This Rumson Wedding Was Filled With Personal Touches

Their Story

Emily and Jared tied the knot on July 9, 2022 at Rumson Country Club Riverhouse. They originally met on Bumble in the fall of 2015, went for drinks in Hoboken and, “from that Friday afternoon, the rest was history,” says Emily.

They now enjoy Manasquan summers, Friday and Saturday nights in God’s Basement at the Parker House, yearly vacations around the world, and their French Bulldog, Tito, named after their favorite alcohol.

The Proposal

On Sunday October 11, 2020, Jared told Emily that they were going to meet his family in Asbury Park to celebrate his mom’s birthday. Upon arriving for cocktails at the Watermark, the pair walked upstairs—but there were no family members in sight.

“We were led to the back of the bar, where there were rose petals and flowers laid out on the deck overlooking the ocean and the Asbury Park boardwalk. Still clueless, I said, ‘Wow! They set this up so nice for your mom’s birthday!'” says Emily.

Jared popped the question and their families came outside to surprise them and celebrate.

Choosing the Venue 

Emily grew up in Rumson and the town is very special to her. They held their ceremony at Holy Cross Church, where Emily received her sacraments, attended grades kindergarten to 8th, and even taught for three years. Their reception was at the Rumson Country Club Riverhouse, a place they frequent. “My entire life I knew I wanted to get married there. The stunning views and spectacular staff were an added plus to the many memories we share there as a couple,” Emily says.

Details of the Day

The couple wanted very neutral summer tones, so they went with neutral bridesmaid dresses and light gray suits for the groomsmen. Jared’s gift to the guys were custom Nike sneakers, which coordinated with the suits and were personalized with everyone’s initials and college sports numbers. Halfway through the reception, the groomsmen switched into the matching sneakers.

Flowers were all white with hints of greenery.

To go with the summer wedding theme, place cards were beach badges.

Emily’s bouquet had four frames attached to it with photos of four important people in her life who passed away “that I wanted to be with me on this big day: my grandparents, my aunt and my friend.”

Emily designed the invitations, which were laid out in a book format. The inside featured a watercolor map of all the places that were special to them, including Rook coffee and Rutt’s Hutt hot dog.

Table names, meanwhile, reflected places that were special too, including their beach club and the SeaStreak ferry.

Other unique touches included a “getaway car” that was a family friend’s Woody convertible, a guest book made from pair of shot skis handcrafted by one of Emily’s friends from high school, and a “family wall” that included lots of photos. One special touch was a “words of wisdom” board hanging up that featured tidbits from Emily’s former fourth grade students.

Even though the wedding was in the summer, there were a few holiday touches, including their card box, which was a gingerbread house. “As someone who was born around Christmas and who loves the holiday season so much, I wanted to incorporate some holiday touches into my summer wedding,” says Emily. Her father made the box and her mom decorated it. Her dad also dressed up as Santa, like he does every year for the family’s holiday cards, so that they could take their Christmas card photo right at the wedding.

The Bride’s Gown

Emily’s gown was a three-piece set from Lazaro: a modified A-line gown, matching overlay skirt and matching cathedral veil.

Favorite Moment

“Before the big day, we were told to take a second and just glance around and look at all the people we are with. There will never be another day when all those people are together in one room again,” Emily says. “By taking a few seconds and looking around, we realized how much we are truly loved by so many people.”

Detail They Couldn’t Live Without

“I could not live without all my personal touches,” says Emily.

Advice for Other Brides

“Enjoy every second, even the planning part! Regardless of the headaches, decisions and arguments, remember that it is your special day with your husband.

“During the reception, take a moment to look around and remember that everyone there loves you; it may be the only time every important person in your life is in the same room.”

Honeymoon

The couple spent 10 days in Spain.