Michelle and AJ at Park Chateau Estate

How did you meet?
We met in college! AJ was on the basketball team and I was on the dance team at Ramapo College. I cheered for him at every home game. When the season was over, we officially met at a college mixer. The rest is history!

How did you get engaged?
AJ made a dinner reservation at our favorite restaurant, Café Matisse in Rutherford. As we walked in, we were led to a private room where there was a violinist playing ‘A Thousand Years’ by Christina Perri, my favorite song. There were also 6 dozen lavender roses all around the room that symbolized the 6 years we were dating. He popped Dom Perignon and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. After we ate dinner, my sister and her fiancé showed up for dessert. The following night, AJ surprised me with an engagement party with all our closest family and friends. I was so surprised!

Details of the day!
I really wanted a light and airy vibe for our wedding. Park Chateau is so beautiful by itself, I didn’t want any vibrant colors to clash. My bridesmaids’ dresses were nude and the groomsmen’s tuxedoes were black. The flowers were loose natural open Vendela roses with seeded eucalyptus and ruskus.

Why did you choose your venue?
We attended our friend’s wedding at Park Chateau in 2018. AJ and I weren’t even engaged yet, but I knew that was going to be where we get married. The chapel on the property is what stole the show. It was really important to me to pick a venue where we could get married on the property. When AJ and I booked Park Chateau, they told us they were building a hotel on the property as well. That was the cherry on top.

What was on your menu?
Park Chateau has the most extravagant cocktail hour. It would be easier to say what food wasn’t there. We had everything from a seafood tower and caviar to a boardwalk station with burgers and fries. For dinner, we selected the burrata salad, chateaubriand, Chilean sea bass, chicken chateau, and eggplant napoleon. Everything was so delicious! We ordered our cake from Palermo bakery which was chocolate pudding and cannoli.

All about your gown!
I thought I found my dream dress the first time I went dress shopping. I didn’t pull the trigger because I wanted to sleep on it and go back with a couple of my friends. When I tried on the dress for them, they were very underwhelmed. My friend searched around the store and picked out a dress she wanted me to try on. It wasn’t the style I wanted, but tried it on just for her. When I came out of the dressing room, everyone was tears in their eyes. I knew it was the one. It was a beautiful Martina Liana dress that was made for me.

What was your favorite moment?
My favorite moment was walking down the aisle with my dad.

Did anything go wrong?
Covid. We had to push our fairytale wedding back a year. We wound up getting married on our original date 11/6/2020 but waited to party until 10/28/2021.