Grove, Party of 3
Morgan and David Grove return to the Inn to celebrate their BABY SHOWER!
May 14th, 2024
One of our greatest pleasures here at the Inn is seeing all of the ways our couples and their families grow after celebrating their wedding with us. Last summer, Morgan (formerly) O’Hara and David Grove hosted a magnificent wedding with us at Terraview, stunning photos of which you can see below.
Then, a few weeks following the wedding, Morgan reached out to her Event Planner, thanking her for such a memorable evening with her now-husband.
We were so thrilled to hear from Morgan in the weeks following her wedding, but this past winter, she and David shared with us even more wonderful news, announcing their first pregnancy together!
“David and I recently found out that we are expecting!” the former bride shared. “We are both very happy and excited for what is ahead.”
We were so excited to hear such good news, but we were even more elated that the mom and dad-to-be decided to return to the Inn once more, this time to celebrate their baby shower with us!
As if there weren’t already enough to celebrate between Baby Grove’s coming arrival and the lovely couple’s return to the Inn, Morgan shared an incredibly sweet tidbit about hers and David’s little one:
“Our due date is in July— actually the 8th which is our wedding anniversary!”
In her email, she explained that, “Our doctor has indicated it’s common for babies to be delivered within two weeks before or after the due date, so it will likely not actually be the 8th but that was a fun surprise to hear at our appointment!”
Morgan and David shared their second milestone event here at Stroudsmoor with us on Saturday, May 11th, putting Morgan just under two months away from her due date. We wait with bated breath to see whether or not Baby Grove makes their grand appearance on the couple’s very first wedding anniversary.
Following the early May event, we were so happy to hear even more positive feedback from the O’Hara/Grove family. Morgan’s mom reached out afterward and shared with the couple’s planner:
“Thank you!…The day could not have been more special! Morgan was surrounded by family and friends in a place which holds a special place in her (and David’s) heart.
The atmosphere at the Inn was amazing thanks to you and your wonderful staff. The service was outstanding and your attention to every detail makes it so easy and fun for us to host events at the Inn. Our guests had a lovely time, delicious meals, scrumptious desserts, all with a beautiful atmosphere that you created for our special day.
[Y]ou always take such incredible care of us so we will absolutely send you a birth announcement and pictures! We consider you to be part of the O’Hara/Grove family! Yesterday exceeded our expectations in every way…
Lauretta O’Hara
We’re so grateful to remain such a significant part of the O’Hara/Grove family and we look forward to the couple’s next visit to the Inn, hopefully with Baby Grove in tow!
A Note from the Groves
Celebrating 4 Months of Married Bliss
Morgan O’Hara (now Grove) and David Grove celebrated their Stroudsmoor wedding at our grandest venue, Terraview, on Saturday, July 8th, 2023. Today, they celebrate four months of married bliss. As they celebrate their mini-versary, we’re taking a peek at a sampling of their stunning wedding photos.
Reflecting on their special day months after celebrating their “I-do’s,” the new Mrs. Grove reached out to her dedicated Event Planner to thank her for making hers and David’s wedding so memorable:
Hi Linda!
I hope you are doing well! I just wanted to reach out and thank you again for the wonderful wedding! Our friends and families could not stop raving about the beautiful venue and wonderful food! We had the best time, and all of the details came together beautifully! We cannot thank you enough for all of your hard work, and appreciate you making our special day so perfect!
Stroudsmoor Looks Forward to the Groves' Next Visit to the Inn
One of the great things about celebrating your wedding at Stroudsmoor Country Inn is that, after months or even years spent planning with our Event Team, you and your partner continue to remain an integral part of the fabric that makes up Stroudsmoor’s ever-growing family.
Often, our Director of Event Operations, Linda Pirone Forte, will remark on how—following 40 years of planning—she’s curated wedding celebrations and other life milestone events for the children of couples who were married years, sometimes decades, prior.
In her note to Linda, Morgan gushed, “We look forward to visiting the inn in future years! What a wonderful thing to look forward to!”
Our 'Stunning' Poconos Wedding Venue Continues to Impress
Of Stroudsmoor’s six regionally distinct wedding venues, Terraview—where the Groves held their grand celebration—is the largest. Capable of accommodating up to 350 guests, the castle-like structure was perfectly equipped to host the Groves’ celebration.
Thinking back on the beauty of both the venue and the décor as she flipped through her wedding photos, Morgan concluded, “The venue looks stunning and I loved going through these photos and seeing all the perfect details. Thank you again for everything!”
We’re so grateful to have had such a pivotal role in planning Morgan and David’s dream wedding, and even more importantly, thrilled to have made such a positive impression on the new Mr. & Mrs.
For more information about our Terraview venue—or Stroudsmoor Weddings in general—reach out to our Event Office at 570-421-6431 | Ext. 420.
Morgan & David are Married at Terraview
Morgan and David Grove were married at Stroudmoor’s largest venue, Terraview, this past summer. Now, just after celebrating their 4-Month anniversary, they’ve shared with us the roots of their love story that led them right to us here to the Pocono Mountains.
Tell us how and when you met each other! What was your first impression of one another, and at what moment did you know you'd be together forever?
We met our freshman year of college, Fall of 2016. David’s first impression of me was that I am charming and fun to be around. My first impression of David was that he was very kind and easy to talk to.
