Emotions that are spilling out of these images from 217 Photography include: joy, elation, happiness, love, excitement… the list goes on and on, but can be summed up with this one very bold statement: the wedding, courtesy of Proud to Plan, has the most heart of any wedding this wedding blogger has every seen. It’s a wedding like no other, and the gallery is as close to a party as you’ll get on a Wednesday afternoon in your office.
From the planner… Lonni and Josh are a really sweet and thoughtful couple- family and friends are most important to them and they really wanted to create a wonderful day for their loved ones. The couple currently lives in Miami and love the ocean, plus Lonni spent most of her summers “down the shore” with her family, so when they saw the gorgeous views from One Atlantic in Atlantic City, NJ, the choice on location was clear! It was the perfect spot!
When it came time to come up with a design for their wedding, Lonni and Josh enlisted the help of Erin Proud to create it all. They loved a soft color palette of pastels mixed with natural textures and fabrics, vintage details and slight beach touches. Erin helped refine the theme into “vintage beachside garden” with lots rustic character and a touch of lacey charm. It was just what the couple wanted! Lonni and Josh sent vintage Atlantic City postcard save-the-dates and started preparing for their beachside wedding weekend.
When their big day finally arrived, the sun was shining and the weather was perfect! Lonni and her ladies got the day started in a suite at the Atlantic City Sheraton where they were pampered with hair by Up Your Do and makeup by Dylan Michael Cosmetics. Lonni’s Romona Keveza gown fit her like a glove and she finished off the look with a simple rhinestone belt, adding the perfect touch of glam. Her maids were gorgeous in Amsale gowns, featuring a different cut for every girl. Josh and his guys looked handsome in traditional black tuxedos.
Pete Malone, of 217 Photography, found some great spots for their pictures.Their emotional first look was held under the pier, and as pictures went on, you could see them savoring the time together, realizing that their dream wedding day was happening! They shared some photos on the boardwalk with their bridal party before heading up to One Atlantic for the Tisch and Bedeken. Josh and his guys sipped on scotch and sang Jewish songs and hymns before bringing Josh out to his bride on top of his groomsmen’s shoulders! Their family and friends have such great love for this couple and you could feel it in the room as they signed their Ketubah. It was a great celebration!
The ceremony was held in the Skyline Ballroom with impeccable views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Atlantic City Boardwalk, a perfect backdrop for this beach-loving couple! Lillian from The Manic Botanic created the amazing chuppah that the couple was married under. It was lush with flowers and lots of greenery, and Lonni’s grandfather’s Tallis was placed on top. The couple were married by Lonni’s mother and she used Josh’s grandmother’s prayer book, which was hid during the Holocaust and later found after the war, making this ceremony, one of the most personal ones we’ve ever witnessed and Lonni’s favorite part of the wedding day.
One Atlantic created a delicious hors d’oeuvres menu for guests to enjoy as they took in the gorgeous sunset. The bar was lit in a pretty pink and the tables were decorated with small bud vases and vintage medicine bottles. The faux chalkboard seating chart was placed on a welcome table surrounded by more vases, mason jars, and bottles, and featured a vintagey birdcage for the wedding cards.
The bride and groom were left speechless when they saw the ballroom for the first time! Lisa, Jennifer, and Amanda from Proud to Plan executed the vision perfectly. Tables were topped with burlap and lace runners and were decorated with lanterns, bottles, mason jars, and lots of soft pastel flowers by Manic Botanic. The guests were overheard saying that they really liked the unique way the centerpieces were set up- every table was different. The couple were announced into the reception and went straight into the Hora- which went on for 30 minutes! Lots of their family and friends created “shtick” to show the couple during the Hora and you could see the immense happiness on their faces as the story of their relationship was told by their guests.
The bride and groom were toasted with a few speeches before they had their romantic first dance together. The couple told us they felt as if they were the only people in the room as they danced to the beautiful lyrics of Van Morrison. The dancing kicked off with a surprise flash mob from Josh’s family and friends and you could see that the couple was surprised! Nafshenu Orchestra did an incredible job as always by mixing in traditional Jewish music with modern Top 40 hits! Luckily, they can relive all of the moments of the day when they get their wedding film from First Floor Films.
When looking back on their wedding day, Lonni and Josh remember almost every moment of the day as special; from the shouting and cheering from passerby’s on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, to the all of the traditional parts of their ceremony- their wedding day was exactly what they imagined and seeing their vision become a reality was the most thrilling piece to the day.
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Photography: 217 Photography | Cinematography: First Floor Films | Flowers: The Manic Botanic | Event Design and Planning: Proud to Plan | Venue: One Atlantic | Entertainment: Nafshenu Orchestra | Shoes: Angela Nuran | Dress: Romona Keveza | Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Amsale | Hair Stylist: Up Your Do | Makeup Artist: Dylan Michael Cosmetics
