Northampton Country Club

Rehearsal Dinner

Wedding Day

Faith Lutheran Church

Ceremony

ArtsQuest Center at Steel Stacks

Reception

Fall

Our Wedding

Sirma and I met like many other modern day love stories…through a dating app. In our early days I remember being enthralled by our messages and eagerly wanted to get to know her. The problem was, Sirma wasn’t replying as frequently or as regularly as I had hoped. In fact, Sirma even denied giving me her number the first time I asked for it. Luckily for me, the conversation didn’t end there and we eventually exchanged numbers and got to know each other more and more. Our infrequent dating app messages became nonstop conversation through text messaging. Once I knew Sirma was moving back to the Lehigh Valley from Philadelphia, I made it my mission for our first date to be shortly after she was back in the area because I knew a woman like her wouldn’t have to try hard to find suitors. Our first date was to Urbano Mexican Kitchen &amp; Bar on Main Street in Bethlehem. I knew then that the beautiful woman sitting across from me in a pink blouse with dots and black jeans that talked about her faith and how much she loved her family was special. From that day forward we built a love and trust that surpasses anything I could have ever imagined or dreamed of. Marrying Sirma is an answered prayer.

How We Met- His Version

It was a Thursday in May. I woke up feeling slightly under the weather, but I forced myself to get up and started to get ready for work. I had coincidentally planned to take some updated headshots for people at work that day so I dressed up a little nicer than usual and spent some extra time on my hair and makeup. This wasn't even part of Kyle's master plan, but it's as if God was trying to hint at how extra special the day was about to be and that I should dress the part! Speaking of Kyle's master plan, let's back up a little bit. The previous Sunday was Mother's Day. I had asked my mom what she wanted for Mother's Day and she requested that we have a&nbsp;girls’&nbsp;day at the nail salon. I didn't think anything of this and booked us an appointment. Come to find out, this was actually Kyle's doing. He knew that every girl wants to have a fresh manicure when they get proposed to, so he was on a mission to make sure my nails were done without making it so obvious. I knew that if a friend had asked me if I wanted to get my nails done, it would've been a dead giveaway of what was to come. But, Mother's Day was a perfect cover up- thanks for selflessly making your day about me, Anne! Let's back up even further into the timeline of what all had to happen in order for Thursday, May 16th, to go so smoothly. My high school friends, Carly, Kathleen, and I had been trying to find a day that would work for us to all get together for dinner to catch up. Carly and Kathleen had suggested May 16th, but I told them that wouldn't work for me since I had a dentist appointment. They texted Kyle to let him know the dilemma and Kyle frantically searched the internet to find which dentist office I went to just based off the few clues I had at one point given him about where it is in relation to my house. Kyle managed to find the dentist office and gave them a call. He explained to the front desk lady his plan to propose and she was absolutely overjoyed. In her 40 some years working at that practice, she had never encountered a story like this. A few days went by, and I received a call from my dentist saying they had a scheduling conflict and needed to reschedule my upcoming appointment. I thought to myself, perfect, now I can get together with Kathleen and Carly. (Side note: Kyle is now known as the greatest man alive at my dentist office and I am reminded of this every time I go.) As we were trying to nail down a place to go, Carly suggested Urbano since she had never been, to which I responded, "I love that place. It's where Kyle and I went on our first date. Let's do it!" Now back to the day of the proposal. The cold I woke up with was getting worse and worse as the day went on. I texted Kyle that I wasn't feeling well and debated on cancelling my dinner plans. I can only imagine how much stress that brought him, but he kept his cool and responded to me reassuring me that I should do whatever I feel is best or maybe go home and get some rest. The reverse psychology worked, and I ended up taking some medicine and powering through the day. Time flew by and before I knew it, it was 5&nbsp;o’clock&nbsp;and Carly said she was going to pick me up from my house. I ended up realizing I didn't have time to run home after work, so I let them know I would just meet them at the restaurant- just another wrench I threw in the plan as Carly was supposed to be my chauffeur for the rest of the night. But Kyle, Kathleen, and Carly just kept rolling with the punches. I got to&nbsp;Urbano and&nbsp;had a lovely dinner with my friends. At one point I even told them that I think Kyle may propose in September as that is what he had hinted at a few weeks prior. They kept their poker faces and played along even though they knew it was just a few hours away. The dinner comes to an end and as we're getting ready to pay the bill, Kathleen and Carly hand me a letter while saying, "Well Sirma, it was lovely getting dinner with you, but this is only the start of the night for you." The pure shock and joy I felt in that moment was indescribable as there was only one thing that could mean. I ripped open the letter and, between tears, managed to read the first line that wrote, "The night is finally here..." Kyle had written and mailed this letter to Carly to hand to me at the end of dinner. The letter was a beautiful expression of Kyle's feelings and I struggled to hold myself together in the booth at Urbano. I get to the part of the letter where Kyle gave me instructions of where our next stop would be. I couldn't have gotten up faster and said to Carly and Kathleen, "Let's go!" So we made our way to stop #2 which was one of my favorite places on earth- Dunkin Donuts. We pull up to the Dunkin and walk inside to find my other high school best&nbsp;friend, Amy. I was not expecting to see Amy because I knew she had an early flight to Florida for her own sister's engagement the next day. I began to bawl my eyes out all over again because I couldn't wrap my mind around the amount of planning Kyle did to make this happen and that all of my best friends were in on it. But there were still a few friends missing, and you guessed it! Kyle thought about them too. He reached out to my college friends Emily, Katy, Allie and Jess. We sit down at a table in Dunkin and Amy pulls up a video Kyle made of each of them saying how much I mean to them and how great of a match Kyle and I are. I never thought I'd be sitting in a Dunkin Donuts crying so many happy tears. Each friend had given me a clue to where stop #3 would be, which I end up figuring it out to be the Roxy which is an old fashioned movie theater in Northampton, PA. We all hop back into the car and make our way over to the Roxy. We park in the back and walk up the side to get to the entrance. As soon as I turned the corner, I absolutely lost it. I see all of our closest&nbsp;family members standing outside pointing up to the marquee sign that read "Sirma Bubernack, will you?" My body couldn't handle the amount of happiness I was feeling seeing all of my favorite people. The moment became such a blur, which is why I'm so glad that Kyle thought to hire a photographer. She captured the pure shock and raw emotion in my face as soon as I saw everyone. They all led me inside and I walked through the doors of the movie theater to find Kyle waiting for me. He walks me up to the stage where behind us is a collage of pictures we had taken over the years. He shares a few words about how our love is more than anything he could've ever imagined before dropping to one knee and asking me to marry him. I was overcome with joy and embraced him with a resounding "YES!" We spent the rest of the night celebrating with our family and friends. That night was nothing short of amazing and will always be one of my favorite memories and stories to tell. I am so unbelievably grateful for all of those involved and especially thankful for Kyle for pulling off a night of my dreams. Now the countdown is on to another incredible night in which we vow forever to each other in front of&nbsp;all our&nbsp;loved ones. We can't wait to celebrate with you!

