“I didn’t want a long engagement, so right away I started researching venues. In the back of my mind I remembered an amazing wedding Dennis and I had been to at The Brownstone. We loved the food, and my friend had only good things to say about her experience, so we decided to go for a walk-through.
“Seeing The Brownstone made us feel like all the stars aligned. The ballroom is gorgeous with brand new luminous chandeliers and was large enough to accommodate our wedding. The staff was so accommodating, and Albert Manzo, the owner, was ready to make everything I wanted a reality. I was at the venue every week in the months leading up to our wedding and Al was always there, ready to work with me through the whole process.”
Their Vendors
Ceremony: Church of the Most Blessed Sacrament
Reception: The Brownstone, 973.595.8582, www.thebrownstone.com
Gown: Rue De Seine
Tux: Ammar Belal
Photographer: Rob Yaskovic
Cinematographer: Kramer Films, 973.219.0316, https://kramer.life
Makeup & Hair: DeeVa Beauty
Florist: Blooms of Elegance
Cake: The Brownstone
Band: Dexter Lake Club Band
Jeweler: John Paradiso Jewelry
Dennis and I knew each other for almost 10 years before we started dating. When we first met, I was young and looking to keep things light, but we always kept in touch as friends. Three years ago, Dennis asked me on a date, and after a night of bowling, I knew this man was the one for me.
The first time he met my family was at our annual outing to find a Christmas tree, so when Dennis proposed to me there last December, it was more beautiful and sentimental than I could’ve imagined. There was a fresh blanket of snow on the ground and as we were searching for this year’s tree, we came upon a tree that was already decorated, with a sign saying, “Will you marry me?” Both our entire families were there and we sat around the tree celebrating with champagne and warm cider.
I didn’t want a long engagement, so right away I started researching venues. In the back of my mind I remembered an amazing wedding Dennis and I had been to at The Brownstone. We loved the food, and my friend had only good things to say about her experience, so we decided to go for a walk-through. We called Albert Manzo, the owner, and he told us they had a cancellation in October and could fit us in. Seeing The Brownstone made us feel like all the stars aligned. The ballroom is gorgeous with brand new luminous chandeliers and was large enough to accommodate our wedding. The staff was so accommodating, and Al was ready to make everything I wanted a reality. I was at the venue every week in the months leading up to our wedding and Al was always there, ready to work with me through the whole process.
We held our ceremony at Most Blessed Sacrament and arrived at The Brownstone earlier than expected. This was no problem. Everything was set up within five minutes and I felt no stress at all. We had taken some photos at a wildlife reserve, but there were so many beautiful backdrops at The Brownstone that we made sure to take advantage of them as well. The cocktail hour was held in the ballroom on the beautiful dance floor. We had a raw bar station, a station with fresh mozzarella, a Kobe beef slider station, and a meats and cheese station. The food was extensive and delicious!
The venue has a very traditional feel, and I was so impressed by the transformation of the room into our unique, simplistic, natural ambiance. We wanted things to be very minimal and the opulence of the ballroom allowed me to do that without the room feeling empty. All the tables had a few tall and short candles, lemons, artichokes, and blood oranges all arranged among the greenery in a beautiful tablescape. For music, we had a band that played at a friend’s wedding and no matter what genre of music they played, they sounded amazing and kept the huge dance floor packed all night.
I wanted the food at our reception to be more cocktail style than a sit-down dinner, so we had a buffet with fried calamari, braised short ribs, chicken tenders, sliders, pasta, and so much more. I loved it because the party never had to stop for food and people could just eat at their own time. To go with our minimalistic vibes, we had a “naked” cake, which my florist spruced up with some succulents and greenery. We showed The Brownstone just one picture of what we wanted and that was all they needed to make it perfect. I can’t say enough how accommodating everyone at The Brownstone was; from the maître d’ to the bridal assistant and the individual waiters, everyone was always right there anticipating our needs.
We would like to thank Al for everything he did. No job was too small for his attention and no idea was too big for him to create. We’d also like to thank the rest of The Brownstone staff for how smoothly our whole day went and for treating our guests like royalty. We’re so happy with our choice that we know we’ll have other functions there someday. To our friends and family, thank you so much for being there to celebrate our day with us. It wouldn’t have been the same without each and every one of you!
The Brownstone, Paterson, NJ, 973.595.8582, thebrownstone.com
