For Melanie Malave Wernersbach, catering sales and planning manager at the Palace at Somerset Park, gorgeous cakes, bundles of blooms, and awe-inspiring fireworks are all in a day’s work. Still, October 17, 2008, was no ordinary day at the office. Instead of playing the supporting role of planner, Melanie and her groom, Shane Wernersbach, were the star attractions.

With Melanie wearing an Amalia Carrara ballgown with Swarovski crystals and carrying a vibrant bouquet of mango calla lilies, pincushion protea, and orange unique roses, the couple exchanged vows at St. Clement Church in Matawan. Ironically, the couple grew up in neighboring towns—Shane in Matawan and Melanie in Marlboro—and both attended St. Clement for years but had never met until friends introduced them during a ski trip in 2005. On Christmas Eve 2007, Shane surprised Melanie with a proposal while the two took a romantic (albeit, chilly!) stroll in Red Bank’s Marine Park.

Selecting the Palace to host their “fall in love” themed reception for 150 guests was an easy choice. “The minute I walked into the Palace for my job interview, I said, ‘I’m going to get married here someday,’” remembers Melanie. “It’s very grand, and the ballrooms are a blank canvas, so you can make them whatever you want them to be,” she says.

For Melanie and Shane, that became a lush, autumn wonderland featuring dramatic lighting—even the exterior of the building was washed in amber—and loads of flowers. In the entry, escort cards attached to pinecones were nestled in a blanket of moss beneath a seven-foot-tall tree of manzanita branches draped with crystals. Lavish centerpieces of mango and plum calla lilies, roses, and burgundy hypericum berries sat perched on two-tiered boxes covered in red, orange, and brown roses in the ballroom.

Amid the blooms, guests dined on a seasonally inspired feast of organic butter bibb lettuce with toasted walnuts and apples, pan-seared halibut, sautéed porcini-crusted chicken, and grilled New York sirloin. In addition to a five-tier vanilla chiffon wedding cake with hand-painted gold leaves, a Viennese display with a bounty of fall favorites such as apple tarts, carrot cake, mocha éclairs, and spiced chocolate truffles created a sweet ending to the evening.

For Shane, though, nothing outshines the memory of the spectacular fireworks that lit the night sky as he and his bride cut their wedding cake on the terrace. Another sign this union was written in the stars: The couple tied the knot on Melanie’s parents’ thirty-second wedding anniversary, an inspiring night for sure.

Sources:

PHOTOGRAPHER: Torrin Photography, Cranford, 908-497-9000; torrinphotography.com

CEREMONY: St. Clement Church, Matawan, 732-566-3616

RECEPTION AND LIGHTING: The Palace at Somerset Park, Somerset, 877-725-2234; palacesomersetpark.com

FLORIST: Conroy’s Florist, Morris Plains, 973-267-8662; conroysfloristnj.com

TRANSPORTATION: Santos VIP Limousines, Avenel, 732-596-1100; santoslimousine.com

DEEJAY: Elite Entertainment, Eatontown, 732-935-7500; eliteentertainmentnj.com

BRIDE’S GOWN: Amalia Carrara from Bridals by Roma, Clifton, 973-777-9344; bridalgownsbyroma.com

BRIDE’S HAIR: Metro Salon, Marlboro, 732-536-0900; metrosalons.net

BRIDE’S MAKEUP: Bridal Makeup by Michelle, Hazlet, 732-203-9833; bridalmakeupbymichelle.com

GROOM’S TUXEDO: Joseph Abboud from Dante Tuxedos; dantezeller.com

FAVORS: Plant a Memory, 888-315-7333; plantamemory.com

LINENS: LinenStock, Kingston, PA, 866-249-0880; linenstock.com

FIREWORKS: Garden State Fireworks, Millington, 908-647-1086; gardenstatefireworks.com

RINGS: Giorgio’s Fine Jewelry, Freehold, 732-780-4277