If I were to write a book about our next wedding, it would be titled How To Bring the Understated Elegance of Wine Country to the Jersey Shore. Ok, so my title might be a little long, but seriously, this wedding is a lesson in making your event a reflection of the things you love in life. And just because a California celebration isn’t in the cards, doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice one ounce of style. Captured beautifully by Images by Berit it’s laidback lovliness on the good ol’ east coast and it’s all right here for your viewing pleasure
From Images by Berit… Laura and Joe got married in Spring Lake, NJ. They are NYC dwellers but both love the Jersey Shore – especially Spring Lake, which is where the bride’s family lives (and thank goodness were minimally impacted by S.S.Sandy). They had a beautiful, casual, chic wedding at the Spring Lake Country Club, and their ceremony was at St. Catherine’s Roman Catholic Church in Spring Lake, New Jersey. They are a very loving, passionate and lovely couple!
From the Bride… If someone were to tell me 10 years ago that a suburban girl from New Jersey would marry a man from a beautiful 400 acre farm on Maryland’s eastern shore, I would have never believed them … until I met my husband. Joe and I met at a party in Manhattan, where we both live, and immediately bonded over love of music, travel, and family. When the time came to plan our wedding, we chose the beach where my parents live and we spend each summer weekend – Spring Lake, New Jersey. My dream to be married in one of our favorite vacation destinations, Napa, California, was not feasible so I attempted to bring the simplistic elegance of Northern California to Spring Lake.
I wore a delicate lace dress and carried my grandmother’s antique handkerchief, with tiny blue flower stitching, as I walked down the aisle. Lavender, an abundant flower in wine country, was the accent color for the men’s ties as well as the flowers held by the bridesmaids. Our save the dates mimicked a wine label design, each table was named after our favorite vineyards, and corks were used as detailed accents as far as the eye could see. One more personal touch that we added was to have a favorite vineyard that we had recently visited in Napa engrave our names and our wedding date on a magnum of wine that we plan to open on our first anniversary in lieu of cake.
My favorite memory of our wedding day was walking into the church, which my family has belonged to since the 1920s, and a place that holds so many special memories. I remember standing in the vestibule, holding on to my parents’ arms, the doors opening, and seeing my husband … and at that very moment, nothing else mattered.
Photography: Images by Berit, Inc. / Wedding Location: St. Catherine’s Roman Catholic Church / Reception Venue: Spring Lake Golf Club / Event Planning: Joan Glenn of 6 Degrees of Celebration / Floral Design: Flowers from Hannah / Cake + Desserts: The Macaroon Shop / Invitations: Palm Papers / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Jewelry: Kwiat / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J Crew / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Reception Band: The Infernos / Ceremony Musicians: Merynda Adams (Harp) + Mark Mataranglo (Organ) + Steve Jankowski (Trumpet)