September 12, 2016 // The Golf Club at South River // Chanel Pariseau Photography
The Couple
Middle school friends, Amanda, a medical secretary, and Dale, an HVAC tech, were reunited in 2009 when they saw each other out the night before Thanksgiving. They remained friends for a few years before beginning to date the summer of 2011.
The Proposal
While on vacation in Pennsylvania, Dale asked Amanda to take a walk. “He took me to a cliff overlooking the water. As we were taking in the beautiful view, he got down on one knee and pulled out the ring. I was speechless and I only heard the first sentence and some of his last because I was in shock. I had no idea he was going to ask me to marry him and it was a wonderful surprise.”
The Planning
A craft lover, Amanda found the most exciting part of wedding planning to be that she made so many of the items herself. “I made my invitations, guest book, the wine bottle centerpieces, menus, signs, and wedding programs.”
The Venue
The couple chose their wedding venue only after receiving several price quotes and touring several places. “We did not tour venues that were out of our price range,” Amanda explains. “Dale actually found the venue we ended up choosing. When we visited The Golf Club at South River, we knew it was the one. I would recommend this venue to other couples because Angelique, the wedding coordinator, is absolutely amazing and will assist you with anything you need. The staff is also very nice, and went above and beyond to satisfy our guests. The property itself is just beautiful and the inside of the Golf Club is amazing as well. The Golf Club at South River is a wonderful place to get married.”
The Dress
Amanda chose a Maggie Sottero dress with lace, embellishments, and a corset back. “I chose that dress because I felt comfortable in the dress. I loved the way it looked.”
The Bridesmaid Proposals
Amanda wanted to ask her maids to stand with her in a special way. She asked each of the five girls to be a part of the wedding by designing wine bottle tags with a special note on them. All five ladies love wine and so she knew it was a great way to ask them. Amanda also paid for their dresses, black dresses from Bebe, as a gift for being in the wedding.
The Ceremony
Amanda and Dale wrote the ceremony themselves. They kept the ceremony short and sweet, reciting traditional vows before moving on with cele ations.
The Theme
Formal, the wedding colors were black and white with a hint of blue. After looking at pictures from a black and white wedding, Amanda fell in love with the classic look. Still, she had to make sure there was blue in the wedding. “I had to incorporate my favorite color in order for it to be my wedding,” she explains.
The Big Move
The best decision the couple made was moving everything inside the golf club. They had to make the decision three days prior to the wedding on whether or not the ceremony would be outside on the pavilion or inside. “It rained a lot before the wedding,” Amanda explains. “I was happy with my decision to move everything indoors. I really wanted to get married by the pond under the pavilion, but getting married in front of the fire place in a beautiful venue turned out to be just as satisfying for me. Sometimes you just have to accept that not everything is going to go as planned, but whatever you decide will work out just fine.”
Their Advice
“Expect that not everything will go as planned,” Amanda recommends. “Unfortunately, no matter how much planning you do, there are things you cannot control and you just have to accept it. Do not focus on what you can’t control, just do your best and plan as much as you can. I planned as much as I could and accepted that things were going to go wrong. I wasn’t going to let a few mishaps ruin the best day of my life.”
The Details
Florist:
Little House of Flowers
DJ:
Cori Coates
Caterer:
The Golf Club at South River
Cake/ Baker:
Cupcake Blvd, Angelette Cintron-Aviles
Bridal gown store:
Bridals by Elena
Gown designer:
Maggie Sottero
Bride's makeup:
Sawyer Sade
Bride's hair:
Kim from Sandy’s Hair Studio
Engagement ring store:
Kay Jewelers
Wedding bands store:
Littman Jewelers
Bride's other jewelry store:
Macy’s
Bride's shoes:
Adrianna Papell
Bridesmaid dresses:
Bebe
Men's attire:
Jim’s Formal Wear
Men's attire designer:
Ralph Lauren Saville Tuxedo
Favors/ Gifts:
Hershey kisses and hugs
Videographer:
Chanel Pariseau
Wedding hashtag:
#willnerwedding
Registry:
Macy’s and Kohl’s
Event Coordinator:
Angelique Litherland
