Stefanie + Joseph’s Wedding at the Crystal Ballroom

Stefanie and Joseph tied the knot on July 23^rd, 2023 in Freehold, NJ. It was a beautiful summer day – the sun was shining and the skies were clear. The couple exchanged vows and said ‘I do’ in our outdoor patio and celebrated their reception in our Crystal Ballroom. We had the opportunity to interview them on their love story and reflect on their wedding day. Here’s what they told us!

the bride and groom posed outside in the courtyard

Their Story

Stefanie was childhood friends with Joseph’s sister-in-law. Without Joseph knowing, his sister-in-law shared a photo of him to Facebook and wrote that he was single. Stefanie saw the post, commented and the rest was history!

Their Proposal

Joseph planned a very romantic proposal. The pair was at a friend’s house in Brick that overlooked the water. During the nighttime firework show, Joseph got down on one knee and asked Stefanie to marry him.

Their Wedding Day

After getting engaged, the couple immediately began planning the big day. They chose the Crystal Ballroom in Freehold, NJ as it was an extremely affordable option. “There was so much included in the package,” Stefanie expressed. The couple was able to stay well within their budget while planning the wedding of their dreams.

the balrrom set with white tablecloths, pink napkins, floral centerpieces and pink lighting.

The couple chose a dusty-rose color scheme and incorporated tons of summer florals. The ballroom was set beautifully with rose-colored lighting, napkins and menu cards. Their wedding menu was incredibly delicious. The cocktail hour had a beautiful 360-display of cheese, crackers, meats and breads. Guests enjoyed a variety of passed hors d’ oeuvres, buffet stations and a meat carving station. Guests had a choice of three entrees including steak, chicken and salmon. Throughout the night, bartenders were serving up signature cocktails named after the couple’s pups, Peppino and Lily. The Peppino was a Manhattan and the Lily was a classic margarita.

Stefanie’s wedding dress was Britney made by Maggie Sottero. “I knew it was the one after I saw it on the mannequin in the store,” Stefanie reminisced. It was a beautiful A-line dress with blush-rose and ivory appliques throughout the gown. The neckline was an off the shoulder style and the veil was cathedral length with matching applique flowers.

the bride posed in the hallway showing off her long veil and train.

As always, every wedding has little things that don’t go according to plan. During the ceremony, Stefanie couldn’t get the ring on Joseph’s finger, but everyone got a light-hearted laugh! Some of their favorite wedding day moments included their first look outside, their first dance and celebrating with all their family and friends. Stefanie and Joseph danced to ‘Baby I’m Yours’ by Arctic Monkeys.

the groom dips the bride and they pose for a photo in the center of the dancefloor.

The night wasn’t over when the reception concluded, many of the guests stayed over at the hotel and celebrated afterwards. “The hotel room block was so convenient,” Stefanie shared. Guests continued the celebration in the hotel restaurant, The Winner’s Circle, and got to see the couple again the next morning before departing.

“We had an amazing day, and everyone at the Crystal Ballroom was so friendly and helpful and just made our day so special.” Stefanie reminisced.

the bride and groom cut their vanilla cake