Kaela & Tom got married on February 15, 2025, at Felina.

Their Story

Kaela and Tom met on Hinge in England. Kaela, a self-proclaimed theater kid, was pursuing her MFA in London where Tom lived and worked in the British Army. The two hit it off immediately, bonding over their dry and clever wit.

Kaela ended up extending her visa to live in the UK two more years than expected. The two moved in together and continued creating memories as a couple.

The Proposal

Tom proposed while visiting Kaela’s hometown. He dropped down on one knee at a local favorite park, then surprised Kaela with dinner and ice cream with her parents!

Choosing the Venue

“My dress was blue, and I wanted something to match the cool/unique factor of that,” says Kaela. “I literally googled ‘cool wedding venues northern NJ’ and was immediately sold on Felina as soon as I saw the floor, the vault door and the ceiling light piece.”

“It was a great choice too. Carissa, our venue coordinator, was an absolute legend throughout the entire process. Everything ran seamlessly, the food was amazing and never ending, and it was just perfect. “

Details of the Day

Their venue spoke for itself. An old treasury in Ridgewood, the black and white floor, elevated brass clock and open mezzanine of Felina didn’t need much decorating to drop jaws.

Kaela wanted their day to feel like a true party (after all, planning a wedding while making a cross country move and obtaining a green card is serious work that needs to be celebrated upon completion!).

She tied in lots of disco ball elements. White and green flowers covered the old bank vault and dressed the tables and aisle, too.

Favorite Moment

“My profession (performer and creative) often requires me to be the center of attention, but in reality, I kind of hate that,” says Kaela. “I’m not a center of the dance floor type of person, even though our DJ (Anthony from Eclipse Events) absolutely killed it. I much prefer to hang back and connect with people in conversation.”

“My favorite moment(s) of the day was finding time to step to the perimeter of the room and observe everyone. SO many people from so many different facets of our life came out to celebrate us, and it was so special to see everyone interacting and having fun simply because they knew one or both of the people getting married.”

“It’s really cliche to be like ‘wow! I know everyone in this room!’ But that was something I really unexpectedly enjoyed about the day.”

Wedding Day Attire

One of the most unique part’s of their wedding day was Kaela’s unconventional wedding dress—a stunning light blue gown, the “Effie Blue” by Randi Fenoli, that made her look as beautiful as Cinderella. Her second party dress was the “Essie” by Calla Blanche. Both were purchased at Seng Couture in North Plainfield.

Advice For Other Couples

“The day goes by SO quickly,” says Kaela. “Really find time to soak it in and enjoy it. Also find time to connect with each other. You will both get pulled in a thousand different directions by everyone for the entire night, so make sure to find your way back to each other periodically.”

“Also, hot take, but you don’t HAVE to speak to everyone for multiple minutes at a time, they all know why they’re there and that it’s a busy day for both of you. Make the extra effort for people who traveled a long way, or who you really don’t see often. But friends, family, colleagues, etc will certainly understand if you don’t spend minutes doing platitudes at their table.”

“Also, dedicate a member of either your bridal party or the venue staff to make sure you eat, and that you aren’t being bothered during dinner. You need to eat. You’ll thank me later.”