The love story of Cassie & Jack…
Q: Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?
A: I've always liked old things. I am not sure why other than they are unique in both design and the stories they could tell. A year or so before our wedding, my family had finished the restoration of my grandfather's first car, a 1948 Ford convertible. It was pristine, cherry red and just felt like a relaxed Sunday afternoon when you drove with the top down. My family offered for us to use the car for our wedding send off. I loved it! It felt very personal and we knew my grandfather would enjoy seeing it be a part of our day. Although we did not pick cherry red as one of our colors, it was definitely an inspiration for me in look/feel and photo opportunities.
Q: Let's talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
A: We wanted an outdoor wedding and the Royer House was a perfect location that combined the beauty of nature, amenities for the bridal party and flexibility on attendance. For the ceremony I wanted the decor to be very natural and really focus on the moment and the people involved. We built a simple wooden arch loaded with flowers that were subtle in color. The backdrop was greenery and a beautiful pond. Most of the DIY projects were for the cocktail hour and reception. This included table assignments that combined keys and antique doors as well as favors of homemade jam at every place setting. It took a lot of work but everything really came together.
Q: What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
A: When it came to the flowers, I was nervous. I knew I wanted soft subtle colors like white and light pink but I also wanted to bring in a deeper, rich color like burgundy. It was just so hard to make decisions without really seeing what everything would look like before the wedding day. So my mom and I met with our florist for coffee months before the wedding. I was really impressed with the time she took to go over everything. We talked through what types of flowers I liked, what was in season, what would cost less in September, shapes of bouquets etc. She followed up with texts with the types of flowers and greenery I picked in a collaged image. We kept in communication and I really felt like she had a sense of what I wanted. When the bouquets showed up the morning of the wedding, I could not stop complimenting them. They were everything I wanted and more! I felt like they really pulled all the other elements together.
Q: Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
A: Jack and I love games! We decided to have jumbo lawn games outside during cocktail hour for all our young cousins and those that are kids at heart. There was Jenga, Cornhole and a giant Connect Four that my dad and Jack built together. They were a hit! Not only were the kids entertained while waiting for food, but we saw our friends and family get to know each other over shared yard games.
Q: Let's talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.
A: I loved the stone stairs descending from the white French doors at the side of the Royer House. This may seem like an odd focal point for your wedding day look but it really made me feel like Taylor Swift in her Love Story music video. Combined with a beautiful white laced wedding dress and a cascading bouquet, it just felt simple and romantic. If you ask Jack, he would say "I just picked the suit my soon-to-be wife liked best." In this case I wanted blue because it brought out his eyes. And like all brides, my fairytale vision of our wedding included those blue eyes tearing up as I walked down the aisle.
Q: How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
A: We were born on the same day - February 27th, 1992. I did not meet Jack until 24 years later after moving to New Jersey and joining FaithRX'D. The day after I met him, we were on a hike with friends and found out that we shared a birthday. I quickly blurted out "We should have a party together!" Little did I know that at the time, he thought it was weird to have a combined birthday party with a stranger, but sure enough three months later we invited our friends to come celebrate with us. What started as an odd acquaintance became a fast friendship and then a deep relationship.Then one morning, after getting back from a ski trip the night before, Jack showed up in my driveway around 6AM. Both my roommates saw him standing outside before I had a clue. After about an hour of anxiously waiting for me to realize he was there, roommate told me I left my headlights on overnight to coax me outside. Scared that my battery would be dead and I would be unable to get to work, I ran out the door. It took a second to realize what was happening but he started with "I have a question to ask you." and I didn't hesitate. "Yes!" He told me later that he had a whole speech he was preparing in the hour I let him wait but ultimately what came out was "I love you. Will you marry me?" and that was enough. From there the surprises continued. Arranging with my supervisor ahead of time for the day off, Jack had a whole day in NYC planned. We enjoyed the warmest February day on record, saw Aladdin on Broadway and finished the day with steak at Peter Luger. It couldn't have been more perfect!
Q: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
A: I was really looking forward to our first dance. A few months before hand, Jack surprised me with private lessons. He knew I was nervous about everyone watching us but that I liked to dance with him. On the day of our wedding when Perfect by Ed Sheeren started to play, he took my hand. Instead of feeling awkward in front of everyone, we felt confident and enjoyed every moment.
Q: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day?
A: When it comes to the wedding, it is a very short day. Do the work ahead of time but then remember to stop and just enjoy it. At that point, no matter what goes wrong, you will look back at beautiful memories. Just make a point to be fully present in every moment. When it comes to the marriage, always assume that your partner had the best intensions in mind. As humans, we can be quick to jump to conclusions or assume motives but remember they love you. Work to understand where they are coming from instead of snapping back or resenting a statement/decision.
The Christian Royer House
https://www.christianroyerhouse.com/
Andrew Jay Films
andrewjayfilms.com
Love It at Stella's Bridal
https://www.loveitatstellas.com/