I try not to play favorites, but as I clicked from photo to photo from this adorably beautiful wedding… well, it’s going to be hard to beat. This couple radiates pure joy, and that sweet little pup? Don’t even get me started. After flipping through the full gallery (more than once) by the uber talented Love And Light Photographs, there’s no doubt these photos will be treasures for years and years to come.
From the Bride… Jerry and I were high school sweethearts. We shared our first kiss on New Year’s Eve at 17, and we knew even then that one day we would be getting married. Fast forward seven years, and we’re standing in front of our closest family and friends at our rustic lakeside wedding promising to continue to love and cherish one another for the rest of our lives.
When choosing a venue for our big day, a rustic feel and an outdoor location to hold the ceremony were critical. We toured several venues, but fell in love with the laid-back vibe and charming look of Lake Mohawk Country Club in Sparta, NJ, complete with a beautiful boardwalk and beach area for the cocktail hour and ceremony.
It was important to us to find a photographer with whom we felt comfortable and ourselves around, and we found just that with Jessa of Love & Light Photographs. Also very important to us was the music at the reception. We were lucky enough to inadvertently find our band, The Loop, at a bar in Washington, DC while visiting a friend. I knew immediately we had to have them when Jerry and I danced the entire night and they were able to flawlessly cover songs from Jay Z to Lady Gaga. At the wedding, the band was a huge hit. Everyone from the flower girls to grandparents danced the night away.
On the day of, the venue and vendors were perfect, but the day would not have been as special without all of the people who came to celebrate with us. We were so grateful to have family and friends from all over the country, as well as family from Europe fly in just for us. Our bridesmaids, groomsmen and ushers helped to make sure all of our details, such as the rose petal toss after the ceremony, went wonderfully. My bridesmaids wore J. Crew dresses in Dusty Shale. Aimee of Top Knots by Aimee did our hair on the day of. She really understood what I, as well as each of my bridesmaids, wanted and helped me feel so beautiful! Catie of Catherine Gray Makeup Artistry did our makeup which looked so great! All of these details helped me to look elegant in my dream wedding gown (from Bijou Bridal in Paramus, NJ).
The groom and groomsmen wore black suits with black ties with personalized tie bars off Etsy, and our ushers wore grey suits with black bow ties. We loved that this color palette was kept neutral because it helped our flowers really pop! It was Celia from The Floral Gallery in Chester, NJ who completed the look of our wedding with the beautiful arrangements she put together.
My mother-in-law created a beautiful hanging lantern chandelier that filled the tall ceiling space in the reception. From hotel bags prepared for guests upon arrival to baskets in the bathroom at the venue and handwritten seating charts on vintage windows that generous bridesmaids helped to prepare, we tried to add as many touches that would show our style as possible.
As our favors, we made a donation to Eleventh Hour Rescue, the dog shelter from which we adopted our precious pup. We put together magnet photo strip frames displaying information about this donation and for guests to take their photos home in to display (photobooth by Kidz Play Inc). This donation was very special to us, because our pup, Pixie, changed our lives forever when we adopted her several years ago. It was so wonderful that we were able to have her get ready with the bridal party and participate in the ceremony. We couldn’t imagine saying “I do” without 1/3 of our little family!
Photography: Jessa Schifilliti, Photographer | Floral Design: The Floral Gallery | Wedding Dress: Bijou Bridal | Cake: Cafe Pierrot | Bride's Shoes: Ann Taylor Loft | Bridesmaids' Dresses: J.Crew | Hair Stylist: Top Knots By Aimee | Band: The Loop | Wedding Venue: Lake Mohawk Country Club | Makeup Stylist: Catherine Gray Makeup Artistry