Natalie & Carmine

This Crystal Springs wedding located in Hamburg, NJ was an exceptional experience for both me and for my couple Natalie and Carmine. Their September wedding was stunning with its floral focal points and thoroughly thought-out guest experience. Join me as I take you behind the scenes of how their love story began and their special day!

Natalie and Carmine’s journey to the altar had its challenges, starting with a rescheduled proposal due to Covid. When the day finally arrived, a heavy snowfall almost interrupted their day in Somerville, NJ. After Natalie tried convincing Carmine to go home due to the snow, Carmine dropped to one knee, asking Natalie to be his wife. This perfect moment was followed by their closest family and friends celebrating with them at a wine bar nearby.

Choosing a venue is one of the most important parts of planning your wedding day, and for the Cafassos, a Crystal Springs wedding was love at first sight. After a single visit on a sunny day in September, they knew it was the one. No need for endless venue tours—their intuition told them they would have everything they wanted at Crystal Springs.

Narrowing down their vision proved to be the most difficult part in the planning process for Natalie and Carmine. Yet, they maintained the ability to keep things in perspective and support each other through any stresses. The help of their planner, Peony Events, was such an amazing benefit. Aside from the challenges, there were plenty of exciting moments in the planning process such as…

“Planning the florals and the invitations. Our vendors were phenomenal and so much fun to work with! It was so cool to see them take in our ideas and refine them into a clear and beautiful product.” 

– Bride, Natalie

For this couple, creating an experience centered around their guests was a priority. A pre-ceremony bar allowed friends and family to mingle, catch up, and enjoy a drink. This thoughtful touch received positive feedback, illustrating the couple’s commitment to ensuring everyone had a memorable time!

Drawing from their experience, the Cafassos offer a simple piece of advice: don’t stress…

“We tried our best not to worry about the wedding. We knew there were many factors, some of which would be out of our control on the day of, but we also knew that it would be the happiest day of our lives regardless. Whenever one of us sensed the other was beginning to stress or spiral about something, the other helped to put things back in that perspective. In the end, the day was perfect despite any little hiccups! We are so happy we didn’t let ourselves stress because it would not have been worth it anyway!”  – Natalie

From beautiful, detailed florals to a dance party that overcame a fire alarm during the reception, Natalie and Carmine’s September Crystal Springs wedding was absolute perfection. Cheers to the newlyweds.

BRIDE’S PEACH & PIT

Peach: “The ceremony. Standing up there together as Natalie’s brother officiated was pure magic. It was the one time of the day that both of us felt 100% present in the moment. We made sure to look at each other, out into the crowd of our guests, and at the stunning floral arbor around us.”

Pit: “At the end of the night, the fire alarm went off in the ballroom. For about 2 minutes, our guests stood around confused, but then Bryan, our DJ, did not miss a beat. He put on “Fire Burning” by Sean Kingston and the party started back up, even better than before.”

Vendors:

Venue: Crystal Springs Golf Club

Wedding Dress: Aleena Lena Bridal

Bridal Store: Wander Atelier

Groom’s Suit: Indochino

Bridal Shoes: Badgley Mishka

Bridesmaid Dresses: Reformation and Show Me Your Mumu

Florist: Jardiniere Fine Florals

Hair: Jessica Cardona/JC Hair Design

Make Up: Sam/Make Me Up Eva

Wedding Planner: Stacey Sainato/Peony Events

Music: Bryan Festa/Elegant Music Group