Bianca and Michael at The Legacy Castle

How they met.
It all started when Bianca Benevenga, 28, of North Haledon, and Michael Boggi, 30 of Towaco first laid eyes on each other in a computer class at Montclair State University in 2009.
“He told me that as soon as I walked in the room, it was love at first with,” Bianca says. As luck had it, the instructor teamed them up for a group projects, and they soon became good friends. Six months laster, they found themselves in the same science class and love began to bloom.

How they got engaged.
After dating for years, the couple finally got engaged in March 2017 at the top of One World Observatory in Manhattan.
“One day, Mike invited me to the observatory and asked me to dress up. I suspected nothing because we were going to London and Paris a month later, and I thought for sure he was going to propose there. At the top of the building, Mike asked a random couple to take a photo of us. But they already knew about the proposal, so they took a video as he popped the question in front of everyone while the crowed applauded. Then, went to dinner where I was surprised to find our families waiting for us!”

Details of the day!
On September 22, 2018, at the Legacy Castle, Bianca, a production audio assistant on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and Mike, an environmental consultant, celebrated their love with 320 guests. The theme of their romantic wedding and reception was blush, white and bling. The bride chose a bouquet of three dozen ‘White O’Hara’ roses, and her maids carried ‘Vendela’ and ‘Quicksand’ roses. Tall centerpieces held blinged-out vases of hydrangeas and roses. The couple’s glass sweetheart table was surrounded by a white throne, chandeliers, flowers and candles. In honor of the bride’s late grandmother, a nearby memory table was filled with family photos.

What was on the menu?
Following a 90-minute cocktail hour, guest enjoyed a three-course dinner and a Viennese dessert buffet that featured a vanilla cake with cannoli icing.

All about the dress!
“My lace and tulle wedding gown with a low back and detachable cathedral train was my dream dress. I had a ton of screenshots of it saved in my phone before I was even engaged,” Bianca says. Bianca also sewed a heart-shaped piece of fabric from her grandmother’s wedding dress into her own gown.

Her favorite moment.
Bianca’s favorite moment their first dance to “Perfect Symphony” by Ed Sheeran and Andrea Bocelli.
“Our deejay played the track while two violinist and a saxophonist circled around us as fog blew across the floor, pyrotechnics went off, and the Legacy Castle made it snow on top of us!”

What went wrong?
Only a few things missed the mark: The couples had planned to release butterflies as they exited the church, but the butterflies, which were being shipped over-night from Florida, never arrived. The limousine company sent a different Rolls-Royce because the original one had broken down. But the most stressful detail was dealing with the Australian designer for her bridesmaid gowns. A time-zone difference made logistics a challenge, with the girls receiving their dresses just two weeks before the wedding.

Advice to future brides?
“Don’t drive yourself crazy during the planning process, and try to enjoy every moment. The day flies by so fast! If you’re having  big wedding, hire a wedding planner, I wish I had!”