Gerry and I met while working for the same company. We bonded sharing stories of our kids’ sporting events and achievements. After a few years Gerry left the company, but we stayed in contact and realized that what we had nurtured was more than just friendship. Living near the Jersey Shore, our romance blossomed over many bike rides to the beach, walks along the surf and drinks at the many seaside establishments.
At the beginning of 2018, Gerry accepted an opportunity with an investment firm that brought him up to Saratoga Springs. Our very first experience was searching for an apartment in the midst of Chowder Fest. With the temperature in the 20s there was no mistaking this for the beach, however, there was an excitement and vibe that felt so very familiar. Within the year, I moved to Saratoga to be with Gerry and we started our new life up north.
Walking home from dinner through Congress Park one September evening in 2019, Gerry led us over to the Spirit of Life Statue. We sat on the bench admiring the setting with the beautiful flowers surrounding the lagoon when Gerry took a knee and asked me to marry him. It was a wonderful Saratoga moment.
I knew right away I wanted to have “Saratoga” as the theme of our wedding, introducing all our family and friends to our new home. To do this, the very first thing I did was reserve a date at the Canfield Casino. From there, despite the challenges of the pandemic, and with the great help of our wedding planner and all the wonderful service providers, our perfect Saratoga wedding took place. It was a magical day!
DETAILS:
Wedding Date June 26
Location The Canfield Casino
Photographer Anna Cascio Photography
Wedding Gown Pronovia
Hair & Makeup Make Me Fabulous
Groom's Attire Mark Thomas Men's Apparel
Groom's Barber Jeremiah Cregan of Saving Face Barbershop of Saratoga Springs
Rings N. Fox Jewelers
Flowers Lisa Flowers, West Sand Lake
Stationery Suite PaperDolls of Saratoga
Wedding Planner Shannon Whitney Anson, Wedding Planning Plus
Event Decorator Lisa Flowers and Shannon Whitney Anson
Caterer Nicole's Catering
Cake Ice Cream Wedding Cake by Ben & Jerry's, Mini Cupcakes by Katie Cassidy-Callahan
DJ or Band Saratoga Sound DJ
First Dance "Stand by Me/More Than a Woman"
Special Touches...
- Cocktails the night before at West Side Sports Bar & Grill
- Breakfast the day after at The Gideon Putnam
- Dance lessons at Arthur Murray of Saratoga Springs (which we're still doing!)
- Most of our guests were from out of town so the goody bags had local products: Saratoga Chips & Saratoga Water from Eddy's Beverage, Saratoga Chocolate bars from Saratoga Chocolate Co. and a map of prominent points of interest.
Advice to pass along...
Plan ahead, be flexible and flow with the challenges of the pandemic. There will be things that will go wrong but in the end it will all turn out beautifully.
