A wedding night full of “custom” surprises 

Every girl dreams of her wedding. And Carly, a Montclair, NJ native, wanted her special day to stay close to home but with all new exciting and personal touches.

The bride met her future groom, Brendan, at a mixer on their first day at St. Lawrence University. Seven years later, he got down on one knee on the beach in Mantoloking, NJ, and soon after, the couple got to work creating their perfect day. The couple had 10 months to create a customized event for 300 of their closest friends and family.

When deciding on the venue, the couple chose to have their reception at the Upper Montclair Country Club in Upper Montclair, NJ, where the bride grew up going with her family. But it was really the golf course, a special place for Carly’s family, where they wanted their reception to take place. ASE brought in engineers to craft a custom tent from California in the middle of the course with a raised carpeted Bil-jax floor decorated with a white dance floor and the couple’s signature monogram transflex. The custom-designed monogram became a signature element of the event, appearing on the carpet, runner and embroidery throughout the event space and used as a subtle lighting pattern reflected inside and outside the custom tent.

Following their ceremony at the Union Congregational Church in Montclair, Carly and Brendan headed to the reception venue in a vintage Rolls Royce for an unforgettable evening. Inside the tent, Carly and Brendan’s fuchsia and bright green color palette was carefully woven into every detail. From the bridesmaids’ dresses to the flowers, fabrics and décor, they utilized every opportunity to make their wedding unique

As the sun went down, a 12-piece New York City band kept the party going. The evening couldn’t get any better — until the mother of the bride invited all of the guests outside for a surprise she planned. As guests gathered near the tent, the sky lit up with a private fireworks display in pink and green over the golf course. But there was another surprise. A Katy Perry look-alike appeared, singing her hit single, appropriately titled “Firework.” 

Dessert was a special treat that evening. One of Martha Stewart’s favorite bakers, Wendy Kromer, whipped up a six-tier vanilla cake with vanilla Swiss-meringue buttercream that was delivered from Ohio. The cake was designed to reflect the bride's beaded, English-custom dress. And there was a dessert to represent Brendan, as well — a groom’s cake decorated with his college lacrosse jersey and stick in the school team’s colors, bearing his number #24.

 Other special touches included a photo booth, sign-in banner and a wedding mad-libs booth. And the evening wouldn’t have been complete without a s’mores station and candy bar stocked with the couple’s favorites. Guests relaxed around fire pits in Adirondack chairs to enjoy the treats and create even more fun memories.

Carly and Brendan wanted to keep the celebration going with an after-party. And their guests didn’t have to travel far. The after party was a few steps away on the golf course in its own custom tent, complete with cocktails and rolled cigars with vintage, monogrammed matchbooks.

Before leaving for the evening, each guest was given a specially-made lemongrass candle with the couple’s monogram. It was the perfect favor to tie in the décor and Carly and Brendan’s personal touch. The following morning, guests attended a brunch at the bride’s home, incorporating the wedding day colors and themes, to close out this momentous occasion.