Ryland Inn Wedding Vendors:
Photographer: Susan Elizabeth Photography NJ + Worldwide / Event Venue: The Ryland Inn / Cinema: Delia Studios / Entertainment: Around Town Entertainment / Floral Designer: Jardiniere Fine Flowers / Hair Stylist: I Do Your Hair and Makeup / Makeup Artist: I Do Your Hair and Makeup / Wedding Gown Designer: Robert Bullock / Shoes: Loeffler Randall / Bridesmaid Dresses: Azazie / Menswear: Indochino / Invitation Designer: Zazzle / Bakery: Palermo Bakery
Photographed by : Susan Elizabeth and Amberlee
How did you meet?
We met through our mutual best friends, Sarah and Jonathan. They started dating, thought we would be perfect for each other (they were right!), introduced us without us realizing it was a set up and we’ve been together ever since – 7 years now. Sarah and Jonathan have since gotten married and we were so happy that they were each also a bridesmaid and a groomsman in our wedding.
The Proposal!
The proposal was so much fun! I work for a jewelry company and am always making engagement rings for friends and family. Even though it would have been easier for me to pick out my ring myself, Eric met with my colleague for months behind my back to design my engagement ring without me knowing. I’m so glad he did because the surprise of his proposal was amazing. He proposed in January 2020 on the Jersey City waterfront with both sets of our parents there. He had planned for a gorgeous New York City skyline view, but it snowed all day and was practically a blizzard. It ended up being absolutely magical getting engaged with the snow falling and our family nearby. He later surprised me again at dinner with his brother, sister-in-law and our friends (Sarah and Jonathan) who introduced us showing up at the restaurant to celebrate. Everyone was in on it but me!
Why did you pick your venue?
We loved The Ryland Inn from the first time we visited. We loved how beautiful the entire grounds are and that it has so much history, yet is still modern. We wanted a venue that had a farm vibe, but was still classy and elegant. As soon as we saw the ballroom, we knew we would be picking The Ryland Inn.
Tell us about all the details of the wedding!
Since our wedding was Memorial Day weekend, I knew I wanted the style of the day to be a bright, fresh, kickoff to Summer. Peonies are my favorite flowers and Jardiniere captured our vision perfectly with pops of bright peonies and garden roses amongst lots of greenery. We wanted to bring some nature to the event, so we opted for two lush trees as our ceremony altar and ferns going down the aisle. We also had hanging greenery from the chandeliers to continue to bring the nature into the reception.
Our escort cards were made from paper embedded with flower petals and seeds so that they could actually be planted. We hope that our guests will have lots of flowers from our wedding day in their gardens.Jenga is the Terramoccia/Purpura family game, so we had a custom Jenga set as our guestbook. Can’t wait to play over the years ahead and see messages from our loved ones.My dress was by Robert Bullock and from Designer Loft in NYC. I love the classic elegance of Robert Bullock’s dresses. I think they’re just so timeless. Designer Loft did an amazing job with the alterations by customizing the dress. They made my off the shoulder straps removable, and added spaghetti straps, so that I could easily dance at the reception. My shoes were Loeffler Randall – loved these shoes, but also a nod to Brooklyn where the designer is based and which was my first home in NYC.Eric, the Dads and groomsmen all wore Indochino. The bridesmaids wore Azazie.
Our escort cards were made from paper embedded with flower petals and seeds so that they could actually be planted. We hope that our guests will have lots of flowers from our wedding day in their gardens.Jenga is the Terramoccia/Purpura family game, so we had a custom Jenga set as our guestbook. Can’t wait to play over the years ahead and see messages from our loved ones.My dress was by Robert Bullock and from Designer Loft in NYC. I love the classic elegance of Robert Bullock’s dresses. I think they’re just so timeless. Designer Loft did an amazing job with the alterations by customizing the dress. They made my off the shoulder straps removable, and added spaghetti straps, so that I could easily dance at the reception. My shoes were Loeffler Randall – loved these shoes, but also a nod to Brooklyn where the designer is based and which was my first home in NYC.Eric, the Dads and groomsmen all wore Indochino. The bridesmaids wore Azazie.
Our first dance song was “The Glory of Love” by Jimmy Durante. It’s a song that my grandfather always played on the piano. It was also performed by my godmother at my aunt and uncle’s wedding many years ago, so it’s a really special song in our family. I’m glad we could incorporate something sentimental and make it a tradition.
Favorite moment of the day?
Hard to pick! The ceremony overall was a favorite. Walking down the aisle with my Dad, seeing all of our friends and family together and memorable moments including readings from our family members were all so special. We had intended for our ceremony to be outside, but the weather had other plans. Even though it wasn’t what we had expected, our indoor ceremony ended up being so romantic and cozy with the candlelit fireplace.
Where are you going on your honeymoon?
We went to Long Beach Island for a few days after the wedding for a mini-moon. Once travel is back to normal, we plan to honeymoon in Italy and Sardinia. We can’t wait to be able to travel again!
NOW INTERVIEWING COUPLES FOR 2022 and 2023!
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING US PHOTOGRAPH YOUR WEDDING, PLEASE FILL OUT THE APPLICATION ON OUR CONTACT PAGE AND I WILL GET BACK TO YOU SHORTLY!
Love this Ryland Inn wedding? PIN the image below or any of the pictures in this post!
comments +