An Elegant Country Club Wedding with a Pastel Palette

Marcela and Stephen wed at Linwood Country Club on August 17, 2024.

Their Story

Marcela and Stephen met at James Madison University. They were both communications majors and were school friends since freshman year.

“While we crossed paths many times,” says Marcela, “we didn’t go on our first date until one fateful snow day our junior year.”

They were dismissed from class early due to the weather and Marcela gave Stephen a ride home and the rest was history.

The Proposal

Stephen proposed to Marcela on a sunny day in January underneath the gazebo in Cape May’s Rotary Park.

He gave her a mason jar full of love notes and pulled one final note out of his pocket that read “do you remember the first time I said I love you?”

While Marcela read this final note, she looked up to see Stephen down on one knee. It was private but unique to their relationship.

Details of the Day

Their wedding was a filled with muted pastel tones and a touch of beachy details (i.e. clam shell with flowers on the bar).

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

Choosing the Venue

They chose Linwood Country Club because of their extensive culinary offerings, ambiance and space!

“It’s also close to the church our ceremony was held in and, being Somers Point natives, we wanted to keep everything in the area we call home,” says Marcela.

Favorite Moment

“My favorite moment was being lost in our first dance.” says Marcela. “At that moment, everything and everyone faded away and it was just us floating and being in the moment as a married couple.”

Detail They Couldn’t Live Without

One detail that really made the day was their memory table.

“Linwood has a beautiful shelf built-in the wall that was perfect for setting up photos of deceased family members as well as wedding photos from our parents and relatives,” says Marcela.

“We had tea lights all around the frames and it really came to life in such a sweet way and our guests really enjoyed looking at all the photos and reminiscing,” she says.

Wedding Day Attire

The groomsmen wore classic black tuxedos and the bridesmaids wore assorted floral printed dressed to create a nice juxtaposition against the tuxedos.

Stephen wore a white tuxedo jacket as a tribute to what his grandfather wore at his wedding and Marcela wore a fitted mermaid style beaded dress by Martina Liana.

Advice for Other Couples

“Forget about your timeline or what you thought the day was going to be like and instead be in each and every moment,” says Marcela.

The bride, who works as a wedding coordinator, sees so many brides forget to just enjoy the day being surrounded by friends and family and instead focus too much on the details they’ve spent so much time putting together.

“Trust your venue and your vendors to execute your dream!”

Honeymoon

The couple went to Hawaii. They spent time in Honolulu and Maui. Ahead of their trip, they were excited about their sunrise hike at the Haleakala National Park.

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