New Jersey Weddings

We see it all, here at Style Me Pretty, from big, elaborate weddings to weddings like these; small, personal and intimate and I have to say, I adore them both. Today’s nuptials photographed by Jessa Schifilliti took place at the historic Natirar Mansion, a hidden East Coast gem of a venue. With loads of greenery and soft white flowers, Brave Floral designed the picture perfect dinner party for their small amount of guests! Take a peek below and check out the full gallery for non-stop smiles from the happy couple!

From Jessa Schifilliti…Lindsey and Adam planned the most intimate wedding day in September at Natirar Mansion in Gladstone, New Jersey. With a mile long, enticing drive once you turn into the grounds, you are captivated by the time you reach the mansion. I fell in love with their vision for an intimate day with a small ceremony and special dinner with their family and closest friends.

We had so much fun with their first look and taking portraits all around the stunning property. There definitely wasn’t a shortage of backdrops! This was such a refreshing day, watching these two focus on what truly matters to them with such a small, intimate day. 

Ninety Acres, a farm to table restaurant within the mansion is simply exquisite and delicious and, the guests were so impressed with the menu and service. Brave Floral created the most intimate dinner party with greens and whites, it felt like such a special evening!

It was so much fun capturing this gorgeous couple and being apart of each little moment. After witnessing this special wedding day with the couples tight-knit group, I can say that micro-weddings have a special place in my heart!

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If you’ve ever dreamed of channeling Cinderella vibes on your big day, take note from Katie who wore a Monique Lhuillier gown fit for a princess. The fabulous Janelle on Location made sure the hair and makeup were totally on point, and wedding pros NST Pictures and Christy Nicole Photography captured the day from start to finish. Have a look at the film below + the full image gallery for so much more.

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From the photographer… The Hamilton Farms Golf Club was the perfect setting for Katie & Matt’s elegant blush chic inspired wedding. From the English brick estate to the interior charm, it was as if the venue was created just for them. The bridal suite had green and blush tones that beautifully complemented all of Katie’s bridal details. Some of my favorite details included her florals designed by Blue Jasmine, as well as her custom illustrations included in her invitation suite by Design House of Moria. The day began with opening bottles of champagne to celebrate and a little bridesmaid fun, which included dance competitions and jumping on the bed in Pretty Plum Sugar robes. Katie stepped into a gorgeous Monique Lhuillier princess-style ball gown complemented by a beautiful jeweled crown by Nina Shoes. The wedding ceremony and reception incorporated mirror elements to tie in Katie’s mirror proposal. Katie & Matt even danced their first dance to “Mirrors” by Justin Timberlake. They ended their wedding day with a fun sparkle send off with their wedding guests which really highlighted the excitement of their wedding celebration.

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From the bride… Matt and I met while working at a job that neither of us particularly liked but really didn’t mind going to every day because we got to see one another. We clicked instantly and Matt made me laugh every single day at work. After only 6 months of working together, we just couldn’t deny the feelings! We started spending time together outside of work – going out to dinner, seeing movies and just making any excuse to see each other (other than at work, that is). After a month of dates, our favorite time of the year was near – Christmas! Matt got us tickets to the Radio City Christmas show. We ventured into the city, saw the show, had dinner at a very romantic restaurant (that Matt had chosen) and went to see the tree. It was the absolute perfect night….. Only to get better when Matt asked me to officially be his girlfriend. We have continued our “Christmas city tradition” each year by going to the city, seeing a Christmas show, having dinner and seeing the tree.

After moving in together, getting a puppy, COUNTLESS Mets games and enjoying our lives together, 3 years had gone by and we were getting ready for our annual night in NYC. As I was upstairs getting ready, Matt was downstairs setting up a little (MAJOR) surprise for me. I came downstairs to him saying “Look what the dog did…” Trying to find something in pieces, ripped or destroyed, I was clueless. Matt told me to look and points to “Will You Marry Me?” written on our mirror with a ring box sitting on the table below it. I couldn’t believe it. It was the best day ever!

