Of course, I had to include an entry about our wedding! October 11th was our special day. Since fall is my favorite time of the year, I had always imagined a fall wedding. Luckily, TJ was on the same page as me and was all for it. We wanted to have a wedding that was different than the typical ‘reception hall’ wedding. We wanted a wedding that people would, at the very least, remember as a very unique and fun experience.
We chose to get married at the Loft at Jack’s Barn in Oxford, NJ. TJ found this unique location one day while purusing through the internet, searching for the perfect barn wedding. Of course, as soon as I heard about it, I was excited and was ready for a tour. We scheduled a meeting with Darren for my 26th birthday (10/27/13). As soon as we got to the venue, we fell in love. We loved its rustic and romantic feel and it looked beautiful in the fall foliage. We were sold and booked the venue that very day. We did take a tour of another barn, but it didn’t even compare…in our minds at least.
On our actual wedding day, it rained. Go figure… the “Speer curse” in effect again! But, it actually turned out OK! We had planned to have our wedding ceremony on the grounds of an old mansion, that the Scranton family built a long long time ago. We actually had our wedding rehearsal at the mansion and stayed over the night before with our bridal party. But due to rain, we had to change our plans last minute, and we jointly made the call to have the ceremony at Jack’s Barn. I was originally opposed to this idea because I wanted the day to be spread out and have different locations that the guests could enjoy. In the long run, it ended up being perfect. Many guests told us that they loved having the ceremony in the barn and that it made for a very cozy and intimate setting. We were married around 2pm by Pastor Tim Chicola of the Crossing Church in Livingston, NJ.
After the ceremony, there was cocktail hour. This was hosted outside under a giant white tent. By this time the rain had stopped and the sun came out. It actually became nice out. After some eating and cocktails, guests made their way inside the barn. Here we had our first dance together as well as the ‘father daughter’ and ‘mother and son’ dance.
We wanted the inside of the barn to be a surprise to everyone. TJ and I opened the barn doors together to reveal for the first time everything we had been dreaming and planning so hard on for the past year. It was amazing. Breathtaking. I couldn’t have asked for anything better or more beautiful.
The rest of the night was full of great food, fun and dancing. We had so much fun with all of our closest friends and family. It was a day I know TJ and I will NEVER forget. It was exactly what we had imagined….and more. Here are some pictures of our amazing day!
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