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Casey and Nate’s Beach Haven Wedding

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Casey and Nate’s Beach Haven Wedding

Posted on May 12, 2021 by Allison Dupree

How did you meet?
Nate and I met five years ago through friends of ours. We were living 3 streets away in the beach town on Belmar, NJ, and would spend our nights and weekends enjoying the short walk to and from our yearly rental properties and the beach. Nate and I got to know each other through our friends fairly quickly. After the first year, he moved an hour south to Beach Haven, NJ (he was originally from that area), the quaint town where his mother and father lived, and got married! The little town of Beach Haven became our quiet oasis in the winter months. When choosing a wedding location, we knew that Beach Haven had our hearts and couldn’t picture us getting married anywhere else, following in his parent’s footsteps.

How did you get engaged?
We moved to San Diego for two years before the wedding and would spend a lot of time enjoying the sunsets on the coast. We lived nearby Sunset Cliffs Natural Park in Point Loma. One of our favorite date night ideas spanning the two years was when we would bring our own picnic and wine to Sunset Cliffs to of course watch the sunset! It was and still is my favorite place in California. One Friday night, Nate had the idea of going for a picnic there. We enjoyed a glass of wine and some snacks on a blanket on the cliffs, and just as the sun set below the horizon, he got on one knee and proposed. It was absolutely perfect and now my favorite spot holds extra meaning.

Details of the day!
Originally, our date was set for May 9, 2020. The ceremony was going to take place in a small garden backyard at a beautiful victorian house in Beach Haven (rented through Stay LBI – they have a couple of these wedding-style stay options). The reception was to follow at Parker’s Garage, a few blocks away. Due to COVID restrictions, we were forced to reschedule our date to October 2, 2020. We let our 140 invited guests our change in plans. We soon learned that restrictions weren’t changing anytime soon, and made a tough decision to not delay our wedding day any longer, but to enjoy it with only 40 of our guests. We canceled with Parker’s Garage and through a garden-type wedding in the backyard of the original ceremony victorian house. We hired a few local vendors to help make the day possible. The backyard itself was beautiful and the home was wrapped with a large porch, perfect for the rehearsal dinner and the cocktail hour.

A large, clear-top tent with string light allowed for the possibility of rain and also showed off the trees above it and stars at night. Under the tent, 40 of our friends and family sat around a wooden u-shaped table topped with 80 pink 12″ candlesticks, sheer runners, and bud vases with pink and neutral flowers covering every inch. The plates were antique floral to match the setting. The DJ booth sat off to the side with a white 12×12 dance floor. (We asked everyone to get tested before coming – all was well and nobody got sick post-wedding). Off on the other side of the dance floor was a lounge and bar area.

The lounge area featured pink and wooden thrifted furniture and rugs (by Boutique Alexandra) and sat next to the bar rented locally from The Barrel Mobile Bar (thebarrelmobilebar.com) which had a cute decorated tricycle, wooden stand-alone bar, and wooden ladder as a bar back. The porch was decorated with pathos plants hanging from the ceiling, photos of Nate and I, blankets, extra seating, and high tops for mingling.

Why did you choose your venue?
We chose to have the wedding at the victorian house because it reminded us of classic Beach Haven architecture across from the beach. The yard was large enough to fit all of the aspects of the reception that we needed but was small and private enough for an intimate experience. The house also had 9 rooms, so each couple or individual of the wedding party had a place to spend the night.

What was on your menu?
Brian Hans from Brennan’s catered our wedding. It was a serviced buffet (not self-serve) with everything from a taco station to a raw bar to a carving and mashed potato station. We had a naked vanilla and buttercream cake.

All about your gown!
I love a clean, simple gown. After trying on several, the clean-fitted white look was the one that felt the most right to me! I got it at the Dress Theory in San Diego and just felt beautiful the second I tried it on. The dress also fit perfectly with a casual, backyard setting.

What was your favorite moment?
The first look! Originally, I didn’t want to have a first look, and a friend convinced me that it was the most special part of her day. She wasn’t wrong. With the busy schedule of the day, this was the only time that Nate and I spent alone. We read private, personal vows to each other with just the two of us. It was like a personal pre-ceremony. It was so special to have that moment together where we could be emotional and just take in the day.

One detail you couldn’t live without?
I don’t think there is a detail I couldn’t live without. Everything was over the top and more than I ever expected it to turn out to be. I kept saying I wouldn’t have changed a blade of grass. But after the planning, rescheduling, downsizing, and re-planning, the most important detail of the day was that we were finally getting married and that we were surrounded by our friends and family. Oh, and if my dog counts as a detail, he would be it! He only stayed for the first half of the day, but his flower necklace and bow-tie collar made for an extra special visiter after the first look.

Did anything go wrong?
If it did, I wasn’t aware. I hired a day-of coordinator and decorator to worry about all the deliveries and details. They were so amazing and let me just enjoy the day.

First dance song?
“First Day of My Life” – Bright Eyes

Any advice for future brides?
There’s so much advice to give – especially this year during a pandemic. I think my biggest piece of advice in this current state is not to be afraid to downsize. As much as we would have loved to celebrate with our whole guest list, this was so much more special. We had our wedding party, immediate families, and a few close cousins and friends. It was the most genuine love we could have been surrounded by. We were able to spend more money on making the venue look amazing and we spent sooooo much less time walking around saying hi to people. I think I greeted everyone in 15 minutes and was able to sit, eat, and dance the rest of the time.

Honeymoon Location?
We couldn’t go on a dream honeymoon right now, of course. So we opted to take the drive up to Bar Harbor, Maine where we spent lots of time hiking and eating lobster.

the details

Hometowns

Belmar, NJ

Ceremony Location

Victorian Rental in Beach Haven, NJ

Reception Location

Victorian Rental in Beach Haven, NJ

Photographer

Kelly Sea Images

Officiant

Shannon Diaz

Bride’s Gown

Theia

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Casey and Nate’s Beach Haven Wedding

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