms, and secondary event space. We have named this addition the Harvest Barn, and we can not wait to debut the space for our 2020 couples! We have made the decision to close our bakery for a period of time, but hope to open in the near future for curbside pick-up and/or delivery. Please follow us on Social Media for more announcements to hear when we will be back serving our community.
While we have closed our doors to visitors for the time being, we have continued to prepare our grounds for our 2020 Wedding Season. There is a plethora of landscaping work being done, and several exciting outdoor projects that are in the works. We are also finalizing the new decor for the groom’s suite.
Magnolia’s are in bloom…..
Spring has Sprung!
In the midst of these uncertain times, we wanted to send out an update from the Farm with all we have been up to this Spring! As most of you know, we have been busy putting on a large addition to our facilities to house our brand new commercial kitchen, bridal suite, men’s and women’s restrooms, and secondary event space. We have named this addition the Harvest Barn, and we can not wait to debut the space for our 2020 couples! We have made the decision to close our bakery for a period of time, but hope to open in the near future for curbside pick-up and/or delivery. Please follow us on Social Media for more announcements to hear when we will be back serving our community.
While we have closed our doors to visitors for the time being, we have continued to prepare our grounds for our 2020 Wedding Season. There is a plethora of landscaping work being done, and several exciting outdoor projects that are in the works. We are also finalizing the new decor for the groom’s suite.
Another exciting addition coming to the Farm in 2020 is our brand new Flour Cart Farm Stand. The Flour Cart will be open on Saturdays and serve as our version of retail space where you can pick up some of our baked goods on a first come, first serve basis (in addition to our normal order-ahead system!). We are still finalizing the date that the Flour Cart will debut. Beyond acting as our retail space, the Flour Cart is also available to rent as an amazing custom dessert table or as your bar for a special addition to your Wedding or event!
Spring Open House
Due to guidelines posted by the CDC, as well as state-mandated limitations on gatherings, we have elected to cancel our Spring Open House on April 5.
We are immensely thankful for your overwhelming support of our Open House and for your patience as we navigate these unprecedented times. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any additional questions - we are here to support you through this process and would be happy to field any of your questions and concerns via phone or email.
We are still determining whether we will be rescheduling the Open House for later in the year - regardless, please visit our Preferred Vendors Page to see the amazing vendors who were planning to attend!
We are closely monitoring the situation to determine when we will be hosting tours again. In the meantime, we would love to extend the offer of a virtual tour for you to see our updates - please just send us an email so we can schedule a time.
Thank you immensely for your understanding.
Virtual Tours:
We are now hosting virtual tours! While we are currently not scheduling in-person tours so as to adhere closely to the guidelines set forth by the CDC and the State of Pennsylvania, we would still love to show you around our Farm and update you on the progress of the Harvest Barn through a virtual tour!
Walk with us through our gorgeous facilities in all their springtime glory - from the comfort of your own home! Send us an email or give us a call at the contact information listed below - we would be thrilled for the opportunity to talk with you and show you around our Farm!
info@thefarmbakeryandevents.com
(267) 490-9394
We are awaiting the day that we can invite the community back to our Farm to see our updates and enjoy our delicious baked goods! In the meantime, we are praying for the health and wellbeing of our community. We can’t wait to see you again!
“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31
Featured Wedding: Erin & Ty
As we prepare ourselves and our facilities to serve our couples in 2020, we at the Farm have been looking back to reminisce about some of the gorgeous weddings that we have had the honor of hosting in past years. In the midst of these uncertain times, as we continue to prepare our hearts and minds to serve our couples to the best of our ability, we want to share with you some of these beautiful love stories as a light in the darkness - to celebrate and highlight just a handful of the couples we have had the joy of working with, as well as to celebrate the incredible team of vendors who work tirelessly to help our couples execute the Wedding Day of their dreams.
We invite you to come with us as we revisit these beautiful memories, and as we look with excitement toward the weddings ahead!
All Images by Abby Jenkins Photography
Abby Jenkins Photography is a portrait and wedding photographer serving couples and families in NJ, NY, PA and beyond. I am passionate about capturing authentic, joyful images that you will treasure for years and years to come!
Hello all!
As we prepare ourselves and our facilities to serve our couples in 2020, we at the Farm have been looking back to reminisce about some of the gorgeous weddings that we have had the honor of hosting in past years. In the midst of these uncertain times, as we continue to prepare our hearts and minds to serve our couples to the best of our ability, we want to share with you some of these beautiful love stories as a light in the darkness - to celebrate and highlight just a handful of the couples we have had the joy of working with, as well as to celebrate the incredible team of vendors who work tirelessly to help our couples execute the Wedding Day of their dreams.
We invite you to come with us as we revisit these beautiful memories, and as we look with excitement toward the weddings ahead!
