This is one of those love stories that just completely melts your heart. From childhood playmates to soulmates, this couple has been a part of each other lives for twenty four years! He even proposed on the same playground where they met as children. So unbelievable sweet! Their wedding, captured by Angie Silvy Photography, is equally as romantic as their love story taking a cue from Long Beach Island with classic, nautical touches. See it all in the full gallery!
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From the Bride… Steve and I met on the playground in third grade. Steve had just moved to Medford Lakes, New Jersey, from Tennessee. We were each other’s first playground boyfriend and girlfriend. As with most first relationships, it didn’t last very long but we continued to be friends throughout. We dated again when we were 20, having a summer romance on Long Beach Island. We continued to keep in touch over the next twelve years, and at 32, we decided to get engaged. Steve proposed to me on the same playground that we met 24 years before. Steve and I both love the beach. I grew up spending my weekends on Long Beach Island, and Steve was born in Hawaii. During our 20s, we dated on Long Beach Island, so it only seemed natural to have a beach wedding. My parents have become year-round residents, so we thought it would be nice to be married in their backyard. The reception was held at the Little Egg Harbor Yacht Club, where my family has been members for many years. Both of these locations have beautiful bay views and were an easy choice for our wedding.
The color inspiration for our wedding was from the island itself. I wanted to highlight the important components that are local to the island. We choose white for the beaches, blue for the water and green for the marshlands that surround the island and can be seen from both venues, especially Mordecai Island. Since Steve and I have known each other for so long, it was a challenge to arrange the ceremony. Instead of the traditional bride and groom side of the aisle, we had our ceremony in the round. It was very special to have our friends and family surrounding us during this very important moment. Standing on the alter, it was unbelievable to be able to look in all directions and see all our friends and family from the past 24 years. As a way to wear my mother’s dress, which unfortunately was a heavy satin and perfect for her December wedding, I had her wedding headpiece created into my sash and used the sleeves as the belt ties. This was very special to me as I had always wanted to wear her wedding dress. Most of the printed material was created by hand. A friend, Maggie Ress, designed the save-the-date using a vintage postcard of the Little Egg Harbor Yacht Club. The invitations were assembled by Steve’s parents, and I designed the programs and menu cards, and they were assembled by my mother and sister.
After spending the day with my bridesmaids and getting ready, walking down the stairs to see Steve was one of the greatest parts of the day. As guests arrived, the bridesmaids waited upstairs and watched everyone come in. We admired the outfits, got excited to see old friends and did some final primping before getting ready to walk down the aisle. This was one of my favorite wedding moments. I also remember our first dance and how much fun it was preparing for it and that it didn’t matter if we didn’t remember any of the steps. The “dip” is one of my favorite pictures. We left the ceremony by boat. This was one of my favorite moments as the group of us departed — two bridesmaids/groomsman per boat — we were able to see all the guests lined up the edge of the dock. My parents had placed a just married sign on the stern, and lieu of cans rattling down the street, they used lifesavers.
Wedding Photography: Angie Silvy Photography / Ceremony: The Bride’s Parents Home in Long Beach Island, New Jersey / Reception: Little Egg Harbor Yacht Club in Beach Haven, New Jersey / Event Design + Planning: Michael D. Young of activit!es / Floral Design: La Fleur — The Princeton Flower Shop (609-586-5130) / Cinematography: Bruce Lennox (A Family Member) / Save-the-Dates: Maggie Ress ( A Friend of the Couple) / Wedding Invitations: Carlson Craft + Assembled by the Groom’s Parents / Menu Cards + Programs: Designed by the Bride + Assembled by the Bride’s Mother & Sister / Wedding Cake + Desserts: The Big Apple Bakery / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bill Levkoff