If you love country club weddings as much as I do, you won’t want to miss Jennifer and Jackson’s wedding today! They added an elegant arch to accent those rolling hills and perfectly manicured greens at their ceremony. Simple and stunning. While Jennifer’s Vera Wang dress (the lavishly layered Fern) practically steals the show, I am secretly in love with her dramatic pouf veil which looks like a halo in her wedding portraits!
Jennifer + Jackson | September 21, 2013 | Hamburg, New Jersey | Dress Listing: Vera Wang, Fern
The Ceremony
We chose to do the ceremony and reception at Ballyowen Golf Club. The venue is breathtaking and is part of Crystal Springs Resort, a favorite local getaway for us and our friends. We chose a Friday night because we knew our guests would enjoy not only the evening, but the entire weekend at the resort. We exchanged vows just before sunset atop a viewpoint overlooking the Scottish-style Ballyowen Golf Course, surrounded by rolling farmland, tall wheat-yellow native grasses, and green golf course fairways.
The Reception
Jackson proposed to me in 2010 at the top of the Great Wall of China after carrying the ring all the way up to the top in that tiny, seemingly useless mini-pocket in the front of his jeans. I made a joke about being afraid I’d drop my camera over the side of the Wall. He pulled out the ring and asked, “Do you think you can hold onto this?”
Traditional romance was never our style. To be honest, the thought of planning a wedding was an exhausting nuisance to both of us. We decided to do it anyway. We did it not because we wanted to celebrate our love affair but rather because we wanted to celebrate our lives. This wedding was not about us. It was about family, and by family I mean relatives, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, loved ones, sinners, saints and all of the crazy and amazing people that give our lives so much meaning.
Our wedding was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get them in one room, at one time, for one big party. Our reception was just that – one big party. We held the reception at the Ballyowen Golf Clubhouse and Pavilion. The intimate setting was just steps away from the ceremony site had breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. We watched the sun set and then danced and partied like we never have before.
Jennifer’s Dress Search
I wanted something modern, unusual and sophisticated – a dress that was special because of the design and craftsmanship rather than because of beading, jewels or lace. Many bridal shops did not understand what I was looking for and would show me plain dress after plain dress.
Finally, I found a bridal shop that understood me. I didn’t choose my dress from the rack. The consultant there chose it for me and suggested I try it on. It was love at first try. I wound up going to several other stores and trying many other beautiful gowns, but I always came back to Vera Wang and the Fern gown. My friends and I referred to the dress simply as Fern so often that the event coordinator at my wedding reception thought she was one of the bridesmaids! In a way, she was.
How Jennifer Felt in Her Wedding Dress
Fashion-forward, comfortable and model-esque (this isn’t word, but I’m 5’3” and felt like a supermodel in that dress!)
Why Jennifer Decided to Sell Her Wedding Dress
I had the time of my life in that wedding dress, but I’ve never been one of those people who believe that you need to keep material things for purely sentimental value. It seems like such a sin for my gown to sit in a closet for years on the off chance that someone in my family may want to wear it someday.
It sounds strange but the Fern dress has a personality all its own. She has such great karma that it seems only right to share her with another bride who can appreciate her. It would be such a great honor to know that the gown could make another woman feel as amazing on her wedding day as I did on mine. For that reason alone, I hope someone takes a chance on this stunning dress.
