Stephanie and Timothy at The Mansion on Main Street

How did you meet? Tim and I met in high school and have been together ever since our junior year (that’s 10 years if you’re counting!). He would walk me to my bus every day after school because we couldn’t even drive yet when we started dating. After high school, Tim went to RIT in Rochester, NY, and I went to Penn State. We continued to make the 222 mile drive to see each other on our free weekends throughout the school year. Dating long distance didn’t stop there, as I landed my first job in Hershey, PA while Tim worked in New Jersey. Though dating long distance for six years was the hardest thing we’ve ever done, I know that it strengthened our relationship. I’m so happy I now get to spend forever with my high school sweetheart (in the same state, too!). How did he ask? Whenever Tim would visit me in Hershey, we would take walks on this beautiful nature trail near the hospital where I worked. Tim would typically come up to visit me on Friday afternoons after work. One seemingly ordinary Friday afternoon, we decided to go for a walk on the trail soon after he got to my apartment. It had been raining on and off all day, but the sun came out on our drive over. When we were at one of the most beautiful spots on the trail, Tim stopped me and got down on one knee and proposed. I was in shock! But of course I said “YES!” Details of your day? Tim and I wanted our wedding day to reflect our relationship as well as being both timeless and elegant. The inspiration for our wedding colors actually came from my engagement ring, which has hints of rose gold. We ended up choosing rose and ivory with accents of champagne and rose gold that really added some glamour. The day itself started off cold and rainy, but the sun came out just as we were getting ready to leave for pictures. The weather ended up being absolutely perfect for the rest of the day! My bridesmaids and I got ready at my parents’ house while Tim and the groomsmen got ready at the hotel near our venue. We then had a first look in Princeton prior to our ceremony. We both loved this moment that was just for us. It was something we will treasure forever. The groomsmen wore charcoal tuxedos while Tim opted for a pale gray tux with a bow tie. My bridesmaids wore dresses in the same color, fabric, and length, but I let them choose the style that they wanted. Everyone looked amazing and had a dress that they truly loved and felt comfortable in. As for flowers, my florist knocked it out of the park! We trusted her vision and were blown away by the results. I was absolutely in love with my bouquet, which was wrapped with the lace from the sleeve of my mom’s wedding dress, my something old. Our favors were mini bottles of wine from Valenzano Winery in Shamong, NJ. Tim is a graphic designer and created the label custom for our wedding day. Why did you choose your venue? From the moment we stepped foot in The Mansion, we both knew it was “the one”. It was stunning with a grand marble staircase and unbelievable gardens. The indoor ceremony space was what did me in, a room full of floor to ceiling windows and so much light. I instantly started picturing our wedding there. It fit our vision so well. The staff were also some of the nicest people I have ever met, including our planner there, Samantha. They ensured our day ran smoothly and took such good care of us as well as our family and friends. What was on your wedding menu? One of our favorite parts of The Mansion was definitely the food! It was out of this world. Our cocktail hour had a taco bar, mashed potato bar and a martini bar as well as 15 passed hors d’oeuvres. For dinner, we served our guests a choice of Chateaubriand, Almond and Walnut Encrusted Chicken Medallions, or Salmon in a Citrus Butter Sauce. And in case our friends and family still weren’t full after all of that, dessert included a full Viennese table and a cheesecake martini station. What was your wedding cake like? Gallo’s Bakery created the perfect wedding cake for us. It was four tiers, complete with a gold tier full of sparkle and cascading peony sugar flowers that mimicked my bouquet. We chose alternating layers of chocolate chip pound cake with fudge filling and vanilla pound cake with raspberry filling all topped with buttercream icing. We can’t wait to have the top tier on our one year anniversary! All about your gown! While it seems like most brides say their gown is the first one they tried on, mine was actually the last! I purchased my dress at Jay West in Haddonfield, NJ and had the best experience. My consultant was so accommodating and pulled everything that I wanted (a sweetheart neckline, mermaid style), but I still wasn’t finding ‘the one’. At the very end of my appointment, one of my bridesmaids found a dress that I hadn’t tried and swore up and down that I needed to try it on. Of course I agreed! From the moment my consultant zipped me in, I knew the search was finally over. My gown had a sweetheart neckline with a fitted bodice complete with lace and simple beading. It shimmered every time I moved. The skirt, however, was truly unique with many layers of ruffles and a chapel-length train. There were lace appliques throughout layers of the train, which was my favorite part of my dress. What was your favorite moment? Other than marrying my best friend, my favorite moment was the anniversary dance we had at our reception. Both of our grandparents have been married for over 65 years, and we knew we wanted a way to honor some of the most special people in our lives. Mazz Entertainment helped make this happen, and it’s a moment we’ll remember forever. Detail you couldn’t live without? Our friends and family! Did anything go wrong? Only a few minor things went ‘wrong’ on the day of our wedding. My maid of honor had a jeweled head band that she was going to wear, and it snapped in half minutes before putting it in her hair! Luckily, our hair stylist suggested pinning one of the broken pieces across the back of her updo, and it ended up looking like we planned it that way all along. It was also Alumni Weekend in Princeton, so there were thousands of people all over the campus where we had our first look. Our photographer did a great job thinking on the fly of where to do our first look so that it was still private. Always have a Plan B! First dance song? Latch (acoustic version) by Sam Smith Advice for other brides? Everyone will tell you that they day goes by so fast, and it really does! Try to savor every little moment. And if something goes wrong, don’t let it get to you! There will always be something you can’t plan for, but your day will be perfect no matter what.

Where did you go on your honeymoon? We spent a week at Sandals Grande Antigua and had the time of our lives! It was a great first trip as husband and wife.