Carolyn and Taylor at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club

Posted on July 09, 2021 by Allison Dupree

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How did you meet?
It all began with kickball. In 2015, both looking to meet people in a new city, Taylor and I were randomly placed on the same kickball team in Hoboken. We became fast friends and, after discovering a mutual love of music, travel and taquitos, we fell in love. In the three years we dated before we got engaged, we managed to see 30 concerts in 19 different theaters, explored countless cities up and down the East Coast and across the country, and even created a few traditions of our own.

How did you get engaged?
On the first nice Saturday in April 2018, we went back to one of our favorite spots for a picnic at Liberty State Park, and—with Jack Johnson playing in the background, brie and a baguette—Taylor popped the question and I said “Yes!” It was the perfect intimate moment just between the two of us. We then spent the rest of the afternoon giggling, celebrating and calling family and friends to break the news.

Details of the day!
I always knew I wanted a classic wedding that I would look back on and love forever (no regrets!), so I intentionally chose a very neutral color palette that would stand the test of time. The invitations were tones of blush, grey, sage green and gold leaf. These ultimately informed the colors for the rest of the details of the day. The invitations also highlighted our venue, our crest (which we used in different elements throughout the day) and echoed the organic nature of our floral arrangements across the liner in the envelope. The bridesmaids were in simple elegant oyster-colored gowns and the men wore black custom tuxedos with black bow ties, as the wedding was black-tie optional (because, why not?!).

It was very important to me that everything felt as intimate as possible—even though we had about 150 people in attendance. I really wanted to make sure everyone felt included and close to us. So one thing we did to make our tall spaces feel a bit cozier was to add tall vases filled with lush greens to many of our tables in the reception. We also covered the fireplace in vines and added lots of candlelight wherever possible to add to the intimate feel. For the rest of our floral arrangements, I knew I wanted to highlight my two favorite flowers—peonies and hydrangeas which, lucky for me, were both in season—so we lined the aisle with hydrangeas, weaved peonies throughout the garland down our tables and included peonies, ranunculus and eucalyptus in our organic-styled bouquets. My bouquet also featured an additional surprise element from my mom: a piece of her wedding gown wrapped around the base for good luck.

While all of the details of the day turned out beautifully, there were two that were particularly special to me and those were our favors. As my grandmother had done for both my mom and my aunt at their weddings, she surprised me with 90-plus hand-stitched ornaments attached to each and every place card for our guests. My cousin, who was my maid of honor, is an exceptional woodworker, so I knew I also wanted to incorporate her talent into our wedding somehow. We worked together on a design and she then hand-burned the crest from our invitations onto wooden coasters for each and every table setting. It meant so much to me to have these handmade keepsakes from two very important women in my life as a gift for all of our guests—and for us—to cherish forever.

Why did you choose your venue?
For our ceremony, we got married at the church I grew up in: Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church. It was so special to be married in a space that holds so many memories and being able to make another memory there that we can return to and revisit any time. For our reception, Fiddler’s Elbow was a no-brainer for us. I had grown up attending Mother’s Day and Easter brunches there as a little girl and I had so many fond memories of it, so when we got engaged, I immediately knew I wanted to tour the venue for our wedding. Not only is the building classic and stunning, but the grounds are absolutely beautiful for family photos, bridal portraits and guests! The interior was equally as beautiful and was easily accessible for our grandparents, had a wonderful indoor-outdoor flow, and offered a big stage for the band to play from so we had ample room to dance. The food was also incredible and we still hear to this day about how abundant and delicious everything was. All in all, it was the perfect place to celebrate!

What was on your menu?
Appetizer: Creamy risotto with vegetable confetti and a parmesan chip. Salad: Artisanal salad of Boston lettuce, caramelized walnuts, pears, bleu cheese and walnut vinaigrette. Entree: Option of Chateaubriand with bearnaise sauce or pan-seared Chilean sea bass. Vegetarian option: Portobello Wellington. Dessert: Platter of miniature pastries and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Wedding cake: Chocolate cake with cannoli filling and chantilly cream frosting. Signature cocktail: Something old-fashioned.

