Alyssa + Brians Bear Brook Valley Wedding
I could not have asked for a better way to personally kick off my 2021 wedding season than Alyssa and Brians Bear Brook Valley Wedding. This wedding venue is hands down one of my favorite in New Jersey!
Prep and First Look
We arrived right as the girls were getting the finishing touches of their hair and makeup and got started photographing all of the pretty little details. The bridal suite at Bear Brook Valley is stunning and I just had to hang here dress from the amazing chandelier!
The weather was not ideal and it started to rain right before the first look. We had planned on the using the bridge but decided to stay dry and have the first look under the carport instead. Thankfully, the rain cleared and we were eventually able to use the grounds of Bear Brook Valley for our backdrop for their wedding portraits!
The Wedding Ceremony and details
Officiated by a dear friend, the wedding ceremony was heartfelt, personal, and humorous. It was so much fun to hear the vows they wrote to one another that were full of jokes and laughter.
Their vision was rustic elegance with a neutral color palette and lots of greenery and , in my opinion, they nailed it. They incorporated small personal details that reflected who they are such as their custom drink sign. The day was filled with love and they were surrounded by their favorite people in the best dance party I have seen in quite some time.
My Favorite Moment
Perhaps my favorite part of the night was when we took the newlyweds outside just before cake cutting for a few sparkler photos! Thankfully, I was able to freeze the the completely unscripted moment they jumped up with sparklers.
Notes From The Bride and Groom
What was your favorite moment from the wedding day ?
There are so many to choose from, but being announced as husband and wife was the absolute best feeling. Walking back down the aisle as a married couple and having our closest friends and family members cheering us on was incredible. I’ve never felt more loved or happier than in that moment. The entire day was a dream come true.
What made you choose to host a Bear Brook Valley Wedding?
So, this is a funny story. It was January 2020 and we had been living in Europe for about 2 years. I was getting antsy because I know how early you need to book your wedding in NJ. I convinced Brian to just lookat venues while we were home for the Holidays even though we weren’t engaged yet. I had a specific vision: “rustic elegant” with NO carpet and tons of outdoor space so I was already pretty in love with Bear Brook Valley. The gorgeous bridal suite was the last room on our tour and as we walked in Brian dropped down to one knee and asked me to marry him. He even had my 3 best friends hiding there to surprise me and the staff was ready with celebratory champagne. We formed a strong emotional attachment to Bear Brook Valley and of course wanted it to be the place where we would say “I do”. Not to mention the food!!
If you could give one piece of advice to another couple planning their wedding what would it be?
Don’t forget the day is about the two of you! We tried to make decisions that really reflected who we are as a couple and would make us happy. We asked one of our best friends to officiate for us and wrote our own vows; we were both non-stop smiling and laughing at the altar. We loved that it didn’t feel too serious.
My other advice is to choose vendors not only based on their work, but based on how much you like them. You’ll spend a lot of time with them and need to trust them! Kate and the OffBEET team made us feel so at ease and managed our entire wedding day schedule for us. We loved all of our vendors so much and we were relaxed all day thanks to them – and especially the team at Bear Brook Valley.
What was your favorite part of wedding planning ?
Dress shopping! I always dreamed about the first time I would get to try on wedding dresses. I was so worried that I wouldn’t get the full experience due to COVID, but luckily, my amazing bridal party arranged the perfect day. We had a private appointment at FBM Bridal so we could all be there, along with my mom and future mother-in-law. I tried on at least 10 different gowns and had so much fun figuring out what I liked. Brian’s favorite part of wedding planning was getting custom suits made for the groomsmen and our dads. So I guess you could say we didn’t love the actual planning too much 😉
Alyssa and Brian during their first look at their Bear Brook Valley Wedding
Every Bear Brook Valley wedding needs photos showing off the amazing venue in the background.
Check Out more of our Bear Brook Valley Weddings Here
Venue | Bear Brook Valley
Photography + Video | Off BEET Productions
Florist | The Flower Bar
Makeup | Kelly McGee-Butler
Hair |Bombshell Hair Bar
DJ | JB Pro Live
Bridal Gown | Maggie Sottero Designs
Bridal Shop | FBM Bridal Boutique
Bridesmaids Gowns| Dessy Group
Off BEET Productions is a boutique wedding event group located in the NJ/NY area and serving destination weddings worldwide. We specialize in natural, candid lifestyle photography; fun and playful music videos; unique wedding DJ entertainment; and a stylish, open air photo booth.
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