Kathrin & Joseph | Florentine Gardens | River Vale, NJ

Kathrin & Joseph’s Wedding at Florentine Gardens

The Wedding of…
Kathrin Tofil & Joseph Serrao

Their Vendors
Ceremony: The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart
Reception: The Estate at Florentine Gardens
201.666.0444, www.florentinegardens.com
Gown: Stephen Yearick at Jaehee Bridal, Englewood, NJ
Bridesmaids: Portia and Scarlet at Layali Dress Boutique
Tux: Biltmore, Ridgewood, NJ
Photographer: Red Bank Studio
Cinematographer: Heatz Films
Makeup & Hair: Jlglam
Florist: Dahlia Floral & Event Design
Cake: Palermo’s Bakery
Band: The Metropolitan Players
Photo Booth: Mirrored Memories

"A Dream Wedding"

Joey and I met on Tinder. I was in medical school at the time, so I didn’t have tons of time to go out and meet people the traditional way. Despite our different approaches, on our first date we knew we had a great connection. Soon after we started dating, I had to move to Pittsburgh for my residency. Joe is an engineer and was able to leave his job and move with me. He started his E-commerce business and we started our life together.

Following my residency, I interviewed for a position in Endocrinology in Florida. We made a weekend of it! Joe booked a room at the Ritz and a sunset boat cruise. The other couple on the boat with us were photographers, and they took beautiful photos as Joe proposed.

Since we lived in Pittsburgh, we flew home to see six venues over one weekend. One of them was The Estate at Florentine Gardens and we knew the second we walked through their doors that this was the one by far. The ballroom’s floor-to-ceiling windows showcased the gardens so beautifully. My eyes drew immediately to the gazebo, which I envisioned decorated with cascading flowers.


Kathrin & Joseph’s Wedding at Florentine Gardens

Kathrin & Joseph’s Wedding at Florentine Gardens

We loved the look of it so much, yet what really got us talking was Ciro Daidone, sales manager. He made us feel so comfortable, and as a family-owned business, they made us feel like family. It was a unanimous decision between us and our parents.

The day of our wedding, the Florentine Gardens staff brought us breakfast in the bridal suite and my bridal attendant, Lyla, was there for anything I needed. She was so helpful and made the day extra special.

We had our first look before the ceremony and it was incredibly emotional. We got married at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart with our closest family and friends. We had a trumpet player and my aunt sang our wedding songs. It was a dream.

Kathrin & Joseph’s Wedding at Florentine Gardens

Kathrin & Joseph’s Wedding at Florentine Gardens

For cocktail hour, The Estate at Florentine Gardens gives you a super customizable menu. We didn’t hold back in our choices! We had a rum station dressed up like a tiki bar, something special to me because I went to medical school in the Caribbean. Our signature drink was the rum barrel. We had a tiki man ice sculpture and all this was included in our package! We were brought a plate to the bridal suite with a little of everything. My favorite was the chicken and waffles and Joey’s was the Brazilian rodizio meat station.

The ballroom has a new, beautiful Italian-marble dance floor; tall, intricately-detailed ceilings; a large, show-stopping chandelier; and theater-style lighting which lets you cast any mood you’d like. For our reception, we chose to have multiple colors lighting up the room. We had a pastel color palette with pink, purple, and blue. We had beautiful hydrangeas, roses and angels breath all in those colors for our centerpieces. Our florists at Dahlia killed it!

The food at our reception was delicious. Florentine Gardens has a reputation for amazing food, and our guests were able to enjoy multiple entrées if they chose! The service was wonderful, with each table having their own dedicated food server and drink server, and our guests still rave about the incredible selection of top shelf liquor.

Kathrin & Joseph’s Wedding at Florentine Gardens

Kathrin & Joseph’s Wedding at Florentine Gardens

The weekend of our wedding, open dance floors were allowed again. We were thrilled, and the ballroom being so spacious left us easily under the 50% capacity rule. Our guests danced like it was the night of their lives and Joey and I know it was the night of ours! Our band was amazing. On the way to the after-party, Florentine Gardens set up a donut cart, which was a perfect touch. For those guests who kept the night going, we had an awesome DJ and a cigar roller!

We’d like to start by thanking my mom, who was a huge part of our dreams coming true. To all our parents, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for always being there for us, for hosting our various wedding events, and for all the little things. Thank you to our siblings and to my incredible maid-of-honor. To our vendors, we chose each of you by the feeling you gave us. We couldn’t have chosen a better team! Thank you to everyone at The Estate at Florentine Gardens. We had a dream wedding and couldn’t be happier!

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