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Melissa and Will at Indian Trail Club

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Melissa and Will at Indian Trail Club

Posted on March 01, 2022 by Allison Dupree

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How did you meet?
We met over 11 years ago on Long Beach Island, NJ. I spent every summer of my childhood on the island working various summer jobs. One summer, just after graduating high school, Will and his friends rented a house on LBI. Our story is interesting because we actually went to the same high school but never knew each other while attending. However, I did know most of his friends who happened to stop by where I was working that summer. They invited my friends and I to a party that night and the rest is history. We never looked back!

How did you get engaged?
Fast forward about 10 years on a hot July evening I was under the impression we were heading out to a nice family dinner since my Grandma was visiting. I was totally unaware of how odd the request my Mom made for Will and my Dad to go check out if there was handicap parking at the restaurant because of course there was! A few minutes later, after it was confirmed there was, myself, my Grandma and my Mom hopped in the car to meet them.

Although we started heading towards the bay at the end of our street instead. We pulled up to the gazebo that is situated among tons of beautiful hydrangeas right on the water. There were signs at the end of the path saying “Privacy Please!” I yelled at my Mom that we were interrupting someone’s private event and she said, “Yes! Yours!” The tears started immediately. I walked down a candlelit path to find Will at the end in the gazebo that was fully lit by strung-up lights. The answer was easy. Little did I know that Will had plenty of help from some of our favorite people. My sister and brother-in-law worked all afternoon hanging lights in the gazebo, lighting candles on the path while Will’s best friend hid in a bush to take photos of the moment. Everyone was such a huge help to pull off a beautiful proposal!

Details of the day!
The theme of our day was simple elegance. I didn’t want to add a lot of colors that might be outdated in a few years. We went with neutral tones such as white, tan, and frost. The flowers were white, blush, and greenery. The bridesmaids’ dresses were a frost color that matched nicely with my champagne-colored dress and the guys’ black tuxes.

Why did you choose your venue?
We chose Indian Trail Club because of the lake setting and the elegant ballroom. The ballroom gave us a clean palate to work with and it was so beautiful we barely had to add extra flowers or decorations. We had always pictured our ceremony near a body of water and this lake was perfect. The lake even had swans on it during our ceremony! Not to mention the food at ITC. Our guests still talk about it to this day!

What was on your menu?
Our cocktail hour was out of this world. From a Mac and Cheese bar to a Mediterranean Street Cart station, we had it all. Every place you turned there was food to try. We also had a pasta station and an East Asian station. Our sit-down dinner consisted of a wedge salad to start then a duet of filet mignon & Chilean sea bass. We had four different flavored layers of our cake. The first was funfetti cake with cream cheese icing, the second was red velvet cake with cream cheese icing, the third was vanilla cake with fresh strawberries and Bavarian cream and the last layer was cannoli cake with vanilla frosting. Our guests loved that there were so many flavors to choose from!

All about your gown!
My gown was such a dream come true. There was so much detail in the dress that every time you looked at it you found something new. I wore the Coda style by Martin Thornburg. There were floral details with clear beading, a layer of sparkle that caught the light perfectly, a horsehair bottom that gave the dress motion even when standing still. I wanted a dress that was unlike what I had been seeing everyone wearing lately. My personal style is usually unique and fun so I wanted the same thing in my wedding dress. Even the color was different since it wasn’t your typical off-white color. I still take peeks at my dress every time I go back to my parent’s house where it’s stored!

What was your favorite moment?
My favorite moment was our first look. Our first look took place on a floating dock on the lake. Will stood at the end with his back turned away. It felt like a very long walk out to him but I laughed the whole way. Seeing his face when he turned around was the best feeling. After that, most of my nerves fell away and we were just excited we still had all day and night to celebrate!

One detail you couldn’t live without?
I honestly could not live without having our ceremony on the lake. The whole morning it was threatening rain and I was so worried we would have to move it inside. One hour before the ceremony started it started to pour! Thankfully it stopped just before we needed to have everyone seated and we were able to have our dream ceremony.

Did anything go wrong?
Apparently, my parents had a lot of issues with the shuttle for our guests to and from the hotel. They were running a little late to the ceremony and almost forgot the bridal party at the end of the night! Even though all this was going on, everyone kept it from me so I wouldn’t have to stress as well.

First dance song?
True Companion by Marc Cohn

Any advice for future brides?
My advice is probably what most Brides would say, try to enjoy every moment because it truly flies by. Also, EAT THE FOOD. I was so upset at the end of the night because I didn’t have the chance to eat anything and everyone was raving about it. You paid for it, so make sure you eat it!

Honeymoon Location?
We went for two weeks to Hawaii. We started our trip on Maui at The Ritz Carlton then took a flight to Kauai and stayed at The Grand Hyatt. Both islands were beautiful with amazing service from the hotels.

the details

Hometowns

Randolph

Reception Location

Indian Trail Club

Photographer

Sweetwater Portraits

Officiant

Celia Milton

Bride’s Gown

Martin Thornburg

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Melissa and Will at Indian Trail Club

the details

Hometowns

Reception Location

Photographer

Officiant

Bride’s Gown

Bride’s Shoes

Bridesmaid Dresses

Hair

Makeup

Groom’s Attire

Groomsmen Attire

Flowers

Cake

Invites

Music

Honeymoon

Brides Jewelry