Woodsgate at stroudsmoor country inn

Wedding Day

Wedding

Reception

"When I first met Carissa, I remember thinking to myself 'this girl is so beautiful; I don't stand a chance.' I made the decision to just be myself and hope for the best, including spilling salsa on my shirt, which we still laugh about today. After a night&nbsp;full of lively conversation and good laughs, I thought 'wow, I wonder if I just met the girl I'm going to marry.' Flash forward and it turns out that same girl is not only beautiful, but supportive, brilliant, and caring. She provides balance and allows me to pursue being the best version of myself.&nbsp;I am so glad that I get to have Carissa as my companion for life's adventures. With her by my side, I know we can do anything."

According to him...

"On our first date, I remember being amazed at how genuine DJ was and in awe of the way that his smile lit up his whole face. I remember thinking how cool DJ was for all his accomplishments and travel experiences, when I was fresh out of graduate school.&nbsp;Over the years, we have learned so much from each other and our myriad of experiences together,&nbsp;and DJ has become both my roots and my wings. I like to think that we balance each other well;&nbsp;we take turns being the reasonable one and alternate who gives support.&nbsp;I like to describe our relationship as a&nbsp;partnership- we&nbsp;always make sure we find a way to forge a path forward together.&nbsp;I am so grateful that the universe gave me such a kind, hard-working, handsome man to travel through life with.&nbsp;I know DJ&nbsp;will never leave me hanging, and I can't wait to be forever by his side and make sure that brilliant smile appears as often as possible."

According to her...

DJ works at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia&nbsp;as part of their emergency transport team. He has worked as a pediatric critical care nurse for the last 6 years. He also goes on an annual dental mission trip to the Dominican Republic and Haiti.&nbsp;

DJ loves craft beer and considers himself a chicken wing aficionado. He thinks all food is better if you dip it in something&nbsp;and has a pretty serious hot sauce collection.&nbsp;If professional chicken wing taster was a job, he'd probably consider a career shift.









DJ is originally from New Jersey and is a true Jerseyite, from a love of Taylor Ham (not pork roll), to doing the "Jersey slide" to merge into traffic, and insisting that all Chinese food, bagels, and pizza that don't come from north Jersey are gross.&nbsp;



 









Carissa works at an environmental nonprofit doing mapping to support land protection efforts. She has worked in the environmental field since getting her Master's in conservation biology 4 years ago.









Carissa is an avid animal lover and nature enthusiast. If you ever go for a walk in the woods with her, be prepared to hear about all the cool plants, learn some bird calls, and stop to admire every dog that passes.









Carissa is known to own more books than she can possibly read, especially of the science fiction genre, and mostly purchased from small&nbsp;secondhand shops. One of her happiest&nbsp;achievements is getting DJ into reading- with history being his favorite genre.









 









DJ and Carissa love to travel together, eating new foods and exploring new cultures along the way. Some of their favorite destinations so far have been Annecy, France, Redwood National and State Parks in California, Segovia, Spain, and Cayuga Lake in New York.









DJ and Carissa have&nbsp;a little Yorkie mix dog named Woody. You can often find them walking in the neighborhood&nbsp;or&nbsp;on the couch together watching shows on Netflix like How I Met Your Mother, Stranger Things, and Cheers.

DJ and Carissa live in the Philadelphia area. They like to try new restaurants, take day trips to find new book stores or wineries, and&nbsp;explore the historical and cultural opportunities that the area offers such as museums and parks.

You ought to know...

Our Story

Our Wedding

Details

According to Him...

According to Her...

You Ought to Know

About Him

DJ works at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia&nbsp;as part of their emergency transport team. He has worked as a pediatric critical care nurse for the last 6 years. He also goes on an annual dental mission trip to the Dominican Republic and Haiti.&nbsp;

DJ loves craft beer and considers himself a chicken wing aficionado. He thinks all food is better if you dip it in something&nbsp;and has a pretty serious hot sauce collection.&nbsp;If professional chicken wing taster was a job, he'd probably consider a career shift.

DJ is originally from New Jersey and is a true Jerseyite, from a love of Taylor Ham (not pork roll), to doing the "Jersey slide" to merge into traffic, and insisting that all Chinese food, bagels, and pizza that don't come from north Jersey are gross.&nbsp;

About Her

Carissa works at an environmental nonprofit doing mapping to support land protection efforts. She has worked in the environmental field since getting her Master's in conservation biology 4 years ago. 

