Dan and Bridget often joke that they fell in love on the way to Cape May so there couldn’t have been a place more fitting to host their special day. Inspired by the idea of “Fall by the Sea” they incorporated a palette of rich seasonal hues alongside misty ocean blues for a juxtaposition that worked to perfection. Rachel Pearlman told the story through her lens and it’s a celebration (and a love story) you don’t want to miss.
From the bride… Dan and I met in Sea Isle City, New Jersey where we both had been renting shore houses with our friends. The first time we met, Dan ended the night with a slow dance, setting the scene to Van Morrison’s ‘Into the Mystic’ and asking me to look up at the stars. His romance and charisma swept me off my feet and many dates would quickly follow in Philadelphia, where we both lived.
The amount of mutual friends we shared made it hard to believe we had never met before but we both believe the timing was everything and we weren’t meant to cross paths until we did!
It was our second summer as a couple when Dan and I visited Cape May together. It immediately became a special place for us and since we met in Sea Isle, had dates in Ocean City, and nights out with friends in Avalon, we began to sing to each other the song, “on the way to Cape May, I fell in love with you”, as it’s true to our story in so many ways.
After becoming engaged, our ‘theme’ quickly became ‘Fall by the Sea’, and my design inspiration foremost came from my parents’ wedding day. My parents used dusty blue as a focal color and I had always admired it since I was a little girl. I incorporated coastal aspects to play off the setting of the town; blue watercolors, shells, and drift wood. Pearls were the main detail in honor of my grandmother and also happen to be my birthstone. We accented with shades of greenery, burgundy, and ivory to complement the vineyard.
It was important to personalize our day as much as possible, so we had a custom logo design created in hand writing. A rustic, wooden sign was hung outside our church and read: ‘We’ll end up hand in hand, somewhere down on the sand, just me and you’ (Zac Brown Band – and our first dance song!).
We choreographed our first dance to a Zac Brown/Van Morrison rendition of Into the Mystic, and Dan surprised me at the end of the night with a serenade along side The Corner Boys & Co.!
Photography: Rachel Pearlman Photography | Cinematography: Shawn Fisher Productions | Event Planning: Jersey Cape Weddings | Floral Design: Petal + Paper | Gown: JLM Couture | Invitations: Just Be Studio | Reception Venue: Willow Creek Winery | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Joanna August | Hair + Makeup: Shimmer By Taffeta Hair Makeup Design | Calligraphy: Charlie Whiskey | Groom's Attire: Calvin Klein | Framed Coordinates Calligraphy: Lewes Lettering Co. | Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar
