This Shore Wedding Went Modern With Palm Leaves and Ombre Signage

Photography by Peach Plum Pear Photography

During the warmer months, a couple is hard-pressed to find a more beautiful setting than the Shore for a wedding. It has it all — blue skies, a gentle breeze and unbeatable natural light. What more can you ask for? Cat Powers and Chris Kessler took full advantage  and hosted a modern wedding in Avalon, New Jersey. Check out their atypical beach-y affair in these stellar shots captured by Peach Plum Pear Photography.

Cat and Chris met during their junior year at Penn State University. They were both heavily involved with the school’s infamous dance-a-thon, THON, and have been by each other’s side ever since. She fell in love with his smile and freckles, and he was smitten by her ability to light up a room. The pair shared their first date at a now-closed Cajun joint in State College. (Cat still has the cork from the bottle of wine they shared over dinner that night.) 

Four years after that first date, Chris popped the question during a romantic night in their Upper East Side apartment in New York City. He cooked a lovely steak dinner, then got down on one knee. Afterwards, he took Cat out for champagne at their favorite local bar where all of their friends were waiting to celebrate. To cap it all off, they left the next day for a trip to Spain.

On September 23, 2017, Cat’s high school guidance counselor married the pair in the Maris Stella Church at St. Brendan the Navigator. This was just the start of the personal touches gracing Cat and Chris’s union: Cat’s bouquet featured a piece of her mother’s wedding dress as well as her grandfather’s cross; she wore her grandmother’s jewelry all day; their beloved dog, Earl, made it to the celebration for pictures. Naturally, the Penn State game was on all throughout the wedding as well.

The celebration continued at the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor, where the pair put a modern twist on the traditional beach wedding. Perfectly minimalist blue thistle and palm leaves graced their tables, along with single (but huge!) Protea flowers, which made their way into Cat and her bridesmaid’s bouquets as well. Ombre blue hues in the couple’s seating chart, signage, dinner menus and napkins mimicked the color of the nearby ocean. 

While guests were sipping on the all-too appropriate beverage of the evening — Cape May IPA — Cat and Chris shared their first dance to “Sea of Love” by Langhorn Slim and Jill Andrews. The pair celebrated a mini-honeymoon in Stowe, Vermont, but plan to travel to Japan soon for their official honeymoon. They currently reside in Brooklyn, where Cat works as a software consultant and Chris works as a salesforce consultant.

VENDORS

Photography: Peach Plum Pear Photography | Ceremony Venue: Maris Stella Church at St. Brendan the Navigator | Reception Venue: Yacht Club of Stone Harbor | Florist: Mullica Hill Floral Co. | Catering: Yacht Club of Stone Harbor | Cake: The Bake Works | Bride’s Gown: Leanne Marshall | Groom’s Tux: Bonobos | Hair and Makeup Artist: Madiface Hair and Makeup | Transportation: Great American Trolley Company | Videographer: Salty Stache Productions | Entertainment: DJ Denny Oh | Invitations: Minted

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