Jun 12, 2017

Team Goodlev // Lauren + Eric

Lauren and Eric are such an enthusiastic, fun loving couple who are so much in love… and truly aren’t afraid to show it! Their wedding was so lively and joyful, just like the two of them. It was also filled with so many wonderful Jewish traditions and truly heartwarming moments. We enjoyed this celebration so much… their energy truly was catching!

Although Eric is sure they met many years ago at a communal Shabbat in New York City, Lauren and Eric officially met using a great new Jewish dating app. We loved their story where they indicated they both “swiped right” and on the screen, an animated scene of someone being tossed in the air on a chair with “Mazel Tov” proclaimed. Little did they know then that this animation would come true for the two of them soon!

Fast forward to their fabulous spring wedding day… Lauren and Eric created a very special, personalized wedding event at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ, with additional help from Lynda Barness of I DO Wedding Consulting. Her expertise helped to put together such a truly fantastic, well coordinated wedding day! The theme for the day was “Team Goodlev”, which is an inventive combination of parts of their last names. There were no bridesmaids or groomsmen, but Lauren and Eric had their close friends and family designated as “yedidim”, which means “dear ones” in Hebrew.

The couple got ready in separate rooms at the Princeton Marriott at Forrestal, Eric dressing in a custom-made “Goodlev” gray suit and a blue-green tie. He displayed his fun-loving side with colorful striped socks and a lively pink floral boutonnière. Before Lauren changed out of her pretty floral robe, she read a beautiful card in which Eric thoughtfully proclaimed his love for her while Eric read his heartfelt love note in his room. We noticed that both notes shared common images of joy, song and of course, love.

Lauren was an absolutely beautiful bride in her gorgeous wedding gown! She wore a ruched gown with a lovely surplice bodice, gathered to the side with sparkling rhinestone appliqués. The skirt flowed in many light layers edged in sparkling crystals creating an A-line silhouette and her gown had a stunning lace detail in the back. Just beautiful! Lauren carried a bright and breathtaking bouquet in shades of pink, coral and lavender from Viburnum Designs.

Their first look took place on the bridge at the Grounds for Sculpture. In keeping with their whimsical nature, the two were overjoyed at the sight of each other, couldn’t stop laughing and then broke into a cute song about their wedding day! We were so happy to capture the moment for their wedding film. We also loved traveling (while they were dancing!) around the grounds with their fantastic photographer, Janet Lanza, while the couple completely enjoyed every moment of their photo shoots!

The two met next to sign their ketubah, then were just as excited to see each other again as they joined with their family under the chuppah for their outdoor ceremony. Their cantor, Benjie Schiller, delivered such a personal message and their traditional ceremony concluded with the breaking of the glass. The couple virtually skipped back down the aisle and were on their way towards some time alone before the celebrations continued!

After cocktails, Lauren and Eric’s reception took place in the East Gallery at Grounds for Sculpture. Lovely bright floral centerpieces from Viburnum Designs in pink, coral and lavender filled the tables and a glorious four-tiered cake from Sweet T’s Bakeshop echoed the same beautiful floral color scheme. The newlyweds were announced and danced their first dance together before the couple and their guests celebrated with the traditional hora! The talented and versatile Eddie Bruce Orchestra kept the dance floor filled all throughout the evening.

The celebration continued with wonderful speeches from Lauren and Eric’s parents and toasts from Lauren’s cousin and brother and Eric’s sister. It was so funny when Lauren’s cousin said Lauren and Eric “take mushy-gushy, lovey-dovey to a whole new level”! Lauren and Eric later even sang a duet for their wedding guests – a customized rendition of the classic, ‘Good Lovin”! It’s so awesome to see a couple so full of energy, so joyous and so romantic. In the words of Lauren’s brother, with Lauren and Eric as teammates, “the world had better watch out!”!

Congratulations to Lauren and Eric!