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Jessica and Rob’s Backyard Bohemian Wedding
We met at Towson University, in Baltimore, Maryland. I was a freshman and Rob was a senior (his “first” senior year… he took a victory lap around and needed to finish the rest of his credits LOL).
We went to my favorite place in the entire world… Long Beach Island, NJ. Rob had a photographer and videographer secretly follow us around the ENTIRE day to document every single moment leading up to the proposal. I had no idea…then both our families were waiting for us for yet another surprise for me…an impromptu engagement party! It was incredible.
There was no rhyme or reason in regards to theme…except I knew I wanted it to be a Bohemian wonderland. I spent MONTHS collecting antique furniture and decor to make my vision a reality. It seriously turned out more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. I designed the entire layout myself, and it was stunning.
Covid caused us to postpone our big wedding. We still wanted to get married on our original date, and our only option to do so was in my husband’s father’s backyard. Never in a million years did I ever imagine how truly perfect and flawless this day would be—to the point where…we don’t even know if we want our big wedding because of how intimate, happy and incredible this day was.
We had individually wrapped sandwiches for food, socially distanced seating, hand sanitizer and wipes everywhere, etc., in order to ensure guests felt comfortable and safe. Because we had such a small amount of people in attendance, we were able to get each person’s individual sandwich order. Also, just to start the marriage off in perfect matrimony…we couldn’t agree on cake flavors so we proceeded to have a “his and her” cake lol….chocolate for him, vanilla for me. Unbelievable!
I was going for a certain “vibe” and as soon as I tried this on, my eyes welled with tears. My sister, who is my maid of honor, actually picked this dress out. It was the perfect combination of beauty, bohemian, and comfort. It was the most gorgeous dress I had every seen and I never felt more beautiful than when I had it on.
My favorite moment was exchanging our vows. We decided we wanted to write our own because of how personal they would be from our hearts. Also, my husband’s brother created a video of all different clips of guests who couldn’t be in attendance (due to Covid) wishing us well. Our one friend, who was supposed to sing and perform our first dance, recorded himself singing and playing the guitar to our song. The video was shared and played as soon as the ceremony was over. Because it was most of our loved ones, both near and far who couldn’t be there, it was one of the most emotional moments of our lives. It was beyond special and beautiful.
Having our grandparents in attendance. If 2020 has taught has anything, it’s that you never know what tomorrow will bring. They are the most important people in our lives, and since we were forced to postpone, we could not imagine a world where they would not be present for the most integral day in our lives.
Not a single thing. It was flawless and magical. Truly.
“First Day of My Life,” Gnash’s version
I let the sadness of Covid take over me. We felt robbed and stripped of every “happy” experience leading up to our wedding. However…I couldn’t dream of a more perfect day. MOST of the integral people in our lives could not attend because of this pandemic…but we live-streamed it so everyone could still be a part of it. I really could not have dreamed of a more perfect day. So if you’re contemplating a backyard elopement…DO IT!
Newport, RI and Cape Cod, MA!
wedding details
Hometowns
North Caldwell, NJ
Ceremony Location
Father in law's backyard
Photographer
Eric Cunningham
Officiant
Michael Gazzo
Bride’s Gown
Made with Love
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