Gabrielle & Bradley | Crystal Plaza | Livingston, NJ

“A League of Their Own”

Brad and I met at work when we were both summer interns in finance at the same firm. We stayed in touch senior year and after graduation we were both placed on the same team. We spent a ton of time together that first year and we started dating the second year we were in the city. Our relationship morphed from friends to romance. The proposal was in February of 2022 after we had been together for five years.

In February Brad texted me with plans for my perfect day, ending at Ophelia, one of our favorite bars. At Ophelia they led us to our table and I saw rose petals and a sign that said “Marry me.” Brad got down on one knee and I fell to the ground as well. We were both on our knees and I was crying immediately.

Both our families showed up at Ophelia and I was an immediate emotional wreck again. After that, we went to another bar and our closest friends were there to celebrate with us. It was surprise after surprise and I was emotional the whole night. The only day that tops that day was the day we got married!

We wanted a cold weather wedding with everything indoors and Crystal Plaza was the first venue we went to. From the minute we met Hunter Janoff, managing partner, to eating chocolate chip cookies in his office after the tour, we were impressed with the whole operation. Hunter was our main person. Ryan was our maitre d’ and was phenomenal. Chloe was my attendant and she was also fantastic.

The venue itself is beautiful. From the ceremony space upstairs to the cocktail hour room and the ballroom to the staircase when you walk into the bridal suite, it is unmatched. The service, the food, the presentation, their attention to detail, and the attendants put Crystal Plaza in a league of their own. On the day of the wedding, they sweep you under their wings and carry you through the experience, allowing you to be fully present with your family and your friends.

In an ode to our shared history at the University of Michigan, we gave our after-party a Michigan tailgate theme. We had a DJ with a tarp reminiscent of the tailgate parties and tailgate games like beer pong and flip cup. The lighting was blue and yellow, Michigan colors, and the Crystal Plaza staff all wore Michigan t-shirts and jerseys. It was awesome!

I am Jewish, Brad is not, but as a couple we decided to live in a Jewish way. Rabbi Lisa Rubin from Central Synagogue in NYC teaches an “Exploring Judaism” class for interfaith couples, which we took, and she married us in a traditional Jewish ceremony. Prior to the ceremony we signed the Ketubah, a Jewish marriage contract. Brad broke the glass at the end of the ceremony as a rite of passage.

That led to the cocktail hour, which at Crystal Plaza is amazing. We had a sushi ice bar, a taco and tequila station, and a Prohibition Bar, an ode to the 1920’s. We had his and her cocktails. Brad’s was a Manhattan and mine was a dirty martini. We had sushi, a pasta bar, and more. Nobody went away hungry!

The ballroom at Crystal Plaza is very ornate, with chandeliers and golden touches. Our florist made our vision come to life with a variety of purple hues. Crystal Plaza’s ceremony room has a beautiful skylight that runs the entire length of the aisle. It was really beautiful to give the illusion of stars overhead, so we had candle orbs in the skylight and everyone walked down the aisle under these twinkling candles. They also repurposed our chuppah by our sweetheart table in the ballroom.

The food at Crystal Plaza is outstanding. For entrées, guests chose short ribs, herb-encrusted salmon, or spaghetti squash with zucchini and shiitake mushrooms. For dessert, Crystal Plaza has “An Invasion of Desserts” where servers come to the dance floor and the tables with cake pops, ice cream, cookies, and chocolate-covered strawberries, so guests enjoyed their desserts while on the dance floor which was so much fun. For our first dance we used the same song that my parents danced to, “We’re In This Love Together” by Al Jarreau. My parents did not know, so it was a fun surprise!

I am so grateful for everyone who showed up for me and Brad. From the Crystal Plaza staff who make you feel like royalty at your own wedding, the amazing vendors who work tirelessly to make sure the day lives up to your highest expectations, to our parents who made the whole weekend possible, and of course our family and friends who travelled far and wide to celebrate with us, we are so very lucky. We  could not have imagined a more perfect wedding celebration! 

Crystal Plaza, Livingston, NJ, 973.992.8100, crystalplaza.com