Featured Bride Friday

Names of Bride & Groom: Brittany and Luke

Wedding Date: October 20th, 2012

Ceremony Location: St. Vincent Martyr, Madison, NJ

Reception Location: Park Avenue Club, Florham Park, NJ

Tell us about the proposal: Looking back, she had to assume something, as I was never this spontaneous, but she still attests that she had no idea she was sitting on top of the ring that would find its way on to her finger within a mere 12 hours. It was on the beach of Avalon, NJ were I first saw and told her that I could see growing old with her, so it only seemed fitting that it was where I ask her to marry me. After the drive down, we planned to wake up early so we could see the sun rise. I barely slept that night, nervous we would sleep through it. Walking onto the beach, I switched the ring box to another pocket so presenting it would be easier. Thankfully, she was distracted with the pooch. We sat down on the sand, chatted for a bit, and when the sun first shone through the clouds, I stuttered and stammered my way through a "will you" speech. She cried, the dog wagged her tail, and we were on our way to being husband and wife. 

What is the overall theme for your wedding?: "Fall in Love". We love the rich vibrant colors of the fall and we wanted to incorporate that as much as possible into our wedding. 

What has been your favorite part of planning?: My favorite part of planning has been the dance lessons. The best piece of advice I received from my friends who are newly married was to make sure I set aside time for Luke. You can get so caught up in all the details you forget why you are getting married. The hour we spend together dancing is great. 

What has been your fiance's favorite part of the planning?: My fiance's favorite part was the dinner sampling, food is his specialty. This is where he made most of the decisions. 

What are you looking forward to most on the wedding day?: I'm looking forward to seeing all our hard work come together, and to making a promise to spend the rest of my life with my fiance.

What is your fiance most looking forward to on the wedding day?: The reveal, I can't wait to see how beautiful she looks. 

Which vendor has been your favorite to work with?: This is a tough one we've been very lucky to work with some amazing vendors. First we would like to recognize Erin and Krista, for guidance and inspiration. They were wonderful with coming up with specific details that will make our day that much more special. Our photographer Jennifer Childress has also been amazing. We were able to get a sneak peek of her work during our engagement session. She was so wonderful and entertaining. She has a great eye and we really love her vision. We cannot wait to see the finished product from the wedding. 

What is your biggest worry about the wedding day?: The weather...I really am hoping for some amazing pictures, other than that, I know Krista will have everything under control!

What makes your wedding unique from all the others?: Our dance is choreographed to a very nontraditional wedding song. We hope our guests really enjoy it. 

Give three words to describe what you imagine you'll feel like the day AFTER the wedding: Luke: Pass the Aleve. Brittany: Hit the gym!

Where will you be spending your honeymoon?: There's a story behind this. When you think of the traditional Bride, you think of a girl who wants a big formal wedding with all the bells and whistles. That's not me. I originally wanted a destination wedding with just Luke and myself (I guess you would say I wanted to elope). I pictured a beautiful island with lots of colors and a beach backdrop. Luke didn't want that. He wanted to be surrounded by all his family and friends on our big day. So we decided to go with his vision. Throughout the process he saw me get frustrated with making decisions and the financial burden of such an extravagant event that he wanted to wanted to do something special for me. His wedding gift to me is the honeymoon of my dreams. He worked very hard with our travel agent and booked a phenomenal honeymoon to the Intercontinental Resort and Thalasso Spa in Bora Bora. He planned everything down to the dinners each night and our couple's day spa. Anytime I would get stressed with planning or anything wedding related I just Google pictures of Bora Bora and I instantly find my Zen. Thank you baby...I love you. 

Anything else you'd like to share?: We would like to thank our family and friends for all their support. We especially would like to thank my Father for just "going with it", The Caulfield's for always offering their help (even though Helen has a concussion), my MOH Bisera for throwing me a beautiful Bridal Shower and an unforgettable Bachelorette party in Vegas. They have been instrumental in making this happen (and keeping me calm).