All about your gown!
My Pronovias gown was made of Mikado silk, with a removable overskirt, buttons down the back and beaded eyelet details across the back shoulders and on the cap sleeves. It was the perfect mix of elegance and simplicity. I also loved that I could have two different looks in one gown with the ability to have a big formal skirt for the ceremony and photos and then a sleek, more form-fitting gown for the reception and dancing. I often have a difficult time making decisions and I was really worried I wouldn’t be able to find “the one” because I loved so many gowns I tried on. But as soon as I put this one on, I knew that was it. I loved how unique it was—something I had never seen on another bride—and yet still so classic, which was exactly what I was looking for! Not to mention I never wanted to take it off, so I knew it was the one for me.

What was your favorite moment?
After our ceremony, we snuck up to the balcony of the church and stole a quiet moment to ourselves. Because we didn’t do a first look, it was our first moment alone since seeing each other at the altar and it was really special and intimate to be able to quietly celebrate just the two of us before heading off to the reception.

One detail you couldn’t live without?
The band. As big live music lovers, it was super important to us to have a live band. We had seen Craig Scott Orchestra play at another wedding and had the BEST time dancing along to their music all night, so the minute we got engaged we knew we needed to book them—and they did not disappoint. Everyone was on the dance floor all night and people still talk about how great they were and how much fun they had all thanks to the incredible music!

Did anything go wrong?
Yes! As I was processing into the ceremony my veil fell out, before the ceremony we realized the best man forgot the rings, and during our family and bridal portraits, it rained. But here’s the thing: If I had to do it all again, I wouldn’t change any of those things. Because of the rain, we ended up with some of my favorite photos (with an umbrella and droplets making special appearances); because of the rings, we have a great story; and because of the veil, we have a funny anecdote. None of it ultimately mattered, because what really mattered were the vows I took and the moments I got to share with family and friends. Everything else just faded into the background.

First dance song?
“Into the Mystic,” by Van Morrison.

Any advice for future brides?
The biggest piece of advice I can give is to step back and take time to soak it all up. This day you took a year (or more!) to plan goes by so quickly and it’s so important to take a few minutes—among the dancing and eating and celebrating—to stop, look around and absorb it all. Find a few quiet moments to sit with your husband and look around the room at all the people who are there to support you. It’s so special to have these memories saved forever and to appreciate all of the hard work you’ve put into the day finally coming together. Give up the control on your wedding day and appoint someone you trust to be your go-to person when things need to be taken care of or fixed. My mom was that person for me and it lifted the weight from my shoulders so much. I didn’t even know until after the wedding how many little things she took care of behind the scenes. She was a lifesaver! And finally: Don’t sweat the small stuff, just have fun! You only get to do this once, so make sure you really get to enjoy it.

Honeymoon location:
We took a full two weeks for our honeymoon, which I recommend for any bride if you can do it; it’s totally worth it! We flew into San Francisco for our first day/night to break things up and adjust to the time difference. It was so much fun and the perfect place to explore before jetting off to Tahiti in the morning. We then spent one night in Tahiti at the resort near the airport and watched the sunrise over the water before we hopped back on a puddle jumper to Bora Bora, where we spent our first full week. Bora Bora was everything we hoped for and more: It was tranquil and luxurious and truly felt like the perfect place to begin our honeymoon. It allowed us a chance to unwind from all of the energy of the wedding and just be together, which was exactly what we wanted. After our week of relaxing and water activities—sail boating, snorkeling and scuba diving—we packed up and flew to Mo’orea for our second week. We were ready for more adventurous activities and Mo’orea gave us just that. We took an ATV tour, rode horses through pineapple fields and took a private food and drink tour of the local cuisine, which was probably one of my favorite activities of the week! On our final night before flying home, we took the ferry back to Tahiti and stayed in an over-the-water hut, ordered room service and soaked up our last night in paradise together. All in all, it was the perfect mix of relaxing and exploring, and I hope one day we can go back!