- Home
- Real Weddings
- Marylynn and Ben’s Micro Wedding
Marylynn and Ben’s Micro Wedding
Posted on September 28, 2020 by Ariana Baio
We first met in Charleston, South Carolina, on April 4, 2019. My sister, Kathleen, and I were on a sister’s trip to watch a practice round of the Master’s Golf Tournament and decided to extend it to Charleston. We decided to go out to some bars that night and as fate would have it, we both ended up at Stars Rooftop Bar that evening. I circled Ben like a shark and finally came up to him and his military sponsor mother to ask to take a photo of my sister and I so I could start chatting to Ben. But we never exchanged information. My sister and I saw his sponsor mother three more times the next day, and by the third time I decided it was fate and I asked her to give Ben my number. Thanks to our miracle matchmaker we were able to start dating long distance.
We got engaged December 7, 2019, in Folly Beach, South Carolina during a beautiful beach sunset. I was in Charleston visiting Ben since he finished military training school. We spent the day at a vineyard before going on an evening stroll together during a spectacular sunset. Ben asked me to sit down on the sand to enjoy the view and before I knew it, he was on one knee. It was a total surprise and a beautifully personal moment together.
Ben and I got married on Saturday August 1st, 2020 at St. Brigid Church in Peapack, NJ. We were surrounded by just our immediate families but our ceremony was live-streamed by our videographer. We took photos at Natirar Park and finished with dinner at our venue, Trump National Golf Club. Since we decided to postpone our reception with all of our family/friends, my mother surprised us with a wedding cake and my father surprised us with a portable speaker to play our first dance song after dinner. It was truly magical and more than we ever could have imagined.
We chose Trump National Golf Club for many reasons, including the ability to hold the cocktail hour outside with the option for our guests to casually putt on the golf putting green while socializing with everyone. We also loved the floor-to-ceiling windows in the ballroom surrounding the dance floor with beautiful views of the golf course. Lastly, the venue was extremely accommodating and extremely generous with any and all ideas we presented to them.
Our menu included filet, fish and vegetarian dishes. Our cake was a light lemon cake with homemade vanilla icing.
Simple elegance. I knew my gown by Romana Keveza was “the one” immediately when I tried it on and watched by Mother and sister have tears in their eyes. I know this sounds cliché, but I truly felt like a bride when I put the gown on. I added small buttons down the back and onto the train to make it unique.
My favorite moment was when the doors opened at the church and seeing Ben’s face when I walked down the aisle with my father. Ben is a very strong man, so the second I saw him wipe tears away from his eyes, I felt all the butterflies I had when I first met Ben in Charleston.
The added fabric buttons down the back of my dress and train.
Everything worked out perfectly in the end. However, my wedding gown was altered within 24 hours which was slightly stressful.
“Love Like This” by Ben Rector
Take a deep breath, everything will be as it was supposed to be.
We traveled to Martha’s Vineyard for a “mini-moon” and absolutely loved it.
the details
Hometowns
Flemington, NJ
Ceremony Location
St. Brigid Church
Reception Location
Trump National Golf Club
Photographer
Officiant
Father Timothy Christy
Bride’s Gown
Romona Keveza
+ more-
1/8
-
2/8
-
3/8
-
4/8
-
5/8
-
6/8
-
7/8
-
8/8
Hide Photo List
Show Photo List
