Wedding Story
Photographer’s Comments: “Jules and Joe’s woodsy wedding at Laurita Winery in New Egypt, NJ was twinkly and magical. Their rustic personality with a love of being outdoors, fit their Fall, October wedding at Laurita Winery perfectly. They wanted it to be a relaxed and fun day with their loved ones.
“Sweet and beautiful Jules could not stop smiling all through her bride prep, she was excited and happy to be marrying the love of her life later that evening. Jule’s hair was in a high bun that just complemented her elegance and her veil was placed over her bun to complete the look. She looked absolutely stunning! Her bridesmaids wore deep red floor length dresses, each styled slightly different than the other. Their bouquets consisted of puffy white roses and deep red ranunculus, with silver dollar eucalyptus leaves. WOW, Jules’ bouquet really stood out with huge, deep red roses that were intertwined with red berries that complemented the fall season. Jules stepped into her Allure Bridals wedding gown from Cinderella Bridals and my goodness, she looked INCREDIBLE!
“Wine barrels and twinkly lights were seen throughout the ceremony and reception. This worked well with their outdoor woodsy theme. Their 7 o’clock candlelit ceremony was held outside of Laurita Winery. It felt very serene and relaxed. On either side of the ceremony space were wine barrels that had large floral arrangements done by Narcissus Florals and candles on the ground and lining the aisle. The ceremony space looked beautiful!
“Jules was ready to dance the night away and Joe was ready to mingle with his crowd, whereas equally they both were ready to dive into delicious food and have fun. Their reception space at Laurita Winery was beautifully lit with candlelight and string lights hung from the ceiling. The deep reds and woodsy feels were seen throughout the space. Jules and Joe went with orange uplighting that kept the seasonal feel to their theme. Their sweetheart table had two framed photographs of their beloved dogs, because they wanted their special pups to be a part of their big day too! How precious and sweet was that!!
“The details in their reception space really fit their personalities and the style of their woodsy wedding. The wedding cake was brushed and designed to look like tree trunk details, while the groom’s cake was shaped like a cigar box!
“TIME TO DANCE! Everyone hit the dance floor ready to dance the night away with the newly weds. Chris Marino of Limelight Entertainment rocked their wedding and played all of their favorites! Jules and Joe danced the night away with their family and friends. It was such a magical spectacular wedding.”
Bridal Q & A
Q1: Tell us about your wedding!
“Laurita Winery was truly the only venue we considered having our wedding at. The building and the grounds blend just the right amount of rustic and refined elements. The color palette was a nod to our two favorite wines, Cabernet Sauvignon for her and Riesling for him. We also used many accents of gold throughout our details for a classic look that would resound for many years to come.”
Q2: Let’s talk wedding decor
“We were huge into DIY for this wedding decor. The outdoor space already had great structure, thanks to Laurita Winery, so I only had to have the florist add two floral altar pieces, and I added floating candles in glass tubes down the aisle for that glowy look.
“For the reception, we created a bar sign out of wine corks that said CHEERS, displayed several photos from both sides of the family, and spent countless hours creating the perfect centerpieces from donated wine bottles, planks of cedar, fairy lights, and grapevines. It was a labor of love (thanks mom and dad!) but it was magical when it all came together.”
Q3: What were the florals like in your wedding?
“I trusted the designers at Narcissus Florals to create the look for the day. I admitted to them right away that I had a color scheme in mind, but knew nothing about flowers.
“They made me feel understood and I trusted their expertise to make it come to life with the perfect blooms. They have also dressed the space at Laurita countless times before my wedding so their familiarity with the venue ensured they’d created the perfect vision.”
Q4: Did you personalize the day in any way?
“The groom and his men wore custom Chuck Taylors in their suits! Joe is such a laid back guy that it totally made sense.
“We also used Limelight Entertainment as our DJ and without him, the playlist and vibe would have been lacking-Chris nailed the energy and the flow and played to all the ages we had as guests.
“We also had a groom’s cake in the shape of an open humidor that was not only eye-catching but absolutely delicious from Chocolate Carrousel.
“Lastly, Joe really wanted a cigar bar out on the terrace after the ceremony-it was super cool among the fire pits for the men to step outside and celebrate in that age-old tradition.”
Q5: Let’s talk fashion
“The vision stemmed from my engagement ring-large haloed moissanite stone on a band fashioned to look like a birch branch of white gold. Much like the venue, I wanted the right balance of rustic and refined.
“I opted for a lace sheath with art deco blinged out straps and low back with buttons down the train.
“Joe’s grandma picked out my perfect earrings to match my straps, and our dear friend lent me her pearl bracelet for just a touch of class and tradition. I also wanted fun footwear and wore wine-colored velvet pumps with a matching clutch by Nina.
“My hair and makeup artist, Lisamarie Charles, gave me a glamorous but whimsical updo and the perfect bridal glow. I’ve never felt so beautiful in my life.
Q6: How did you meet?
“Tinder. I know it’s not the most romantic answer but it’s true. In this modern world it becomes very difficult to meet people organically. Joe and I clicked from the first date and I knew we’d be a long term thing within the first week, I just didn’t realize we signed up for forever when I swiped right!
Q7: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
” I truly couldn’t wait to share my vows with Joe. I worried about saying the right thing for months for that monumental moment but in truth I just spoke from the heart. I also was excited for my first look with my dad! He handled it well though, only a few quick tears, but I will never forget it. The whole day is special, and every bride needs to just soak it in and appreciate the love and effort that goes into this day.”
Q8: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?
“Wedding planning: Don’t micromanage every detail! The people you hire are professionals and they know this is the biggest day of your life-they will do everything in their power to make it all wonderful. And if someone offers to help you, take them up on it.
“After your ceremony, take a few minutes of just you two to catch your breath and enjoy what you just committed to one another-the reception is going to fly by and you might not get to have that chance again until the next day.
“Marriage advice: make sure you married your best friend, the laughs are worth it when life gets silly.”
Vendors in this Wedding
Cake Designer: The Chocolate Carousel
Dress Store: CINDERELLA BRIDALS
Floral Designer: Narcissus Florals
Reception Venue: Laurita Winery
Event Venue: The Hilton Garden Inn
Photographer: Limelight Entertainment
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