Kristin and Mark wished to add sentimental touches to their timeless wedding decor. After folding 1,000 origami paper cranes, the couple displayed them in centerpieces and other unique ways around the venue. This sweet touch added a nice pop of color to their simply elegant wedding at Maplewood Country Club in New Jersey. Hoping to bring everyone together, the couple chose a unique guest book that allowed the guests to make their mark on the growing family tree. Talented photographer Daniel Moyer captured the sweet moments perfectly!

The Couple:

Kristin and Mark

The Wedding:

Maplewood Country Club, Maplewood, New Jersey

The Inspiration:

Mark and I wanted the wedding to have a sentimental, romantic feel with a lot of personal touches. I designed and printed the menus, programs, and cards for guests to leave us notes (we loved reading the responses we got on these!) Instead of a traditional guest book, we had a guest tree where people stamped and signed their finger prints. (It’s now on display in our apartment!) We also used a lot of Etsy vendors to get personalized, unique decor. For example, we had custom chair backs from Susabella’s that said “Avere” & “Tenere” — a nod to our Italian heritage. (Although, I can’t take 100% credit for this. I saw that Eva Amurri & her husband had done this & thought it was cute!)

The biggest personal touch were the 1,000 origami paper cranes we folded. We used beautiful paper with a few different Italian-style prints from Paper Mojo. The cranes were used for our escort cards and were throughout the reception for decoration. The crane theme was also incorporated into our invitations, programs, etc. It was a labor of love, but we were so happy with how it turned out!

The Moments:

There were a lot of great moments.. getting ready in my childhood bedroom with my mom, sisters, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law was really special. Mark and I also LOVE to get down on the dance floor with our friends, so being hoisted up in the middle of the dance circle was an unforgettable experience!! However, I think our favorite moment of the day was the ceremony. Walking down the aisle with my parents was surreal. It was also really special to have our moms light the taper candles during the unity ceremony. Mark & I were both so present the whole time.. During our vows, we were so focused on each other, so when we finally turned around to see literally EVERYONE in the world that we love right there with us was incredible! We still get goosebumps thinking about that moment.

The Couple Recommends:

We recommend Dan to everyone — he was so relaxed and at ease, such a calming presence on the day-of! Everyone at the wedding loved him — he really got into the party with us and was so fun! Not to mention, his work is also INCREDIBLE! He has so much excitement for you & that really comes through in the images he captures. 

We also LOVED Stacy and Leslie from Peony events — we almost didn’t get a day-of coordinator, but we are so happy we did! They were the best and made sure they day ran so smoothly. I had a lot of personalized decorations I had made myself and they did an AMAZING job setting up. Our friend, Caroline Cahill of High C’s Design, did our invites and save the dates. She did a fantastic job on the custom design. She was great through the whole process, providing lots of different options based on what I liked and being super patient with my indecisiveness! Finally, I have to give a shout out to Joe from Oakjo wedding films. He captured some of the most amazing moments with such ease — we barely knew he was there! In fact, my sisters actually didn’t realize until afterwards that we had a videographer. The highlight and extended edits came out AMAZING. We’ve watched them so many times already — he really captured the essence of the day.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Daniel Moyer
Event Planning – Peony Events
Ceremony Venue – Our Lady of Sorrows Church
Reception Venue – Maplewood Country Club
Design – Lotus Petals (bouquets), Paper Mojo (paper used to fold 1,000 cranes), Bleu de Toi (guest book “tree”)
DJ – 74 Events
Live Music – Lee Glantz
Videography – Oakjo Wedding Films
Invitations – High C’s Design
Makeup Artist – Andrea Saavedra
Hair Styling – Styles on B
Wedding Dress – Alfred Angelo, Kathryn Conover (alterations)
Bridal Accessories – BHLDN, Pippin Vintage Jewelry
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – Say I Do Bridals
Groom’s Apparel – Hugo Boss
Groomsmen’s Apparel – Men’s Wearhouse
Rings – James Allen, Brilliant Earth
Transportation – My Limousine Service, First Student
Favors – Susabellas, JustCottons, Hotaru Jewelry

Thank you to Daniel Moyer for giving us a glimpse into Kristin and Mark’s sentimental wedding at Maplewood Country Club. Want to see more DIY inspiration? Check out this vintage DIY backyard wedding in Virginia!