All Photos by Marie Labbancz
Today my husband and I celebrate our 4 year wedding anniversary! So, on the blog I wanted to share some of my favorite wedding memories with you!
Mike and I wanted to have a beach wedding, so after visiting a bunch of venues a family member suggested that we check out Congress Hall in Cape May because of how unique their ballroom was. We took the trip down for a tour and fell in love with both Congress Hall and Cape May, a beautiful, quaint shore town.
We opted for an early October wedding, in hopes that the summer crowds would have departed and the weather would be turning to that crisp fall air we love. You just can’t beat the fall at the beach! We got extremely lucky and it turned out to be a beautiful, unseasonably warm and sunny day.
I started the day by getting ready in Congress Hall’s beautiful bridal suite. The colors in that room pop and make for such gorgeous photos. I felt so girly!
Guests gathered on the front lawn of Congress Hall for the ceremony. Mike and I did a first look prior to the ceremony because we were way to excited for cocktail hour to miss it!
After the ceremony guests enjoyed our signature cocktail- The Manhattan, passed hors d’oeuvres and a slider and pasta bar under the veranda. Some guests chose to play the custom corn hole game, while others sat in Congress Hall’s Adirondack chairs and took in the views of the beach.
The ballroom at Congress Hall has a lot going on and that is what we loved about it. It’s full of personality from the checkered floor to the teal walls and black chandeliers. We chose to do simple centerpieces that alternated between flowers and lanterns with starfish. Our table numbers were silver wood cut outs. Menus were placed on each table along with salt water taffy from Cape May’s famous Fralinger’s Salt Water Taffy.
Guests danced the night away as our AMAZING band, Richard Bascomb & Phase One, played music we loved. We had a photo booth that also served as a guest book- one strip for guests, one for the book with a note. Reading through the notes after our wedding and seeing all of the silly pictures was such a fun way to relive the night.
Instead of cake, we chose red velvet cupcakes and a candy bar for guests to grab a sweet treat on their way out. At the end of the reception, we joined our friends and family outside for some cigars before heading into the basement bar, the Boiler Room, at Congress Hall to keep the party going.
We loved that with Congress Hall our friends and family could enjoy our ceremony, reception, after party and evening accommodations all in one place. For guests who didn’t want to sleep at Congress Hall, there were tons of hotel options in walking distance. There is also so much to do in the area including a lighthouse to visit, shopping and some wineries. We have enjoyed returning to Cape May for weekend getaways and can’t wait until our next stay at Congress Hall.
Thank you to all of our very talented vendors who helped make our wedding so special!
Venue: Congress Hall
Photographer: Marie Labbancz- Art of Love
Entertainment: Craig Scott Entertainment
Florist Manic Botanic
Hair: Bella Angel
Makeup: Beke Beau
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