“Perfectly Arranged”
Mike and I met online. We had our first date at Olive Lucy’s in Morristown and quickly became inseparable. Two years later, Mike suggested we hike the Stairway to Heaven portion of the Appalachian Trail. At the top, he got down on one knee and asked me to spend forever with him. Of course, I said “Yes!” Our parents were waiting at a nearby winery to celebrate.
We visited two venues. The first was impressive, but the second was Stone House at Stirling Ridge and we were blown away! Wood floors, high ceilings, and outdoor fire pits create a contemporary, rustic vibe for an elegant setting. We loved the unique ballroom and that we could have our cocktail hour on the outdoor patio. We were lucky to work with Carissa DeMarco, banquet director, who is so good at her job she answers your questions before you even knew you had them! She made our wedding concept come to life! Walking into the ballroom the night of our wedding, we were astounded by the attention to every detail I had mentioned.
We were married in the church my parents were married in. I wore my mom’s veil and my dad walked me down the same aisle she walked down 35 years ago. We were honored to be our priest’s first wedding. He prepared a beautiful sermon and helped us pick readings that fit us as a couple.
Our cocktail hour was inside and outside and the farm-to-table food captivated our guests. Everyone is still saying it was the best food they’ve ever had at a wedding. The Austin barbecue station and the Faroe Island salmon carving station were crowd favorites. I loved that the chef worked with us to have mini pizzas and cheddar bacon grass-fed beef sliders. Stephanie Castaneda, our bridal attendant, set up a spread of all the hors d’oeuvres in our bridal suite to ensure we were able to try all the food.
Everything in the ballroom was white and gold with soft pink pops from our flowers. Our florist made stunning centerpieces and Carissa and her team perfectly arranged every single candle, picture frame, and champagne flute. She even made menus for every place setting that matched our invitations. To kick off the reception, Mike and I performed a choreographed dance to “The Best Is Yet to Come,” by Drake White.
Dinner began with a seasonal mixed green salad with apples and toasted pumpkin seeds in a pomegranate vinaigrette, followed by a lemon sorbet. Our guests chose from braised short ribs, a roasted chicken breast, or a vegetarian dish as their entrée. All the food was incredible, but our guests kept raving about the short ribs! Our DJ brought so much energy to our wedding and kept everyone of all ages on the dance floor. Stone House offered butlered sweets as an addition to our custom cake. The deep-fried Oreos and mini vanilla milkshakes were a highlight! The s’mores station by the fire pit was another awesome touch that our guests had a lot of fun with.
We want to thank Carissa Demarco and everyone at Stone House at Stirling Ridge for making sure our wedding was perfect. To Chris Jorda, thank you for joining us on the ice at the hockey rink for our engagement pictures and being so calm and easy to work with the day of our wedding. Thank you to Seng Couture for helping me find my wedding dress and for re-vamping my mom’s veil and wedding gown into a cocktail dress for my bridal shower, and also to Adler’s Jewelers for helping me select the perfect bridesmaid gifts and our beautiful wedding bands. A giant thanks to our parents for supporting us on this adventure and for making the best night of our lives possible!
Stone House Part of the Landmark Collection, Warren, NJ, call/text: 908.418.4186, landmarkvenues.com
“We visited two venues. The first was impressive, but the second was Stone House at Stirling Ridge and we were blown away! Wood floors, high ceilings, and outdoor fire pits create a contemporary, rustic vibe for an elegant setting. We loved the unique ballroom and that we could have our cocktail hour on the outdoor patio.
