Pendry Natirar Wedding : Jamie & Jordan : Peapack, NJ
Some ceremonies feel written for their setting, and this one was. As the sun dropped low over the Somerset County hills, mist settling into the valley below, Jamie and Jordan stood beneath a chuppah heavy with garden roses, hydrangea, and delphinium, the kind of arrangement that looked like it had grown there. Rabbi Ethan Prosnit officiated, guests in yarmulkes filling rows of white folding chairs on the terrace, the view behind them doing most of the talking. Before the ceremony, the two signed the ketubah with their families gathered close, laughing through the nerves. They walked back out as married to "For Once in My Life," a Stevie Wonder recessional that set the tone for the night that followed.
Cocktail hour brought smoked salmon canapés stacked on crisps and scattered with microgreens and edible flowers, and portraits on the property while the light held. Then it was into the ballroom, where greenery and string lights hung low over long tables dressed in blush and lavender, candlelight doing the rest of the work. Every detail in that room ran on schedule and without a hitch, courtesy of Carrie Gold. Troy Curtis Entertainment kept the room moving from the first dance on — "How Sweet It Is" for Jamie and Jordan, "Blue Sky" for the father-daughter dance, Tina Turner for mother and son. Toasts landed somewhere between funny and full of feeling, the kind that get quoted back at Thanksgiving for years.
The hora took over the floor not long after, guests circling and lifting chairs, and by the time the night wound down into the mezinka, flower crowns were making their way around the room — laughter, not tradition, driving most of it. A three-tier cake, simple and pearled, waited its turn at the edge of the dance floor. Signature drinks made their rounds all night: a dirty vodka martini for Jordan, a paloma for Jamie, both a fitting shorthand for two people who know exactly what they like.
By the end of the night, the ballroom had that particular kind of chaos that means a wedding went well — ties loosened, shoes off, everyone still on the floor. Somerset County obliged with a soft, pink sky to send them off.
Vendor Credits
Photography: Brian Hatton Photography
Videography: Frank Ahn Films
Venue: Pendry Natirar
Florist & Decor: David Mitchell Fine Events
Band: Troy Curtis Entertainment
Lighting & Planning: Carrie Gold Events
Hair: Brittany Roveda
Makeup: Cara Gardner
Photo Booth: BNEvent Group
Rentals: Broadway Party Rental
Stationery: Etched in Sloane
Crystal Plaza Wedding : Marnie & Brandon : Livingston, NJ
Marnie & Brandon were married in April at Crystal Plaza: a converted turn-of-the-century mansion in Livingston, NJ — over thirty crystal chandeliers, a gold-detailed ceiling, a round marble dance floor. For a Jewish wedding with big families and a full evening of dancing, it's nearly impossible to beat.
The day started the evening before, at Orange Lawn Tennis Club in South Orange for the rehearsal dinner. By the time wedding morning arrives, the families already know each other a little better, the nerves have been burned off, and everything runs warmer.
Planner Carrie Gold of Carrie Gold Events has been with Marnie's family for twenty-five years — she planned Marnie's bat mitzvah, and here she was again for the wedding. That kind of history is rare, and you feel it in how a day like this runs. Carrie brought me on board, and the day reflected her in every detail.
The morning began with Marnie's father David seeing her before anyone else. He came through the door and just stopped. Marnie reached out to steady him and he laughed, which made it worse, which made it better. Her mother was around the corner wiping her eyes before it was even over.
Ceremony was in The Atrium — Crystal Plaza's glass-skylighted upper space. Pedestals built a chuppah that ran wall to wall: hot pink, magenta, purple, coral — roses, orchids, ranunculus, cherry blossom. The aisle matched it all the way to the front. Steve Rimland performed live, Marnie processed in to "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" on violin, and Rabbi Amar officiated. The ketubah signing was warm and surrounded — both families crowded close, hands held.
Portraits moved between the atrium and The Vault downstairs — low ceilings, dark paneling, a wall of wine bottles — which photographs completely differently than the ballroom and gives the set a nice range.
Pedestals scaled everything up for the reception: towering centerpieces, taper candles, rose petals, hot pink and deep red against all that gold and crystal. Unique Musique had the floor moving from the first song. Brandon dipped Marnie at the end of their first dance and the room erupted — flower girls front row, completely losing it. The hora ran long. David ended up in the air, arm raised, fully committed. After party until 1:30am.
The cake cutting: Marnie smashed it into Brandon's face with full conviction. His reaction said he probably had it coming.
Congratulations, Marnie and Brandon!
