The couple, both teachers, made storybook memories among lush gardens and rustic ruins at The Old Mill in Rose Valley.
Words by Megan Melle
It should come as no surprise that Philly sports fans Jocelyn Smith and Peter Weiss found a way to incorporate the Philadelphia Eagles into their wedding day festivities. Jocelyn’s grandpa, a longtime Eagles season ticket holder, owns a decked-out “Eagles mobile,” which is taken to every home game tailgate. For the newlyweds, it became the ultimate option for bridal party transportation.
Chester County native and school counselor Jocelyn met Peter, who’s from Springfield, on a long-term substitute assignment at the school where he teaches physical education. Co-workers hinted at their compatibility, but the two didn’t start dating until the COVID-19 pandemic hit and people were confined to their homes.
“It helped us really get to know each other on a deeper level,” Peter says. “We had more intimate hangouts instead of ‘My friends are going to a bar, want to meet up?’ I started thinking about proposing after a solid year of dating, and six months later we were engaged.”
Ahead of the proposal, Peter cued up “Paper Rings” by Taylor Swift. (You can consider the Weisses Swifties—their wedding favors were Eras Tour-inspired friendship bracelets.) “Then I walked in with the ring, and before I could even get a word out, I was crying and on my knee,” he says.
A fall wedding was a must for the couple, and Jocelyn hoped for a rustic, seasonal atmosphere. The Old Mill, a storybook setting in Rose Valley, Pennsylvania, stood out. The venue is a nationally registered historic site, and even though they toured it after a storm, which meant barren trees and little greenery, they loved the space and were hopeful the lush gardens and colorful foliage would be the star of the show any other day—they’d just need to get lucky with the weather.
“We were booked for November, and you never know what you’re going to get—it could be 80 degrees or 18,” Jocelyn says. Lucky for the couple, the sun was shining, the foliage was autumn-perfect, and the temperature was a balmy 73 F.
The wooded backdrops and gentle streams provided the ideal ambience, but to set the scene more, friends from Peter’s church played cello and piano during the ceremony. Music was vital to the day, and the couple decided on a waltz for their first solo dance. “We collaboratively selected our song, did the dance lessons and rehearsed,” Peter says. “It was a fun way for us to prepare for the day, focusing together on something special.”
Candles were lit specifically for Jocelyn and Peter’s fathers, both of whom have passed away. “We made sure that we honored them in a couple of different ways,” Peter says. “We had thank you cards on all the place settings, thanking our moms and dads for raising us. And for our first dance, we did a mother-child dance with the four of us—me, my mom, Jocelyn, and her mom—dancing together, and then switching partners halfway through.”
A standout moment from the reception for Jocelyn was a last-minute decision: the closing song. “Dog Days Are Over” by British indie rock band Florence and the Machine played as everyone gathered on the dance floor. “It was just so fun dancing and jumping around with all of our friends.”