Erin & Ty
October 19, 2019
Erin and Ty celebrated their marriage at the Farm on the most beautiful day in October of 2019. We still remember the day they came to tour The Farm! Their love for each other was evident by the way they looked at each other and laughed together as they shared more of their story with us. As they shared, we learned that we had a special connection with their family. When she met my mother-in-law for the first time, who is from Scotland, Erin’s shared that her Grandmother is from Scotland and she had fond memories of her Scottish accent. October 19th is also my Mom’s birthday, so we enjoyed sharing and celebrating a very special day in October with their union! Their wedding day was abundant in warm details, autumn decor, and most importantly - their love for each other. They incorporated so many unique details to their wedding day in order to make it entirely theirs - from the details of their ceremony to having food trucks cater their reception. We love to see couples customize the space and their day to fit their own style.
Captured by the incredible photographer Abby Jenkins, Erin & Ty fully embraced the rustic-chic style with a plethora of pumpkins as well as custom signs, wooden Farm tables and crates, and elegant lanterns to accessorize their rustic displays. Their deep red, peach, pink, and dusty orange color scheme was perfectly accented by the changing colors of the leaves - and the gorgeous greenery on our rustic wooden arbor.
The tones of Erin’s dusty pink dress were so gorgeous with the rest of their color scheme, and the bridal party’s denim jackets added the perfect touch of fun for the season! The groomsmen also stayed stylish and comfortable with their khakis and suspenders. We love the relaxed elements that Erin & Ty incorporated into their special day!
Their joy was so evident throughout their day, from their intimate and emotional first look to their beautiful ceremony!
Both of Erin’s parents walked her down the aisle to meet Ty at the altar, and it was such a special and unique touch to their ceremony to make their wedding day all their own.
After their ceremony, Erin & Ty’s fun was only getting started! Their friends and family enjoyed yard games and hors d'oeuvres as cocktail hour flowed seamlessly into their reception in the Seed Barn, catered by the Pizza Wagon and Tre Locally Sourced Food. These food trucks both did a fantastic job of serving decadent and beautiful looking plates!
Erin & Ty set their reception up as a mixture of cocktail tables and more traditional seating to offer flexibility to their guests. This style of reception led to a very relaxed and social atmosphere where their guests were able to mingle and enjoy all the Farm has to offer throughout the entire evening!
The dessert bar of delicious cookies, mini bundt cakes, and mini pies was provided in-house by the Farm Bakery and Events. Erin & Ty also took advantage of our Fire Pit & S’mores Bar Enhancement during their reception!
One of our favorite views of the Farm is seeing guests mingling outside on the deck at our cocktail tables during the reception, or out enjoying the fire pit. Illuminated by string lights, these romantic spaces are the perfect place to spend meaningful time with your loved ones during your reception!
We are so thankful for the opportunity to celebrate your wedding day with you, Erin & Ty!
We wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
Find the amazing team of vendors who worked to make Erin and Ty’s dream wedding day come to life!
Venue: the Farm Bakery and Events
Dessert Bar: the Farm Bakery and Events
Coordinator: Susanna O’Hara
Catering: The Pizza Wagon
Catering: Tre Locally Sourced Food
Photography: Abby Jenkins Photography
Videography: Well Spun Weddings
Florals / DIY Set Up: Thistle Lane Events
Rustic Details Supplied by the Farm:
Wooden Ceremony Arbor
White Ceremony Chairs
Wooden Directional Signs
Fire Pit & S’mores Bar
Antique John Deere Tractor
Yard Games
Fire Pit
Gray Accent Couch
Rustic Blue Potting Bench
Rustic Sweetheart Table
Rustic Wooden Crate
Black Lanterns
Dessert Bar
S’mores Bar
Spring Open House at The Farm!
The past couple of years have been a whirlwind. God has truly had us all on this amazing journey and I’m so thankful for all that He has done here at our little Farm in Quakertown. Without His strength, guidance, provision and wisdom we would not be where we are today. We opened our Farm on Zion Hill for Weddings in the Spring of 2017 and had no idea what would happen. We are about to enter our 4th Wedding Season. It is with great honor that we will be able to serve so many Wedding Couples and their families on one of the most exciting days as they begin their lives together.
The past couple of years have been a whirlwind. God has truly had us all on this amazing journey and I’m so thankful for all that He has done here at our little Farm in Quakertown. Without His strength, guidance, provision and wisdom we would not be where we are today. We opened our Farm on Zion Hill for Weddings in the Spring of 2017 and had no idea what would happen. We are about to enter our 4th Wedding Season. It is with great honor that we will be able to serve so many Wedding Couples and their families on one of the most exciting days as they begin their lives together.
I remember the day that God planted a seed in my heart for this idea. Could we host Weddings in our Barn? Would people actually come here to get married? How would we pay for the renovations? At the time I was working full-time in a very busy position that required quite a bit of travel. How would I manage both and make sure to keep my commitments? Chris and I had always discussed different ideas for businesses, but we never actually acted on them. So I prayed, we prayed- Lord, we are just going to take one step at a time and follow your lead, if this is your will for where you want us to be, I know you will make it happen. To say that God provided is an understatement! I remember reading a verse - “Commit your plans to the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4. He knew I had a heart to serve and all He had to do was plant the seed. “I planted a seed in your hearts, and Apollo watered it, but it was God who made it grow.” 1 Corinthians 3:6. I remember thinking over the course of the last 4 years, as our business grew, how am I going to continue to manage this business and work full-time? I have two young children and while I was blessed with an awesome corporate job, my heart wanted to be a Mom and be closer to them. I never in a million years imagined that this little business at The Farm would allow me to leave my job, but again God provided. I kept hearing His soft whisper- trust me, you are in my hands! My flesh wanted to be filled with fear, the fear of failure, and the fear of all of the what ifs. But, through faith and God’s grace I left my job in February of 2019, only a year ago. Yet again I was humbled by all that God provided and how He has continued to carry me during this time.
