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Jaclyn and Jules at Crystal Springs Resort

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Jaclyn and Jules at Crystal Springs Resort

Posted on August 09, 2021 by Allison Dupree

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How did you meet?
We actually grew up in the same town, down the street from each other, but we are four years and five grades apart so we actually didn’t “know each other” until a bit later. We went to the same middle school, high school and even college and crossed paths several times! In our town, everybody hangs out together, so older people know younger people and vice versa. I would tell one of our mutual best friends (who was one of our Best Men) that I had a crush on him, but I was always “too young.” Then one day at Porta in Asbury Park (on one of the Maid of Honor’s 21st birthdays), we happened to run into each other. We shared our first kiss, and the rest is history!

How did you get engaged?
I planned a vacation to Aruba for Jules’s 30th birthday. Little did I know he had something else planned on this trip! He told me that we were going to check out a beach bar before heading to an early dinner reservation (which I complained about) and there on the beautiful beach in Aruba at sunset he proposed! He even arranged to have a photographer capture the moments after, which are postcard-worthy. Funny story: We both went to the front desk separately asking to arrange champagne and strawberries for later that night. (I asked for his birthday, he asked as an engagement surprise). We heard a knock at the door before we left for dinner and it was someone with champagne and strawberries. He thought it was someone ruining the engagement, but really, it was me surprising him for his birthday!

Details of the day!
Our wedding theme was springtime elegant with blushes and golds! We really wanted to bring out the beautiful colors of the spring and draw from the venue’s breathtaking views. To complement the rose-colored bridesmaid’s dresses, our flowers were white and ivory with light blushes and some greenery. Shannon Florist ordered over 1,000 roses, 400 hydrangeas and 350 peonies for all of our arrangements. They captured my vision and then some, especially for the stunning arch, flower wall and the adorable flower girl basket handmade from flowers. Hanging from my bouquet were two rings passed down from each of my grandmas as my Something Old and Something Blue. My Something Borrowed was my veil, which was borrowed from a close friend. And, of course, my Something New was my Calla Blanche dress that felt like it was made for a spring wedding in a garden.

We had a rather large bridal party: two maids of honor, two best men, eight bridesmaids, seven groomsmen, three junior groomsmen, one flower girl and four ring bearers. Yes, you read that right, EIGHT KIDS were in the wedding! Something that some people might find crazy, but we found it extra special.

Our first look was a moment I will treasure forever. It was so special to have that intimate moment with just us before the ceremony. We laughed and we cried; it was perfect. Our officiant, Richard Colonna, was outstanding. He did a beautiful job sharing our love story and making the ceremony feel so personal. Standing in the gorgeous wedding garden, filled with flower-lined aisles and listening to the Dolce Ensembles play music on the strings, we said “I do!” Immediately following the ceremony, guests were given champagne glasses and headed to the stone-paved Grand Rotunda for cocktail hour where they were able to take in more of the views. All of our stationery items were in the gold theme, with a custom monogram designed by Art, Paper, Scissors. Everything from our invitations to programs to the seating chart to menu cards and even a pizza sign matched flawlessly.

All Jules and I wanted was to see everyone having fun and that’s where POSH DJs came in! DJ Mikey B and DJ Toro ensured everyone was on the dance floor, from ages 92 to 2, it was packed all night. We started the night dancing on clouds and finished the night with indoor sparklers and a CO2 gun. Our live sax player, The Essential Jason Nelson, was phenomenal and brought even more energy to the dance floor. Something fun that we did was include a disposable camera on each table and asked all of the guests to capture all of the moments. The pictures that were developed were truly priceless! The night ended with two of our favorite things: sweet treats and pizza! Shore Sweets made delicious chocolate-covered pretzels and Oreos (which stayed in theme with edible gold glitter) and Pizza Vita served our guests mouthwatering brick-oven pizza.

My glam squad—Make Me Up Eva, Sweet Hair Peace and Coco Glow Airbrush Tans—made me feel more beautiful than ever! dp Ting Yi Studios captured every part of the most magical day so perfectly! Our live painter, Adelle Marcero, also did an amazing job at capturing our first dance and turning it into a piece of art we’ll treasure forever! I can’t say enough good things about the vendors we chose. They all truly are what made our wedding so flawless.

