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Laura and Jared at Pleasantdale Chateau
Posted on May 15, 2020 by Ariana Baio
I went to a Bat Mitzvah at Pleasantdale Chateau when I was 11 years old and I had truly been dreaming about it ever since. It is such a unique venue in New Jersey and there is nowhere else like it. It is traditional, magical, breathtaking and the service is above all. Jared knew I had been dreaming about Pleasantdale for quite some time so he scheduled an appointment for the following weekend even before he proposed ! From the moment we stepped on the grounds for our first appointment, we were blown away. From the beautiful grounds to the indoor pool and the individualized service, it is truly a castle fit for a Disney princess. That said, everything is done in a way that is completely classy – the Pleasantdale team made Jared, me and our families feel like part of their family.
If you know anything about Pleasantdale Chateau, you know that they serve it all! The food was spectacular and the only challenge for our guests was not filling up on appetizers before moving into the ballroom for dinner and dancing! Some of our favorite highlights were the sushi bar and the raw bar, as well our Casamigos bar which was completely made of ice. We also loved our signature cocktails for the evening – mine was the “Minnie-tini” a play on my favorite drink and Jared’s was a “Gin Mickey”, a play on the Gin Rickey. We set each place setting in the ballroom with blue and gold chopsticks, a fun play on a silly family tradition. Each place setting had a card to explain: “Laura and Jared use chopsticks for almost every meal. Jared might say that it’s so they eat more mindfully…Laura might say it’s so the meal lasts longer and there’s enough food for seconds and thirds. Whatever the reason may be, using chopsticks is a tradition they want to share with you tonight…Bon Appetit!” Our friends also loved the after party food – our after party went until 3:30 AM – so it was definitely necessary! Our cake was made in-house and was adorned with gold accents, floral trim and a cake topper that looked like me and Jared! The inside was a delicious strawberry buttercream filling.
As someone who has always worked in fashion, I wasn’t sure I would have “the moment” when I tried on my wedding dress, however, I was not an exception! I shopped with Jan Simon of Jan Simon Style, a stylist based in NYC, and the process was smooth and amazing quality time with my mom and two sisters. I truly had my “Say Yes to the Dress” moment at the Monique Lhuillier atelier in NYC – and it was one of the first dresses I tried on. I wore the Monique Lhuillier Princeton Dress from the FW 2018 collection. I was sold on a sheer white smoke ring wrap to wear around the strapless A-line silhouette for my ceremony and a Swarovski crystal adorned veil. Typically, you are supposed to come back to do an accessories appointment but I loved my dress so much and the entire look that I said “yes” to the dress, smoke ring wrap and veil all in one day! I paired my dress with the Jimmy Choo Micky heel in blue sparkle (my something blue) which just felt right. I worked with Jan for my after party dress which was a sequin slip dress from Alice & Olivia, which I paired with platform white Superga sneakers that I bedazzled myself. I also had an amazing “Just Married” denim jacket that was custom made for me by my wedding planner, Stephanie.
How can I list just one? There were so many special moments throughout the day – from my first look with Jared, to our ketubah signing to walking down the aisle with both of my parents, every minute was truly magical. However, one detail of the party that was unique to us was definitely our after party. It was everything we ever imagined! Jared and I rekindled our friendship in Miami and Jared loves music, so creating “Club Center” for our after party was truly a dream come true. It really felt like a Miami nightclub! This was the time of the party we could kick back and relax to dance the night away – as much as I adored my wedding dress, I was super excited to change into my after-party dress and let my hair down. We enlisted one of our friends, DJ Pete D’Amato, to spin our favorite songs. We had so much fun dancing from midnight to 3:30 AM with our bridal parties, best friends and guests. My parents even stayed until 3 AM! When we finally made it back to the bridal suite, we were ready to sleep!
The most special part of our wedding weekend was that we had three grandmas, all of who are in their 90’s, in attendance. We were both the first of our siblings to get married and also the first grandchildren. “The Grandmas”, as we like to call them, were able to participate in the whole weekend and it was special to have them all there. We feel so fortunate to have been able to share the most important day of our lives and don’t take their presence for granted. We will cherish our memories and photos with them on our special day for years to come.
Nothing that I knew about! We got absolutely perfect weather and if anything went wrong, I didn’t know about it so good job to my team of trusty bridesmaids. I do think my dress might have ripped, but that’s because we were dancing so much so that’s nobody’s fault but my own.
“A Whole New World” from Aladdin
I’m sure everyone says that on the day-of to just let go of control because everything will fall into place and it’s true, it does! However, my biggest advice to other brides is to spend as much time at your party with your new spouse. The night is so fleeting and this way you see it through the same eyes and have the same memories. When making the rounds to greet guests, we did it together, and when tearing up the dance floor, we did it together. We tried so hard to not leave each other’s side for the entire night and it was so worth it.
We planned our honeymoon with Over The Moon Vacations and we travelled to the Amalfi Coast and Greece.
the details
Hometowns
New York, NY
Reception Location
Pleasantdale Chateau
Photographer
Officiant
Rabbi Karen Perolman, Congregation B'nai Jeshrun (West Orange, NJ)
Bride’s Gown
Monique Lhuillier Bridal
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