Family-Oriented Romantic New Jersey Inn + Garden Wedding
We're only eight days into 2016, but I guarantee you this Bride's Watters wedding gown will be making our best dressed list at the end of the year. Sexy, feminine and gorgeous, the deep-V lace dress is the crowning jewel to this beautiful garden wedding. From the fashion to the details, there's so much pretty from Julia Elizabeth Photography waiting for you in THE VAULT!
From Julia Elizabeth Photography... Val and Carly were a pleasure to work with from day one. Incorporating their families into all aspects of the day, it was obvious from the start how important family is to these two. The whole day was full of little details both thoughtful and beautiful. Carly gifted each of her bridesmaids with earrings which she displayed on a delicate stand. They wore matching robes and laughed all morning together as they got ready at the Crossed Keys Inn. Carly looked incredible in her long-sleeved Watters gown and she wore her grandmother's engagement ring as part of her look. The bridesmaids wore mix-matched dresses which came together perfectly. Close by Val was with his family and groomsmen made up of brothers and friends from high school. Val wore the same watch his father wore on his wedding day and gifted his groomsmen with socks from their hometown of Summit, NJ (also my hometown)!
Once Carly and Val saw each other for the first time the day really took off (with a few tears here and there). We took beautiful portraits walking around the venue which was full of greenery and gorgeous flowers - the ideal setting for a Summer wedding. The rest of the day flew by as they were surrounded by their close family and friends as they shared their own vows. The reception set up in the tent was gorgeous with dahlias and greenery running down each farm table. The party started right after the ceremony and carried through the rest of the evening ending with a gorgeous sparker exit.
From The Bride...Val was raised in Switzerland as a native French speaker, but he moved to my hometown in New Jersey when he was 10. He was three grades older than me, so we didn’t cross paths until I was a freshman in high school (and he was a senior!). We quickly became friends but both went our separate ways for college. Our mutual hometown kept us coming back together during college breaks, but it was never the right time for either of us to pursue anything more than a friendship. Then on Thanksgiving Eve six years ago, as I was prepping to leave for a spring semester abroad in Barcelona, we had a goodbye meal in Little Italy that changed everything. This neighborhood will always hold a special place in our hearts and is why we chose it for our engagement photos. NYC is where we fell in love, shared our first home together, and where Val eventually proposed in Washington Square Park.
Val and I had always envisioned a big outdoor wedding, surrounded by our families and friends. We found the Crossed Keys Inn during an online search and knew this was where we’d get married from the minute we stepped onto the property with our moms by our sides. Romantic, vintage, ivory, blush, and gold, with a few French touches here and there - the venue went perfectly with my inspiration.
We enlisted the help of Val’s uncle to marry us (he got ordained!) and he did the ceremony in both English and French. Val and I wrote our own vows and reciting them was probably my favorite part of the day. We kept our vows a secret from each other and were so excited to find out that we both mentioned our love for Taco Bell! Val’s grandparents were unfortunately not able to make the trip from Switzerland, so we had FaceTime going so that they wouldn’t miss a beat. Incorporating our families was so important to us, and the first thing we did after finding our venue was ask our nephews to act as ring bearers (or ring bears as they understood it). The boys pulled our six-month-old niece down the aisle in a decorated wagon and introduced me to the 200 guests who shared our special day with us.
I wore a long-sleeve ivory lace Watters dress that I’m honestly still more obsessed with by the day. Before I even got engaged, there was no question that I wanted a dress with sleeves. I never thought I’d actually find a dress that made me look and feel like the bride I always dreamed of being. I’m so fortunate to have the support in my life to make that dream come true. My seven bridesmaids each picked their own dress and we didn’t actually see them all together until the night before the wedding! The girls looked so perfect in their mismatched long dresses. Val chose a shawl-collared navy J.Crew tuxedo, which was complemented by an array of navy suits worn by his groomsmen. Val wore the same watch his father wore on his wedding day while I had a ring passed down from my great-grandmother.
After the ceremony, the band had the dance floor packed the rest of the evening. They learned a number of songs for us, starting with our first dance, and also the song I surprised my dad with for our father-daughter dance (it was my parent’s first dance from their wedding over 30 years ago!). We wrapped up the night with sparklers and s’mores, and then transported our guests in party buses to the after party.
People say their wedding was the best day of their lives, and now we can’t believe how lucky we are to honestly say that about our own!
Once Carly and Val saw each other for the first time the day really took off (with a few tears here and there). We took beautiful portraits walking around the venue which was full of greenery and gorgeous flowers - the ideal setting for a Summer wedding. The rest of the day flew by as they were surrounded by their close family and friends as they shared their own vows. The reception set up in the tent was gorgeous with dahlias and greenery running down each farm table. The party started right after the ceremony and carried through the rest of the evening ending with a gorgeous sparker exit.
From The Bride...Val was raised in Switzerland as a native French speaker, but he moved to my hometown in New Jersey when he was 10. He was three grades older than me, so we didn’t cross paths until I was a freshman in high school (and he was a senior!). We quickly became friends but both went our separate ways for college. Our mutual hometown kept us coming back together during college breaks, but it was never the right time for either of us to pursue anything more than a friendship. Then on Thanksgiving Eve six years ago, as I was prepping to leave for a spring semester abroad in Barcelona, we had a goodbye meal in Little Italy that changed everything. This neighborhood will always hold a special place in our hearts and is why we chose it for our engagement photos. NYC is where we fell in love, shared our first home together, and where Val eventually proposed in Washington Square Park.
Val and I had always envisioned a big outdoor wedding, surrounded by our families and friends. We found the Crossed Keys Inn during an online search and knew this was where we’d get married from the minute we stepped onto the property with our moms by our sides. Romantic, vintage, ivory, blush, and gold, with a few French touches here and there - the venue went perfectly with my inspiration.
We enlisted the help of Val’s uncle to marry us (he got ordained!) and he did the ceremony in both English and French. Val and I wrote our own vows and reciting them was probably my favorite part of the day. We kept our vows a secret from each other and were so excited to find out that we both mentioned our love for Taco Bell! Val’s grandparents were unfortunately not able to make the trip from Switzerland, so we had FaceTime going so that they wouldn’t miss a beat. Incorporating our families was so important to us, and the first thing we did after finding our venue was ask our nephews to act as ring bearers (or ring bears as they understood it). The boys pulled our six-month-old niece down the aisle in a decorated wagon and introduced me to the 200 guests who shared our special day with us.
I wore a long-sleeve ivory lace Watters dress that I’m honestly still more obsessed with by the day. Before I even got engaged, there was no question that I wanted a dress with sleeves. I never thought I’d actually find a dress that made me look and feel like the bride I always dreamed of being. I’m so fortunate to have the support in my life to make that dream come true. My seven bridesmaids each picked their own dress and we didn’t actually see them all together until the night before the wedding! The girls looked so perfect in their mismatched long dresses. Val chose a shawl-collared navy J.Crew tuxedo, which was complemented by an array of navy suits worn by his groomsmen. Val wore the same watch his father wore on his wedding day while I had a ring passed down from my great-grandmother.
After the ceremony, the band had the dance floor packed the rest of the evening. They learned a number of songs for us, starting with our first dance, and also the song I surprised my dad with for our father-daughter dance (it was my parent’s first dance from their wedding over 30 years ago!). We wrapped up the night with sparklers and s’mores, and then transported our guests in party buses to the after party.
People say their wedding was the best day of their lives, and now we can’t believe how lucky we are to honestly say that about our own!
