Shannon & Michael at Bear Brook Valley

For Shannon and Mike’s Bear Brook Valley wedding, “the grounds were sparkling with a layer of snow,” says Shannon. They got married on December 16, just a week before the holidays, so they wanted to have a winter wonderland with colors of green, gold, silver and pops of red. 

Their Story

“Michael and I met our freshman year at Rider University,” says Shannon. “We immediately became good friends and eventually started dating. Michael joined the Marines after freshman year and was based in San Diego. We continued our relationship for 2 1/2 years while he was in California, visiting each other as much as we could. While Michael was deployed in Afghanistan the distance took a bigger toll on us and we decided to take some time apart. It was difficult but thought it was best for the time. Once he returned home, we remained friends. We stayed in touch as much as possible and then I asked him out on a date in July 2020. We found our way back to each other after seven years.”

The Proposal

“We both have a love for the beach,” says Shannon. “Mike grew up in Lavallette and I have been going to Long Beach Island since I was a little girl. Mike proposed to be on the balcony at my parent’s beach house in Long Beach Island. We were celebrating our anniversary.”

Their Bear Brook Valley Wedding

“We wanted our day to resemble love, laughs and a fun atmosphere,” say Shannon.  “We got married on December 16, 2022, a week before the holidays so we wanted to have a winter wonderland with colors of green, gold, silver and pops of red. We ended up having snow on our wedding day which was the perfect touch. We had gold lanterns down the ceremony aisle and gold accents on each of the dining tables.”

Why Bear Brook Valley?

“Mike and I fell in love with Bear Brook Valley the second we entered it,” says Shannon. “It was the first venue we saw and hands down the perfect venue for us. It was modern tied in with rustic-chic. We got married in the stables which was newly renovated. It was a dream come true. The grounds were sparkling with a layer of snow and the place just had a shining atmosphere. On top of that, the staff at Bear Brook are none other. They made our day so special and made us feel so relaxed and happy every step of the way, especially on the day of.”

The Menu

Their wedding menu featured a strawberry fields salad, a choice of chicken, mahi mahi, vegetable primavera risotto, lamb shank, or flank steak. “We loved that we were able to offer so many options,” says Shannon. Their cake was from Palermo’s and was a mix of vanilla cake with chocolate hazelnut filling and the other half was vanilla cake with funfetti.

Bridal Style

“I wanted to wear something on the day that was something I would never wear any other time,” says Shannon. “I wanted to feel like a princess. I thought I would be wearing a slim dress but ended up in a gorgeous and timeless Justin Alexander ball gown. I felt stunning. My dress was simple and plain so I wore a pearl beaded belt and intricate long veil that complimented the dress perfectly.”

Favorite Moment

“My favorite moment was when the slow songs were taking place and the emcee asked everyone to be seated for salad,” explains Shannon. “He played ‘It Is All Coming Back to Me Now’ by Celine Dion and Mike and I were alone on the dance floor with drinks in our hands, dancing to the song. It looked choreographed and was totally impromptu. Everyone thought it was so funny and it was nice to have a second moment of the spotlight on us. Another moment I loved was when our dj’s assistant started to showcase live photos from the wedding of Mike and I on the screen of the dj booth and Mike got on the microphone and called for his wife to meet him on the dance floor so I could see.”

Favorite Detail

“We wanted to have a final dance once everyone left the dance floor so we had a last dance to ‘Hold My Girl’ by George Ezra,” says Shannon.

Advice

“Take a step back during the reception and look at all of the people there,” says Shannon. “They are there for you and your person and you’ll never feel so loved.”

Honeymoon

The couple went to Hawaii. “We started in Oahu and made our way to Maui and Kaui,” says Shannon.