We became very close friends throughout the first two years of college and began dating towards the end of our junior year of college. It is difficult to point to one exact moment throughout our relationship [where we knew we’d be together forever]. I think we had a lot of great memories together, and a really strong foundation of friendship which allowed us to love one another fully.
We know that we can depend on one another and talk to each other about anything and everything— we are best friends. Throughout our relationship, we really grew together and overcame many obstacles, which ultimately made us even closer. I think overcoming these obstacles made it really clear to both of us that we would be together forever because we make such a great team.
Tell us about the proposal, share some pics, and show us your ring!
David had completed Officer Candidate School for the Marines and was in The Basic School. He had a long weekend for the 4th of July, so we decided to take a trip to Charleston, South Carolina. David had this whole trip planned out and I had no idea he intended to propose. He arranged for a photographer to take photos of our engagement and planned to do it at Middleton Place in Charleston, SC.
On our way to Middleton Place, our Uber driver noticed a car behind us driving pretty quickly. It went to pass us, and actually sped off of the road and collided with a tree. We asked for the Uber driver to turn around to make sure the driver was OK. The car was very badly damaged, and David was able to get the driver from the car safely. We called the police and ambulance.
David was pretty dirty afterwards, and I was pretty worried so I said that we could just return back to the hotel and go to Middleton Place to do the tours the next day. David, insisted we go ahead as planned. Then, once we arrived, David and I walked around and I could not believe the events that just previously happened. As David finally got me onto other topics, we walked around the lovely estate and talked about our life together. Then, he proposed in the gardens. It was very magical! There was a photographer there to take photos of these special moments, which was such a surprise. David had such a great plan and I was so surprised by it all!
What led you to Stroudsmoor Country Inn? What inspired you to celebrate your wedding with us?
We were looking for a venue that had outdoor options and included nature. We were also looking for venues that were still available and had the flexibility to work with couples who were not necessarily accessible, as we could not begin planning until February 2023 for a July 8th 2023 wedding, due to David’s schedule. Also, since David is in the Marines, we were actually in California for 6 months from January through June while he completed his MOS school. So we were looking for a venue that could be flexible with us throughout the wedding planning process.
Additionally, my cousin, Cory O’Hara, got married at the Stroudsmoor a few years ago. I remember having an amazing time at that wedding and remembered the venue being something special. My Aunt Debbie and Uncle John had wonderful things to say about the Stroudsmoor as well. My parents did a lot on the planning front in our stead while we were away.
The staff at the Stroudsmoor and Linda especially made it an easy choice. We cannot say enough kind words about Linda. She went above and beyond to make our day the most special and personalized to perfectly fit us. She really understood our vision and worked with us to make all the details come together cohesively. Linda’s calm and confident attitude sold us, she was exactly what we needed.
What is the one menu item that sticks out above all else from your wedding celebration? What about your favorite décor detail?
The hors d’oeuvres! Wow! I cannot even count the amount of appetizers that were served at our cocktail hour, and all of them were AMAZING! Each different hors d’oeuvre was delicious and we felt as though there were so many different options, which was really wonderful to have that kind of variety.
Also, the strawberry wedding cake was fantastic. The best wedding cake we have had!
Our favorite décor detail was the champagne station at our ceremony with the lovely umbrella and champagne coups. David and I really like coups, and I felt it was really special that Linda noted that and ensured they were made part of our special day.
Another favorite décor detail were the flowers. Each flower arrangement at the tables, the bridesmaids’ bouquets, the bridal bouquet, and the arrangement at the sweetheart table were all extraordinary. They were so delicate and beautiful. We appreciated the peonies being incorporated into the flower arrangements, as this was a special flower to my late Nana, and it was wonderful to have that small detail included.
One additional décor detail we really loved was the outdoor ceremony set up. The backdrop of the Terraview is gorgeous to begin with, but with the white drapes at the alter and the urns filled with white flowers. Also the beautiful white chairs, white petals lining the aisles. The musicians to the side— the whole ceremony set up was truly perfect and spectacular.
What made your Wedding Journey with us most memorable?
Linda and Belkis. Linda was superb to work with. She is very collected and confident which makes you feel at ease and relaxed when planning with her. She has an immense amount of experience and had a very clear understanding of our vision. She also worked to ensure that our vision remained in budget which was much appreciated. She made every little detail come together to make all of the planning well-worth it. Linda was the best wedding planner we could have asked for, and we appreciate all of her hard work.
Additionally, Belkis was a wonderful part of the team. She was on top of things on the wedding day and ensured that everything ran smoothly. Belkis was very attentive and just really cared about David and I. We could tell she was there for us and to support us, which just made the day feel even more special. We cannot say enough kind words about the staff.
David and I really just looked forward to being married and to start our lives together and we felt blessed to have our family and friends there to celebrate with us on our most special day.
What is one hope you have in celebrating your first anniversary?
We hope to look back at some of our wedding photos and enjoy our delicious wedding cake! We loved our wedding and it’s a wonderful memory that we hold very dear to our hearts, but that is just the beginning, and what a very sweet beginning it was. We are very excited to keep moving forward and see what our life together brings.
Featured Vendors:
- Reception Entertainment: Frankie Carll Productions
- Ceremony Music: Penn Strings
- Wedding Cake: Stroudsmoor Inn Towne Bakery
- Flowers: Stroudsmoor Floral and Décor Team
