[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/weddingfile.com\/kristina-and-michaels-backyard-wedding-in-saddle-river\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/weddingfile.com\/kristina-and-michaels-backyard-wedding-in-saddle-river\/","headline":"Kristina and Michael’s Backyard Wedding in Saddle River","name":"Kristina and Michael’s Backyard Wedding in Saddle River","description":"This gorgeous location featured the ceremony in the front yard, cocktail hour on the back patio and reception over the pool in the backyard.","datePublished":"2024-10-11","dateModified":"2024-10-15","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/weddingfile.com\/author\/molly-gregor\/#Person","name":"Molly Gregor","url":"https:\/\/weddingfile.com\/author\/molly-gregor\/","identifier":5,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/47da4f5ce435757f134af9d46b74669474dd0bee2bfa69c2a08fe81cc550ccc5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/47da4f5ce435757f134af9d46b74669474dd0bee2bfa69c2a08fe81cc550ccc5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wedding File","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/weddingfile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/weddingfile-logo.jpg","url":"https:\/\/weddingfile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/weddingfile-logo.jpg","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/weddingfile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Kristina-and-Michael0461-scaled.jpg","url":"https:\/\/weddingfile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Kristina-and-Michael0461-scaled.jpg","height":1707,"width":2560},"url":"https:\/\/weddingfile.com\/kristina-and-michaels-backyard-wedding-in-saddle-river\/","about":["REAL WEDDINGS"],"wordCount":997,"articleBody":"Your StoryKristina and Michael have known each other since high school. Kristina moved to Ridgewood, NJ, from Monroe, NY, her sophomore year of high school, and Mike went to Bergen Catholic from Ridgewood public schools his freshman year. “We never went to school together but we ended up in the same group of friends,” Kristina says. “After college we were at a Halloween party together and I followed him around until he paid attention to me. My family knew him as the pilot for quite some time before we officially started dating.”Will You Marry Me?\u201cMy mom gave Mike her diamond to use for my ring,” Kristina explains. “We had been talking about getting engaged and what shape I wanted, which wasn\u2019t what my mom\u2019s stone was. He tried to convince me that round was the best shape, but I wasn\u2019t taking the bait so he finally told me that he had my mom\u2019s stone. I obviously was thrilled and I really wanted to be part of the design process.\u201dThe couple went to Arthur Groom in Ridgewood to design the ring together. “On Valentine\u2019s Day, Mike got a call that the ring was ready to be picked up so he pretended that he was going back to Ridgewood to see his parents since they live in the same town as the jeweler. I tracked him on Find My Friends and saw that he was not at his parents’ house. When Mike got home, he immediately ran into the bedroom and I heard the safe pop open. After a couple of minutes, I told him I knew that he had the ring and that I wanted to just take a look at it. I tried it on and obviously did not want to take it off, so I just asked if I could keep it. He formally got down on one knee and proposed.\u201dDetails of the DayFor their backyard wedding at Kristina\u2019s parents\u2019 house in Saddle River, NJ, they built the dance floor and reception floor over the pool. \u201cIt was a two-week long construction project,\u201d Kristina says. \u201cFor theme and colors, I wanted something very simple, neutral and timeless. We did all-whites and greenery for the flowers and very basic with the stationery, signs, etc.\u00a0The ceremony was in the front yard, the cocktail hour on the back patio and the reception over the pool in the backyard. The flow worked really well because we moved from the front of the house through to the back. For dinner, we did family-style Italian food, which was amazing. I liked the idea of everyone getting to try different things without having to get up and go to a buffet.\u00a0Everyone was very complimentary of the food. Michelle’s Catering did an amazing job.\u201dFavorite MomentKristina’s favorite moment was being with everyone on the dance floor and sitting with Mike while eating dinner looking at everyone who were there for them.Favorite Detail\u201cThe DJ\u2014Bobby LaFauci of\u00a0SCE Event Group\u2014was amazing and I got so many requests for his information,\u201d Kristina explains. \u201cI think you need good music to dance to and good food to eat.\u00a0I think that\u2019s what everyone remembers about a wedding.\u201dWhy Did You Choose a Backyard Wedding?\u201cThis is my parents\u2019 house with a beautiful backyard,\u201d Kristina explains. \u201cI did not love any wedding venues in the area and wanted something unique to me. I toyed with the idea of going somewhere abroad and renting a villa, but I have such a big family that it wouldn\u2019t work. My mom and stepdad are such great hosts and love having the family at their house. When I brought up the idea of a \u2018small\u2019 backyard wedding, they were thrilled.\u201dAdvice to Others\u201cBackyard weddings are more work and money than any venue would ever be,\u201d Kristina adds. \u201cEspecially when you have to build an entire floor over a pool and a deck off of that. I wouldn\u2019t change it for the world, but I would never do it again. There is no way that I would have been able to pull this wedding off without my wedding planner, Danielle Rothweiler. She made such a complicated process manageable and fun. If you are going to plan a backyard wedding, hire a wedding planner like Danielle!\u201dHoneymoonKristina and Michael headed to France. “We did the first half in Corsica, which is a French island,” she says. “This part of the trip was very relaxing and we sat on the beach and did some boat excursions. We stayed at Hotel Marinca and they treated us like royalty. After that we went to Marseille for two days because Mike wanted to see the prison in the count of Monte Cristo. We also did a wine tour through the Rhone Valley with a company called Wine Safari. Mike (the tour guide) picked us up at our hotel and dropped us back off. He took us to the lavender fields and other historic monuments in the Rhone Valley and then took us to two wineries. After that we went to the French Riviera and stayed at Hotel Suisse in Nice. We bounced around there\u2014did some hiking, beach and activities. It was a great time.”The TeamPhotographer | Dyanna LaMoraEvent Planner | Danielle Rothweiler of Rothweiler Event DesignFlowers | Donna Graney of A Creative Touch Tent\u00a0| Sperry TentsCatering, Cake, Rentals\u00a0| Michelle’s Catering in East Hanover, NJDeejay & Ceremony Music | Bobby LaFauci of SCE Event GroupOfficiant | Bobby DiPiazza (friend of family)Gown\/Alterations | Beloved by Casablanca Bridal from Aleana’s Bridal in Paramus, NJRing | Arthur Groom & Co. in Ridgewood, NJ, customized by bride and groomBridesmaid Dresses | Bella Bridesmaids Shoes | Stuart WeitzmanHair | Jessica Greco and team from Golden Hour in Ridgewood, NJMakeup | Michelle Elise Artistry in Morristown, NJGroom’s Attire | Custom by MannaESignage | EtsyInvitations | MintedVideography | So Bridal SocialLighting | JB Lighting ProductionHoneymoon | Corsica and French Riviera"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Kristina and Michael’s Backyard Wedding in Saddle River","item":"https:\/\/weddingfile.com\/kristina-and-michaels-backyard-wedding-in-saddle-river\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]