Growing up with annual summer visits to Cape May I had always dreamed of my own Cape May wedding. When Jeff and I started discussing our wedding plans I knew I had to at least throw the idea out there and Jeff bought it right away! We love Cape May. I have been coming since I was two and Jeff fell in love with the town when I introduced him to it 5 years ago. We knew we wanted a small wedding and I knew I wanted a Cape May beach wedding. We started throwing numbers together, and Cape May it was! I’m proud to say our amazing Cape May wedding did NOT break the bank! It CAN be done!

Knowing we were going to keep our guest list to close family and friends we began looking for a home to rent for the reception. Cape May is known for its amazing architecture. After much perusing online and visiting several houses in person, we found the perfect match with “Majesty by the Sea.” Once we met Mary McKenney, owner of “Majesty by the Sea” and several more homes in Cape May, and took a walk through her beautiful house, we knew we had found it. I felt like we were in a mini-castle. (On our wedding day, I had my hair done by my step-sister who happens to be a talented hair-dresser, in the upstairs sitting room of one of the “towers” overlooking the ocean!)

Our wedding date was April 25, 2009. And with the weather gods looking down on us we had the summer wedding we wanted in April! The temperature was high 70s, low 80s. The strong wind from the night before had abated leaving a light breeze, just enough to keep everyone comfortable. Our ceremony was officiated by Reverend Robert Steenrod at Mt. Vernon beach at 3pm. From my first contact with Bob I knew he would work with us to develop the ceremony we wanted. Weddings by the Sea provided chairs for our guests and even placed them exactly where I had been picturing, at the request of friends already at the site. We rented a trolley from Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts, a last minute decision that made the day! The trolley made two runs from the house we rented on New Jersey Ave, “Majesty by the Sea,” to the other side of Beach Ave, where Mt. Vernon Beach is located. The first run brought most of the guests and the groomsmen down to the beach and then the trolley, driven by Buddy came back for a few guests, our mothers, and bridesmaids. While the first group of guests awaited our arrival, local dolphins were apparently providing the entertainment!

The minute I got to the top of the wooden pathway at Mt. Vernon Beach, with my beautifully hand wrapped bouquet of red tulips from Cape Winds Florist, I realized my dream wedding had come true. The sky was bright blue, the sun was shining, and everyone waiting had smiles on their faces.

After our short but sweet ceremony, which included my mother singing “Feels Like Home” by Chantal Kreviazuk, and pictures taken by our close friend, Jennifer McCann of Jennifer McCann Photography, we returned to “Majesty by the Sea” via trolley to join our guests who were already enjoying appetizers from Vanthia’s. Demetria at Vanthia’s created a delicious buffet that everyone raved about. Pies and cookies were enjoyed afterward from Cape May Bakers.

Many guests claimed one of their favorite surprises was being presented in their hotels and Bed and Breakfasts with a “Welcome Pail” which included a list of our favorite places and activities in Cape May, as well as a map of the town, Cape May magnet, a candle with shells inside it from Sunset Beach Shop, some bottled water and snacks. All hotels were very accommodating of our guests. The majority of the guests stayed at La Mer which was right around the corner from “Majesty by the Sea” and offers spacious ocean front rooms with sliding glass doors opening up to a porch overlooking the ocean.

Everyone we did business with in Cape May was more than accommodating in helping to make our day a dream come true. It was truly a fairytale beach wedding (and done on a budget!).