Horses Completed This Fall ‘Rustic-Glam’ Wedding at the Ryland Inn

Andrea fell in love with the Ryland Inn’s “perfect rustic-glam vibe.” For their fall wedding, the couple chose an ivory-and-gold color scheme accented by terra-cotta, rust and burnt orange. Adding to the atmosphere were the horses on property that day, which the couple and guests were able to pose for photos with.

Their Story

From the beginning of their relationship, Andrea DePalma and Ken Duclos have faced challenges, but through it all, they’ve stuck together. Upon meeting on Bumble in 2019, they knew that Ken would soon be deploying overseas with the U.S. Air Force. During those long months apart, they spoke on FaceTime every night and then got engaged soon after Ken returned home, planning a fall 2023 wedding at the Ryland Inn in Whitehouse Station. But eight months before their big day, while the couple was vacationing in Charleston, South Carolina, Ken was seriously injured in a hit-and-run car crash while walking. He suffered a brain bleed and fractures to his facial bones, right leg and right ankle. Doctors told him that he was lucky to be alive. After multiple surgeries and a lot of hard work, Ken made a full recovery, and the wedding went on as planned on October 1, 2023. Getting married was a huge motivator in Ken’s recovery. “It was just surreal,” he says of the couple’s wedding day. “We didn’t have to postpone it. I didn’t have to limp or use crutches…and she supported
me the whole way. It was teamwork.”

The Proposal

Ken arrived home from his deployment shortly before Christmas of 2021. Knowing that Andrea wanted to take their first holiday card pictures together that year, he hired a photographer to meet them at their favorite Christmas tree farm. Little did Andrea know that Ken was also planning to pop the question.

[RELATED: The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Venues in New Jersey]

Their Ryland Inn Wedding

Andrea fell in love with the Ryland Inn’s “perfect rustic-glam vibe.” For their fall wedding, the couple chose an ivory-and-gold color scheme accented by terra-cotta, rust and burnt orange, including the Amsale bridesmaid dresses and the groomsmen’s ties. Adding to the rustic-glam atmosphere were the horses on property that day, which the couple and guests were able to pose for photos with.

Bridal Style

“I am always bedazzled any chance I get—that’s just, you know, the Jersey girl in me,” Andrea says with a laugh. “But for the ceremony I was drawn to a more simplistic look because I didn’t want the dress to overpower me.” She chose a gorgeous strapless gown by Antonio Gual with a form-fitting bodice. During the reception, Andrea changed into a show-stopping two-piece look: a full-length ostrich skirt by alice + Olivia paired with a crop top by Retrofête. Both outfits allowed Andrea to show off her 60-pound weight loss, which she achieved over the last few years. “We were all basically on lockdown and house-ridden,” she says of the pandemic. “I used it as a driving force to figure my health out in a more productive way.”

Special Details

Andrea and Ken’s mantra is “We’re Better Together,” a saying that made its way onto some decor, including the sweetheart table, where Andrea’s chair had a sign that read “better,” while Ken’s read “together.”

Favorite Moment

Nothing could top seeing each other for the first time as Andrea walked down the aisle. “It’s such an emotional moment in general, but for us, given everything we’ve been through with Ken’s accident and not knowing whether the wedding was even going to happen and whether he would survive the accident, it felt like such a ‘we-did-it, we-made-it’ moment,” Andrea says.

Honeymoon

After a trip to Aruba, Andrea, 31, and Ken, 34, are at home in Woodbury, Connecticut.

Sign up for our Something New newsletter for weekly wedding ideas, inspiration and advice from expert NJ vendors, New Jersey Bride’s editorial team and real couples—sent right to your inbox!