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"Padric and I met eight years ago at a friend’s party and have been together ever since. Though we lived no more than 15 minutes away from each other growing up, and we both attended nearby universities in western Massachusetts — I went to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and he attended Western New England College — we had never met!
"Together we have weathered many good and bad events, and over the past eight years we have become best friends. The proposal was intimate and sweet. In early 2008, after receiving my parents’ blessing, Padric asked me to marry him at our home.
"Both Padric and I are Irish, and for our wedding we incorporated several Irish elements, including bagpipers and the Irish claddagh, which symbolizes love, loyalty, and friendship. "We loved the idea of a castle wedding and chose The Castle at Skylands Manor because of its beauty, charm, and unique layout. The grandeur of The Skylands’ commanding stone structure is awe-inspiring and right out of a fairy tale. Padric loved it because it reminded him of a castle he had stayed at in Ireland. The grounds are part of the beautiful New Jersey Botanical Gardens, and are always impeccably manicured and stunning! We knew it was for us and booked immediately!
"Linda Pergola, the catering manager of The Castle at Skylands Manor, was a consummate professional and wonderful to work with. Her experience and genuine love for her job showed through immediately. "She and the rest of the staff at The Skylands were extremely accommodating, open to all our ideas, and always available. She offered suggestions throughout the planning, and was even able to get us pink champagne. She also made special meal accommodations for a guest with dietary restrictions. I am extremely detail-oriented and felt completely at ease with Linda. I was confident our day would be perfect, and it was!
"Our cocktail hour included a grilling station of filet mignon and baby lamb chops, a seafood station with shrimp and scallop risotto, chilled crab claws, clams, and oysters on the half shell, a pasta station with mini ravioli, penne vodka with proscuitto and peas, a Tuscan station, and a martini station. "We used several hundred votive candles throughout all six rooms of the castle to evoke the romantic feel we were aiming for. The centerpieces were large and lush and set low on the tables in large silver antique vases. The flowers were a mix of light pink garden roses, light pink magolica spray roses, cream hydrangea, green vibernum, peonies, ranunculus, and pink wax flowers.
"Our dinner included an elegant salad garnished with parmesan reggiano cheese and baked pesto infused panella, followed by a choice of filet mignon with port wine reduction, French-cut chicken stuffed with fontina cheese and spinach, or salmon with mango chutney. "For dessert, each table had a three-tier tray of chocolate-dipped strawberries, cookies, and pastries. Our wedding cake was a rich chocolate and vanilla bean cake with cannoli filling and buttercream frosting.
"Instead of using regular champagne for our entry drink, we used pink champagne with fresh raspberries to go with our pink theme. We also served special “bellini martinis” with peach purée, vodka, and champagne. They were definitely the favorite drink of the evening! "We spent our first night together as Mr. and Mrs. Farrelly in the most beautiful castle suite imaginable! We both had the wedding of our dreams!"
The Castle at Skylands Manor
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