The Proposal- Her Version

Our Story

May 16, 2024

Roxy Theater Northampton, PA

The Proposal

The Before

Celebrating With Family and Friends

Photos

Bridesmaids

Merjan Bubernack

Nicole Zelasko

Sonya Josephson

Carly Zulli

Kathleen Caldwell

Amy Miklos

Emily Otterbein

Katy Grieco

Allie Lajeunesse

Macayla Bevins

Groomsmen

David Shaffer

Jase Zelasko

Reed Bevins

Parker Bevins

Matt Robinson

George Dilger

Zach Szoke

Mike Hock

Josh Powell

Danny Shaffer

Wedding Party

What time does the ceremony begin?

The ceremony will begin promptly at 1:30PM. Please plan to arrive at least 15-20 minutes before the start time to ensure you can park and find your seat before the processional begins.

Will there be transportation to and/or from the hotel(s) for the reception?

We have created a custom Lyft voucher for our guests to use to get rides to or from our reception venue. Please follow the directions below to redeem the ride voucher: 1. Make sure you have the Lyft app installed on your smartphone and an account created. 2. &nbsp;Enter “GARONWEDDING” in the Lyft Pass section of the 'Payment' tab. 3. You’ll have $20 toward your rides for the night! Get home safe.

Is there parking available near your wedding venue?

When you arrive at the main entrance of our reception venue, there will be complimentary valet staff who will park your car in one of the nearby lots. If you prefer to not use the valet service, please follow the signs for "Event Parking"

What can I do between the ceremony and reception?

Bethlehem’s Main Street area (about 5 minutes from ArtsQuest) has a variety of eateries and bars to choose from. A few of our favorites are: Historic Hotel Bethlehem, Lost Tavern Brewing (we love their sours), McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub and Whiskey Bar, and Urbano Mexican Kitchen and Bar (where we had our first date!) The SouthSide Arts District, which is the area surrounding the reception venue, also has plenty of options for grabbing a snack or some drinks. We recommend: The Flying V Poutinerie, Social Still Micro Distillery and Kitchen, The Nest Bar &amp; Grille, or Alibi Bar and Lounge. The reception venue also has an onsite restaurant - Palette &amp; Pour. This is on the first floor of the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks and offers casual fare and beverages.