For the wedding, I knew that I wanted an outdoor, white-tent setting in a gorgeous princess-like gown. That vision was basically our exact wedding. I always dreamt it would be the most amazing day of my life and it truly was! Creating a gorgeous wedding was something I did with so much enthusiasm and passion that it encouraged me to start my own event planning business.

Our color palette was blush and gold and my overall style vision was romantic, chic and traditional. All elements came together to create a pastel vibe that is completely me! There was a bit of blush pink in everything at our wedding – from the bridesmaid’s dresses, to a blush underlay in my own gown, to our flowers and our invitations. The pop of metallic gold really brought everything together without taking away from the romantic mood we set. What unique elements or DIY details did you include? When we got engaged, my (now) husband proposed to me at home by writing out “Will You Marry Me?” on a mirror in our living room. I wanted to bring that unique and special element into our wedding and so we had calligraphy mirror signs everywhere – a welcome mirror sign, ceremony and bridal party information mirror sign, signature drinks mirror sign and our table numbers were written out on small mirrors. We also had unique custom stationery all created by Design House of Moira.

Victoria (from Design House of Moira) truly captured our romantic blush daydream in all of the stationary and even included a sketch of our venue and re-created the venue’s crest with mine and my husband’s initials on our invitations…. And let’s not forget about her amazing calligraphy work that was also featured on all of those pieces. It made for a truly customized day dedicated to us as a couple. Another unique element I had to have was florals and greenery everywhere. I just think of flowers when I think of the word romantic and so we did as much floral work as possible. Our florist, Blue Jasmine created the most beautiful, lush floral arch for our ceremony and added floral details to our escort display, mirrors throughout our wedding and our sweetheart table. My bridal bouquet along with the bridesmaid bouquets truly capitalized on the romantic theme. We stuck with the blush and pastel theme – but added a pop of darker color with anemones. Our adorable flower girl wore a baby’s breath flower crown.

I got my gown from Kleinfeld’s and I walked in saying that I wanted something different from what every other bride was getting. I tried on the princess-like Monique Lhuillier gown that had tiers on tiers and a blush underlay. I just knew it was the one! Slipping into my dress on my wedding day, I just didn’t want to take it off! It was so beautiful and I really wish I could wear it every day of my life.

My advice to other brides is to ENJOY YOUR DAY! At the end of the day, it’s all about you and your new husband being happy and starting a life together. This is the day to celebrate you both!

Photography: Christy Nicole Photography | Videography: NST Pictures | Event Planning: Fashionably Kate Events | Floral Design: Blue Jasmine | Cake: The Vintage Cake | Invitations: Design House Of Moira | Wedding Bands: Kay Jewelers | Bridesmaid Dresses: JLM Couture, Inc | Hair & Makeup: Janelle on Location | Calligraphy: Design House Of Moira | DJ: Unbreakable Entertainment | Venue: Hamilton Farm Golf Club | Bridal Crown: Nina | Bridal Gown: Monique Lhuillier | Bridal Heels: Badgley Mischka | Bridal Salon: Kleinfeld Bridal | Bridesmaid Dress Salon: Bella Bridesmaid | Bridesmaid PJ's: Plum Pretty Sugar | Earrings: J.Crew | Groom & Groomsmen attire: Tuxedo by Sarno | Vintage Rentals: Trunk Vintage Rental

Oscar De La Renta wedding dresses and classic style affairs go together like milk and cookies. And when you’ve got Stacie Ford Weddings on your vendor team to fancy you up, you’re bound to be a glowing Bride all day long. From the invites designed by A&P Designs to the all-white reception, Tanya Salazar documented it all so beautifully and you can enjoy the full package of pretty in The Vault.

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From Tanya Salazar Photography… I loved working this traditional and elegant wedding at Hamilton Farms Golf Club. The bride’s stunning Oscar de le Renta dress and shoes fit perfectly into this beautiful setting and design. Everything from the matching robes, personalized table names and white floral design made for a clean and elegant reception.

