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Stephanie and Rob at James Ward Mansion

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Stephanie and Rob at James Ward Mansion

Posted on March 04, 2022 by Allison Dupree

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How did you meet?
Robert & I met at work and quickly became friends. We felt an instant spark but remained friends. One night at my sister’s birthday party, I invited him out. We were dancing & laughed, and then I smooched him. The rest was history. Since that night, Rob and I were inseparable.

How did you get engaged?
Rob completely surprised me. The plans were to meet up with my sister & her fiancé for dinner, which they were all in cahoots to try (they were successful) and trick me. As we were leaving, there was a violinist playing Lana Del Rey, my favorite artist, and a whole romantic dinner set up in our backyard. Rob hired a local pizza personal chef, Michael, from Doughpe Pizza to make us custom, delicious pizza pies by candlelight! I had exclaimed, WHAT IS GOING ON!? and he got down on one knee. It was perfect.

Details of the day!
The theme really came from my love of anything whimsical, an Alice in Wonderland/European countryside vibe. When I decided on my dress, everything fell into place. I wanted the opulence of the gold accents, chandeliers, & candelabras with the juxtaposition of shabby chic/LoveShackFancy & cottage core aesthetic.

Why did you choose your venue?
We both wanted to have a more non-traditional wedding. Our first stop was The James Ward Mansion. Rob fell in love instantly. We loved the high ceilings, the French/New Orleans feel. We wanted a more intimate space for our smaller guest count. That day we ended up touring 2 other venues, but nothing matched the feeling we got when we walked into James Ward.

What was on your menu?
Food is a very important part of our life together as we enjoy cooking together and eating. We knew we wanted something far from your typical wedding menu. Franco Vitella was 1 of I believe 3 preferred caterers of James Ward. We did not even do a tasting. The menu options alone made our mouths water. The passed hors d’oeurves included mini deep dish pizzas, truffle Mac & cheese, empanadas, mini chicken, and waffles with syrup, the list goes on. We opted for a duet of Filet mignon AND chicken as we both don’t like seafood.

All about your gown!
My gown. Like I said previously when I chose my gown the rest of it all fell into place. The maid of honor dress, flower girl dress, groom’s suit. I saw this gown on Monique Lhuillier’s Instagram (I had always been obsessed with her unique designs.) and I knew I had to have it. My sister joined me on appointments to Kleinfeld and Bergdorf where we tried to find anything that could come close. The last appointment of the day was at Monique Lhuillier and I jumped right into the gown and didn’t turn back. The details, the color, the whimsy of it all, made me feel like a princess.

What was your favorite moment?
There were of course many!! Getting ready and having mimosas with my sister, mom, now sister-in-law & mother-in-law. First look. Our exit as husband and wife. Dancing the night away. Abuela being a dancing queen. My DJ bringing me Taco Bell to the after-party. I loved every moment.

One detail you couldn’t live without?
I am quite detail-oriented and there were so many things that all had to come together to make a whole and I think I wouldn’t be sad or upset if something was missing, but it was all perfect.

Did anything go wrong?
The weather was not the greatest. It was unseasonably warm AND very humid. Not ideal for the amount of hair I had. But honestly, the most upsetting part was that it felt so short and I did not want the night to end!

First dance song?
We danced to “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” by Death Cab For Cutie.

Any advice for future brides?
Don’t sweat the small stuff, most people will not realize something was not going 100% according to plan. Take in all of the special moments and definitely try and find a quiet spot you and your husband/wife can take a few minutes to yourselves. And if you could do a shoot with your photographer sometime AFTER your wedding, I highly recommend it. We went to Longwood Gardens in PA and got some wedding day stress-free, amazing photos!

Honeymoon Location?
We have not gone on our official Sicily, Italy honeymoon yet! We did a mini-moon and stayed in NYC & Long Branch. Hopefully, we will be able to make it out to Sicily this coming May!

the details

Reception Location

James Ward Mansion

Photographer

Kasia R Photography

Officiant

Frank Brattole

Bride’s Gown

Monique Lhuillier

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Stephanie and Rob at James Ward Mansion

the details

Reception Location

Photographer

Officiant

Bride’s Gown

Bride’s Shoes

Bridesmaid Dresses

Hair

Makeup

Groom’s Attire

Flowers

Cake

Invites

Music

Brides Jewelry

Brides Accessories