Christine and Joe at Old York Country Club

How did you get engaged?
Our first vacation together was Disney World. We stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort and one night Joe wanted to take me to the beach area with hammocks. We were lying on a hammock and he showed me an animation he had made of a whale playing the sax (which I had seen him working on and I thought it was just for fun). I realized it was custom and made for me when words popped up with my name and told me to turn around. And there he was with the ring!

Details of the day!
We didn’t really have a “theme” – I guess you could say it was modern geometric fall, if that makes any sense. Our colors were burgundy, burnt orange, navy, and gold. I did a ton of DIY for the wedding including: a frame turned into a cork board for our seating chart, a guest map (guests could stick a magnet on it with their name and a location of where we should travel to next), faux floral centerpieces, C & J letters behind our sweetheart table, wedding wands for the ceremony, vow books, invitations, and more.

We’re both graphic designers so of course we had to make a custom wedding website as well. One of my favorite details was using geometric lanterns filled with flowers for the bridesmaids instead of bouquets. And my husband and the guys all wore novelty socks.

Why did you choose your venue?
Joe didn’t really care where the wedding was, but I wanted to do an outdoor ceremony in the fall. Old York Country Club had a beautiful outdoor setting with a gazebo (which unfortunately we didn’t use due to the weather), rolling hills, foliage, and pretty trees and barns. The cocktail hour was also outdoors under a patio with views of the golf course in the background. The wedding coordinator, Melanie, was so down to earth and helpful compared to some other employees we had met at other venues. I would highly recommend working with her!

What was on your menu?
We started off the dinner with a pear and caramelized pecan salad. The main courses were a choice between apple almond chicken, provencal salmon, roasted pork loin medallion, and a veggie tower. At our cocktail hour we had a mac and cheese station and a bruschetta station as well as some passed apps.

All about your gown!
I knew I wanted a mermaid-style dress that had lace and wasn’t strapless. This was the first dress I tried on at Macy’s and it fit all those requirements.

What was your favorite moment?
My favorite moment was our first look. We didn’t follow tradition so I had already seen my fiancé that morning (we got the same hotel room), but it still was so special seeing each other for the first time all dressed up. This was the only time all day I shed a tear and I thought I would be a mess during the vows lol. We got a lot of bridal party photos out of the way too, so I would strongly recommend doing a first look.

Did anything go wrong?
The one thing that went wrong was also the one thing we had no control over: the weather. We got married September 24, which is an average of 72 degrees in NJ, but we got a surprise 90 degree day and had to move our wedding to a shaded patio (where it was still hot). My advice is not to check the weather in the weeks leading up to your wedding – it’ll just stress you out!

First dance song?
Feel It All Around by Washed Out

Any advice for future brides?
Spread out the planning so you’re not scrambling to do everything at the last minute. Buy all of your DIY items on Black Friday to get the best deals. I recommend having a Saturday wedding if you can afford it – people will leave early on a Sunday. Hire a good photographer – you don’t want to look back on blurry or cheesy photos in 10 years.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We went to Canada and split our week between two cities: Montreal and Quebec City. We loved both and want to go back one day!