This warm and cozy New Jersey wedding from Michelle Behre Photography will make you dream of having a fall wedding! With a rustic yet elegant vibe, this celebration was filled with personal details. We love how the couple had not only a doughnut station, but also a gelato cart and s’mores and pizza for late night snacks!
Waterloo Village is very rustic in and of itself, so we wanted to play into that without completely leaning into the “rustic” feel to the point of it feeling campy. We made a conscious decision to go more simple and elegant with the other design elements, and attire even. For example, all white flowers and greenery which added a lighter touch to the beautiful wooden, cabin-like feel of Waterloo Village.
The grooms all wore black tuxedos with white shirts, the bride kept it simple with an off-the shoulder white gown. The cape, which sort-of stole the show, was actually a last-minute thing, purchased only days before the wedding as something to keep the bride warm during the ceremony. The ceremony was originally set to be outside, and the weather forecast that day showed temperatures in the 20s. The bride changed into a white Halston jumpsuit for the reception, a little earlier than originally planned, actually because during photographs, one of the couple’s dogs (who were part of the wedding) jumped on her white gown with muddy feet and left a big old paw print!
I chose a song from one of Dan’s favorite bands (Sigur Rós “Hoppípolla”) for my walk down the aisle (played by the string quartet we had), and I kept it a surprise until the actual ceremony. Hearing the swell of the beautiful song and just locking eyes with Dan as I walked down the aisle with my father was unforgettable and really brought me into the moment. We are both huge dog lovers, and acknowledge that as part of our connection as a couple. There was never any question that our two dogs would be a part of the wedding, and seeing them in their beautiful and adorable wedding collars (complete with faux peonies!) and white leashes was very sweet and special.
The most important thing to us when planning was that the wedding, and all elements involved, were equally representative of both of us. We tackled every decision, no matter how small, together. For example, Dan’s favorite color is blue so we incorporated that as one of our wedding colors: the invitations were navy blue, and then it sort of become our base color for everything, from elements as important as the bridesmaids dresses to the writing we had on our welcome gift bags. Another really important factor during our planning process was that our guests be comfortable and have a great time. We thought about this when planning the ceremony, deciding on food options, etc.
Because our first dance song was “Tupelo Honey” by Van Morrison, we thought “how cute would it be to give out mini honey jars?” We found the perfect little jars (with navy blue tops!) from Bonne Maman which we ordered in bulk and put into little favor bags from Michael’s, and tied them up with white ribbon and a custom tag.
Photography | Michelle Behre Photography | Venue, Coordination, and Cake | Waterloo Village | Florals | Robyn Rohslers Floral Designs | Stationery | Minted | Videography | Well Spun Weddings | Dress | BHLDN | Bride’s Shoes | Alexander Birman and Keds for Kate Spade | Veil | Eddy K Vincent Cape | Bridesmaid Dresses | BHLDN | Clutch | RAE OF LIGHT | Hair | Georgi Sandev | Makeup | DANIELLE CALLAHAN | DJ | The Music Dept. | Transportation | RIVIERA LIMOUSINES | Favors | BONNE MAMAN | Signage | Mulberry Market Design | String Musicians | The Music Dept. | Vow Notebooks | Starboard Press | Card Box | WeddingWoodworksCo | Pet Sitting | Pawfect For You | Groom’s Attire | The Black Tux | Albums | Heirloom Bindery | Engagement Ring | Mark Allen Jewelers | Wedding Ring | Jordan Jack | Bridesmaid Getting Ready Attire | Pretty Robes and Keep Life Simple Design | Cufflinks | cufflinks inc | Watch | Shinola | Submitted via Matchology
