A: Joe and Kristi met while working at Clinical Research Laboratories and had an instant connection.  The proposal - Joe and Kristi were on vacation in beautiful Banff, Canada in September of 2016. While on a Via Ferrata excursion climbing their way up the cliffs of Banff's Mt. Norguay guided by a series of cables, fixed anchors, ladders and suspension bridges they came face to face with a bear. The bear was startled and took off, with adrenaline running through their veins they continued on and finally made it to the summit. Taking in the vast breathtaking views on the top of the mountain, Joe got down on one knee and asked Kristi to be his wife. Joe chose a beautiful solitaire setting to house the exquisite diamond that was a family heirloom passed down from his great grandmother.

A: The wedding took place on Saturday May 5th at the farmhouse style, rustic chic Bear Brook Valley in Fredon Township, NJ. "Located in the heart of Sussex County, Bear Brook Valley is in a private gated community with gorgeous views of nature through rolling hills and woodsy backdrops." We could not have asked for a more perfect wedding day. A lovely Saturday in May, low 70s with overcast and a light breeze. We wanted our wedding to have a rustic vintage vibe but still keeping the space modern and elegant.  We decided to go against the norm and opted not to have a traditional bridal party. Instead we chose to only have a MOH (sister of the bride) and Best Man (brother of groom). We were a little hesitant at first but I must say this was the best decision we could have made.  It created a relaxed and intimate atmosphere and it allowed us to really enjoy the getting ready process and first look photos as we weren’t rushing around at all. Our color palate was: greys, greens, pinks and coralsSetting the tone for the wedding was our beautifully designed invitation suite printed on handmade deckled edge off white paper (Printer: Indigo Blue Design Co, also printed/designed our beautiful vow books)

A: Ceremony - soft displays of fabric draped along the wooden pergola decorated with muted flowers and greenery to make the ceremony space natural. The ceremony took place along a heart shaped pond with waterfalls. We welcomed our guests with a gorgeous wooden welcome sign (diy), a beautiful personalized touch. A live keyboardist provided the ceremony and cocktail hour music which was a perfect accompaniment to our perfect wedding day. Reception - Beautifully crafted rustic wooden farm tables with crossed back chairs filled the reception space. Centerpieces were a mixture of greenery runners with tucks of flowers and votives along with high profile arrangements of lush greenery  with small gold mercury votive and clear steamed votives down the table to give added romance.   Gold charger plates, rustic cutlery and white cloth napkins with a simple long fold draped off of the table. Individual menu cards were accented with a sprig of greenery that complemented the centerpieces.Cake display - The most gorgeous cake stand you will ever see! Simple but elegant wedding cake with vanilla buttercream icing with rustic lines throughout accented with brightly colored flowers. The cake almost seems to float in the center of this beautiful gold circular display with cascading greenery and florals. A delicate brushed gold wooden script cake topper draws in your eye to this unique cake display.

A: A Spring Sorbet Wedding with Garden Elegance.  Flowers were on full display and truly set the tone for the entire day. The bride chose a garden style bouquet and the ladies at Peonies to Paintchips chose the ever so beautiful flowers listed below:Coral Sunset Peonies White ranunculus Peach ranunculus Astilbe White cloud garden roses Poppies White stock Gunni eucalyptus Pennygrass green bell Dusty miller Brunia berry Verigated Pitt Peonies stand for love, happiness and ambition, which is a sweet sentiment for a romantic wedding day. For added elegance, a variety of grey and white ribbons were tied around the stems of the bridal bouquet.

A: Being that Joe is an avid triathlete (he has completed 146 triathlons over the past 20 years including 6 Ironmans with #7 coming up in July ), cyclist (countless cyclocross races), runner (countless half and full marathons), and endurance racer (including 7 - 24hour Toughest Mudder competitions and a number of Spartan races) we knew we wanted to incorporate his love for biking into our wedding. What better way then to take amazing photos with bright yellow beach cruisers. The large Mr & Mrs balloons were a fun addition. Family plays a huge role in both of our lives and we wanted to be sure to include loved ones who have passed. Kristi adorned her bouquet with charms of her grandparents wedding photos (her something old) and Joe carried his grandfathers pocket watch. Another personalized touch was a gift from Joe's Aunt which we had on display during the reception. A reclaimed  wood established sign, hand painted and  customized with our last name which was created and designed by Joe's cousin Jon and his wife Elle (Etsy Shop: Opal Design Shop).  (featured in the grooms detail photos). Being both from NJ and having friends and family travel from out of state, our wedding favors at the end of the night were made to order pork roll, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches and disco fries, a NJ staple!

A: Groom - Custom made deep indigo shark skin suit made by Indochino with a blue celtic patterned lining. Embroidered with name and wedding date on inside of suit jacket. White button down shirt, grey chambray tie accented with a silver tie bar hand-stamped with a bicycle icon. Cognac belt and shoes with navy shoe laces. Navy polka-dot socks. Bride - Allure Couture Gown, a delicate sheath features a vintage appeal in a silky slip dress and a sheer lace-covered overlay. Pearl and crystal beaded embellishments, a V-neckline with a plunging back and perfectly placed peak-a-boo mesh along the curves of the body. Kristi had a custom embroidered wedding dress patch with her new initial and wedding date sewn into the underside of her dress (her something blue). To die for Badgley Mischka Kiara Platform pumps in a beautiful teal shade of glamorous satin and decadent rhinestones accented the heel. Her jewelry was a mixture of crystal pieces including a ring borrowed from her mother (her something borrowed), a beautiful necklace with a long teardrop backdrop that complimented the plunging back of the dress and a delicate Tiffany pearl bracelet given to her by her sister/MOH (her something new). Kristi also worse a finger tip length veil with crystal and pearl embellishments around the edges. Hair/Makeup - Kristi's long blonde hair was curled and swept to one side with a gorgeous crystal accent hair piece. To compliment her golden hair and hazel colored eyes she kept her eye makeup neutral with warm tones and peachy cheeks/lips.

A: The special moment of the day was the ceremony itself! From walking down the aisle with my dad, to seeing Joe standing up at the alter, having all of our closest family and friends there to celebrate with us, to having Joe's close friend officiate the wedding. Having a good friend officiate our wedding created a more intimate and personal ceremony really focusing on the love Joe and I have for one another. The ceremony was light hearted and fun, perfectly representing Joe and Kristi's  personalities.