I mean, I may be biased, but after the wedding we had & all of the feedback we received from our guests, I can honestly say we had all the best vendors in the business. Truly. Our day was PERFECT thanks to everyone involved & here’s why!
Photography: Jay and Sandi Cassario, owners of Twisted Oaks Studio
This goes without saying, but Jay and Sandi hold a special place in my heart. When I started my blog almost four years ago, I reached out to Jay because I wanted a handful of professional photos for my about page, business cards, etc. The images he returned were stunning, and I knew that it wouldn’t be the last time we shot together.
Over the years, Jay has captured beautiful blog photos for me (like these), and I have even modeled in styled bridal shoots for him (here & here). We always joked about when it would be time to shoot my actual wedding, knowing the day would come sooner than later. Last summer, Rob proposed and Jay was there to capture it all. A few months later, we did our engagement photos that again, blew me away. Sandi shot my bridal shower and I am so thankful she was there to capture the details and all of the smiles. I knew in my heart our wedding photos would be stunning, but I could never have prepared myself enough for the preview images Jay has sent me so far. After the anticipation and excitement wore off, I sat and cried as I looked at these photos. They are more than I could have ever dreamed of, and for that I will be forever grateful.
What I love most about Jay and Sandi is that they capture moments that tell a story. YOUR story. They think outside of the box, use creativity to their advantage, and go with the flow. It’s windy out? No problem, let’s get your veil and hair blowing all over the place. No sun? We’ll make sun. Rob loves Connor McGregor and he fights tomorrow night? Get in your fighting stance. You want a cute champagne pop pic before getting dressed? Let’s do it on the deck. Literally. They are the BEST at what they do and these photos are pure proof of that. We put all of our trust in them and they over delivered. I cannot wait to see what other milestones they capture for us because this is just the beginning!
Entertainment: Will, Rob & Chris from This Is It Entertainment
Next on the list - entertainment. Rob and I had no idea where to start when it came to choosing our DJ. Naturally, I asked Jay for his recommendations and without hesitation, he said “This Is It. We’ve done so many weddings with them and I’ve never worked with anyone better.” So, we made an appointment to meet with the owners, James and Keli, and we were immediately sold. After leaving our first meeting, Rob’s exact words were “I thought we were going to just talk about what kind of music we like. I didn’t expect all of that. They were awesome.”
James and Keli explained to us that whoever was on our team would coordinate our day and make sure everything went according to plan. They explained that we would have a DJ (Rob), a host (Will), and a lighting tech (Chris). Having three separate people, all with different jobs, helped to ensure that everything would go smoothly, rather than having one person who needed to worry about everything.
Let me tell you - these guys truly made all of the difference. Having Will on the mic all night was incredible. He is amazing at getting everyone on their feet and ready to party. His energy is contagious and I am SO thankful he was there! Rob killed it with the music. We told him we wanted it to have a club vibe, gave him a few must plays and artists we love, and he was over the top amazing. He is truly a DJ who can mix music - he doesn’t just play a playlist. If you’re wondering if a lighting tech is necessary, the answer is YES. Chris was great because their lights aren’t your typical wedding lighting set up. Just check out their Instagram and you’ll see what I mean. It was literally like Haven or HQ! If you want your wedding to be a PARTY (which why wouldn’t you?!), hire these guys!!
Here’s what some of our guests said:
*This is awesome - I’ve never been to a wedding where there’s dancing before dinner!
*Your MC made the entire night! He was excellent.
*It was like a club, in the best way! I’ve never danced so much!
*Best wedding I’ve ever been to! Your DJ was on point.
*You know it was a good time when the host had to tell people to stop dancing and eat their dinner.
Videography: Dana and Jenna, Between Sleep and Awake Films
When Rob & I got engaged, Dana reached out to me via instagram to introduce herself and offer help with my vendor search. We got along right off the bat and once I realized she was a videographer I was stalking her films since I hadn’t chosen anyone for this yet. After watching her films and crying at pretty much all of them (yes I’m emotional), I knew she was the one I wanted to film my wedding day. Her films are so crisp, clear, bright, and airy. She was great to work with and captured the day so beautifully. I cried my eyes out when I watched our highlight film for the first time (and admittedly every time after that). It seriously is magical! You can watch it here!! I can’t wait until we get our full story back! <3
Hair: Alex and Kelli, Taffeta Hair & Makeup Design
Alex, the owner and lead stylist of Taffeta Hair & Makeup Design, and I go way back. I’m talking back to when we were little. She grew up with my cousin and used to babysit me! There was no question that she would be the one to do my hair on my wedding day. We had been waiting for this moment for so long, and she truly did an amazing job. I had a vision for myself and all of the girls, and Alex and Kelli executed it perfectly.