Why did you choose your venue?
We wanted a mini-destination wedding so badly. Something far enough from our home that people felt like they were away, but close enough that all of our guests would come. Crystal Springs Resorts did just that! Being about an hour and a half from most of our guests, their breathtaking views and unbeatable scenery transports you to somewhere else. We were truly sold on the full experience that Crystal Springs had to offer: having everyone stay over at the hotel, the views, the outdoor ceremony, the cocktail hour space (which was my absolute favorite), the large ballroom.

What was on your menu?
During cocktail hour, options ranged from a raw bar with oysters to a carving station, pasta station and more to passed hors d’oeuvres including beef Wellington, lobster rolls (a huge hit) and poached figs. Our menu included handmade burrata, grilled filet mignon in a demi-glace, grilled chicken and saffron orzo or herb-marinated grilled Atlantic salmon, all served with a starch and fresh vegetables. Our four-tiered wedding cake included two flavors: Funfetti (our favorite) and chocolate (our moms’ favorite) The night ended with two of my favorite treats: chocolate-covered pretzels and Oreos and PIZZA!!

All about your gown!
My gown was made for a spring wedding that was taking place in a garden! The “Dakota” gown by Calla Blanche had a mermaid silhouette and a long, cascading train. The sweetheart neckline had three-dimensional floral motifs. The white beading throughout made it sparkle in an elegant way, and the beading at the end of the train looked like leaves that fell off a flower. Like I said it was PERFECT for a springtime wedding. This was about the fourth dress I tried on, and I tried on several after but kept going back to this one. The details of the train and the neckline stuck out to me as something unique. When I pictured what it would be like to get married in a garden overlooking the mountains and a golf course, I knew this was my dress! I truly never felt more beautiful!

What was your favorite moment?
There were so many moments I really loved, but two that I would consider my favorites. The first was our first look. I was nervous that a first look would take away from the moment of walking down the aisle, but I am so glad we did it! Having that special moment of just us two (and our team of photographers and videographers) is something I will treasure forever. We were able to really let out our emotions (we both cried, A LOT) and not have to worry about the pressure of everyone looking at us and keeping it together for the ceremony. Plus, it calmed my nerves ahead of the ceremony. And we were both still very emotional during the ceremony as well, just in a different way! My second favorite moment happened during our reception when Jules and I were standing on the subwoofers with our CO2 guns and indoor sparklers going off. I took a second and looked out onto the dance floor and saw literally every single guest dancing. I actually got choked up seeing how much fun all of our guests were genuinely having and witnessing all of our favorite people together in one room.

One detail you couldn’t live without?
My flowers! I knew I didn’t want to go too over the top with an overabundance amount of flowers, but I wanted it to be enough to bring the feel of the wedding garden at Crystal Springs to every aspect of the wedding. Despite there being a global flower shortage, Shannon Florist DELIVERED! They exceeded my expectations for everything from our arch to the handmade flower-girl basket to the centerpieces and to, of course, the flower wall (which I had a very specific vision for)! The flowers were breathtaking.

Did anything go wrong?
I am fortunate enough that nothing major went wrong! All morning and afternoon I kept saying, what’s going to go wrong because it was going so smoothly! I am very fortunate that my vendors and bridesmaids kept me out of the loop on any minor crises.

First dance song?
“Falling Like The Stars,” by James Arthur.

Any advice for future brides?
Wedding planning can be exhausting, stressful and anxiety-provoking. Just remember that there’s only so much you can control, and even with the stuff you can control, you can control it to a certain point. Trust your vendors (you hired them for a reason) and be confident that everything will all come together. And stay hydrated! Extra hydrated!!!

Honeymoon location:
We are going to take a minimoon to Baha Mar in the Bahamas, then next year go on our dream honeymoon to Italy!

the details

Reception Location

Crystal Springs Resorts- Grand Cascades Lodge

Photographer

Ting Yi Studios

Officiant

Richard Colonna

Bride’s Gown

Calla Blanche

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Jaclyn and Jules at Crystal Springs Resort

the details

Reception Location

Photographer

Officiant

Bride’s Gown

Bride’s Shoes

Bridesmaid Dresses

Hair

Makeup

Groom’s Attire

Groomsmen Attire

Flowers

Cake

Invites

Music

Videographer

Favors

Brides Accessories