Will the events be indoors or outdoors?

Both ceremony and reception will be indoors. There is the option to go out onto a covered deck during cocktail hour. There will be coat check staff in the cocktail hour space that can store your jackets if you would like.

What is the dress code?

Formal attire is requested. Think suits for men and floor-length dresses, elegant cocktail dresses, or dressy pantsuits for women.

Can I bring a plus one?

Unfortunately we will only be able to accommodate those listed on the formal wedding invitation.

Can I bring my children?

Although we love your children, we are only able to accommodate children in the wedding party at our reception.

What airport should we fly into?

The Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) is the closest option to our wedding venue (10 minutes). Since this airport is quite small, the flights are often pricey and on odd days. If you are unable to find a flight that works for you out of ABE, we also recommend the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) or the Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Bethlehem is equidistant to PHL and EWR at about 1-1.5 hours.

Q + A

Wind Creek is a beautiful new construction hotel and event center with stunning views of the Steel Stacks. Our after party will be at Mixx, the bar in the lobby of Wind Creek. This, combined with its proximity to ArtsQuest (across a parking lot), makes it our top recommendation for our guests traveling from out of town. It is also attached to an outlet mall, spa, and casino for those looking for things to do during their stay. If given the option, we recommend staying in the North Tower as it faces the Steelstacks. Reservations must be made by 10/01/25 to receive the discounted rate.

Wind Creek Bethlehem

Conveniently located 5 minutes down the road from ArtsQuest is the Candlewood Suites. This hotel is an extended stay style hotel with larger suites and kitchenettes. The block rate is applicable for both Friday and Saturday nights. Reservations must be made by 09/30/25 to receive the discounted rate.

Candlewood Suites Bethlehem South, an IHG Hotel

A little further away, about 10 minutes down the road from ArtsQuest, is our 3rd hotel block choice at the Holiday Inn Express &amp; Suites. This hotel offers a complimentary continental breakfast. The block rate is only applicable for Saturday night. Reservations must be made by 10/01/25 to receive the discounted rate.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Bethlehem, an IHG Hotel

Other

While the above hotels are the 3 places we decided to reserve room blocks for, there are still plenty of options in the area if one of the above do not fit your needs. A great option if you are wanting to stay the whole weekend is Hotel Bethlehem. This is a historic boutique hotel right in the heart of Main Street Bethlehem. Since fall and winter are Bethlehem's busy seasons, Hotel Bethlehem requires a 2 night minimum stay. https://www.hotelbethlehem.com/ The Sayre Mansion and The Wilbur Mansion are also charming boutique bed and breakfast style hotels within a mile of our venue. We highly recommend looking into one of these as well! https://www.wilburmansion.com/https://sayremansion.com/ If you are traveling with a large group, there are also plenty of Airbnb's and VRBO's for rent. Feel free to reach out to Sirma or Kyle if you would like recommendations on which area to stay in!

Accommodations

The City of Bethlehem has a lot to offer. If you are from out-of-town, we recommend getting to know Bethlehem which is also known as “The Christmas City”. Historic Bethlehem is home to Bethlehem’s Main Street which is filled with quaint shops and eateries. Bethlehem’s Main Street was honored as America’s Best Main Street in the 2025 USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards. This area is rich in history as it is lined with original buildings from the 18th century that were first settled by the Moravian community.

Not far from the Historic Moravian District is the SouthSide Arts District. This area is home to the SteelStacks which are the iconic 250-foot tall structures you can’t miss when driving through Bethlehem. These structures are actually a series of five blast furnaces that are now the ruins of former Bethlehem Steel- an iron factory that, for decades, made iron that helped create the Golden Gate Bridge, the Empire State Building, and many other national landmarks. The SteelStacks are now known as the largest revitalized brownfield in the country. While exploring the SouthSide Arts District, we recommend checking out the Hoover-Mason Trestle to get up close to the former blast furnaces. The trestle is an elevated park and pedestrian walkway that is 1,650 feet in length and includes historical information about Bethlehem Steel. Also on the SouthSide is Wind Creek Bethlehem which offers a casino, an outlet mall, a spa, and many dining options.

Not far away from Bethlehem, is another area of the Lehigh Valley known as Easton. Easton offers a cute downtown area with a variety of shops and restaurants. If you are a bacon lover, the PA Bacon Fest will be hosted in the City of Easton November 1st and 2nd from 10am-5pm. This two-day festival serves up delicious food, live music, family-friendly activities, cooking demos and every sort of bacon treat you can imagine.