Nicole and Christopher ~ Tying the Knot Aboard the A.J. Meerwald

 

When you first meet Nicole and Chris, you can easily see just how in love they are. They met through friends and it didn't take long for them to realize they were meant for one another. Once engaged, Nicole took a trip to Kleinfelds to find her perfect gown.  It only took a few tries until she said 'Yes to the Dress'!

  Nicole and Chris came to us originally to plan a Destination Wedding. We were planning for a wedding on the beaches of the Dominican Republic earlier this year, however, in December Chris suffered a terrible leg injury and needed time to heal so the wedding was put on the back burner awaiting his full recovery. They would have to wait a little longer for their dream wedding.

In June, we traveled with Nicole to research some closer beach venues at one of our favorites spots, Long Beach Island. Right away, Nicole thought it would be the perfect place for her and Chris to exchange vows. While on our trip, Nicole mentioned that she had entered the "Tie the Knot on the Tall Ship" contest that was being sponsored by NJWedding.com. We joked that if she had won, it would really be fate. Well fate it was because on June 15th, Nicole and Chris received a phone call from NJWedding.com Co-Publisher Erik Kent announcing that they were to be wed aboard the A.J. Meerwald in LBI on July 24th! With only 6 weeks to plan a wedding we knew it would be a challenge but nothing we couldn't handle!

 

We had a great time pulling the details together and loved the excuse to hang out on LBI for a couple weeks.  On the big day, Nicole and her bridesmaids gathered in the Bridal Suite to work with Michele Falco of Bridal by Michele on Hair and Make-up. David Toth of David Toth Photography came bright and early to capture Nicole's preparations.  The beautiful invitations were created by Stephanie Somodi of Designing Your Most Inviting Day, and truly set the tone for the beach themed wedding. Flowers were handled by Camille's Floral Designs of Manahawkin who created beautiful bouquets featuring blue and white delphiniums, lysanthis and hydrangeas. As an added touch, Nicole placed a pendant with a picture of her late father on her bouquet to celebrate his memory throughout her special day. While the girls were being pampered, Chris and his groomsmen went off to play two rounds of golf...mini golf that is! Once dressed and ready to depart, Nicole and her bridesmaids were surprised with a stretch limo - an early Wedding present from her Husband-to-be.

 

 

 

Fifty guests were welcomed aboard the A.J. Meerwald to witness the beautiful ceremony that was officiated by former Beach Haven mayor, Deborah C. Whitcraft. Deb shared that even though she only knew the couple for a short while, she could clearly see the love that Nicole and Chris have for one another. As a symbol of their unity, the couple performed a sand ceremony where they each poured a vial of sand into one heart shaped container. After the ceremony, the Bridal party headed to Holgate for beach photos by David Toth and videography by Jon Slackman of J&S Video Services. Though the sun was strong, it provided for some beautiful shots of the Newlyweds.

 

The reception was held just a few miles away at the Holiday Inn at Manahawkin. During the cocktail hour, guests were treated to passed hors d'oeuvres such as Shrimp Tempura, Crab cakes, Coconut Chicken, Spring Rolls and more. Guests also enjoyed the signature drinks - the Monahan Monsoon and Bowhunter Brew - displayed on beautiful signage designed by the Finishing Touch.  Centerpieces, also designed and created by The Finishing Touch team, featured two different designs accompanied with votive candles, seashells and starfish. After Cocktail Hour, the guests gathered in the Ballroom to await the arrival of the Bride and Groom, who made their grand entrance into their first dance "Livin Our Love Song" by Jason Michael Carroll. 

We will be sure to share all the fabulous design shots from the reception soon!!

For the buffet reception, there was a carving station with prime rib and turkey, a pasta station and a mashed potato bar (the crowd favorite!). The guests danced the night away with music provided by DJ Brian of Dynasty Entertainment-who had a great variety for all in attendance. Before the cake was cut, Nicole surprised Chris with a custom made grooms cake! Chris is a champion bowhunter and is rarely found without Under Armour apparel, so Nicole worked with Tammy's Cake Walk to incorporate those elements into the cake - and it was amazing! At the end of the night, guests were treated to a candy bar featuring chocolate covered pretzels, swedish fish, twizzlers and more

The whole wedding, ship to shore, was an unforgettable one! We wish all the best for Nicole and Chris!!

With Love,

Stephanie & Candice

Special Thanks Again to our fabulous vendor team:

Sponsors:

Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce

NJ Division of Travel and Tourism

NJWedding.comReClam the BayMuseum of NJ Maritime History

A.J. Meerwald

Vendors: (* denotes donated services as part of Tall Ship Contest)

Officiant Deborah C. Whitcraft*

Photographer: David Toth Photography*

Video: J&S Video Services*

Floral: Camille's Floral Designs*

Hair/Makeup: Bridal By Michele*

Invitations: Designing Your Most Inviting Day*

Venue: Holiday Inn at Manahawkin

Transportation: Signature Limo

Music: Dynasty Entertainment

Grooms Cake: Tammy's Cake Walk

Day-of Assistance for Finishing Touch:  Mariya Molduvanova & Agnieshka Burke, members of Association of Bridal Consultants NJ

Comments

[happybride]

So witty with the screen name :-)

[Troncones Beach]

The details of this wedding are stunning! It makes the wedding dress the center of attention. The pictures are amazing. This is perfect for wedding. Very artistic photo…
Great blog as well as great photographs… As a photographer I appreciate the beauty expressed through pictures. Thanks for sharing.

[South Coast NSW accommodation]

Oh my goodness this is so beautiful! And such inspiration too! Sooo many fabulous little details! I had such fun looking through all the images! I love so many of them especially the black and whites. Fantastic real wedding photos!! Love this couple’s spirit. We can say they are really great dancers! Most couples planning a destination wedding are having their ceremonies in an incredible area that has amazing natural beauty (beach, garden, etc). Thanks for sharing.

[קוסמטיקאית]

Wow!!beautiful shots.Especially the black and whites are fabulous,beach photos,bridal dress every thing is amazing.What a great taste.

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