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Rochelle and Mark at Clarks Landing Yacht Club

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Rochelle and Mark at Clarks Landing Yacht Club

How did you meet?
We met at the gym! It was “back in the day” when you had to actually go to the gym to sign up for your class. We both took spin class over lunch and started talking while waiting on line to sign up for our bike. Mark invited me to play basketball while we waited for class to start. We made a bet that if I made the shot, he would take me out. But if I missed, I would have to take him out… I made the shot! And we have been together ever since.

How did you get engaged?
We got engaged under the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree! We go there every year around the holidays to shop, see the tree, and then go out to eat. We had been dating for 4.5 years, and while I knew we would eventually get married, I did not expect him to pop the question that night. My nails weren’t even done! But he got down on his knee, and I said yes. It was so surreal and so exciting! We called a few family members and friends to share the news, then we went out to dinner — where two glasses of champagne were waiting for us. It was a magical night!

Details of the day!
Our wedding day turned out to be a beautiful 80-degree day in early October. Our colors were a neutral palette that centered around gold, and the theme was “Falling in Love” – a little play on the time of year with hints of leaves throughout the decor. I got ready at my parents’ house with all of my girls, and Mark got ready at our hotel. We decided on a First Look, which we did on a bridge at a beautiful park in Spring Lake. We shared a champagne toast and took lots of pictures. It was so fun! Then we headed over to Clarks Landing, where we had our ceremony and reception. Mark and the groomsmen arrived by boat, which was a fun touch! We had a live pianist playing beautiful music before and during the ceremony. Our guests were able to enjoy views of the river and the setting sun as we said our vows. After we said I DO, everyone headed into the cocktail hour while Mark and I took some sunset shots. Then we partied all night long to the tunes of a live band. It was amazing!

Why did you choose your venue?
There is no place like Clarks Landing! We fell in love with it the moment we saw the beautiful setting and décor. As we met with our wonderful wedding coordinator, Nicole, we were so impressed that Clarks really thought of every detail. We loved having the ceremony onsite overlooking the water, the cocktail hour had every food option you could think of and a seat for everyone, and the ballroom was so grand and elegant. We definitely made the right choice!

What was on your menu?
Guests were welcomed with a champagne toast right after the ceremony, and the cocktail hour had everything you could think of – with endless passed hors d’oeuvres and food stations. Then during the reception, we started with melon and prosciutto, a spinach salad with warm apples, and a blackberry sorbet intermezzo. For our dinner options, we selected Chateaubriand, Lady Di Chicken, a Seafood Trio, and Stuffed Peppers. And along with our wedding cake, we had an ice cream sundae bar! Our wedding cake had three tiers, each with vanilla cake and a different filing – lemon, raspberry, and chocolate! The cake was so pretty topped with gold leaves to keep with our theme.

All about your gown!
Wedding dress shopping was so fun! My mom, aunts, and goddaughter came with me to Castle Couture, and I tried on every dress shape there was. I knew that I wanted lace, and we found a stunning dress that was ivory over a unique champagne color. The beading detail down the back was so pretty, and they helped me visualize the sleeveless gown with straps since I knew I wanted to add them. I didn’t say YES on that first day, but I kept comparing everything to it on my next shopping trip, so I knew it was the one. And it turned out to be so perfect! My seamstress did a beautiful job and added a champagne satin belt to complete the look.

What was your favorite moment?
This is a hard one! I loved the First Look, standing behind Mark and he was anxiously waiting to turn around to see his bride-to-be! I could NOT stop smiling during the ceremony, and my family actually said they had to stop crying because they saw how happy I was. But I think my favorite moment together with Mark was sitting at our sweetheart table and taking in all of our family and friends who were helping us celebrate the most important day of our lives. It was so touching to see and feel all of the love in the room!

One detail you couldn’t live without?
We are music lovers, so it was really important to us to have people up and dancing all night long! Our band was amazing and the dance floor was full. We loved our ceremony and cocktail hour musician, as well. I never thought I would walk up to the Bridal Chorus, but his arrangement was so beautiful – I just had to!

Rochelle-Mark-Clarks

Did anything go wrong?
Everything went incredibly smoothly, but the boat carrying Mark and his groomsmen was a little late to the ceremony because the tide was low and they had to go slowly. And then during the ceremony, right when we were saying our vows, a boat with a VERY loud motor was driving by, and we actually needed to wait a minute because we could not hear our officiant! Otherwise, everything was perfect.

First dance song?
We chose “Just the Way You Are” by Billy Joel. It was the first song we slow danced to during the first few weeks of dating, and it has always meant a lot to us. I think we both knew back then that we would one day be dancing to that song on our wedding day.

Any advice for future brides?
Once your wedding day comes, it is time for you to sit back, relax, and enjoy every moment. You have worked so hard for so many months to perfect all of the details, and now it is everyone else’s turn to do what you hired them to do! If something goes wrong, you are probably the only one who will notice. And in the end, it is all about saying your vows and, together with your new husband (or wife), taking in all of the love and support around you!

Honeymoon Location?
We went to Aruba for a mini-moon right after the wedding and stayed at an amazing resort called Bucuti & Tara. And we are getting ready to go on our big honeymoon to Greece in a few days! We are heading to Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini – it is going to be paradise!