High Tide

The CapeMay.com blog

Ashley: Romance at the Physick Estate

Our family and friends have spent numerous summers visiting Cape May so there was never any doubt in our minds, Cape May was the perfect place to hold our wedding. We both love the city so much and it’s become like our second home. We also wanted to have the wedding in a place where our guests could relax and enjoy themselves for the weekend. Jerry even proposed to me at the B&B, Beauclaires, on the balcony overlooking the ocean, as we watched the sunset. It was so romantic, I will never forget it!

Frequently visiting Cape May, bike riding is one of our favorite activities to do. We were able to see all of the amazing sites and history that Cape May had to offer, at our own pace. We came across the Emlen Physick Estate and knew, after months of researching the various places to have a wedding, that this was the perfect place for our wedding. We planned a small, intimate wedding with our close friends and family. The Physick Estate staff was wonderful. Heather, Bill and Christine are simply amazing. They were so helpful and enjoyable to work with. They made sure every detail was worked out and made my wedding day worry free.

We had our wedding outdoors by the gazebo surrounded by brightly colored hydrangea flowers in full bloom. The entire destination was an absolutely breathtaking backdrop. The photographs turned out stunning!

We hired the Cape May Carriage Company to pick my bridesmaids and I up at the B&B, Beauclaires. It is a fantastic, comfortable and beautiful place to stay. It was magical to look out the window and see the carriage pulling up to pick us up. It was like a fairy tale! The carriage we selected was an antique white carriage with velvet red interior and subtle, red details on the outside as well. It complimented my bridal parties claret, red dresses perfectly. It was pulled by a white horse named Magic. The owner, Beverly, her husband and staff were also wonderful and very helpful. The ride was so exciting and made the whole experience that much better.

The groomsmen awaited the carriages arrival to accompany the bridesmaids down the aisle. Lastly, my father escorted me down the aisle to Jerry as my DJ, Mike Leonard played the keyboard. The ceremony then was led and officiated by Rev. John Gallagher. He too did a remarkable job.

All of our flowers were done by Kate’s Flower Shop located in West Cape May. She was absolutely wonderful! I had looked at pictures of bouquets for months and really didn’t know what I wanted but once I arrived to meet with her, she was so helpful and took into account every last detail of what we wanted for our special day. Her arrangements were even more than I ever expected. We incorporated a lot of hydrangeas into our floral arrangements and she added berries to the bridesmaids bouquets again that complimented to their dresses. The groom, groomsman, fathers and ring bearer also all had boutonnieres that complimented their tuxedos. They were all remarkable! She did an outstanding job.

An evening cocktail hour and reception was held after the ceremony at the Emlen Physick Estate Carriage House Tearoom. Thehors d’oeurves were passed out and were absolutely delicious. We then were seated for our sit down dinner that too was wonderful. We also heard a lot of praise for the service staff. After dinner, they served dessert and our wedding cake that was made by Michel Gras at La Patisserie. It was a three-tier white cake, with vanilla and strawberries between the layers. It was covered with flowers and mixed berries. The cake was absolutely delicious and everyone raved about how beautiful it was.

I can’t compliment our vendors enough! All of them were truly exceptional. I can’t thank them all enough for helping to create such a memorable day for us and our family and friends. I can truly say that we had the perfect wedding!