Christine & Anthony | Park Château | East Brunswick, NJ

“Unbridled Romance”

Anthony and I met while working as lifeguards at Crystal Springs Family Aquatic Center in East Brunswick, NJ. Six years later, we reconnected via FaceBook. At the time, Anthony lived in Washington state and I remained in New Jersey. We stayed in touch by phone for months, until he visited home for the holidays. We met up at a local sports bar to watch the Cowboys v. Packers before our first official date at a small, upscale restaurant in town.

Eventually, Anthony moved back to NJ and shortly after we attended Seton Hall together. A few year later, he proposed on the boardwalk at Point Pleasant Beach. He’d suggested a walk after breakfast and he gave me a red lock to put on the fence there. When I turned around, he was down on one knee!

We chose Park Château Estate & Gardens for its unbridled romance. Every girl who plans their wedding at 10 years old will find everything they dreamed in this venue. It is magical, breathtaking, unique, and exceptionally detailed. There are no words to describe how special the people at Park Château make you feel throughout the entire planning process. Pat Adragna, bridal attendant, and Elizabeth Marino, manager, and everyone else took the anxiety and stress out of planning — and that’s no easy feat during a pandemic!

Our ceremony was in the gorgeous Chapel located on the grounds of Park Château. Its beautiful wooden arches and pristine white walls seemed to glow from the light let in by the large windows. We were married by Father Ed Czarcinski, who I’ve known since childhood. I wore my mother’s veil and the entire experience was incredibly special.

Our cocktail hour was laid out with delicious food. Our favorite dish was the mini lobster rolls and we were thrilled to see Park Château had set up every plate for us so we didn’t miss anything while taking photos. There really was a plethora of hors d’oeuvres; spicy tuna on crisp wonton, maple-glazed scallops wrapped in bacon, grilled cheese sandwiches served with tomato soup, and many more! Along with these were fun chef stations like the “Jersey Boardwalk” and delicious chafing dishes.

One of the attractions for us at Park Château was the incredible Grand Ballroom. It has such an ornate, luxurious, romantic feel that made our wedding look stunning. Our special additions of custom floral arrangements on the tables, the staircase, and the head table looked amazing.
Dinner was absolutely delicious.

We started with the Château salad and entrée options were chateaubriand in a port wine sauce, French breast of chicken with a fig and cognac demi glaze, oven-baked salmon and crab claw in herb sauce, and eggplant Napoleon. Our wedding cake was just stunning. We must’ve tried 50 variations of flavors, finding the perfect chocolate cake with whiskey affogato filling. The cascading sugar flowers and hand-piped lace was inspired by my dress and the entire cake looked as good as it tasted.

Six months after Anthony and I chose a wedding date, a global pandemic was declared and we were inundated with anxiety and sadness. We are so overwhelmed with emotions looking back, remembering how hard that was and how amazingly beautiful our wedding turned out.

After over a year of waiting, Park Château and all our vendors safely delivered us the wedding of our dreams. We are forever grateful and feel so blessed to have worked with such talented people. To our friends and family, thank you for your endless support, encouragement, and love.

Park Château Estate & Gardens, East Brunswick, NJ, 732.238.4200, www.parkchateau.comwww.parkchateau.com