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Kelsey and Anthony at Nassau Inn

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Kelsey and Anthony at Nassau Inn

Posted on August 07, 2018 by New Jersey Bride

How did you meet?
Anthony and I met in August of 2013 when I first started working at Northwestern Mutual. I always admired Anthony’s strong work ethic and sense of humor and he was always one of my favorite people to talk to in the office. It wasn’t until January of 2014 at a business meeting in NYC that I realized, “I really like this guy!” We had our first official date in March of 2014 in downtown Princeton and have been inseparable ever since!

How did you get engaged?
On a kind of gloomy, chilly day in October, Anthony asked me if I wanted to go out. I asked him what he had in mind and he said, “pumpkin picking at Terhune, wine at Hopewell Vineyards, and a walk through Princeton.” Given the weather, I looked at him a little funny but ultimately agreed. That day, I didn’t notice anything different, but looking back I can tell that Anthony had a lot of nervous energy – he just couldn’t seem to settle down.

When we made it into Princeton, he suggested we walk around campus. We circled around Blair Hall twice and as we made our third lap around he asked me if I wanted to take a picture. He handed his phone off to someone walking by and as we were taking the picture, Anthony got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. We still have no idea how this happened, but the guy that took our picture not only got the most PERFECT picture of the engagement but also captured it as a video!

Details of the day!
We knew that we wanted to get married in September because both of our parents were married in September. We wanted the wedding to be classic, but fun and really showcase the most important aspect of the day – our relationship! We went with a navy blue, gold, and sherbet orange color scheme that carried through our bridal party, flowers, and decor. Anthony and I weren’t super picky about a lot of things, but instead chose to focus on aspects that were really important to us. We wanted really great music so that everyone would be on their feet. We wanted to incorporate our families as much as possible so we had pictures of our parent’s and our grandparents on their wedding day decorating the reception. Our favors were sugar cookies that my grandma who passed away always made on special occasions.

Our guestbook was a drawing of me, Anthony, and our dog Bentley that we now get to hang up in our house. We love that it was those little touches that made the whole night feel super personal!We also shared our special day with my cousin & bridesmaid, Paige’s birthday. It was really important for me to make sure we recognized her birthday so we surprised her with a cake and the band helped us all sing “Happy Birthday” to her!

Why did you choose your venue?
We chose The Nassau Inn because you don’t think about Princeton without thinking about that venue. It is in the center of town with so much history and is the quintessential wedding venue if you want a Princeton wedding. Plus the staff was super accommodating and helped us through the whole planning process. They were phenomenal to work with and they made our “day of” a total breeze. We didn’t worry about a thing. They took care of everything – including making sure we were eating and refilling our drinks during the reception!

What was on your menu?
Our cocktail hour featured several different passed appetizers, two cold stations, and a pasta station. Our dinner menu was made up of a chicken option, a filet option, a fish option, and a vegetarian option. Honestly, the food was even better during our wedding than it was at the tasting and it was AMAZING then!Our cake was our favorite part. We pick two flavors: black & white and tiramisu. We wanted the cake we cut to be tiramisu and it did not disappoint! I still day dream about that cake!

All about your gown!
Before I tried on my dress, I had looked at about 10 or 12 different options. I was starting to believe that the girls that cry when they try on their dress on shows like “Say Yes to the Dress” were faking it for good entertainment. But then, I put on my dress, took one look in the mirror and instantly felt like a bride. I turned around and my mom, my mother in law, and my best friend were all getting teary and I knew it was the one. It felt like it was made me for me. I loved that it was classic but I also loved how I felt in it.

What was your favorite moment?
Anthony and I broke tradition and got breakfast together at Small World Coffee the morning of our wedding. It helped ease some of the jitters and it made me more excited to see him that afternoon. I also loved that we took time to do pictures with just the two of us in town. That time allowed us to talk and to take in our day. Those moments walking around downtown Princeton with my new husband are moments I will never forget and I would encourage every couple to take a few quite moments out for themselves.

Did anything go wrong?
While our band was GREAT and super talented. The songs that they were playing for the first 30 minutes after dinner were not what we had requested. Anthony went to get them back on track and that was something we were both a little bummed about. However, the next day, and for several weeks after our wedding, everyone told us how much they loved the band! Despite the hiccup, no one noticed but us and everyone was on the dance floor the entire night!

First dance song?
We chose “Thinking Out Loud” for our first dance. We chose the Hanson cover because I have been a Hanson fan since I was 7 and I think they made an already beautiful song, that much better.

Any advice for future brides?
Make time on your wedding day to be with your husband. The day is all about the love that the two of you share and if you spend a few minutes solo, your guests will understand!

Honeymoon Location
We left the day after our wedding to spend 8 days in Negril, Jamaica. We booked a gorgeous honeymoon suite that overlooked the water and the sunsets that Negril is so famous for.