Dean + Allegra \\ Whimsical Summer Wedding at the Ashford Estate, Allentown, NJ

Allegra and Dean are such an adorable couple and I loved photographing their Greek wedding at the Ashford Estate.
Read below to find out how these two met, their adorable romantic proposal story and their amazing honeymoon location!

How did you meet?
It was Fall of 2012, shortly after Hurricane Sandy. Dean was completing Grad School at Monmouth University while Allegra was finishing her senior year at Monmouth University. One day while Allegra was working at Molly & Zoey, her and her close friend, Aimee Palaia, starting talking about food, which was usually the topic of conversation, specifically Greek food. Shortly then after Aimee mentioned her husband Anthony Palaia had a single, good-looking Greek friend who she claimed liked to hike and is “weird like you.” Aimee showed her a picture of him and asked if it was okay to give him her number. Allegra without hesitation agreed and said “hook it up!”

Allegra knew that Aimee had given Dean her number, but had not heard from him. That is because Dean was abiding by the dating rule in the movie “Swingers,” to wait 3 days. They began to correspond, but did not meet until one night after work, Allegra joined Dean and his friends at Ashley Demeter’s house to watch the Iron Bowl. Allegra was wearing a Yankee hat (already knew Dean loved the Yankees), leather jacket, and a flannel shirt. Dean was wearing his Timberland boots and a lumberjack flannel shirt. After sharing a glass of whiskey or three, they knew it was love at first flannel.

After Dean and Allegra graduated from Monmouth University, they continued to date and see more of each other. Less than a year later they moved into their first apartment together. Fast forward to winter of 2015, Dean was teaching and coaching at Keyport Highschool and Allegra got a new job with BNE Real Estate.

How did Dean propose?

On December 12th, 2015, Dean took Allegra on a hike at Minnewaska State Park in upstate New York. Little did Allegra know Dean had a ring sitting in his pocket. They set off on an 8 mile hike bound for Castle Point, the spot where Dean planned to ask the big question. However, upon arrival, Allegra did not like the view due to the excess hikers. Allegra quickly continued on the hike leaving Dean to think on the fly. With a stroke of luck, they came across a beautiful vista on Hamilton’s Point. Dean then crawled to the edge of the cliff while Allegra held his back. He then turned around, got to one knee, and completely surprised Allegra with a ring. While in shock they took in the gorgeous sunset in complete isolation on their way back to the car. On 12.12.15 is when their greatest adventure began

What did you like most about the Ashford Estate?

It was truly a dream come true. Every since we walked into the the estate we were hooked. From the grounds, to the details, to all the rooms (library, conservatory, reception room, and overnight accommodations). It was everything we ever wanted. It was everything that we could have imagined. In additions, the service we received was phenomenal. Allegra and I were truly treated like a king and a queen for the day. A day that we will never forget for the rest of our lives. Top notch service from all the vendors we hired. We are so blessed and grateful to have worked with such amazing people. We could not be more happy.

What was your inspiration for your reception decor?

Earthy elegance. We both love the outdoors. We hike a lot, and love all things nature. We wanted that to be prevalent throughout our entire engagement/marriage.

Where did you honeymoon?

The next day we continued our Greek themed wedding by heading to Greece. We spent two days in Athens, and then traveled the breathtaking Greek Islands. Our fondest memories were spent on the island of Santorini; it truly is heaven on earth, just like our wedding experience. The last 2-3 weeks has honestly been a dream come true. AshfordEstateWedding_0025