Nanina's In The Park: The Wedding of Allie and Giuseppe

We are so excited to share our favorite images from this beautiful wedding. Below are some words from the bride herself about their story and big day:

Giuseppe and I met at his parents restaurant, Marlboro Pizza and Dusals. My friend Michelle had set me up with a part time job there when I was 17. I worked as a waitress and Giuseppe "worked" on the pizza side, though I found as more time passed he spent more time on the dinning side by me =)

I first knew Giuseppe was "the one" in my senior year of college. At this point we had been dating for 5 years and I knew I loved him, but " the one" was not official until then. About a week before I started my senior year I got really sick and no one could figure out what was wrong with me. I was upset and in Rhode Island without Giuseppe or my parents (I don't care what anyone says--it does not matter how old you are, when you are sick, you want your mom).

Giuseppe worked an entire day and then drove to Rhode Island only to pick me up and return to New Jersey. For the following three weeks he basically sat by my bedside, mostly just watching me sleep or cry. Seeing how patient and caring he was really brought our relationship to a new level. At this point " for better or for worse" was very real to me.

Giuseppe proposed at Belvedere Castle in NYC. 

Backstory: On our anniversary (maybe second or third--who knows after ten years) Giuseppe and I got lost in Central Park trying to find the castle. It took so long to find it when we finally got there it was closed and we could not get in. Then fast forward to our eighth anniversary and we were back at the castle. After he proposed on the lower level by the lake a bunch of people on the roof part of the castle started cheering including two of my cousins and my cousin's wife. Actually, the first thing I said to him after "yes" was "Is that Davd?!"

After that my parents, sister, my best friend, and her boyfriend (now husband) surprised us in a limo and drove us home to go out to dinner.

I am most looking forward to making our forever relationship official. I feel like we've felt married for years but theres a big difference from feeling married and being married.

The ceremony space at Nanina's in the Park is incredible. It is dripping with flowers and greenery and crystals and candles. It's truly a site to behold. Allison and Giuseppe incorporated having a chuppah and ketubah as well as a unity candle and breaking the glass, of course. The processional music was "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain, and Allie walked down the aisle to "Marry Me" by Train. The exit song was "No Matter Where You Are" by Us the Duo. Planning the ceremony was, "a village effort. We all worked together to try to pull in pieces from different faiths and personal experiences."

Our family friend Scott, basically my uncle, conducted the ceremony. It's actually a really funny story... We were talking about an interfaith ceremony and as a joke I said Jeanne and Scott should do it, she's Irish Catholic and he's Jewish. Well, upon telling them this brilliant idea, Scott went and got ordained online--I think mostly to just see if he could / to continue the joke. 

But after real consideration we thought, who better to conduct the ceremony then someone who has watched out relationship grow for the last ten+ years?

The bride and groom danced to "I Promise to Love Her" by Blane Howard. The father / daughter dance was to "Landslide" by Stevie Nicks. The mother / son dance was to "Tappeto di Fragola" by Moda. We asked Allie what her favorite part of the reception was, and she said, "I loved watching all my friends from all different walks of life meshing together and enjoying themselves. At one point my college friends from Rhode Island were dancing with Giuseppe's friends from high school--they had never met before but were having a blast in their 'dance off.'"

We asked Allie if she had any advice for couples in the planning process. Here are her answers:

• What inspired you when you were planning your wedding?

  I spent A LOT of time on Pinterest. I personally really love a rustic feel but I think as we progressed through the planning it became more of a romantic, soft feel.

• What was your favorite part of the planning process?

  I am sooooo over the planning process. I guess my favorite part is it being almost over =)

• What was the worst part of the planning process?

  Trying to please everyone. Our families in both culture and faith are very different. It was hard to remain true to what we wanted while also trying to make them happy.

• What advice do you have for other couples in the midst of planning a wedding?
  
  I know everyone says it goes fast but OH MAN the time flies. They should enjoy the time--don't stress over the little things, no one will notice that one picture that you forgot at home.
   
• Do you have any budget tips for other couples?
  
  There will be so many costs at the end you don't even realize exist. To be on the safe side budget an extra one or two thousand dollars for "stuff"
   
• What was the best advice you were given?
  
  Get the hellos done at the cocktail hour--this allowed us to enjoy the party.
   
• If you had it to do over again, is there anything you would do differently?
  
  I wish I took more time to just stand back and watch--it's a blur that goes in a second. I wish I had written down my pictures I wanted, too. At the end of the night we realized a few important shots we missed.

Want to see more from this beautiful wedding? Check out the same day sneak peek we posted during their reception for more photos: http://www.inspiremeimagery.com/blog/sneak-peek-naninas-in-the-park-allison-giuseppe

The bride and groom got ready at:
Renaissance Meadowlands Hotel
801 Rutherford Ave.,
Rutherford, NJ 07070
201-231-3100
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ewrbr-renaissance-meadowlands-hotel/
http://www.facebook.com/RenaissanceMeadowlandsHotel/
https://www.instagram.com/renmeadowlands/

The wedding ceremony and reception took place at:
Nanina's in the Park
540 Mill St.,
Belleville, NJ 07109
(973) 751-1230
info@naninasinthepark.com
http://www.naninasinthepark.com
http://www.facebook.com/Naninasintheparknj
http://www.instagram.com/naninasinthepark_/

The wedding cake was from:
Palermo's Bakery
187 Main St.,
Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660
(201) 641-1654
customersupport@palermobakery.com 
https://palermobakery.com
https://www.facebook.com/PalermosBakery
https://www.instagram.com/palermosbakery/

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