Brittany and Steve at Graeme Park

Posted on January 11, 2022 by Allison Dupree

{"hasCentered":"false","interventionImages":["https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-153-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-182-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-169-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-284-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-222-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-199-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-210-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-171-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-145-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-229-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-109-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-037-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-290-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-085-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-090-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-078-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-068-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-040-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-036-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-031-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-029-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-002-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-045-2850153452.jpg","https:\/\/www.newjerseybride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/intervention\/cache\/BrittanySteve_weddingpreviews-081-2850153452.jpg"]}

How did you meet?
Bumble! We went to a bowling alley on league night (unbeknownst to us), so no lanes or pool tables were available. We sat and talked and laughed until after 10pm on a Tuesday and I couldn’t have asked for anything more. We agreed to see each other again before I went away on a trip overseas for two weeks, and the rest is history.

How did you get engaged?
After hiking Watkins Glenn, we (me, Steve, and his family) all went to a beautiful winery in the Finger Lakes called Castel Grisch. His mom requested to take photos of all the couples, but after our photos, Steve said, “Hey, I’ve got a question for ya,” and knelt down on one knee. Apparently, everyone knew he was going to propose, but they had no idea when or where on our vacation. We celebrated with champagne and more wine at the winery and continued the celebration back at our beautiful Airbnb on the water.

Details of the day!
Our theme was subtly inspired by Doctor Who. We had Gallifreyan (the Doctor’s native language) sprinkled around our reception and our guest table centerpieces had photos with other Doctor Who related additions (Tardis, Daleks, etc.). Our sweetheart table had a Tardis teapot and teacup sitting on top of books on either side of a wooden display that read “Police Public Call Box.” Our colors were burgundy, burnt orange, teal, yellow, and general fall colors mostly. I made my bouquet from faux flowers that matched our colors and was impressed with myself because everyone thought they were real. Our linens were tan and cafe with burgundy napkins and had orange votive candles surrounding our centerpieces that sat on a wood slab in the center of the table. Our table numbers were wine bottles with lights inside and a decal with the designated number. Our favors were artisanal lavender-scented heart-shaped soaps with stickers on the packaging that displayed our date and hashtag.

The ceremony took place outside the Keith House and we couldn’t have asked for better weather (75 and sunny!). Cocktail hour took place outside of the barn with picnic tables and umbrellas, while barn swallows danced all around. Our reception was in the beautifully updated tented area on the property. It had draped ceilings and laminate flooring, as well as a bridal suite. Our guest “book” was actually a rotary telephone that guests were able to pick up to leave us messages. We also had a photobooth but opted for digital photos only in lieu of prints, which worked out really well. Instead of a bouquet toss, I did a stuffed animal toss (a plush corgi!), and whoever caught it would be the next to adopt an animal or donate to an animal shelter (instead of being the next to get married). I’m so glad I committed to this idea because it made the tradition more inclusive and people seemed to love it. The whole night truly felt like a dream.

Why did you choose your venue?
I had our venue picked out before we even got engaged! I fell in love with the meadows and all the trees and flowers and I loved that it was a very affordable mostly DIY place, with a tented area in case of inclement weather. I got to make it my own from beginning to end, which was incredible, and the staff was very helpful.

What was on your menu?
Our caterer was Catering by Rich and our dinner was buffet style. We had both vegan and non-vegan options: Apple walnut stuffed chicken breast, sausage with broccoli rabe, spicy pineapple stir fry (V), traditional zucchini, and eggplant ratatouille (V), and mashed potatoes with parmesan. Our cake was an almond poppy cake that my husband’s sister made. She also hand-crafted the stand the cake tiers sat on and decorated the cake table to be far beyond what we had pictured.

All about your gown!
My gown was by Todashi Shoji. It was a fit to flare style silhouette made primarily with lace with a deep V that had a white illusion panel going across the front. It also had a lace capelet over the top that stopped at my waist and my elbows, with a small lace train. The lining was a blush color and the lace was ivory, not fully white. It was exactly my style and everything I would’ve wanted in a dress. A combination of romantic and bohemian.

What was your favorite moment?
The ceremony and reception are tied. I was a bundle of nerves for our ceremony, but all the butterflies were unparalleled. The reception was incredible and so special because I’ve never gotten to see all the circles of my life celebrating together with such love and unity before.

One detail you couldn’t live without?
My shoes! Having flat shoes that were still pretty was a huge deal for that day. My feet were feeling good all day and night, which allowed for the best time possible.

Did anything go wrong?
There’s always at least one thing that goes wrong, but luckily nothing went wrong enough to interfere with how awesome our day was. I forgot my perfume at the hotel, I forgot my lipstick at the hotel, I left the tag on my dress by accident the whole night, I totally forgot to organize details for our photographer (didn’t bring our invitations), I forgot to secure someone to take me to the venue for our first look (got that squared away quickly!), a groomsman was driving from North Carolina and was running late (he got there on time!), Men’s Wearhouse got nearly everyone’s suits wrong in some way (luckily the boys figured all of that out and you’d never guess it by looking at our photos), my nail polish got chipped (my lovely planner brought a matched polish to fix it!), and I didn’t get to say hello to a handful of our guests. But regardless of all that, I would live that day over again exactly how it went a thousand times over.

First dance song?
Song for a Secret by The Jesus & Mary Chain

Any advice for future brides?
When people say how stressful wedding planning is, I’ve realized it’s not the plans themselves. It’s working with other people, navigating unexpected family drama, guest cancellations, getting caught up in the details, and the general anxiety of hoping everything goes as planned. By all means, feel your feelings, vent yourself frustrations, but it is true what they say: it all goes out the window when you’re walking down the aisle and doing the damn thing.

Honeymoon Location
We did a mini-moon in the Catskills and plan to do a small tour of Europe in the summer. I’m a teacher, so summer works out better for a longer trip. New York was beautiful and our Airbnb was secluded and allowed pets, so we were lucky enough to get to bring our hound dog along too.