From the Bride… Dan and I serendipitously met at the Ithaca airport when were both attending Cornell University. We were both flying to New York for interviews and our flight was delayed. Having recognized him from campus, I asked if I could use his laptop to send an e-mail since I didn’t have a smartphone back then and the rest is history. He proposed to me on a beautiful summer day in Central Park in front of the Bethesda fountain.

When it came to our wedding, we wanted it to be classic, elegant and personal. We fell in love with Hamilton Farm Golf Club because of the gorgeous grounds and the mansion– I’ve always wanted to get married on an estate so was a dream come true. Also, having from been from Florida, I always said if I ever got married up north it would have to be in the fall! We got so lucky with the weather- it was peak fall foliage and 65 degrees. Our color palette was very classic- whites, dark greenery, accents of gold, dark navy for the bridesmaids and our letterpress invitations. We opted for unique and elegant details such as having a caricature artist, custom watercolor images for each table that represented my husband and I (each person’s table card had a mini replica of the image on the inside), custom gold acrylic name plates for each table setting, his and her drinks that embodied the fall (Hers: Apple Cider Bellini, His: Old Fashioned), and a custom cornhole game. Our ceremony took place at a fairy tale style church complete with a beautiful lake and swans.

While the decor, venue and details were everything I could have hoped for, what made it truly magical is having all of our friends & family who we love so dearly all in one place to celebrate our love.

Photography: Tanya Salazar Photography | Videography: Digital First | Floral Design: Jardiniere Fine Flowers | Wedding Dress: Oscar De La Renta | Cake: Gourmet Touch Bakery | Invitations: A&P Designs | Ceremony Venue: Christ The King, New Vernon | Reception Venue: Hamilton Farm Golf Club | Shoes: Oscar De La Renta | Rings: David S. Diamonds | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid | Makeup: Stacie Ford Weddings | Hair: Sandrine Buccarelli | Tuxedo: Zegna

It all started with one of the sweetest proposals ever.  Well, actually, it started in an LSAT prep course, but when it came time to get down on bended knee, this groom surprised his bride with a meaningful moment she will NEVER forget.  Follow that up with a vintage-inspired love fest overflowing with gorgeous details (think Beacon Lane invites and a stunning Johanna Johnson gown from Gabriella New York) and it’s a happy, happy Wednesday.  See it all captured by Kelly Kollar in THE VAULT.

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From the Bride… Randy and I met in law school. Technically, Randy noticed me first in our LSAT prep course (when I was in college) but he didn’t tell me that until the night of our first kiss. We became friends when interning together and started dating our last year of law school.

Randy proposed in our apartment after we finished decorating our Christmas tree. I was very close with my grandmother and she passed away right before Thanksgiving in November 2014. We had been at my parents’ house for the week helping with the arrangements and services. When we traveled back to Hoboken that Sunday, Randy suggested that, to cheer me up, we get our Christmas tree a little early (he knows how much I love a real tree in the house). All of our Christmas ornaments are from my grandma – who had been buying me collectible dollhouse and Barbie ornaments since I was born. She had also been buying Yankees and Giants ornaments for Randy since we started dating. We decorated the tree with each of her ornaments as a tribute to her. When we were done, I went to the bedroom to get something and when I came out, Randy was kneeling in front of the tree. The proposal was private, personal, and perfect.

We began to plan the wedding a month or so later. Because we wanted a summer or fall wedding, we thought we would have trouble finding a venue so put that first on our list. I had originally envisioned an outdoor wedding with a big tented reception complete with “twinkly lights.” However, I was nervous about the unpredictable weather and no contingency plan for rain. However, after one look at Hamilton Farm, we didn’t have to worry about that. Hamilton Farm not only has a beautiful mansion, but also a large addition with floor to ceiling windows and a beautiful tent swept under it for the reception. The mansion, lawns, patio, and tent provided every element we were looking for no matter the weather (as it turns out we had picture perfect weather on our wedding day). I knew that “getting ready” with my mom and bridesmaids would be almost as fun as the wedding itself and the mansion’s bedrooms and “drawing room” provided the perfect backdrop for a beautiful morning (and beautiful photos!) with my favorite girls.

