Katelyn & Emilio | Nanina’s in the Park | Belleville, NJ

"Fairy-Tale Wedding" 

It all started when my father had shoulder surgery. He couldn't drive so I would take him to the bank when he needed to go, and one day he said, “There’s a really nice boy I’d like you to meet.” I said, “Dad, I’m 19. I don’t need your help I am just figuring out life.” He casually introduced us, but there was no love at first sight. Still, Emilio reached out to me, and we talked for some time before going out.

When we finally had our first date, I knew it was going to be perfect. When he picked me up, he opened the car door and a dozen roses were sitting on the front seat. We were early for dinner, so we began the night walking around Times Square. He took me for a wonderful dinner at Becco and I knew from that first date that I was going to marry him. We’ve been inseparable ever since and dated for five years before Emilio proposed.

The proposal was on Christmas Day at his parents’ house. Just as dinner was being served, he raised his glass, said a beautiful blessing, and before I knew it, he was on one knee beside me with all the people we loved watching this magical moment. Thank goodness for the video taken because I think I blacked out from excitement. From that moment, we had dreams of our fairy-tale wedding.

We saw numerous venues but when we saw Nanina’s in the Park it felt so right for us. We fell in love the moment we walked through the doors. We went on a tour and kept looking at each other as if we were both already picturing our wedding there. It was the easiest decision we made through the entire planning process. They made everything so simple! Pete Palmieri, the sales manager, sat down with us to customize every detail, from our menu to the color scheme for the night, and he was so friendly the whole time. We couldn’t imagine a nicer person or food more perfect. Coming from an Italian family, the quality and amount of food was very important to us.

Our ceremony was breathtaking. The Basilica where we got married felt magical, and the look on Emilio’s face as he saw me coming down the aisle will be a look and a feeling neither of us will ever forget. Our cocktail hour had more food than one can imagine! We had multiple seafood stations, a martini bar, a sushi station, a mac-n-cheese station, a wok station, a croute station, an international wine and cheese bar, a barbecue station, and even more!

Entering our reception in the ballroom was dreamlike. We looked across the elegantly decorated ballroom and saw everyone we loved and everything we planned come together. We had candles in our floral centerpieces and they gave a romantic depth and texture to the room. We wanted everyone dancing and having a good time, and our band made sure they did just that.

For dinner, we began with a champagne toast and tri-color salad and our guests chose chateaubriand, stuffed filet of sole, chicken Sorrentino, or eggplant napoleon, all with a side of potato and vegetables. Our dessert was as extensive as everything else; we had pastries, cookies, mousses, a chocolate fountain, a bananas foster station, a cannoli station, a crème brûlée station, a waffle station, a gelato station, a zeppolli station, plus coffee, espresso, and fresh fruit. Our guests were happily satiated when leaving our party!

Our personal thanks to Julian, Peter, and the rest of the fabulous team at Nanina’s! Especially Martha Vivanco, our bridal attendant, who was attuned to our every need, and to all our vendors, for making our wedding so fun and for helping our wedding run so smoothly. Most importantly, we want to thank our families for always being there for us! We don't know what we would do without everyone’s help and support, and we’re so glad you could all be there for us on our big day!

Nanina’s in the Park
Belleville, NJ, 973.751.1230, www.naninasinthepark.com