Their Story
Kelly and Drew first met on Bumble in April 2022. “It can be difficult on the apps,” Kelly explains. “We talked for a while before our first date.” Drew went to Florida for three weeks prior to their first date and while getting to know each other, they worked together on crosswords he was doing on the beach. “I love crosswords and it became a theme in our relationship,” Kelly adds. “When he came back, we had our first date at a coffee shop and made up for lost time by talking until closing. Early dating was slow for us since I just moved to Hoboken and he was in South Brunswick, but eventually we saw more and more of each other and became serious.”
Will You Marry Me?
The couple got engaged on June 22, 2024, in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. “Every summer my family takes a week-long vacation at the end of June, and we went out to dinner on the first night,” Kelly says. “I thought we were celebrating the family being together before the arrival of my nephew later that October.” After dinner, Drew proposed at Kelly’s favorite beach. Although she knew it was coming soon, she was very surprised. “He had been planning the engagement for two-plus months—he even prepared a PowerPoint presentation to ask my dad’s permission including a detailed plan for the day of and contingencies in case of weather or travel changes,” she adds. “Drew’s parents, sister and brother-in-law drove up early that morning, and it was a wonderful surprise to have them there.”
Details of the Day
Kelly and Drew were married on September 20, 2025, at St. Vincent Martyr Church in Madison, NJ, with their reception following at the Park Avenue Club in Florham Park. They wanted a clean, coastal, simple design with blues and other light colors that felt like they could lean Summer or Fall. “Blue is my favorite color, and Drew and I both love the beach, so we wanted the colors of the wedding to reflect that but also the time of year in late September,” Kelly explains.
Drew’s grandfather Frank drove the couple in his 1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, a tradition spanning three generations. Drew’s mother, aunt and sister all rode to their weddings in it. “It was very special to have him drive us in a car that meant so much to him,” Kelly says.
Almost everything for the wedding was DIYed by the bride: save-the-dates, welcome bags, Sip & Solve crossword puzzle, playing cards that functioned as a guest book, signage, table cards, and the overall theme and vibe for the flowers, décor and setup of the venue.
“The cake was included with our package at Park Avenue Club, and we chose the Lemon Blueberry because it was simply amazing,” Kelly adds. “The flowers were exactly what I wanted—Catherine Cotter at Jardiniere is a genius!”
Drew wanted to give his mom and Kelly’s dad a handkerchief with a special note embroidered on it, so Kelly decided to give him one before he saw her at the altar as well. “We wrote handwritten notes for each other while getting ready, and Drew surprised me with tickets to see Callum Scott, who sings our First Dance song ‘You Are The Reason.’”
Kelly wore a necklace on her wedding day that belonged to her great-grandmother. “It was a very special detail and it looked perfect with my dress,” Kelly says.
It was important for the couple to have personal touches clearly visible at their wedding. “We chose a Sip & Solve Crossword with clues about our love story and our favorite things for our guests to answer, a guest book of playing cards because we love games, and travel-themed table names with photos of where we’ve been,” Kelly explains.
They tried to match the table names to their guests, like Cape Cod for Kelly’s family, Brigantine for Drew’s family, and special places they visit in the summer. “We introduced our parents to the song ‘In the Air Tonight,’ by Phil Collins because my dad loves the song,” Kelly adds, “especially the famous drum solo, and it was a nice surprise for him.” They curated the hotel welcome bags themselves, full of their favorite snacks: peanut butter pretzels for Drew and peanut M&Ms for Kelly.
“We also made our own homebrew beer for the rehearsal dinner— Kelly & Drew’s “I Do Brew,” which was an American wheat ale with a hint of orange like a Blue Moon,” Kelly explains. “We made the labels ourselves in Canva, my favorite tool!”
Their signature drinks at the reception—the “Loyola-rita” and the “Mugz Mule”—were named in honor of their alma maters, Loyola University Maryland and Fordham University.
Why Did You Choose Park Avenue Club?
Kelly and Drew chose Park Avenue Club because it was a simple, beautiful space and it was very close to their church and hotel. “It was really important to us to make the guest experience as smooth as possible,” Kelly explains.
Favorite Moment
“It’s so hard to pick just one moment!” Kelly says. “The entire day was amazing, but I have to say one of my favorite parts was right after Drew and I were introduced while our entrance song ‘September,’ by Earth, Wind & Fire was still playing. All our friends and family were in one room and they were so excited for us and happy to be there to celebrate. Nothing topped that moment knowing you married your best friend and had the rest of the night to celebrate with the people you love most.”
Favorite Detail
“The first decision we made after the venue, was booking the band,” Kelly explains. “It was the most important thing to Drew and I, and it made all the difference. Craig Scott Band absolutely crushed it. They listened to all our requests—there were many—and knew exactly the kind of music and flow for the night that we wanted. The dance floor was packed all night, and we received so many compliments on how great they were.”
Honeymoon
Kelly and Drew went to Croatia for 12 days and worked with Abby Adams of Journeys Yacht & Travel to plan the trip. “We spent three and a half days in Dubrovnik exploring the Old Town and Game of Thrones filming locations,” Kelly explains. “Then we spent four and a half days in Hvar, going to the beach, swimming in the Adriatic, doing a local hike and exploring the fortress. The food and wine were amazing.” They then spent three days in Split touring Diocletian’s Palace, local shops, restaurants and the coast. They flew direct into Dubrovnik from Newark, took ferries from Dubrovnik to Hvar and Hvar to Split, and flew home from Split by connecting in London. “We didn’t know Croatia had so many islands—we would have loved to explore more of them,” Kelly adds. “It was incredible—we’d love to go back. The weather was warm in the beginning but really cooled off by the end, and we actually had an unusual cold snap in Split that left us hopping from café to café for tea and coffee to warm up.”
Advice for Others
“Weddings are overwhelming, but if you identify what is most important to have at the beginning of the process it will be much easier,” Kelly says. “Stay true to who you are and what you want, and you’ll have a great time. Enjoy the process, because it goes by way too fast!”
The Team
Venue | Park Avenue Club, Florham Park, NJ
Photographer | Elizabeth Azzolina of Azzolina Photography, Huntingdon Valley, PA
Florals | Jardiniere Fine Flowers, Bedminster, NJ
Band | Craig Scott Band from Craig Scott Entertainment, Rochelle Park, NJ
Gown | Allure Bridals from Park Avenue Bridals, Cedar Grove, NJ
Hair | Joanne Bortel, owner of Via Veneto Salon, Madison, NJ
Makeup | Jessica Benaquista-Hemeda
Rings | B&B Fine Jewelry, Totowa, NJ
Earrings | Etsy
Bridesmaid Dresses | Azazie
Groom’s + Groomsmen Attire | Jos. A Bank and Men’s Wearhouse
Cake | Sweet Passion Cakery, Stirling, NJ
Signage + Invites | Designed by the bride on Zola and Canva
Ceremony | St. Vincent Martyr Church, Madison, NJ
Ceremony Music | Peter Solecki of St. Vincent’s, Madison, NJ
Bridal Shower | Portofino’s, Morristown, NJ
Honeymoon | Croatia, planned by Abby Adams from Journeys Yacht & Travel
Hotel for wedding and host of the welcome party, afterparty and farewell brunch | Archer Hotel Florham Park
Rehearsal Dinner | Il Mondo Vecchio, Madison, NJ
