Otto & Megan at Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart & The Manor

A timeless black-tie affair with pops of cherry blossoms! Megan and Otto chose the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark for their April ceremony. “We used to drive through Branch Brook Park during quarantine and look at the cherry blossoms,” says Megan. “We stumbled upon the beautiful church during one of our drives and I said, ‘I need to get married here!'” Their wedding at the Manor, one of the last at the longtime venue before it permanently closed in July, featured black ensembles for the bridal party, funfetti cake and cigar favors.“The grounds and overall vibe of the venue were perfect for us—classic, vintage and historical,” says Megan. 

Their Story

“A classic love story—we met online,” say Megan. “Once we began talking, we realized we grew up about 20 minutes away from each other in Morris County!”

Their Engagement

“Otto was originally going to propose on the beach in Florida, but Covid-19 changed our travel plans,” says Megan. “We went out to get sushi for dinner and then decided to get ice cream afterwards at our favorite spot in Morristown, Beenie’s. When we were walking back to the car, Otto surprised me by getting down on one knee and proposing! Even though it was the middle of January, we stood outside to FaceTime our friends and family and we had so much adrenaline, we didn’t even realize how cold it was. The next day, Beenie’s surprised us with a free ice cream cake to celebrate! We still go back to Beenie’s on the same day every year to celebrate with ice cream.”

Their Wedding at The Manor

For their April 15, 2023 ceremony, the couple chose the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, “because we used to drive through Branch Brook Park during quarantine and look at the cherry blossoms,” says Megan. “We stumbled upon the beautiful church during one of our drives and I said, ‘I need to get married here!'” It is simply breathtaking. We chose a date in April so we could utilize the Easter flowers in the Cathedral, as well as the peak cherry blossom blooms in the park. My bouquet and wedding invitations incorporated cherry blossoms to tie it all together. We had a classic formal black-tie wedding, with the bridesmaids in black off the shoulder gowns and the groomsmen and groom in black tuxedos. I wanted a very timeless look. Otto and I love to smoke cigars, so our favors were cigars with personalized stickers and custom matchboxes.”

Why The Manor?

“Otto and I love history and love antiques,” says Megan. “When we were browsing venues close to the cathedral, we began looking into The Manor. Once I pulled into the parking lot, I knew this was the place we were going to have our wedding. The Manor has a wonderful reputation in New Jersey and we always felt like we were family when we walked inside. The food was incredible, the service was outstanding and the grounds and overall vibe of the venue were perfect for us—classic, vintage and historical. If those walls could talk, they would have so many stories to tell! Since The Manor was closing shortly after our wedding, we made sure to take photos all over the grounds, including the iconic Dome Lounge. I’m so happy we have all of these memories to look back on.”

The Menu

“Since we went with the Viennese hour, we decided to go a little bit more fun on the cake flavor,” says Megan. “Our cake was funfetti flavored! It was a huge hit among our guests.”

Bridal Style

“I always knew I wanted a gown with long sleeves,” says Megan. “I tried on multiple sleeveless gowns but kept gravitating back towards the Eve of Milady lace sleeves. I knew whatever gown I purchased had to have these sleeves attached. The Maggie Sottero Diana gown looked seamless with the sleeves attached! You would never know they were done by two separate designers. I also loved the buttons down the back of the gown, the glitter detail and all of the peek-a-boo lace throughout the dress. The illusion was gorgeous and exactly what I was looking for.”

Favorite Moment

“I have a few favorite moments, there’s no way I could pick just one!,” says Megan. “Walking down the aisle with my dad, seeing my husband at the end of the aisle tearing up, walking out of our ceremony with the biggest possible grins on our faces, and the private cocktail hour at The Manor. The overall day was filled with so much love, happiness and laughter and they are not joking when they say it goes by so quickly!”

Favorite Detail

“There are so many details that made our day perfect, but one of my absolute favorites was our live wedding painter, Janet Howard-Fatta,” says Megan. “She painted our first dance and the painting is now hanging in our living room. Every time I see the painting, it is so special and brings me right back to our wedding day. All of our guests loved standing behind Janet and watching her paint—she is truly such a talented artist and so incredibly friendly.”

Advice

“Ultimately, the day is about you and your spouse beginning your lives together,” says Megan. “There is nothing more important or beautiful than that. It is the best day of your life—but it is not the only day of your life. That helps to keep it all in perspective.”

Honeymoon

“We went to Aruba for nine days,” says Megan. “We waited until a month after the wedding, and it was such a great mix of relaxing and fun adventuring. It was our first time in Aruba, and we will definitely be going back!”