I’ll also say it now and I’ll say it again, if you are wearing your hair down, have your stylist on site ALL day. Or at least until after the ceremony. It was seriously a blessing having Alex there all day. You never know what the weather is going to be, and you want your photos to be perfect. Luckily, we had no rain but it was windy. After Rob & I did our first look, Alex touched up my hair so I was ready to go for bridal party and family photos. Then, she touched it up again after bridal party photos, before the ceremony. It was more than worth it because I know my hair is perfect in all of the photos that matter most!
Makeup: Geno, Taffeta Hair & Makeup Design / Jeanine and Jess, Studio 21 Beauty Bar
When it comes to makeup, I’m particular. I wanted to have makeup artists who have personally done me before, that way I knew everyone would look amazing. Geno from Taffeta is so talented. All of the girls, and my mom looked amazing! Jess from Studio 21 also did an amazing job on the girls. Everyone looked stunning! Jeanine from Studio 21 did me. I worked as her receptionist for years and she is like a second mom to me. She’s done my face so many times that she could have basically done it with her eyes closed lol. I have to say, my makeup was flawless and lasted all night long, even through the tears and the sweat!
Flowers: Pocket Full of Posies
Choosing Pocket Full of Posies as our florist was another no brainer. Beth has been doing my flowers since prom and I always knew she would be the one to do my wedding. Her and Brian went above and beyond for us. She took my vision and brought it to life in the most beautiful way. I showed her some inspo pics and just let her do her thing. When the bouquets were delivered to the bridal suite, I literally cried because they were more than I ever dreamed of. The ceremony set up was absolutely breathtaking. I can’t wait to share photos from the ceremony & the reception so you can see just how stunning all of the florals were. She even made an adorable flower crown and flower wand for Maci, our flower girl! Between the eucalyptus, garden roses, dahlias, ranaculous, and all of the other florals, everything was perfect!
Location: Atlantic City Country Club
When Rob and I were researching venues, Atlantic City Country Club had our date open (yes, we based our date on Jay’s availability - read more here). The pictures of it looked beautiful so we decided to check it out. Long story short, it was the best decision we could have made venue wise! We knew we wanted a space that was newly renovated, so this was the perfect fit. It has a huge bridal suite that is available to you all day (only one wedding per day), dark, hardwood floors (NO ugly carpet thank god), a beautiful, covered patio for the ceremony, and a rooftop deck for cocktail hour, weather permitting.
More than the venue itself, the food is excellent. We actually ate dinner there before officially booking because we wanted to be sure. Chef did an amazing job. Cocktail hour was delicious and we got so many compliments on the entrees! It seriously is not your typical wedding food! It’s SO yummy and you get so much!
Caitlin, the event coordinator, is seriously a saint. She did anything and everything we asked. She made sure we had satin blush linens and a rose gold sequin table cloth for our sweetheart table. She helped me with the seating chart and all of the last minute details. She was amazing on the day of and made sure everything went smoothly. I truly cannot thank her enough for making sure our day was perfect!
My Dress: Blush by Hayley Paige - The Dayton
If you’ve been following for a while, you may remember this blog post in partnership with Castle Couture where I gave a few tips for finding your dream wedding dress! Going into it, I knew I wanted a Hayley Paige. Her style is so effortless and whimsical. It’s dreamy, magical, and v princess (aka me at heart). The girls at Castle Couture were so sweet and beyond helpful. Not to mention the selection of dresses is endless!
Bridesmaid Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu
For the girls, I knew I wanted them to wear Show Me Your Mumu even before Rob and I were engaged 😝 my vision was boho and flirty, with a pretty pink color palette. Since I knew I wanted different colors with the same tones, I assigned the girls a color and let them choose their style within that color. It worked out great and they all were super comfortable in their dresses! Since you can’t go to a shop and physically try them on (unless your local Nordstrom carries them), just know they are true to size and budget friendly! The colors I chose were dusty blush crisp, rosebud chiffon, frosty pink crisp, and dancing queen shine blush (for my MOH because it’s sparkly so she was a little different). You can order color swatches if you’re trying to coordinate, however I went based on the photos on the site and everything turned out perfect!
If you’re a bride to be, feel free to reach out with any questions you may have! Most of the vendors we used travel within the NJ, PA, NY, and DE area!!
As always, thanks so much for reading and stay tuned for more post-wedding info, tips, and photos!
xo
