Their story: Jenn DaPassano was dreading her first date with Leo De Bari. She just didn’t like the idea of being set up and wondered what they would talk about. But, she quickly discovered how easy and natural it felt to converse with Leo, 32, of Carlstadt. “By the time I knew it, three hours had gone by,” says Jenn, 34, of Haledon. “It felt like we were there for 20 minutes.” In Leo, she found compatibility, and she joked, “his cuteness didn’t hurt.” Their relationship blossomed, and they were engaged within a year.
Will you marry me?: Leo surprised Jenn with a huge proposal cake as a beloved song, “Then” by Brad Paisley, played.
Details of the day: The couple tied the knot on April 10, 2015, at The Estate at Florentine Gardens in River Vale before 225 guests. Jenn just happens to be an event planner for Oh So Fabulous, a floral and event design company in Maywood. Owner Tina LaMorte, who lovingly describes Jenn as like a younger sister, designed Jenn’s dream wedding, and the pair worked together to bring the intricate plan to life.
Color palette: With a romantic and elegant feel, Jenn and Leo’s wedding featured a blend of soft champagne, nude, ivory and gold with pops of peach, blush and pink. There were three distinct tablescapes, each with its own tablecloth and tall floral arrangement. Hundreds of candles twinkled throughout, and amber lighting provided even more warmth. “It was a very luxurious, elegant, chic event,” Tina says. “It looked really beautiful.” When Jenn walked into the ballroom, she was filled with emotion as she saw the event she helped plan not for another bride, but for herself. “It was everything I wanted,” she says. “It was amazing.”
Couldn’t live without: Jenn loved every element, but was especially taken with her table linens (“I wanted to wrap myself in my linens”), and the white dance floor brought in to lighten the room. “I just had to have the dance floor,” Jenn says. “It pulled everything together.”
Advice for other brides: Pay attention to all of the details, which help make your wedding your own. “Anybody can have a run-of-the-mill wedding, but if you put attention into each little detail, people will notice,” Jenn says.
Favorite moment: Jenn seeing Leo for first-look photos. “Having that few moments together before everything, and being like ‘Oh my god. This is it,’” she says. “It was so special.”
Haledon
The Estate at Florentine Gardens
The Estate at Florentine Gardens