Her Dad Wrote and Performed a Song for Their Wedding at Neshanic Valley Golf Course

For Sarah, her October 4, 2025 wedding wasn’t just a celebration—it was a homecoming. The ninth generation to grow up on her family’s historic Readington Township property, Sarah wove that legacy into every part of the day, beginning with Jake getting ready in the family’s generational home and the two of them sharing their first look beneath a 300-year-old sycamore tree on the grounds. From there, the celebration continued at Neshanic Valley Golf Course, beautifully photographed by Gabriella Marie Photography, where a sweeping blue and white floral arch framed the ceremony against a backdrop of open farmland and sky. The personal touches were everywhere: cocktail napkins printed with their dog Roo (who attended in a full doggie wedding dress), a statuette of Roo on the cake, her mother’s wedding dress redesigned into a custom mini for the rehearsal dinner and a reception moment when Sarah’s father, a musician, performed an original song he had written just for them.

Their Story

Sarah and Jake’s love story began at a bar in Philadelphia. Both living in the city at the time, they found themselves at Plough & the Stars in Old City with their respective friend groups—each playing the role of “wingman” for their friends.

Ironically, it was Sarah and Jake who hit it off the most. Jake won everyone over by ordering rounds of white tea shots, and by the end of the night, he had stolen a kiss from Sarah.

While sparks flew, Sarah was unsure what the future might hold. When Sunday arrived and a text from “Maybe: Jake” popped up on her phone, she was so nervous she flipped her phone over and waited hours before responding.

She eventually agreed to a first date at Helium Comedy Club, and from that moment on, the rest was history. Six months later they moved to NYC together (Oct 2022), got a dog named Roo in December 2024, engaged in August 2024 and married in October 2025!

The Proposal

Jake popped the question in one of their favorite places, Avalon, New Jersey. Sarah was under the ploy that she was getting dinner with her friends at one of her favorite restaurants, Shorebreak. She noticed that Jake was wearing his fancier sneakers, but never noticed the ring box hidden in his pocket! She claims the
sneakers were the best distraction.

As they left the house, Jake asked Sarah if she wanted to walk on the beach before dinner to go see some dolphins. Naturally, Sarah said yes!

When they got to the beach and turned the corner, Sarah noticed a beautiful blanket set-up and started crying instantly. She still jokes, thank goodness that blanket set up was meant for them. Jake then got down on one knee and proposed with a custom natural Radiant cut diamond ring! They celebrated with immediate friends in the moment and then did indeed go to dinner at Shorebreak with their immediate families to continue the surprise and celebrations!

Choosing the Venue

“Growing up as the ninth generation in my family’s home, our property and history have always been core to who I am,” says Sarah. “My dad’s grandfather and my Pop-Pop worked the farm when it was a fully functioning operation. By the time I was born, the farm was no longer active, yet the property continued to transform. My dad, a musician, converted the former cow barn into his recording studio and ultimately chose to preserve the remaining farmland with Readington Township.”

“When Jake and I got engaged, I knew I wanted to incorporate my family’s property into our wedding,” says Sarah. “After Jake got ready in that generational home, we shared our first look under a 300 year-old sycamore tree on the property, staying strong and steady through every season—a symbol I hope reflects our own future together. From there, we continued on to Neshanic Valley Golf Course for the most beautiful ceremony and reception. I’ll forever be in awe of how perfectly the day honored both our past and our future!”

Details of the Day

The wedding colors were blue and white. Sarah worked with One Two Bre to design everything—the wedding invitation suite, menus, table numbers, seating chart, programs, etc.

The menus had a blue and white floral print to match the plates, and were cut in circles to fit perfectly on the plates! There were custom cocktail napkins with their dog Roo, paired with his & hers (& Roo’s!) signature drinks. A statuette of Roo stood on their three-tier, simple white wedding cake. The bridesmaids wore Steel Blue dresses of different fabrics.

The ceremony arbor was a massive, gorgeous blue and white floral arch with greenery throughout, set to the backdrop of green farmland, blue skies and white clouds. Sarah wore her mother’s wedding dress, redesigned by Lovell Day, to her rehearsal dinner, and changed into a third dress (bought off Poshmark and fit like a glove) for her reception!

Her father, a musician, performed a song he wrote for Sarah and Jake’s wedding at the reception. It was magical!!

Favorite Moment

Sarah’s favorite moment of the day was the ceremony. “It was the first moment where you really saw the vision come to life and the butterflies leading up to it were real,” says Sarah. “Even though Jake and I had already seen each other from first look, lining up for the ceremony was a whole different exciting and nerve-wracking experience. It was like an army of butterflies were in my stomach, in a good way!”

“Hearing the harp and violin music and seeing the flower arch from afar as our bridal party prepared to walk down the aisle was surreal. I’ve dreamt of this moment since I was a little girl and it was finally here!
Jake and I wrote our own personal vows which made the moment even more special and emotional. Our whole story line was intertwined so perfectly into our vows and the speech prepared by our officiant and best friend. Even some guests cried from how beautiful the vows were! The feeling of exiting/the recession was unreal. Sooooo excited and buzzing with energy and love!”

Wedding Day Attire

Sarah wore Style 1749 from Martina Liana from Whitehouse Bride, Whitehouse Station. It was actually the first dress she tried on. She also wore a long veil with a traditional blusher. The moment when her dad lifted her blusher at the end of the aisle was so special!

Sarah also wore her mother’s wedding dress, redesigned into a custom mini dress for the rehearsal dinner! She worked with Lovell Faye and kept this a surprise for her mom which was so special.

Sarah’s reception dress is from Saylor, and she bought it on Poshmark!

The bridesmaids wore dresses from Show Me Your Mumu in Steel Blue. Sarah wanted her bridesmaids to feel like the best versions of themselves, so she allowed them to choose any style or fabric within the Steel Blue color palette.

Jake wore a custom tux from Alan David Custom Tux in New York City, while the groomsmen rented tuxedos from Men’s Wearhouse.

Roo, the dog, wore a doggie wedding dress!

Advice For Other Couples

Sarah has many pieces of advice to share with other couples currently planning their wedding:

“Embrace every moment of the day! You are the guest of honor—remember that!”

“There are people there to support you—rely on them to do the heavy lifting that day.”

“Soak in your vision coming to life—it is SO exciting and will sadly be over so quickly.”

“Take in all of the details!”

“Stick with each other! It’s easy to get separated with all of your guests wanting to say hello—truly be a package deal.”

“Laugh, smile, cry—embrace the emotions. It was the most euphoric, cloud 9 feeling that you’ll want to bottle up and remember for the rest of your entire life.”

“Get the wedding video!!”

“Get a photographer that you trust and makes you feel so comfortable! They’re such a big part of your wedding day, you want to really enjoy them and their personalities and the work that they do!”

Honeymoon

Sarah and Jake honeymooned in Hawaii, spending 10 nights split between Maui and the Big Island. They worked with Arleigh O of Major Traveler Group, who helped plan an unforgettable trip.

In Maui, they stayed at the Andaz Maui, where they rented a red Jeep, drove the Road to Hana, enjoyed dinner at Mama’s Fish House, and balanced relaxation with spa and golf days. On the Big Island, they stayed at the Fairmont Orchid, rented a white Jeep, explored Volcanoes National Park, and indulged in another spa day. With perfect weather throughout, the trip was the ideal way to begin married life.