Last year I met Nicole when she was the maid of honor at her BFF Samantha’s wedding. When she asked me to photograph her wedding, I freaked out because she’s awesome, her fiance Jeff is awesome, and well, I like to use the word awesome so heck yes I was IN. They married on one of those lovely June afternoons we had this year.. you know, spritzy, 58, windy. Good stuff at the beach! The Brant Beach Yacht Club at Long Beach Island was the scene.
Here’s a little bit about Nicole and Jeff, as told by Nicole…
How did you meet? Jeff and I attended Monmouth University from 2007-2011. Ironically, we lived a floor apart during our freshman year, but never met. During our sophomore year we both moved off campus. My friend Laura started dating one of Jeff’s friends and one night in October she invited me to a house party to meet her boyfriend’s friends. The house party was at Jeff’s house. I ended up knowing some people there, but I also was introduced to many new people. Once Jeff and I met, we connected almost instantly. We stayed up the entire night and spent many days and nights afterwards together. We both were coming out of relationships and didn’t think the casual night would have turned into a lifelong relationship. We spent our summers at Monmouth University, taking extra classes and working in the area to make any excuse to stay with one another.
The proposal: We love to travel, and we usually book at least one trip yearly. During our 8th year together, we booked a trip to California to explore the coast. It wasn’t until the last evening of our vacation that we made it to the beach to watch the sunset. Jeff proposed to me during the sunset on the beach in Santa Monica. We were in the perfect spot watching the sun set behind the mountains. I couldn’t believe he held on to the engagement ring for two weeks before proposing! After the proposal, we went to BOA steakhouse and they had a special celebration waiting for us. Needless to say California will always hold a special place in our hearts. We returned back to New Jersey the following day and began endless celebrations with family and friends.
What’s next on your calendar as a couple? We are taking a mini-moon to Arizona in August to hike and relax among the canyons. Then in April we are planning our honeymoon to Italy, traveling from Rome to Capri. We look forward to spending time alone together, unplugged and enjoying the cultures we will encounter.
What were some of your favorite moments from your wedding day? Jeff and I have been together for 10 years, which made it difficult for us to wake up without one another on the morning of our wedding day. We couldn’t wait to have our first look. When Jeff arrived to the house my parents were renting, I was so ready to begin our day together. As we revealed ourselves to each other, it was like time stopped. We stood overlooking the bay holding onto to one another. I will never forget the way he looked me in the eyes and held me so close to him. Any nerves we had were quickly gone once we were together, making us more than ready for our ceremony.
When we arrived at Brant Beach Yacht Club, I was so excited to see how our decor and flowers filled the venue. All of the decisions we made were finally spread out in front of us ready for our big day. As I turned the corner to prepare for the ceremony, four of my 8th grade students came running in screaming with excitement. They all got their hair and make up done and were wearing the prettiest dresses. They were so happy to see me and to be able to share this special moment with me. Their happiness stuck with me for the entire evening.
The ceremony was extremely special, not only because it was the moment we took the vow to be together for the rest of our lives, but because my aunt became ordained in order to be our officiant. She chose the perfect words and passages to express who we are individually which makes us who we are as a couple. I remember looking out at everyone we love whose eyes were full of tears. The ceremony was intimate and full of pure love and happiness.
During our reception, I couldn’t wait to dance with all of my guests. We started the party with our first dance. We danced as though no one was watching and killed it! Everyone was amazed by how well we did because we are usually not the ones dancing. From the first dance on, we spent most of our night on the dance floor along with all of our guests.
Any advice for future couples planning their weddings? Plan a wedding that represents you as a couple. Don’t get stuck trying to make everything Pinterest perfect. It’s unrealistic. Your guests want to see you happy and enjoying everyone’s company along with the love that you and your significant other share. Put time into choosing the things that matter: a photographer who is passionate about capturing the all of the moments you share together, a kickass dj who doesn’t let your guests sit down, and food/alcohol that will keep your guests getting seconds.
While you are planning your wedding, make it enjoyable. Don’t force each other into anything, make it what you both want, and TAKE YOUR TIME. There is no need to rush into anything…you are engaged, happy, and in love. Let the celebrations last as long as they can because it is over unbelievably fast.
- Wedding Coordinator: Theresa/ Taste Catering/ http://tasteoflbi.com/ email: theresa@tasteoflbi.com Michael/Brant Beach Yacht Club Coordinator: http://www.bbyc.net/ email: michael@bbyc.net
- Wedding Dress: Badgley Mischka
- Bridesmaids Dresses: Mori Lee
- Florist: Tracy/ My Rose Garden Florist
- Officiant: Nancy Tuohey /bride’s aunt
- Cake Artis: tGeorge/ Moesters Bakery: georgesmoestercakes@gmail.com http://www.moestersbakerynj.com/
- Band/DJ/MC: Evan- POSH entertainment / www.POSHdjs.com/ email: evan@poshdjs.com
- Hair Stylist: Jessican Delconzo: 908-770-2962 instagram: hair_by_jess_delconzo www.colorbarthesalon.com
