Kelly and Christopher at Rock Island Lake Club

Posted on June 07, 2021 by Allison Dupree

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Kelly-Christpher-Rock-Island

How did you meet?
We met online in January of 2015. The following month we went on our first date. When I met Christopher, I knew we had a special connection because I felt comfortable talking to him about anything. We enjoyed getting to know each other for a few months until he asked me to be his girlfriend in June. The rest is history!

How did you get engaged?
We traveled to London and Paris for our 4 year anniversary. Having been to Paris a few times with family, I could not wait to show Christopher my favorite landmark. To my surprise, Christopher proposed on a bridge overlooking the Eiffel Tower at sunset. The best part is he had my law school friend’s twin sister hiding out nearby to capture the entire milestone in photos and video!

Details of the day!
The vision for our wedding was romantic elegance. My bouquet included mostly eucalyptus, playa, and quicksand roses. Both the greenery and roses complemented our rustic chic venue, Rock Island Lake Club. The grey and blush pink colors were also found on table linens, runners, and groomsmen attire. A Touch of Elegance did an amazing job of making my vision a reality. Along with A Touch of Elegance, Magnolia Events perfectly matched menus, Maple syrup favors, and decor signs to our theme.

Why did you choose your venue?
Christopher and I were looking for a venue that was rustic, chic, and elegant. When we began wedding planning, we were living in Vermont. We knew that before we would make the trip down to NJ that we should narrow our search to three venues. Luckily, Rock Island Lake Club was one of the choices. We truly fell in love with the intimate setting, surrounded by a beautiful landscape. The overall experience was helpful and attentive every step of the way. We were able to have the ceremony on the deck, with gorgeous sunset views of the lake. The cocktail hour was spacious and included an indoor/outdoor option. The ballroom was perfect for our wedding size. We loved that Rock Island Lake Club offered a balance of timeless chic and romance.

What was on your menu?
Our wedding menu included: the Rock Island Salad, Filet Mignon, Rock Island Chicken, Pan Seared Mahi Mahi, Grilled Eggplant Tower, and Pork Tenderloin. For our wedding cake, the flavors were blueberry cheesecake and raspberry truffle. In addition to our cocktail hour items, we also upgraded to a yacht club raw bar. Additional food add-ons we did were a Bavarian pretzel bar, s’mores, and pizza to go. Our signature drinks were the blushing bride, golden groom, and limoncello spritz.

All about your gown!
The dress I picked was the first I tried on. I went into dress shopping envisioning that I would get an extravagant ballgown. After I tried on THE dress, I knew that the other five dresses would not compare. I truly felt like a blushing, fairytale bride. The dress was a lace illusion long-sleeved A-line ballgown, with whimsical appliqués, and an extra bit of sparkle. The color of the dress is ivory and champagne, which perfectly incorporated the romantic vibe I wanted. I truly felt like a princess walking down the aisle to my dream man!

What was your favorite moment?
My favorite moment of the wedding was including our 6-month old golden doodle puppy, Maple, to our wedding. Once he began walking down the aisle in front of me, I knew that this was the moment I dreamt of.

One detail you couldn’t live without?
I decided to ask my mom and grandma to walk me down the aisle. I was raised by them both. I am so beyond grateful that I made this decision because it was so special and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I know how proud they both are of me and wanted to honor them in this special once-in-a-lifetime moment.

Did anything go wrong?
No, I can honestly say that absolutely nothing went wrong on our Wedding Day. Prior to the wedding, past brides advised me not to sweat the small stuff and to enjoy our day. It was a great piece of advice that I kept in mind and would like present and future brides to carry. On the days and months leading up to the wedding though, we lost our original DJ due to COVID and many guests did not feel comfortable coming to the wedding because of the virus. It was sad to not have all of our loved ones there but we celebrated intimately with around 80 family members and friends. The weather was sunny and in the high 50s. Our wedding day was calm, relaxing, and surrounded by love and support from family. I truly feel blessed to have had an amazing wedding day.

First dance song?
From the Ground Up – Dan & Shay

Any advice for future brides?
Book wedding vendors ASAP. I was lucky enough to have gotten all of the vendors I wanted. It is so worth the investment to have a wonderful team on your side in arguably one of the best days of your life. Enjoy every second of the day and don’t sweat the small stuff. The wedding day goes by in a blink of an eye and all of the months and years of planning a wedding becomes a beautiful memory.