Meg Loncharic: Real romance leads to wedding at the Peak

Jennifer Lehr and Jesse Treverton first met and were later married at Peek’n Peak Resort near Findley Lake, New York.

Popular paperback romance novels sell well, but nothing beats the real thing. Who hasn’t been charmed by true life happenings in matters of the heart?

Jennifer Katie Lehr and Jesse Robert Treverton first met at Peek’n Peak Resort near Findley Lake, New York. They were in a Fairview school club that went to ski on Fridays. Four years later, when she was a sophomore in high school and he was a junior, they started dating.

After graduation (she in 2010, he in 2009), they went to Pennsylvania State University’s main campus. They majored in accounting and finance, became CPAs, and moved to New York City. Both worked at KPMG, a large public accounting firm.

In August 2016, they moved to Philadelphia. She’s with the same firm in Philly, whereas he left his job to go back to school. He is in a combined law and business program at the University of Pennsylvania.

“We plan to stay in Philadelphia until Jesse finishes school in May 2019 and then will most likely move back to New York City,” stated Jennifer in an email. Jesse, she said, proposed during Memorial Day weekend 2016. They were staying at his family’s condo on Hutchinson Island in Florida. He took her on a private sunrise hot air balloon ride and proposed during the trip.

Parents of the bridal pair are Fairview residents Lance and Andrea Lehr and Robert and Nancy Treverton.

For their July 29, 2017, wedding, the couple went back to the ski resort where it all began. More, they were married the same day her parents were married 28 years earlier. All the decorations were pink, gold and white.

The ceremony for about 280 family members and guests took place on a beautiful sunny afternoon on the lower golf course across from the inn with a total of 10 attendants on each side, plus two flower girls. The bridesmaids wore dusty rose long dresses and the groomsmen donned black tuxes. Standing beside Jenny were her two sisters, Ashley and Emily Lehr, the maids of honor, and next to Jesse was his brother and best man, Jason Treverton.

Karen Fischer, the nondenominational celebrant, created a personalized ceremony for them that incorporated stories of their relationship and proposal. The groom’s wedding band was the one his grandfather wore during his marriage to Jesse’s grandmother, chosen in loving memory of the late Robert and Josephine Maddocks from Connecticut.

After the ceremony, the bridal party rode off in golf carts to take photos before the reception, a stellar event complete with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and cake-cutting in the main lodge. The bride’s grandparents, Kim and Nick Scott, announced that they were giving a trip to Greece as a wedding gift. Her granddad (“Papou”) is of 100 percent Greek heritage, so Greece is a truly special place to him. Honeymoon travel plans are for late spring 2018.

More food and a spectacular fireworks display brought festivities to a close at midnight. The following morning, a brunch was given for all of the guests who stayed the night at the Peak.

Taste of the Arts

The theme “One World One Family” says it all. There are a ton of people working for the success of the 20th annual Taste of the Arts, set for Sept. 12. The fundraiser will unfold under a huge tent at the Inner-City Neighborhood Art House, a ministry of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, at 201 E. 10th St.

Festivities will get underway at 5 p.m. with cocktails and a light buffet catered by Sabella’s. Performances by Neighborhood Art House children will follow. Students will be doing several musical performances, dance routines and reciting poetry all in line with the theme.

This year’s featured student artist, 13-year-old Empathy Langdon, working under the direction of NAH teacher Sarah Everett, has painted a woodland scene on fabric, which will be up for grabs in a live auction called by program emcee Captain Dan Geary (www.groovyradio.net). His wife, local artist Mary Kay Geary, is a longtime Neighborhood Art House instructor. The silent action segment will feature a variety of works by 11 local and out-of-town artists, including one of Vitus Kaiser’s nature watercolor scenes.

Chairwoman Joy Knapp and planners Emily Merski and Jennie Hagerty are working with NAH board members Kathleen Burik, Lisa Chinsky, Karen Clark, Sue Di Cara, Mary Alice Doolin, Lynne Elia, Rebecca Hilbert, Nancy Kern, Joy Knapp, Mary Lincoln, Barbara Pollock, Maggie Stolley and Mary Ann Toohey.

Taste of the Arts is held to support the Neighborhood Art House, which provides free classes in the visual, performing and literary arts, environmental awareness and action to at-risk children living in Erie’s inner-city. Classes are offered through after-school, evening and summer programs.

For tickets, which are $75, call 455-5508. Online registration is available at www.neighborhoodarthouse.org.

Irish eyes are smiling 

It’s halfway to St. Patrick’s Day and what better way to celebrate than by showing your Irish (even if you’re not!) at the Erie Irish Festival to be held at St. Patrick Catholic Church. The festival runs Sept. 15-17.

Tickets are already on sale to win a trip to Ireland. You may have seen twins Kathleen Wehan and Eileen Balczun around town selling tickets. They have organized the raffle with their husbands, Jim Wehan and Paul Balczun, for the last eight years. They do this in memory of their grandparents, Daniel and Mary Mahoney, who were originally from County Cork, Ireland, and were founding members of St. Patrick Church. In addition, Eileen and Kathleen have been involved for 25-plus years selling Irish coffee. They were trained by the late Sister Mary Pascal Gray.

Returning chair couple Gary and Becky Johnson are excited with the expansion of the festival surrounding the church. There is something for every age group to enjoy, including leprechaun village for the little kids and enough delicious food and beverage for everyone. Monsignor Henry Kriegel is looking forward to sharing the beauty of St. Patrick Church with attendees. He really enjoys seeing the energy and vitality that the festival brings to the neighborhood.

POSTSCRIPT: To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven. — Karen Sunde (b. 1942), American actress and playwright.

Meg Loncharic can be reached at newsmeg@aol.com.