The dress was probably my favorite part of wedding planning. I booked a weekend of appointments at various NYC bridal salons and my bridesmaids, mom, and mother in law all took turns coming to appointments. I have been to my fair share of weddings and knew I wanted a dress that was different from those I had seen, but also classic and timeless. At Gabriella New York, I found my three favorite dresses – each was a completely different style. We left for one more appointment and then called Gabriella to see if we could come back later that evening to make a final selection. I tried on all three dresses again and knew that the Johanna Johnson dress would be the one. I loved the classic, almost regal front of the dress contrasted with the low sweeping back. The Gabriella staff was amazing and let us hang in their beautiful loft for hours toasting to the final dress selection. I don’t think I took the dress off the whole time.

Once we had the venue and I picked my dress, the wedding began to take on an Art Deco or Gatsby-esque feel. Everything fell into place – invitations, flowers, bridesmaid dresses. I chose a muted color palette of blush pinks and subtle grays. The bridesmaids wore blush dresses from BHLDN and the groomsmen wore gray suits from Ralph Lauren, where Randy works.

Hamilton Farm provided the perfect backdrop for an elegant affair, but also allowed us to add our own personal touches to the day. For example, knowing that our 4-year-old ring bearer was a little shy and loved all things power wheels, we had him drive down the aisle in his new F150.  He definitely stole the show. My favorite moment of the wedding was probably watching Randy perform The Humpty Dance onstage with our band.

About two hours into the reception my best friend grabbed me from the dance floor and told me to “stop and look around.” I was so happy I did. Seeing the dance floor filled with all the people we love the most dancing, singing, and enjoying the wonderful party that we somehow pulled off was definitely a magical moment. I know time is precious at every wedding, but I would encourage all brides and grooms to take a quiet moment together to step back and take a good hard look at the culmination of all their hard work.

Photography: Kelly Kollar Photography | Floral Design: Jardiniere Fine Flowers | Wedding Dress: Johanna Johnson | Cake: A Sweet Passion | Invitations: Beacon Lane | Bridesmaids' Dresses: BHLDN | Band: Around Town Entertainment | Venue: Hamilton Farm Golf Club | Bridal Salon: Gabriella New York Bridal Salon | Bride's Hair + Makeup: Up & Out Beauty Bar | Bridesmaids' Makeup: Makeup By Ana | Groom's + Groomsmen Attire: Ralph Lauren | Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar

Wedding food gets a bad reputation, but this couple ensured theirs would be different, putting an emphasis food and wine when planning their New Jersey wedding. Working with Chef David Felton, this Bride and Groom created a farm-to-table menu of elevated comfort food perfectly suited for their natural and organic-inspired day. See all the pretty, including gorgeous florals from Laura Clare Fine Floral Design and photos from Carolina Rivera Photography, in The Vault!

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From The Bride…We wanted an intimate wedding with focus on the details we thought were most important. For us that included the food, wine, and flowers in a beautiful yet relaxed atmosphere. An outdoor ceremony in the spring time was our first choice for a wedding. Natirar at Ninety Acres was exactly what we envisioned. The farm-to-table menu was designed for us by chef David Felton and event coordination by Megan Dashio. They inspired trust that allowed us to focus on the most personal details. We wanted something very soft, lush, and feminine along with something strong, rustic, and masculine. There was no set color palate in our minds, just to keep it soft, natural, and organic. We captured that with peonies and reclaimed wood with help from our florist, Laura Clare Designs. Laura created over 100 floral arrangements in vintage blue-green mason jars, as well as decorating the arch created by the groom. The arch was constructed with American chestnut from a one-room school house built in the 1890’s and hardware from old barn doors. The venue was also provided the perfect backdrop both indoors, with rich woods and leather, and outside, with the farm and the woods.