I began a new prayer- Lord we need to find good people to help us carry out your mission here at The Farm. He provided more abundantly than I could have every dreamed or imagined. “He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into the field.’” Mathew 9:37-38. Not only did He send workers, but AMAZING and talented people who have all brought their gifts and talents to serve here at The Farm. Kara, our baker, has been working with us for the past 5 years. She is so talented and we are blessed to have her working with us. Over the next 4 years we have been blessed to hire an amazing team of Wedding Coordinators - Susanna, Jess and Caris. Check out our TEAM, without them we would not be here. At the beginning of February we hired our first full-time role, an Event Operations Manager. We are excited to share that Anna Robinson has accepted this role after interning with us for the past 2 years. She started at the beginning of February and is already doing so many amazing things to support our business here at The Farm. I pinch myself and ask Anna almost every day, are you still enjoying your new job? We are grateful for each member on our TEAM and all that they do to support our mission here!
Meet Anna…
Event Operations Manager
So… in addition to all these wonderful happenings, we are beyond excited to roll out our first Open House and Grand Opening of our New Harvest Barn on Sunday, April 5th, 2020! We have named our Barns here to honor God for all that He has done. Instead of referring to the barns as the “old barn” and “new barn,” our beautifully restored 1800’s barn is now our “Seed Barn.” We pray that just as God planted the seed in my heart, that God would also plant seeds in the many couples who begin their journeys together here. We continually pray that their lives will be full of love, joy and happiness for many years to come! Our new barn will now be our “Harvest Barn.” “So lets not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9!
We are so thankful for the harvest that God has provided and we would love to have you all join us to celebrate the opening of our new space. Our Harvest Barn will be the home for our on-site bathrooms, new bridal suite and powder room, kitchen for our bakery and a new smaller event space for rehearsals, showers, corporate outings and more! We are in the process of updating all of our bakery menus and will be opening our “Flour Cart Farm Stand.” The stand will have regular retail hours with weekly specials for breads, pies, baked goods and more! See the concept picture below. How cute will this little addition be to our Farm?
If you would like to join us for our Open House click here to reserve your tickets and for more details about the event. Several of our preferred vendors will be here showcasing their talents and serving up some awesome food and wine. We hope you can join us!
Warmly, Becca Lynde
XOXOXO
Our “Flour Cart Farm Stand”! Opening in April of 2020! We will be posting weekly specials for bread, pies, and baked goods with regular hours for a stop in visit to The Farm on Fridays-Sundays! More details to come on our Grand Opening for our Flour Cart but you can sign up for our Newsletter to hear more about our retail bakery hours on our homepage here: Newsletter.
Valentine's Day Specials!
Do you have a special someone in your life that you would like to show some love? Or maybe its a “Thank You” for a teacher, co-worker or friend! Don’t worry we have some wonderful homemade treats that will surely make your loved one feel extra special!!
Photo by Stacy Salvatori Photography
Do you have a special someone in your life that you would like to show some love? Or maybe its a “Thank You” for a teacher, co-worker or friend! Don’t worry we have some wonderful homemade treats that will surely make your loved one feel extra special!! We would also like to extend a 10% discount to our couples who have gotten married here or are getting married here in the future for any Valentine order! We would love to see you all again!
We are also excited to announce that our Bakery is now taking orders for 2020 and plan to open our Baking Kitchen at The Farm in April of 2020. We will have a cute “Flour Cart Farm Stand” that will be open on the weekends so you can pick up some fun weekly specials. Sign up for our newsletter so you do not miss all of the details including an Open House on Sunday, April 5th, 2020. We are so excited for this next step for our bakery and to continue to serve our community!
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ” 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
Valentine’s Day Specials
Pie-Grams
Choose a 10” or 4” Mini Pie and customize a message! These are double crust pies as pictured above!
10” Family Size pies $25
4” Mini Pies are $7
Messages can be anything from “Cutie Pie” to “I Love You”, “Hugs & Kisses” - Just keep in mind it has to fit on the size pie you pick! Pie Grams are also great for Birthday’s, Anniversary’s or a simple Thank You!
Flavors: Apple, Wild Maine Blueberry, Cherry, Brownie Pie - (Regular, Peanut Butter & Coffee) and Salted Caramel Apple
XOXO Apple Dumplings
$6.50 each
A dumpling for your dumpling?
Mini Gourmet Cupcakes
2 Chocolate Raspberry & 2 Strawberry Shortcake Minis in a Cute Valentine Inspired Gift Box! $6
Photo by Stacy Salvatori Photography
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