Carissa is an avid animal lover and nature enthusiast. If you ever go for a walk in the woods with her, be prepared to hear about all the cool plants, learn some bird calls, and stop to pet every dog that passes.

Carissa is known to own more books than she can possibly read, especially of the science fiction genre, and mostly purchased from small&nbsp;secondhand shops. One of her happiest&nbsp;achievements is getting DJ into reading- with history being his favorite genre.

About Them

DJ and Carissa love to travel together, eating new foods and exploring new cultures along the way. Some of their favorite destinations so far have been Annecy, France, Redwood National and State Parks in California, Segovia, Spain, and Cayuga Lake in New York. They are excited for their upcoming honeymoon to Switzerland. 

DJ and Carissa have&nbsp;a little Yorkie mix dog named Woody. You can often find them walking in the neighborhood&nbsp;or&nbsp;on the couch together watching shows on Netflix like How I Met Your Mother, Stranger Things, Sherlock, and Cheers.

Our Story 1

Photos

Registry

DJ and Sarah have been friends since college. Some of their favorite memories together include their many trips to Montreal during their college days.&nbsp;They bond over craft&nbsp;beer and late night snacks.&nbsp;

Sarah French

Chellby and Carissa have been friends for 19 years since they were Girl Scouts at age 9. They come from the same core group of high school friends. Chellby and Carissa lived together while getting their Master's degrees at SUNY&nbsp;ESF in Syracuse. They bond over Friends references, Harry Potter, cute animal videos, and their love of the environment.&nbsp;Carissa's favorite things about Chellby are her loyalty and her hardworking perseverance.&nbsp;

Chellby Kilheffer

DJ and Charlie have been friends since middle school. They were in marching band together during high school and volunteered at their local ambulance squad as EMTs&nbsp;together throughout college. Though their friendship is now long-distance, they still get together to ride bikes, sight-see in each others towns, and hike (when Charlie and Carissa insist).

Charlie Groll

Megan and Carissa have been friends for 17 years since sixth grade. They come from the same core group of high school friends. Megan and Carissa were inseparable in their high school days and still love each other today. They bond over 80's music, 90's nostalgia, Harry Potter, a million inside jokes,&nbsp;and introvert problems.&nbsp;Carissa's favorite things about Megan are her dependability and sense of humor.

Megan Harding

DJ and Mark have been friends since college. Some of their best memories include their college trips to New Orleans and beer&nbsp;festivals.&nbsp;They bond over good whiskey&nbsp;and country music.&nbsp;

Mark Ruvo

Katie and Carissa have been friends for 10&nbsp;years since their first day of undergrad at Millersville University. They were in marching band together and even learned a new instrument together. Katie and Carissa have been able to maintain their "brain love" psychic connection&nbsp;despite their long distance friendship over the years since college.&nbsp;They bond over their favorite band, Relient K, and how cute Zac Efron is.&nbsp;Carissa's favorite things about Katie are her radiant energy and her spunk.

Katie Walton

Katie&nbsp;and Carissa have been friends for 4 years since Carissa started dating Katie's brother DJ!&nbsp;Carissa is very excited that after 28 years of waiting, she will finally have a sister! They bond over&nbsp;cute dog videos, working out so you can eat more cheese, drinking wine,&nbsp;and of course, teasing DJ.&nbsp;Carissa's favorite things about Katie are her good heart and fun-loving spirit.

Katie Schnabel

Wedding Party

Q + A

We have a block of rooms set aside. Just ask for the Alza/Schnabel wedding block. Rooms will be held at the block rate until 30 days before the wedding.

 

There will be a shuttle provided to transport guests from the hotel to the&nbsp;wedding venue and back. The first&nbsp;shuttle to the venue will leave the hotel at&nbsp;3:00pm. The first return shuttle will leave the venue&nbsp;&nbsp;at 9:30pm.

Baymont by Wyndham Bartonsville Poconos

Travel

One of our favorite wineries in the area.&nbsp;Part of the Pocono wine trail.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.poconowinetrail.com/">http://www.poconowinetrail.com/</a>

Blue Ridge Winery

They have that good old&nbsp;book smell. Also, downtown Stroudsburg is cute to walk through with many different shops and restaurants.

Carroll & Carroll Booksellers

Easy hiking with a great view off the Pocono Plateau from the parking area.

Big Pocono State Park

Mount Airy Casino Resort

DJ grew up back-to-school shopping here and Carissa had her first job here.&nbsp;

Carissa & DJ

Carissa & DJ

Photos