Alyssa Nakken wedding: Alyssa Nakken and Matt Lucht were both in their early 20s when they fell in love. The Pennsylvania native met the New Yorker at an improv show and the rest, as they say, is history. When the two decided to tie the knot, they opted for a classic wedding that blended both modernity and old-school traditions. They didn’t want their nuptials to be just another regular event, so instead of having a bunch of last-minute DIY projects comes together for them on the day, Alyssa and Matt planned everything out meticulously beforehand. Here are some of the details from their romantic wedding (that you might not have known before!).
The bride wanted her wedding dress custom-made
When it came down to the dress, Alyssa was adamant that she wanted her dress to be custom-made. She had seen other brides go for a traditional white gown, but she really wanted something different — and she didn’t want to settle for anything less than what she envisioned. The Pennsylvania native searched for local dressmakers who could help her make the dress of her dreams. “I found a woman in her 60s who had started her own dressmaking business,” Alyssa tells us. “She was so inspiring to me and taught me a lot about what it takes to start a business.” Alyssa and her future wife set a goal of having their wedding dress be made in three months — and they almost made it! “We were three months away from the big day when she realized one of her fittings would be canceled,” Alyssa recalls. “We were so close, but thankfully, she was able to arrange a new fitting the day before.” Alyssa had been dreaming of a white lace dress with a sweetheart neckline, so the dressmaker agreed to take on her vision. “I was so excited when we found the dress!” Alyssa says. “It was exactly what I had pictured in my head.” The Pennsylvania native picked out the lace fabric herself, and she and her fiancé had it specially dyed by a company in Pennsylvania. “We had them dye a different color of lace every time so that it would have a different feel,” Alyssa says. The gown was made with princess seams, which were carefully hand-sewn to ensure that they were lined up perfectly. “We wanted the dress to be very detailed,” Alyssa says. “I thought it would be really cool to have the back of the dress be a different color than the front of the dress.” After Alyssa tried the dress on for the first time, she recalls feeling like a princess. “I felt like a bride, even though I was still a kid in my wedding dress,” she says. “I was so excited to wear it.”
The cocktail hour was a culinary delight
The cocktail hour was an informal event that took place before the wedding ceremony. This was also a chance for the couple to greet guests and welcome them to the reception. For the event, Alyssa’s dad, sister, and future sister-in-law all made a delicious meal. “We had my dad, my sister, and my future sister-in-law make food for the cocktail hour,” Alyssa tells us. “My family is so talented and so creative, so they made a bunch of different items to serve. There was lamb, fried chicken, baked beans, potatoes, salad, bread, and cookies.” The cocktail hour was a great chance for guests to get to know the couple and ease them into the reception. “Our cocktail hour was a great way for guests to get to know us and ease into the reception,” Alyssa says. “It was a great way for us to get to know our guests, too.”
The keynote speeches were full of wit and emotion
The bride and groom both came from large families, so it only made sense that they would want speeches that honored their loved ones. For the first keynote, Alyssa’s sister wrote a speech that discussed her relationship with Alyssa. “My sister wrote a speech about my relationship with my sister and how it gave her courage and strength,” Alyssa says. “It was really sweet and it touched a lot of people.” Next up was Alyssa’s mom’s speech, which was more traditional. “My mom did something very traditional,” Alyssa says. “My mom did a speech about how we are all family, and how she loves us all. She sent love to all the kids in the room. It was really sweet and emotional. The guests were touched by it.”
Everyone enjoyed the candy bar — even the kids!
Candy bars are a trendy addition to weddings these days, but Alyssa and Matt wanted to amp up the sweetness factor for their wedding. “We wanted our reception to be sweet and fun,” Alyssa says. “We also wanted our guests to be treated well and be able to indulge in their sweet tooths. We wanted the candy bar to be fun, memorable, and sweet.” The Pennsylvania native and her fiancé created a candy bar that was full of unique flavors and items that you wouldn’t find in most stores. For example, the candy bar featured Alyssa- and Matt-branded gummy bears and lollipops. “We wanted to make it super special and unique,” Alyssa says. “We went to a lot of effort to make it a fun and memorable experience.” After guests had enjoyed the candy bar, Alyssa and Matt finished off the night with a dessert- and ice cream-themed scavenger hunt for their kids. This was a fun way for everyone to end the night on a sweet note.
Don’t limit yourself to just close family and friends — have everyone attend!
Alyssa and Matt knew that they wanted to keep things small on their wedding day, but they wanted their guests to feel included, too. As Alyssa points out, most couples only invite their closest family and friends to their wedding; however, she wanted everyone to feel like they were part of the celebrations. For example, she and her fiancé asked their friends and family if they would mind picking up their guests once the reception ended. “We didn’t want to have to worry about getting everyone to the car,” Alyssa says. “We knew that our families would be happy to help us out, and they made it easy on us by taking care of the rest.” The Pennsylvania native and her fiancé wanted to make sure that everyone felt special at the wedding. They had a special welcome for all guests, whether they were in the wedding party or not. This welcome included a personalized welcome note, a gift, and an extra drink ticket for the guests. “We wanted to make sure that everyone felt included,” Alyssa says. “We wanted to make sure that we included all the guests.”
The ceremony site matters as much as it does for day-of coordination
Alyssa and Matt decided to have their ceremony at a local park, which was convenient for all parties involved. The couple didn’t have to worry about coordinating with the venue, and they could have the ceremony exactly where they wanted it. “I like having a ceremony at a local park,” Alyssa says. “It’s fun because you get to see a lot of different things. You also get to see a lot of different people.” Alyssa and Matt also wanted to make sure that the ceremony wouldn’t take too long to set up. “We wanted the ceremony to be quick,” Alyssa says. “We didn’t want to have it for too long. It also needed to fit in with the rest of the day. We wanted the ceremony