How gorgeous is this ceremony chapel? If you haven’t been to the Park Chateau and Estate and Gardens, you’re truly missing out. The setting is oh-so-picturesque and perfect for a timeless soiree. Dina and AJ were all about keeping their wedding day timeless and their details will surely stand the test of time. Not to mention, this dynamic duo is the epitome of a modern bride and groom. One look at the bride’s stunning lace gown designed by Allure Bridals and the groom’s dapper suit and we’re sure you’ll agree. Dina is sharing all her details below, along with imagery from Anthony Ziccardi Studios and highlight film from Live Picture Studios. Be sure to pick up the most recent Fall/Winter 2018 edition of Contemporary Weddings Magazine, to see more from this featured real wedding.
From the bride…Every time I think about our wedding day or look at photos I have a huge smile on my face. People still talk about how amazing and fun the day was. Our wedding at the Park Chateau was elegant, timeless, and perfect. We booked Park Chateau before it was even completely built; in fact we had to wear hard hats when touring the location. AJ was in Germany for work so I went with our parents to look at floor plans/pictures of what the venue was expected to look like. Elizabeth Marino gave us a tour of the property and we immediately fell in love with the details and elegance of the venue. They literally thought of everything that a bride and groom could want in a wedding venue – an onsite chapel, plenty of room for guests, decked out bridal suite and groom’s suite. When we met the owners of Park Chateau they made us feel like family. They truly wanted everything about our day to be perfect and did everything that they could to make us feel special every step of the way. I knew immediately that I wanted to get married at Park Chateau.
Tell us about your experience of finding your gown. Did you immediately know this was your gown?
I went to three bridal salons, two in NJ and one in NYC. Going into the appointment I had no expectation that I would find “The dress,” but I did! My experience at Castle Couture was great. I told the associate what designers I liked, what I was looking for in a dress and showed pictures of specific details that I liked. She chose about five dresses based on my criteria and the first dress I tried on ended up being the one I fell in love with. As soon as I walked out of the dressing room I knew it was the one. I loved the way it made my body look, it was comfortable and my mom, maid of honor and matron of honor loved it on me too. It truly had every single detail I wanted in my wedding dress.
Did you decide to have a first look?
We decided on a first look so that we could really enjoy the whole day. Our favorite part of weddings are the cocktail hour, so by taking the first look photos we were able to enjoy time with our guests instead of being pulled away for pictures.
What was unique about your wedding?
During the entire wedding planning process we really kept our guests in mind. Our food and music selections were very important to us so we put a lot of thought into choosing these vendors. One thing that our guests still talk about is the Mozzarella Station at cocktail hour. He made fresh mozzarella and unique appetizers that were among the favorite tables at cocktail hour.
Do you have any advice for couples that are planning their wedding?
I stressed a lot because I wanted everything to be perfect, but I learned that everything truly works out in the end. Don’t procrastinate when booking vendors and do your research so you can compare prices and quality of work. I found a lot of ideas on Pinterest and from other weddings I saw pictures of on Instragram.
Ceremony and Reception Location: Park Chateau Estate and Gardens / Officiant: Anthony Pieroni / Photographer: Anthony Ziccardi Studios / Cinema and Video: Live Picture Studios / DJ: Elite Sound Entertainment / Floral Designer: Scott’s Florist / Caker Designer: Palermo’s Bakery / Dress Designer: Allure Bridals / Headpiece and Veil: Castle Couture / Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Groomsman Attire: Karako Suits of Manhattan / Invitations: Perfectly Invited / Favors: Donations made to The Daniel T. List Memorial Fund and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia / Hair Stylist: Pin It Up Bridal / Makeup Artist: Jamie Saunders / Jeweler: Yvette Jewelers / Ceremony Aisle Sign: Lace and Belle / Cigar Roller: Havana’s Cigar Vault / Honeymoon Location: Hawaii