Being from the Midwest, we wanted seasonal comfort foods that were elevated. Our guests were lavished by an extensive menu of appetizers and custom cocktails on the back patio while listening to the Ian Kenselaar Trio, a surprise from the groom. Guests were then escorted inside for lunch with ingredients harvested from the gardens at Ninety Acres and local farms. We chose a strawberry-rhubarb pie for our wedding “cake”. Dessert was a big hit with guests as they filled their plates with various bite-sized treats such as S’mores, fruit cobblers, and mini tarts. We danced our first dance to “It Had To Be You”, with an original arrangement for us by The Ian Kenselaar Jazz Band, another beautiful surprise from the groom.

Piece of advice to future brides is keep the focus on a few small, special details. If you focus on all of the details, you will be stressed and lose sight of what is really important. Decide what things are the most important and do them well.

I went in for my first wedding dress consultation and that is where I found my dress. I was looking for a dress that would work well in a garden wedding. I didn’t want a dress that would be too hot for the weather and wanted something that would show off my figure. I tried on a candlelight version of my dress and it made me looked washed out, so I tried on the same dress in an ivory lace with a mocha slip underlay. I loved how it looked and was smitten with that dress.
My dress was not complete until I had my accessories. Nancy Stone from Nancy and David Fine Jewels loaned me a pair of stunning pair of diamond earrings, tennis bracelet, and infinity bands to complete my look. She was also the creator of my engagement ring.

Advice From The Groom…Select vendors you can trust and connect with. Choose a venue and vendors that share your vision and passion. Keep it simple and let them run with it. If they are right for you they will help you create a wedding better than you ever expected. Show your bride that you aren’t just there to taste cake. Be involved. It is your day too. There were no questions from our guests that our wedding day was “our day,” with elements that represented both of us.

Photography: Carolina Rivera Photographer | Event Planning: Natirar | Floral Design: Laura Clare Fine Floral Design | Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero | Jewelry: Nancy And David Fine Jewels | Catering: Natirar | Hair + Makeup: Steven John Salon | Band: Ian Kenselaar Trio And Jazz Band | Groom's Attire: Tessuto | Officiant: Celia Milton | String Quartet: Rosadoni String Quartet | Venue: Natirar | Arch And Table Top: Made By Dan Festerling (Groom) With Lumbar Sourced By J. C. Woodworking Perkasie, PA | Bridal Boutique: Maggie Sottero

Trends come and go, but classic is forever. And Lyndsay and Nate’s big day in Hamilton, New Jersey is precisely why. The Bride’s made-for-twirling Hayley Paige ballgown, the bouquets of fluffy pink peonies, the Groom’s classic tux, and a sparkler exit? It doesn’t get much better than that. See all the beauty captured to perfection by Love & Light Photographs in The Vault!

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From Love & Light Photographs…Lyndsay & Nate’s wedding day in one word was classy. I think sometimes we get so caught up in trends we forget how great a black bow tie is and that simple puffs of peonies can be more than enough to make your wedding feel effortlessly chic. From the second the Love & Light team arrived, Lyndsay was grinning ear to ear with anticipation for the day. The day-of coordination by Creations by Christine Events was so helpful making the day go smoothly and without even one hiccup. Lyndsay loves horses, so after the ceremony we stopped at this stable on site and captured the wedding party there and I love how handsome the building looks as a backdrop! Lyndsay’s sister-in-law Amanda owns Little Miss Mrs and she designed the invitation with perfectly fit the day. She incorporated a little horse shoe on the string on each invitation and had Jessica of Simply Jessica Marie create a watercolor peony bouquet to make the invites feel even more personal. I love each and every detail that fit seamlessly into their day! Nate held Lynsday’s hand the whole night and the two danced to their awesome band Brian Kirk and the Jirks until it was time for their epic sparkler exit! Thank you so much to Lyndsay & Nate for having L&L there to capture your day, we loved every second of it.

From Creations By Christine Events…Lyndsay & Nate’s wedding day was simply magnificent. The love, support, respect and admiration they have for one another was clearly exhibited before their family and friends on June 13, 2015. It was an honor and privilege to assist them with their wedding planning.

