Maritza & Roberto | The Estate at Florentine Gardens | River Vale, NJ

"A Magical Fairy Tale"

Rob and I met through his best friend Michael. Soon after, Rob, some friends, and I drove up to Paterson Falls. We spent the night talking and getting to know each other, had our first kiss, and have been together ever since. That was over 15 years ago. Our life was about our love for each other, eventually for our two boys, and marriage is something we never felt rushed about.

I wanted to take family portraits for some time, so Rob used that as the cover to surprise me with his proposal. On Mother’s Day, he hired a photographer to take pictures of our family in the backyard. Our oldest son, Ethan, came out of the house with a gift for me; beautiful morganite earrings surrounded by diamonds. We continued to take pictures, when he went in and came out again. This time with an Edible Arrangements box. I opened the box to find cupcakes inside saying, “Will you marry me?” My son, in his excitement, screamed, “Will you marry daddy?” I turned to Rob and saw him on one knee. I was in complete shock, feeling so many wonderful emotions. Afterward, we took engagement photos where we had our first kiss.

We found the perfect venue in The Estate at Florentine Gardens. We saw them online, booked a tour, met Maria Daidone, the general manager, and immediately felt at home. She was so welcoming, we felt like long-time friends. We could picture our ceremony in their beautiful gardens, perfect for photos. Maria always responded throughout planning. We wanted to incorporate Rob’s part Mexican ethnicity, so she added Mexican food to the menu and created the best margarita we’ve tasted! The day of, the staff went above and beyond to ensure that we, our bridal party, and our family were looked after. We feel blessed to have chosen such a beautiful, professional, extravagant, family-oriented venue for our wedding.

Our ceremony was a magical fairy tale in the intimate, exquisite gardens. It was our dream setting on the beautiful day we were blessed with. Orchids hanging from the trees and a floral arch to say our vows under lent an enchanted touch. Once pronounced husband and wife, white confetti rained all over us. As we turned to walk down the aisle, a butterfly flew by and I took it as a sign that my father was there with us. It was truly an emotional ceremony. Cocktail hour was filled with all our favorite foods and more. Maria worked with us to make our menu reflect our family. Our son loves pasta, so we had multiple varieties. We had a taco station and guacamole with chips as a Mexican addition, which was our favorite! We chose a modern-romantic décor for the ballroom, with tall centerpieces to accentuate the high ceilings. Some had flowers in a high, cloud-like formation. Others had candelabras with flowers clustered at the bottom. Each mixed roses, peonies, hydrangeas, and eucalyptus. Tall candles and low votives on the tables added a romantic twinkle to the room.

The food at our reception was to die for. We got to taste all three course options and wanted more! Rob and I have a huge sweet tooth and incorporated our love for desserts by having a donut wall and a snow cone truck available towards the end of the night. The rest of the night was the most fun we’ve ever had! Our DJ had everyone on the dance floor with a mix of Latin, pop, and classics. A live painter captured a beautiful portrait of our first dance and a photo booth gave our guests another fun activity! Instead of a bouquet toss, we held an anniversary dance. It was beautiful to see the couples on the dance floor. Married for 37 years, my in-laws won and bestowed on us advice we will forever cherish.

We extend our sincerest thanks to all our vendors, who helped make this day so memorable for us, especially to my wedding planner for doing most of the legwork while I was finishing school. To everyone at The Estate at Florentine Gardens, your talent and passion truly showed on our day. It was an honor working with you all and I will forever recommend you!

The Estate at Florentine Gardens, River Vale, NJ
201.666.0444, www.florentinegardens.com