PHOTOS BY MARIAH TREIBER PHOTOGRAPHY

Looking for a way to spend an intimate moment together on their wedding day, Emily Papathanasakis and her husband, Tyler Bartolomeo, stole away 20 minutes after their ceremony for a secret dinner together.

“When I was on Pinterest, I saw a post that said to make sure you have one-on-one time with your husband after the ceremony,” says Emily. “I also had a friend who had said, ‘Make sure you eat because people will come up to your reception table to chat and you won’t get to eat anything.’”

Combining those two ideas, Emily reached out to Jacque Bell, owner of Bella Terra Vineyards in Hunker, Westmoreland County, and Emily’s day-of coordinator for her wedding on Aug. 10.

“Rarely do couples get to enjoy the first minutes or first meal as a married couple together,” says Bell. “When Emily asked if it was at all possible to have a few minutes to eat their first meal alone, we knew this was something we needed to make happen.”

At first, Emily and Bell discussed having the couple’s private meal in a location that would be most accessible for the food staff.

“Our first table position was much closer to the building but less intimate,” says Bell. “We decided the table needed to be out of the site of guests and as secluded as possible.”

After a brief planning period, the dinner was scheduled into the timeline and the circular table was set in the center of the vineyard to avoid being seen by any guests.

Formal family photos followed the ceremony, and then the newlyweds made their way to the center of the greenery while the guests enjoyed the cocktail hour. Emily and Tyler were alone except for their photographer, Mariah Treiber, who stopped by for a few minutes to capture the moment.

“The setting was idyllic,” says Bell. “We displayed actual grapes from the vines on the table and placed a bottle of bubbly to start their first meal. We delivered their food hot for them to enjoy.”

According to Emily, the dinner-for-two made the overall day more positive. At the reception, while everyone else was enjoying their formal dinner, Emily and Tyler were able to walk around and talk to their guests.

For those looking to add the intimate moment into their wedding day itinerary, letting a few people know about the dinner can help the day run smoother.

“We did have a few people who tried to come up to us to chat or take pictures while we were heading towards the vineyard,” says Emily. “Take the time to maybe take your individual pictures before the ceremony, so you don’t interrupt the flow of the day. Include a cocktail hour while you’re at dinner, so your bridal party can have time to relax and have food.”

The one-on-one meal was so successful, Bell and her team now offer it as an add-on option to weddings at Bella Terra.

“It was intimate, relaxing and simply a beautiful setting,” says Bell. “A first meal is a wonderful way to start a lifetime of memories.”