Melissa and Matt: Monteverde 7/25/09

I truly love what I do.  Working with great couples week after week at the happiest point of their lives is bound to be fun.  I love finding out more about them, more about their relationship and how they interact.   I'm always honored to be entrusted by a couple to perform their special ceremony.  I love all the couples I work with, and the couple I married this weekend was no exception.  Melissa and Matt are great people and we just clicked.  Take that and add a great setting like Monteverde, and the wedding is bound to be a memorable one.

Audrey was zipping around in her cart as usual, ready to transport a guests or two to the various areas of the wedding.  I actually tried some of the passed food which is unusual for me.  I actually tried the codfish I believe, which is DEFinitely unusual for me.  The food was really great, though I should expect no less from Monteverde.  It was a beautiful day, and as these pictures show, the place looked great.

Melissa and Matt had so much information to impart to me that their ceremony overflowed with their personalities and their energy.  They were best friends and co-workers before they realized that they had somehow fallen in love.  As they said, theirs is a cautionary tale... to all you cynics, true love exists, and it may lurk where you least suspect it!

So a great couple, some great friends, a little issue with large metal horses, some touching words by Matt and Melissa and I'm sad to see another couple go.  I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention Shana, Wedding Coordinator.  She and her assistant were on top of things all the way, and when a small fire started on the grass, Shana ran towards it, ready to put it out.  Now that is dedication!  Shana's website is in the process of being worked on, but you can always email me if you want to inquire about her services.  She had attention to detail, a good personality, and apparently she fancies herself a firefighter as well.  :)  Everyone was having a great time as you can see, and I'm sure the fun continued throughout the reception.

Okay, Melissa and Matt... don't you guys forget about me.  You know I was ready to help you with those horses if it came down to it.  And Monteverde, I'll see you soon at Indiana's wedding in August!

Be well,

-Ryan Kaplan.

Dina and Mike: 7/11/09

What a great day for a wedding.  The weather was perfect for an outdoor affair at the Valley Regency in Clifton, NJ.  One bride, one groom, and something like 21 other people in the bridal party... wow!  Dina and Mike had been friends since they were 14 and you could see it in the way they interacted.  These two came from different backgrounds, so in order to incorporate them both, we added a unity candle and the breaking of the glass.  Everyone had a great time.

After the ceremony, the bridal party was ready to party, and all of the cute flower girls were ready for bubbles.

I had a great time working with Dina and Mike and spending time with them after the ceremony as well.  Congratulations and best of luck to you both!

On another note, congratulations to Gus and Pakiza married by my father William Kaplan.  This wedding was postponed once due to Gus getting into a motorcycle accident.  He needed a long while to recover from his accident, so we were all glad when the 2008 wedding was rescheduled in 2009. Pakiza, you've got to keep that boy out of trouble!

My father reports that the wedding went great and that everyone there had a great time.  So, that's two great weddings in one day.

Be well.

-Ryan.