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Alyssa and Dominick at Park Chateau Estate & Gardens

Posted on December 26, 2019 by Ariana Baio


Our moms actually set us up! They happened to be sitting together at a mutual friend’s baby shower, and they both were talking about how they had single children. Our mothers spent the entire rest of the party telling each other about us and showing pictures. I eventually received a text message from my now-husband saying “hey it’s Dom, my mom gave me your number” and we’ve been inseparable ever since! Who would have thought, our mothers truly know best.

I absolutely love the beach, and the Jersey shore holds a special place in our hearts. Our first few dates were down the shore, so it was only fitting that one morning while my now-husband and I were taking a stroll by the water at Belmar Beach, that he got down on one knee under this gorgeous pier and proposed! It was a beautiful moment and we went back to that exact spot to take our engagement pictures!

I am a very classic and traditional person, so for my colors I chose just simple white and gold. The groomsmen wore traditional black and white tuxes, with gold flower boutonnières. My bridesmaids wore gorgeous gold-sequined gowns from Adrianna Papell, and had classic white bouquets. As for my bouquet, it was cascading with white flowers and pops of greenery and gold accents. My centerpieces were very similar in colors and varied in size from large, medium, to small. My large centerpieces stood on these gorgeous gold candelabras that were draped in crystals and surrounded by candles. We both come from large Italian families, so we chose to do bottles of olive oil as our favors. Since our last name is “Livia”, I had the labels made for the bottles calling it “O-Livia Oil” as a play on olive oil. For our seating chart, we had a gorgeous large mirror that was handwritten on to include all of our guests names and their table numbers.

The second we pulled up to our appointment at Park Chateau, my husband and I knew this was the place we wanted to have our wedding. As I mentioned earlier, I am a classic and traditional person and the whole decor and feel of Park Chateau is just that. It is simply stunning and exactly what I imagined my wedding day to look like. Not to mention once we got to know the staff there, everyone treated us like family.

For our wedding menu we had the option of Châteaubriand, pistachio-encrusted salmon, chicken sorrentino, and eggplant Napoleon. For our cake, we couldn’t decide on just one flavor, so each layer of our 4-tiered cake was a different flavor! Red velvet, rosè champagne, carrot, and vanilla with a raspberry filling. It was delicious! We also had an amazing cocktail and Venetian hour to start and end the night!

My gown was a fit and flare with a sweetheart neckline and corset back. It was romantic with lace but also some bling to it as well. I fell in love with my gown because of the way it fit my body. I really felt as though this gown was made for me. I also had a cathedral-length veil that matched the design on the bottom of my dress. It was stunning!

My favorite moment was seeing my husband at the altar for the first time. We were both so excited to see each other, and knowing he was waiting for me at the end of the aisle was the most amazing feeling!

My photographer hands down was the best money I spent on my wedding. I love pictures and wanted shots that looked as if they came straight out of a magazine. This was exactly what I got and I could not be happier!

Our church ceremony was supposed to start at 3:00, but we ran late and did not start until 3:30. This threw off my whole schedule that I created for the day which stressed me out a bit, but everything ended up working out in the end!

“Perfect Symphony” by Ed Sheeran & Andrea Bocelli. Coming from Italian families we loved having a song that was in both English and Italian.

Enjoy every minute of the planning and make sure you and your husband take a moment the day of the wedding to take it all in. We put so much time, effort, and money to create a perfect day, so make sure you enjoy it!

Aruba! We stayed at the RIU Palace and spent a week in paradise just enjoying being newlyweds. It was great to get a chance to relax after the craziness of a wedding.

the details

Hometowns

Manalapan

Reception Location

Park Chateau

Photographer

PhotoDH

Officiant

Deacon John Broehl

Bride’s Gown

Maggie Sottero

+ more