After spending hours (or maybe days… who am I kidding) with this gorgeous New Jersey wedding, I can honestly say, I never would have thought it was Hurricane Irene who crashed this Pleasantdale Chateau party. The images from Susan Stripling Photography show nothing but a beautiful bride, a handsome groom, and a gorgeous, love-filled wedding. A true testament to Laura Clare Fine Floral Design‘s work. It is, seriously, one of my favorite weddings. Ever. Promise me you’ll peruse the image gallery to see why!
Oooh, and the romance is ever more present in this highlight film from Orange Films…
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I grew up in New Jersey and always wanted to get married in my home state. We instantly fell in love with the Pleasantdale Chateau the moment we walked in. It has an intimate home-style ambiance, yet grandeur at the same time. We envisioned our wedding to be elegant and timeless, with classic tones of ivory and gold. We wanted our guests to enjoy a royal evening with gourmet food, flowing drinks and good music to dance all night.
All brides pray for good weather on their wedding day. A hurricane blowing through the Northeast never even crossed my mind throughout the planning process. When we chose August, the biggest weather concern was the groom melting in his tuxedo during the ceremony outside. Hurricane or not, the party still went on! My friends and family reassured me that the most important thing was that I was marrying the love of my life and a little rain (and maybe some wind) was not going to get in the way. I knew it was going be a perfect day the second I saw Edmond’s face during our private first meeting and all my worries disappeared. As long as we had each other, this wedding was going to be better than we imagined. We sealed this sentiment with a high-five and said “let’s do this!”
My wonderful bridesmaids entertained with cute arts & crafts while we were getting ready to keep me laughing about the circumstance. They were my lifesaver in keeping spirits light and focused on the prize of marriage. All my vendors ROCKED and made us feel like nothing was going on outside. Everyone was determined to make this the wedding of our dreams and I am truly thankful to have had such an amazing team. Edward Zilberman captured the day in the best trailer that makes me smile everytime I watch it. We were lucky to have Susan Stripling there to work her magic and capture beautiful images all indoors. And Stacey Kallenberg, my wedding planner extraordinaire pulled it all together while preventing me from panicking.
Edmond often joked the groom is only a prop at weddings. So, it was important to let his personality shine through the details as well. Boston sports is what he loves the most (second to me, of course). Our signature drink was called “The Champions” with flags of the city’s sports teams. His birthday was four days before our wedding, so I surprised him with a three-tier cake: Patriots Helmut, Red Sox Cap, Celtics basketball. The band played ‘Sweet Caroline’ as the cake was rolled into the ballroom. His reaction was priceless and one I will remember for the rest of my life. It was amusing to incorporate these details among the biggest NY sports fans on their home turf. And it’s even funnier that a girl who knows nothing about sports planned these details.
Irene was a wedding crasher who was not welcome, but she also showed us how blessed we are to have so many people who love us. We are so thankful for the people who braved the weather to share in our special day and celebrate with us. You just roll with the punches when things don’t go as planned and enjoy every minute. We had a blast and everything turned out beautifully. All our guests are still saying it was an unforgettable wedding in more ways than one. We definitely have a funny story to tell our kids one day.
Photography: Susan Stripling Photography / Cinematography: Orange Films / Flowers & Event Design: Laura Clare Fine Floral Design / Event Planning: Stacey Kallenberg, As You Wish Wedding & Event Design / Ceremony & Reception Location: Pleasantdale Chateau / Band: Craig Scott Orchestra / Invitations: Ray Chang, Roi Elfassy, Stacy Wright / Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Dress: Christos / 2nd Dress: Shanghai Tang / Bridesmaid Dress: Amsale / Veil: Homa Bridal / Favors: Sweet Jane Lynn / Grooms Cake: Wendy’s Cake Art / Make-up: Danielle Arminio / Hair: Ramonda Marku