I did a fantastic wedding on May 14 at The Mill at Spring Lake Heights. First, let me say that for outdoor photo opportunities, the restaurant is top-notch. While the downstairs was busy with a dinner crowd and a big wedding upstairs, downstairs along the lake a private room held a small reception. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the best part of my experience at The Mill: the staff. The valets are the friendliest I’ve met and the banquet coordinator and waiters went out of their way to fix an issue that wasn’t their fault.

First, the view from the covered porch outside the room:

The lake view from the porch of The Mill at Spring Lake Heights

The view from the porch is tranquil

The cafe room downstairs that opens out onto the covered porch:

Intimate room for private parties

Wood floors and pendant lights create an intimate mood

The walk down to the ceremony garden is lovely throughout the year, but spring is lovely.

Winding brick path along the lake leads to the ceremony garden

A short walk away from the restaurant is the path to the ceremony garden.

The ceremony garden can be filled with rows of chairs for larger ceremonies:

Brick pavers provide spacious seating area for the ceremony garden

The ceremony garden along the lake.

The plantings along the lake offer a lovely background for photographs:

Lovely lake views along the path to the ceremony garden

Lush greenery along the lake.

The centerpieces brought a shore theme inside:

Mixed seashells and flowers for the centerpieces

The beach theme moves indoors through the centerpieces.

Despite the threatening skies, a brief sunshower gave way to perfect weather for the ceremony.

{ 0 comments }

Although the rain threatened all week, the sun came out for Michelle and Bruce’s at-home wedding. They had a small wedding with only a few family members present, and it made me think about what it means to focus on who is important in your life. Their parents watched as we gathered in the living room to exchange vows in a way that was intimate and meaningful to them. Far more personal than if they had married at the courthouse. Afterward, the couple posed for a few photos together and with all their guests (all 6!). Once the ceremony was over, they headed out for a celebration dinner with those who mean the most to them.

While I love doing large weddings with exquisite details and amazing settings, I also love doing ceremonies for couples who are clearly in love and have complete focus on their relationship rather than a big party.

As a bride who got married in the living room 8 years ago, I also have a soft spot for home weddings.

{ 0 comments }

The Royal Wedding: Ideas for honoring loved ones

May 1, 2011

Wow–the royal wedding has taken over all media this week. I watched the exchanging of the vows early Friday morning (I love that Kate left out “obey”!) and I think the connection to history is important. I loved both of Kate’s dresses, and Pippa’s, but I wanted to focus instead on what couples can take [...]

Read the full article →

Congratulations, Michelle and Bruce!

May 1, 2011

I’m so excited for their intimate at-home wedding this week. I’m seeing a lot of couples deciding to do personal, quiet weddings with their closest friends and family. Whether deciding to hold a wedding inside or outside, at-home weddings keep the focus on the people closest to you and new family being created. Even their [...]

Read the full article →

Luxury weddings: The Ashford Estate

April 20, 2011

I had the privilege of visiting The Ashford Estate in Allentown, New Jersey, for an Association of Bridal Consultants meeting. In a word: luxury. Photographer Bryan Madrid of Leonia generously offered his photos from the evening for this blog post (Thanks, Bryan!) [I'd also love to do a wedding with Bryan one day--what attention to [...]

Read the full article →

Congratulations, Jess and John!

April 20, 2011

I had a great first meeting with Jess and John about their October wedding at Sea Oaks in Little Egg Harbor. Sea Oaks is a lovely country club with a great outdoor ceremony area and, perhaps more importantly, excellent food. I’m looking forward to officiating! We’re working on a personalized ceremony complete with custom statements [...]

Read the full article →

Congratulations, Jim and Laura!

April 14, 2011

In mid-May, I’ll be performing a lovely beach wedding for Jim and Laura at a gazebo in Beach Haven. Reserving the gazebo is a wonderful way to make the wedding accessible to those who have mobility issues on the sand (or just don’t like walking in sand!) while retaining the ocean background. With other 100 [...]

Read the full article →

Beach wedding trend: an intimate, week-long affair

April 1, 2011

I’ve noticed an increase in the number of couples who are deciding they want to get married on the beach without turning it into a grand affair. Several couples have called because they’ve decided to rent a beach house for a week and entertain friends and family, culminating in the wedding at the end of [...]

Read the full article →

Flowers that look great…and do good, too

March 22, 2011

This weekend at the Rutgers Bridal Show, which I attended with Erik Kent from NJWedding.com, I had the pleasure of meeting the ladies of Vaseful, a New Brunswick, New Jersey florist. The flowers they had on display looked fantastic (big snowballs of white carnations!), which caught my eye. But then Eric told me Vaseful’s secret: [...]

Read the full article →

Congratulations, David and Beth!

March 22, 2011

Congratulations to David and Beth who recently booked my wedding officiant services for their May wedding at the The Mill in Spring Lake Heights. What a lovely location, and it’s stunning in spring with everything in bloom. If you are looking for a great lakeside wedding venue with a beautiful outdoor ceremony space in Monmouth [...]

Read the full article →