A Mirrored Aisle, a Glass Elevator Entrance & a Private Last Dance at The Grand in Totowa

For their November 8, 2025 wedding, Ruby and DJ chose The Grand in Totowa—drawn in by its beautiful ceremony space, exceptional cocktail hour, and one truly unique feature: a glass elevator that rises directly out of the ballroom floor. Photographed by Richel Diaz, their celebration was timeless and elegant, with a black, white, and gold palette, a mirrored aisle runner lined with candles, a cascading calla lily bouquet, and reception tables named after every city they’ve explored together—a nod to the couple’s shared love of travel that gave the whole night a deeply personal touch.

Their Story

“Our love story began on October 6, 2018, at a friend’s housewarming party,” says Ruby. “DJ and I hit it off instantly, and we’ve been inseparable ever since!”

“We spent the first year of our relationship commuting two hours between North and South Jersey to see each other, and now, over seven years later, we live in Hoboken together with our two cats, Luna & Nova!”

The Proposal

“DJ and I have a Valentine’s tradition of doing ‘trips instead of gifts,'” says Ruby. “In 2024, we chose Punta Cana as our destination. Knowing how much I love pictures, DJ planned a resort photo shoot—then, at sunset on the beach, surprised me by dropping to one knee! It was unforgettable, and we celebrated with a romantic dinner by the ocean afterwards.”

Choosing the Venue

“We were looking for a venue that had a beautiful ceremony space, an incredible cocktail hour, and had photo spots both indoors and outdoors,” says ruby. “The Grand checked all our boxes and more! What really sold us in was how friendly and accommodating the staff was. We also thought it was so unique that the ballroom had a glass elevator that came out of the floor!”

Details of the Day

“We envisioned a timeless, elegant wedding with a black, white, and gold palette. White florals set the tone—bridesmaids carried calla lilies while I held a cascading bouquet of calla lilies and white roses.”

“Our ceremony featured a mirrored aisle runner lined with candles and flowers, and a white rose arch. A gold arch display with flowers framed our sweetheart table, with white rose centerpieces completing each table. We love to travel, so each table was named after a city we had been to.”

Favorite Moment

“Our favorite moment was dancing with all our friends and loved ones! The second the dance floor opened we did not leave it—it was so fun to finally relax and celebrate not only our love, but all the hard work that went into planning the wedding. We also did a private last dance which was very sweet and it was so nice to have a moment to ourselves.”

Wedding Day Attire

“I wore an A-line Amalia Carrara dress in which I had sleeves and a choker made out of the same fabric to make the dress more unique,” says Ruby. “The groom and groomsmen all wore black tuxes with white pocket squares, and the bridesmaids wore black satin floor length gowns. While the color and fabric was the same, each bridesmaid chose her own style for the dress.”

Advice For Other Couples

“Start planning early so you have the most options for vendor selection, try not to listen to other people’s opinions (as EVERYONE has an opinion), and get all the last minute things done two weeks before the wedding so you can relax the week of. Also, when things get stressful, don’t forget why you’re doing this!”

Honeymoon

“We went to Thailand for two weeks and it was AMAZING!” says Ruby. “The people, culture and food were all spectacular. We started with the south of Phuket so we could relax on the beach, then we went to Chiang Mai to really immerse ourselves in the culture and visit elephant sanctuaries. We ended the trip in Bangkok where we rode tuktuks and saw the Grand Palace.”