Amanda & Bryan at The Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club

Knowing that the beach was special to both of them, Amanda and Bryan searched tirelessly to find the perfect location for their June 2022 dream wedding. The Sea Shell Resort and Beach Club on Long Beach Island offered a laid-back, cocktail-hour-style wedding right on the water. Sand dunes created the perfect private beach scene for a personalized ceremony with friends and family. With details like an antique surfboard serving as their guest book and handmade centerpieces of sea glass, starfish and sand dollars, their reception was imbued with the beach theme.

By Emily Visco

Their Story

Amanda Schultz was no stranger to moving to new towns, growing up as a military brat. But it was one particular move, to Columbus, New Jersey, when she was in high school, that proved to be truly fateful. It was there that she met Bryan Runyon. A few months after her arrival, he worked up the courage to introduce himself to the beautiful new girl in the lunchroom. Focused on navigating a new school and keeping up with the varsity soccer team, “I really had no intentions of dating any guys at that time,” Amanda says. But the pair agreed to go to homecoming together, and Bryan asked Amanda as he picked her up that evening if she wanted to be his girlfriend. “The rest is history!” she says.

The Proposal

On July 3, 2020, Amanda, 27, had just finished a 12-mile run for her marathon training when Bryan, 27, suggested a walk down to the beach. They made their way to their favorite spot on the shoreline. “Bryan told me if I looked hard enough, I could see dolphins coming out of the water,” Amanda says. As she stared out over the waves, looking for her favorite animal, Bryan went down on one knee behind her. “When I turned around, I burst out laughing!  I had waited years for this day and when it happened, I was in total shock and couldn’t believe it.” She happily said yes, and the couple went out later that night to celebrate. 

Their Sea Shell Resort & Beach Club Wedding

Knowing that the beach was special to both of them, the couple searched tirelessly to find the perfect location for their June 2022 dream wedding. The Sea Shell Resort and Beach Club on Long Beach Island offered a laid-back, cocktail-hour-style wedding right on the water. Sand dunes created the perfect private beach scene for a personalized ceremony with friends and family. Amanda’s bridesmaids stunned in dusty-sage dresses paired with the groomsmen’s navy-blue suits. With details like an antique surfboard serving as their guest book and handmade centerpieces of sea glass, starfish and sand dollars, their reception was imbued with the beach theme. Their dogs made an appearance as well—along with signature cocktails named after them. For their first dance song, the couple chose “Settle Down Easy,” by Rebelution.

Bridal Style

Amanda found a dress that filled her with unexpected emotion: The beautiful open-back, A-line gown was the last one she tried on with her mother back in Massachusetts, where her parents live. “I had a different feeling in this dress and truly felt like a bride,” she adds.

The Menu

Hot plated hors d’oeuvres featured crabcakes and mini pulled-pork and fried-chicken sliders, while a raw bar offered shrimp cocktail and various fruit and vegetable plates. Dinner included chicken, a mashed potato bar, salad, pasta and more. 

Favorite Detail

The cocktail-hour-style reception, which encouraged guests to mingle throughout the night, negated the need for a seating chart. And a favorite moment was when Amanda surprised her mother with a mother-daughter dance to their song, “In My Daughter’s Eyes,” by Martina McBride. “We just held each other and cried. It’s the best memory that I have of us now,” she says.

Honeymoon

They visited Viceroy Resort Sugar Beach in St. Lucia. The couple is now at home in Waretown.