Simply American
Leanne Ford Shaffer and her husband, Brad, allowed themselves three months to plan a simple outdoor wedding.
The couple got lucky when a family friend offered a weekend home in Granville, Ohio, where lush hydrangeas bloomed amid a smattering of rustic cabins.
Throw in some creative talent, and the event also bloomed. It was featured last May in Martha Stewart Weddings magazine as an American destination wedding.
Hosted July 3, 2010, the wedding coincided with an annual July 4 celebration held in the nearby town.
“The town has a carnival and square dancing. It's an amazing American weekend,” said Leanne, a freelance wardrobe stylist based in Sewickley.
As part of the festivities, the Shaffers' 120 guests found accommodations in Granville.
“We invited everybody Friday and Saturday, and a lot of people ending up staying Sunday night as well,” Leanne said.
To play into the American theme, some guests wore red, white and blue. A flag was strung between two trees, and barbecue was served on the long, white tables.
Guests were greeted by a fiddle and mandolin duo donning suspenders and cowboy boots. Bottled drinks were stored in ice-filled tubs in the bed of a '53 Chevy pickup.
“We had candles everywhere, and everybody drank out of Mason jars and old vintage glassware,” Leanne said.“We had luminaria lighting all through the field, and old strung lights over the dance floor. One of my favorite things: We didn't have a dance floor,” she added, explaining the couple considered spreading plastic sheeting but decided it would detract from the rustic appeal. Instead, they danced in the grass.“It was very ‘Great Gatsby,'” she said.With Leanne, 30, a freelance wardrobe stylist and Brad, 29, a creative director for American Eagle, the couple has amassed a collection of creative friends and associates.One, a photographer, pitched their American wedding to Martha Stewart Weddings — and the idea took hold.“They ended up asking if they could talk to my photographers and use their photos. They highlighted it (as a destination wedding) in the summer issue. It just published in May,” Leanne said.Despite the glamorous ending, Leanne said the event maintained its intended simplicity.“At the end of the day it ... it was all about the marriage,” she said. “If Brad showed up and I showed up, we're good.”“I was fully fine with not having a wedding, but I'm so thankful we did,” she added.“It just turned out to be such an amazing weekend. ... It was kind of like my answer to eloping, but with all our friends and family there.”Leanne is the daughter of Jacqueline Ford of Upper St. Clair and the late Michael Ford. Brad is the son of Jay and Lynn Shaffer of Butler.
