Meg and Scott Wed at Congress Hall

Meg and Scott hosted an incredibly gorgeous seaside wedding at Congress Hall in Cape May, New Jersey. We are total suckers for East Coast style, and this wedding features a fresh take on nautical chic. Meg works in fashion, so it’s no surprise that her dress hails from our favorite bridal boutique: Gabriella New York Bridal Salon. Turning Scott’s old surf board into a guest book are what kept the wedding incredibly personal and fun! We know you’ll love the rest of the story alongside images by Kelly Kollar.

What made the wedding special and unique?

All we really wanted was for our day to feel “real” and reflective of us: fun, relaxed, and natural; a special celebration with all of our loved ones in one place at one time. Ultimately, we ended up right where we started, in Cape May, NJ. The historic beach town was the perfect blend of destination and proximity, and Congress Hall has long been one of our favorite spots for dinner and drinks during long weekends down the shore.

What were some touched added to make it personal?

Our vendors felt like an extension of our family and friends, we were so lucky to work with such talented people who really made our vision come to life in the most perfect way. We hired our amazing photographer, Kelly Kollar, a close friend of the family with an incredible talent for taking beautiful, sun-drenched photos. We secured our band, a friend from high school and his buddy, who if you listened with your eyes closed, could be mistaken for Mumford and Sons. And we were honored that Scott’s long time family friend, was willing to officiate our ceremony.

We wanted to put a lot of our own touches into the wedding, too, so away we went with DIY projects. Our (very short and sweet) ceremony was written by Scott and myself; all of the menus were printed and chalkboard written by me and my secret love of typography; our favors included freshly baked scones, made and packaged by my mom; my dad crafted the coolest directional sign for the outside lawn; and our sign-in board was one of Scott’s old surfboards, transformed by white spray paint and gold sharpie markers.

Tell us more about your gown and how/where you found it. We’d also love to know any guidance you gave your bridesmaids about their dresses.

Aahhh the dress… I work in fashion, so obviously I was after the perfect look that was both stunning and unique. I originally wanted to buy a contemporary dress and turn it into a “wedding” dress. I was aiming for something low key, and I didn’t want to go crazy dress shopping. Then, I went to Gabriella’s in NYC, and I was toast. I had originally wanted something simple, understated, and as un-wedding dress-like as possible. But from the moment I put on that fluffy tulle Reem Acra gown, all bets were off. It was the first dress I tried, and the one I couldn’t get out of my head. I went back and bought it two weeks later.

As for my bridesmaids, I happen to have amazingly stylish friends who all have such beautiful taste. I knew without hesitation that I would forgo the matching dress option, and let my friends pick their own looks. I think they were more organized than I was when it came to providing direction – I provided a neutral color palette – blush, ivory, champagne, taupe, gold, etc. – and the rest was all them!

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The day of our wedding, a hurricane was headed towards the south Jersey shore. About 30 minutes before our ceremony began, rain covered our fully set-up lawn nuptials. The funniest part was, at that point, we really couldn’t have cared less. To us, the day was perfect. Our family and friends huddled together for a last minute ceremony under the veranda that was cozy, intimate, and beautiful – exactly what we had hoped for.

How did you two meet and how did he propose?

Scott and I met in college at The College of New Jersey. We both played sports and as fellow athletes, we were part of the same large social circle.

We were introduced by a friend, and very naturally, we just started spending more and more time together – the rest is history! We live in Hoboken, and Scott had a grand plan of proposing mid-run along the Hudson River. However, he later confessed, that the thought of asking me to spend the rest of my life with him in public, in front of all of the other post-work runners, was absolutely terrifying! He ended up (completely) surprising me on a random Wednesday night when I returned home from work – with a bouquet of flowers and one knee in our cozy apartment, and a yummy celebratory dinner with family at our favorite local restaurant after I said “yes!”