Meet Christina and Jake.

I have been lucky enough to know Christina for the last 7 years, once every 5 weeks I sit down in Christina’s salon chair and we talk about life. Her recent travels, my wedding stories, Greys Anatomy and everything in between.

After 5 years of our monthly-ish meetings the words finally came.

“I met a guy,” she said. My jaw may have actually hit the floor. There’s a look someone gets when they’ve met their one. She had the look.

Jake came into the picture and things changed, for the good. Each hair touch up he checked boxes, crossed ‘t’s and dotted ‘I’s.

Christina and Jake had a trip to Ireland booked for what seemed like forever. (Thanks COVID)

After several postponements, a few dozen itinerary tweaks and a million google searches on Ireland’s COVID restrictions March 2022 rolled around and the two made the trip across the pond. Before she left my planner senses started tingling and I knew a very important question was going to be asked and a very important ring was going to live on a very important finger.

I was right.

The two knew they wanted to move quickly with wedding planning and I entered the chat. Over the next 7 months texts flew back and forth, venue and vendors were secured and her bridesmaids killed the prep and decor game.

November finally came.

One thing you will learn about me VERY Quickly Is I am sucker for a November wedding, specifically at the Jersey Shore. Something about the month has such a hold on me, I can safely tell you the sunsets have a lot to do with it.

I FINALLY got to meet Jake. I know. How I planned his wedding without meeting him is wild, but he is everything Christina said he was and man are they in love.

Christina and Jake said their I do in front of 80 of their friends and family at Tuckahoe inn in Beesley’s Point New Jersey.

Thoughtful touches were laced through the night but one of my favorites was a simple line in a song.

Both Christina and Jake’s fathers past before their wedding day. During final detail Christina tells me about an Ellie Goulding song, How long will I love you, if you don’t know it, go look it up. I will put it on my top 10 must underused loves songs. This is the song she wants to walk down the aisle to, and it was for one line.

“How long will I hold you? As long as your father told you,”

*Cue tears. Done. I’m weak.*

Christina wanted this line to be played as she was walking toward him. It was at 1:16 in the song, and of course we like everything that happens in the beginning of the song, so we were not going to fade it in at that moment.

I was going to make this happen. Before they came for rehearsal I walked the ceremony timed it out and prayed Christina wouldn’t fast walk it down the aisle.

Shout out to DJ Ralph for watching me like a hawk for the cue because I used every second to fluff and lay her dress and veil knowing when I needed to send her down. They opted to not do a first look so when she turned down the aisle they saw each other for the first time as the word “father” came through the speakers.

That right there, is why I do this. For the chills for the moment that half of the room probably didn’t know about but it meant the world to those two people standing in front of them.

Fun Behind The Scenes Story

During rehearsal, I went through my normal speech and prepped the wedding party for what to expect to come out of my mouth on Saturday.

“Before going down the aisle I’ll ask you Josh, (the best man) do you have the rings,”

I got the look, the ‘who forgets the rings’ look. It’s probably the same look you’re giving me right now.

An hour before guest arrival I was in the Groom’s Loft and I asked the question well before I normally ask.

“Josh do you have the rings?” He looks at Jake, who goes ghostly white.

“They are sitting on the dining room table at the apartment.” I thought he was kidding because it was made such a point at rehearsal, when I realized he wasn’t kidding he had already convinced me he could make it there and back in an hour. We hide Christina away, avoiding giving a reason as to why it was so important for Jake to leave right that moment.

During the reception Jake, starting the marriage with a clean slate tells her the story of the nearly forgotten rings. She took it much better than I would have, and honestly I was prepared to bring the little blip to the grave. I just would never be able to talk anything wedding with Christina ever again. So glad I can talk about it on the blog.

Wishing these two a lifetime of adventures, love and stories of nearly forgotten rings.

But also, this November sky.

Credits

Photography: Bewitching Beauty Photography

Venue : Tuckahoe Inn

Entertainment : DJ Ralph