Little did Lauren know that she’d find her future husband among the paints in The Home Depot.
“I was reaching for a paint can on a shelf but they were too high for me,” says Lauren. “That’s when someone behind me reached for the paint can. At first, I thought he worked at the store.'”
Premier Digital Weddings
“Matthew and I started talking and hit it off immediately. We exchanged numbers and after a week and several calls later, we went on our first date.”
Premier Digital Weddings
The Proposal
Fellow creatures of habit and lovers of old-world architecture Matthew and Lauren went away to their favorite hotel in Newport, Rhode Island.
Premier Digital Weddings
“We never get tired of our weekends there,” says Lauren. “We always stay at Hotel Viking. We had a lovely weekend revisiting our favorite restaurants. We returned to our spot at the hotel’s courtyard to where we always relax, have a cocktail in the same chairs near the firepit. We can talk there for hours. And that’s when Matthew proposed.”
After visiting 15 different venues, the couple began to get very discouraged.
“We always knew we wanted an intimate wedding,” says Lauren, “But finding the right place with a smaller minimum—our final count was 107 guests—and the upscale, timeless look we wanted was not easy.”
Premier Digital Weddings
“It was important for us to hold a wedding with a manageable size that allow us to engage with every single guest.”
Lauren’s dad wanted her to look at Park Chateau Estate & Gardens. “I looked across the lawn and saw the French style architecture of Chateau Grande Hotel and Orchard Park by David Burke on the same property,” says Lauren. “I said, ‘What’s that?’ The minute I walked in, I knew it was the perfect venue. Also, we knew David Burke’s reputation in the culinary world and the quality of food was of the utmost importance to us.”
Premier Digital Weddings
Details of the Day
Their theme was romantic, timeless, elegance. They chose white and cream colors with a touch of gold and lots of candlelight.
Premier Digital Weddings
They had an extended lavish cocktail hour with signature smoked old fashions and plentiful passed hors d’oeuvres, stations and even a mozzarella chef. Their dinner was a beautifully plated four-course meal.
Premier Digital Weddings
The couple stayed the whole weekend at the Chateau Grande Hotel. “Our rehearsal dinner was at Orchard Park, wedding ceremony and reception at Chateau Grande and Sunday brunch at Orchard Park. Added bonus? We will celebrate our first anniversary dinner there, too!”
Premier Digital Weddings
Favorite Moment
Lauren did her own planning with guidance from Hope Sedgewick, sales and catering manager, and Neesh Jones, event coordinator.
Premier Digital Weddings
“At first, I was opposed to the first look,” says Lauren. “I thought it might take away from the moment when Matthew saw me for the first time. But, Hope assured me it wouldn’t ruin anything, actually it would make the day more memorable because we wouldn’t have to miss a single moment of the cocktail hour and reception to take photos.”
Premier Digital Weddings
“Looking back, Hope was right,” says Lauren. “It didn’t take away from the moment when the doors opened and Matthew saw me and I saw him.”
“During our ceremony in between when the priest was speaking he told me he how happy he was and how much he loved me.”
Premier Digital Weddings
Detail They Couldn’t Live Without
“I’m a sentimental person,” says Lauren. “Family is so important to me and having the right people at the wedding.”
“As a result, we had so many meaningful conversations with all our guests,” says the bride. “It wasn’t just a ‘hello’ and ‘good-bye.’ This meant the most to us.”
Premier Digital Weddings
Wedding Day Attire
“I wore a white Casablanca gown; my bridal party wore full-length black gowns; and the men wore black tuxedos,” says Lauren.
Premier Digital Weddings
Advice For Other Couples
“Details do matter,” says Lauren. “I was so happy the way our wedding turned out. It was executed so well. But that’s because I devoted so much time and energy into the planning. I spent hours and hours on the phone and in texts with Hope. I was meticulous about the details. I made renderings of how I wanted things to look. We really got to know each other and that was important too.”
The Château Grande is a premier luxury event and hotel destination. Their celebrity chef partner is David Burke, a James Beard award-winning Hazlet native with many restaurants ...
