MJ & Shaun held their late winter wedding at the Stone House at Stirling Ridge in Warren, NJ. It was the first venue they looked at and one look was all it took for them to know that this was their place. It has that perfect mix of rustic and modern that they were looking for and right away they could picture all of their loved ones together celebrating their day.
They first met through some mutual friends during high school and started dating as seniors. Their first “date” was meant to be a double date, so imagine MJ’s surprise when he showed up with some extra friends. He quickly turned the mood around and by the end of the night, they were planning what they now consider their official first date. They made plans to go bowling and then to Olive Garden (hello high school), where the waitress could tell they were on a date and gave them a bit more time to order, just so the date would stretch out a little bit longer. Thankfully, the added time was more than fine by these two, and the date proved to them that they really hit it off.
The Proposal
Just a few days shy of their 8th anniversary, they went up to The Armory in Perth Amboy for dinner. Shaun decided to propose on September 21st, a day with significance from the song “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire. He had been planning to propose and got the ring months before this occasion. MJ’s birthday also happened to be coming up not long after their anniversary, so Shaun had a sneaky plan. Along with the ring, he bought her a new watch as a birthday present. After dinner, he revealed a small box, which MJ thought was the watch. She immediately said “No, no it’s supposed to be for my birthday!” After some convincing, he got her to see that there was no watch inside, but an engagement ring. To say MJ was surprised is an understatement, but I think we all know what the answer was.
Here are some favorites from their winter wedding at Stone House at Stirling Ridge!
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The bride tribe all ready to go!
Just for the record, the guys were on time thanks to the groomsmen gifts.
MJ’s bridesmaids were super helpful, fun, and easy going, such a breeze to be around.
Shaun’s mom was so excited and giddy about the day. She could barley contain her excitement!
Mothers and daughters on the wedding day. Can’t help but smile.
One of the reasons I love the first look is because there is such a feeling of relief when the bride and groom finally get to be together on their best day.
The florist, Cassandra Shah Flowers did an awesome job with all the bouquets and arrangements.
MJ and her dad travelled to the ceremony in style in a Bentley.
During the ceremony, the Father gave a sermon with a twist – a reference to the Karate Kid movies.
They decided to tie in some traditional Filipino wedding traditions. Beyond the bridesmaids and groomsmen, Filipino weddings also include guests with the title of Sponsor. The veil ceremony is meant to bond the couple and recognize them as one. An infinity shaped cord represents the couple’s bond and union, placed on top of the veil while the couple receives their blessing.
The Stone House at Stirling Ridge offers up so many spots for portraits, so we took our time getting in as many portraits as we could.
They had a great display for the place card table, all featuring images from our engagement session.
They incorporated even more engagement session photos with their sign in book!
Be careful of who you choose as your maid of honor and best man, the stories they tell during the reception may be incriminating.
This is a shot you might regret.
MJ is such a lighthearted person, so for her to dab a bit of icing on his nose was cute and very like her.
It made perfect sense that their wedding cake would be funfetti. Now that I think of it, if I had to choose one word to describe their souls it would indeed be funfetti.
Not everyone on the dance floor was there on their own free will, but in the end everyone had a great time.
The dirtier the feet, the better the party. Mission accomplished.
Vendors
Venue // Stone House at Stirling Ridge
Jeweler // Roman Jewelers
Dress // Seng Couture
Groomswear // Macy’s – Bridgewater
DJ // Eclipse Events
Ceremony Officiant // Father Lemmuel Camacho, Corpus Christi Catholic Church
Hair Stylist // Bella Rococo at Emilia’s
Make-up Artist // Lauren Tirpak Makeup Artistry
Florist // Cassandra Shah Flowers
Bakery // Rudy’s Pastry Shop
Invitations // Minted
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