Photography: Jessa Schifilliti, Photographer | Event Planning: Creations By Christine Events | Floral Design: Jardiniere Fine Flowers | Wedding Dress: JLM Couture, Inc | Cupcakes: Sweet Spot Bake Shoppe | Invitations: Little Miss Mrs | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Bill Levkoff | Hair + Makeup: Beauty On Location | Band: Brian Kirk And The Jirks | Groomsmen Attire: Ralph Lauren | Venue: Hamilton Farm Golf Club | Watercolor: Simply Jessica Marie

A personalized wedding is a happy wedding, and a happy wedding is one that has SMP written all over it. Take this lovely from the lens of Elisabeth Millay Photography that is both intimately sincere and sweetly personal. From the Bride’s handsewn something blue, to the DIY’ed details, every single image is sure to send you into a pinning frenzy, and we’ve got it all in THE VAULT!

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In addition to finding the right venue, we knew we wanted to incorporate personalized elements into our day. Having our family and friends with us was the most important thing, and we wanted our wedding to be a relaxing and fun evening for everyone. We wanted an intimate wedding so that we could spend as much time with our guests as possible, and we achieved just that. Our ceremony was held outside in the sunshine and our cocktail hour under the trees outside the mansion. Afterwards, our guests moved to the beautiful tent, where delicious food was served and topped off with a red velvet wedding cake as well as homemade sweets made by our family and friends. Our love of our dogs was brought into the day by naming our specialty cocktails in their honor – the “Windy Whiskey” and “Morkie Margarita.” Instead of a traditional favor, we made a donation in honor of our guests to an organization near and dear to us, Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Our labrador (Wind) was a Guiding Eyes puppy whom we were fortunate to adopt after she was released from their program, and Guiding Eyes has remained a cause we are both passionate about.

My mom’s artistic abilities came to good use, and also allowed for our wedding to have the special, personalized touches that we hoped for. From hand sewing my initials into my wedding gown as my “something blue,” hand writing all of our wedding signs, creating our programs, designing and putting together our window seating chart, creating the belt for my gown, to putting personalized touches on all of our stationary – these touches made our wedding feel like us. My dad’s landscaping artistry was brought in through urns at the altar and in the reception. My husband’s love of reptiles was tied in through my gift to him on our wedding day – lizard socks! And his love of acoustic guitar was incorporated through a guitarist playing throughout our ceremony and cocktail hour. Both my bouquet and my husband’s boutonniere were wrapped with remnants of my wedding gown. Since my great grandmother had passed away, I was fortunate to wear her hair clip on my wedding day. My husband and I made the corn hole boards for the cocktail hour (which was quite a project!), and my mom made the corn hole bags. And, one of my favorite parts of our ceremony – when my uncle and godfather read one of his poems. It was all of these elements and more that made our wedding feel special and unique to us.

We had the most perfect September weather on our wedding day and we were lucky we had no rain. It all still feels like a dream! While I don’t think there is any advice that can fully prepare any bride for the many overwhelming emotions of her wedding day, my hope for other brides is to try to remember the little, important moments that day, because those are the ones worth cherishing. Seeing your partner for the first time, stealing a moment alone together prior to entering your reception, going for a walk after your ceremony and gushing all about it, sitting with your mom or dad that morning before all of the craziness, spending time with your besties while you get ready – these, and more, are the things that you will remember. While I have several favorite moments of the day, my very favorite was just after we said “I do” and we looked at each other as we walked down the aisle as our guitarist played a special song that he learned just for us, Tommy Emmanuel’s “Angelina.”

We were fortunate to have such amazing vendors, and our day turned out beautifully. We wouldn’t have changed a thing – in fact, we wish we could live it over and over again!

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See more New Jersey weddings in THE VAULT!

Photography: Millay & Young Photography | Videography: Digital First | Floral Design: Jardiniere Fine Flowers | Wedding Dress: Elizabeth Johns | Cake: Coco Luxe Pastry | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid | DJ: Craig Scott Entertainment | Groom's Attire: Men's Wearhouse | Officiant: Betty Coram | Wedding Venue: Hamilton Farm Golf Club | Flower Girl Dresses: Olive And Fern - Etsy | Guitarist: David Galvez | Robes: Silk And More