How did you meet?
Katrina and Anthony met at the one and only Blu Alehouse in Riverdale, NJ. Katrina’s manager at the time told her “We have a new bartender joining us and you will be training him.” Katrina rolled her eyes and wanted nothing to do with it. However, she was pleasantly surprised by Anthony’s bartending abilities. She was continuously messing up her pours and told Anthony he was making her nervous. Katrina and Anthony were coworkers with little to say to each other for some time. Eventually, it became noticeable that Anthony was into Katrina and she wanted NOTHING to do with him. Mixing work with pleasure wasn’t her thing. The months passed by and Katrina and Anthony became friends. Although Katrina had blatantly friend-zoned Anthony, he was annoyingly persistent. I guess you could say he eventually got his way and the rest is history.
How did you get engaged?
Katrina planned a trip to Atlantic City for Anthony. She booked the hotel and invited his friends and sister to come. The first evening they were there, they decided to go to dinner. Katrina was very hangry and of course, wanted to eat. Anthony’s sister wanted to head down to the beach for a little and take some pictures, Katrina reluctantly agreed. Let’s not forget she was hangry and to top it off had blisters on her feet. She decided to wait on the boardwalk for everyone while they took pictures on the beach. Anthony was begging Katrina to come on the beach and she refused. This is typical stubborn Katrina, which Anthony is well aware of. Anthony knew the only way to get her on the beach was to carry her, so he did exactly that. They posed for a picture and while Katrina went to fix her hair she noticed Anthony was slowly getting down on one knee. Frozen and in complete shock, she heard Anthony ask the most important question while holding her dream engagement ring. Katrina stood there still frozen and it took her a solid 30 seconds to process what was happening. She said YES! Katrina thought the surprises ended there but little did she know, it was only the beginning. Katrina and Anthony went to dinner together and when they went back up to the room, Katrina’s friends were there waiting for her! Katrina, Anthony, and all their friends had a wonderful night celebrating the newly engaged couple. Assuming the surprises were over, at the end of the evening, Katrina and Anthony went back to the room. Katrina opened the door to a trail of roses, decorations, and champagne. This was the first evening that they were able to officially call each other their fiancé and one they’ll never forget.
Details of the day!
It was the most perfect spring day. The color scheme was Dusty Rose, Pale Pink, and Sage green. Flowers matched but also had a pop of magenta/purple to add a brighter note. Favors were flowerpots with “let love grow” seeds.
Why did you choose your venue?
From the moment you pull up to the Park Chateau, you are wowed by the grounds. The inside is even more unbelievable. Everything you would ever need and want on your wedding day is right there. They have a chapel on the grounds in addition to a brand new hotel. utilizing this made our wedding day a breeze as no transportation was needed. The connivance of it all is wonderful.
What was on your menu?
There was an incredible assortment of 12 Passed Hors d’Oeuvres.
Dinner was the Chateau Salad with options of: Chateaubriand, Chilean Sea Bass, Chicken a la Park or Eggplant Napoleon For dessert there was a Butler pass that included butler passed mini Ice Cream cones and gelato cones, Zeppolis, mini Creme brulee, cake pops, ice cream sandwiches, Cookie and Milk shots, mini mouses. In addition we had a tiered cake alternating layers between chocolate cake with fresh strawberries and buttercream and Funfetti cake with buttercream. And to top it off Katrina’s best friend surprised them with the Dolce & Gelato truck!
All about your gown!
The only way she could describe her gown was… perfect. It was elegant and timeless, and yet a little sexy. The bride, her sister and her mother all have very different styles. To be honest, dress shopping wasn’t fun. She didn’t think they would agree on anything. What she liked, her mom didn’t and what she liked, the bride didn’t.. Until she put on the most perfect dress made by Allure Bridal. When she put this dress on, they all had the same reaction and were wowed by it. With tears in their eyes, they just knew it was the one and she said YES to the dress.
What was your favorite moment?
The first look. Being able to have that intimate moment with the love of her life in their own privacy was truly perfect. Her second favorite moment was watching his face and seeing the biggest smile in the world as she walked down the aisle.
One detail you couldn’t live without?
It’s hard to pick just one! A few favorite details include the seating chart, the remembrance table, the invitations, and the menus/programs that the wedding planner helped create.
Did anything go wrong?
Yes, things did go wrong and they are going to. I had an amazing wedding planner that made sure I didn’t know about anything and took care of everything. The staff at the Park Chateau are truly there for you and also made everything go with ease.
First dance song?
Live Forever by Kane Brown
Any advice for future brides?
Be present with your partner. The day comes and goes so quickly. Soak in every moment and take time to sneak away to have a few private moments with your new husband! Things may and most likely will go wrong, however, that day, the only thing that matters is you get to marry your best friend and the love of your life. Do not let anything bother you. Don’t forget to dance the night away!
Honeymoon Location
They went to Sandals Montego Bay and it was truly amazing. Wonderful relaxing environment. A lot of activities to do. They met an amazing group of couples we actually planned a trip to another Sandals with them for next year!