Adventurous & Outdoorsy Wedding at Crystal Springs Resort

May 4, 2023

Crystal Springs Resort Grand Cascades Lodge October Wedding Adventurous Outdoorsy Hamburg New Jersey North Jersey Quarry Essense of Australia Brides by Young Azazie Men's Wearhouse

Jess and Billy shared their wedding day with friends and family at Crystal Springs Resort Grand Cascades Lodge last October. This adventurous and outdoorsy couple loves to be in nature. Whether it’s in the mountains, cliffs or lakes, everything they do together revolves around getting outdoors. Billy proposed to Jess at Telluride Ski Resort in Mountain Village, Colorado. They have a family cabin in the Adirondacks and we photographed their engagement session at Sterling Forest State Park! It just makes so much sense that they would choose the Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort for their wedding day! (And given the bonus of having the resort pool for the after-party!)

They had their first look take place at the Quarry, which is just a quick golf cart ride away. We kept them in the foliage as Jess walked up to Billy and tapped him on the shoulder, so they’d have nothing but fall colors around them. Then, surrounded by rocky cliffs and overlooking the water, they were engulfed in Autumnal sunshine as they walked about the Quarry. When we returned onsite, their main focus was to take photos utilizing the terraces that overlook the golf course and mountains. After their ceremony, we whisked them out for sunset photos outside of Grand Rotunda and Fire & Water terrace, which is appropriately named. That was the most fiery sunset we’ve ever seen in October! Of course, we also had to get some portraits of the couple in the wine cellar.

The bride’s dress was Essense of Australia from Brides by Young and the bridesmaid dresses were Azazie in mismatched fall jewel tones. The groom’s suit was Men’s Wearhouse and we loved Billy’s little nod to Steve’s burgundy velvet jacket from our wedding. (Steve’s out here just glad to be inspiring the people – lol!)

The Bride’s Vision

“Our wedding vibe is ‘moody whimsical’ with heavy influence (and reliance) on nature and the natural beauty of the area – and just a hint of rustic tones. We are using fall colors in shades of greens, rusts, mauves, and a pop of maroon. Our ceremony will take place in the wedding garden full of fall flowers and water features in the background. We will then move to a beautiful rotunda for cocktail hour that offers beautiful stonework inside and even more beautiful views over the golf course and surrounding mountains. We’re aiming for this portion of the wedding to feel romantic and understated. When we move to the ballroom, we’re ready to take it up a notch and really get the party started! We will keep the romantic feel with amber up-lighting, tons of candles, and moody floral arrangements. But we want everyone on the dance floor all night – we’ll have sparkler units, extra DJ lighting, and hopefully a killer playlist. We often say we like to “live beyond our means” and we think our wedding will embody that – an extravagant event without any of the stuffiness of a gala-like affair!”

Tell us about yourselves!

“How did we meet – we truly believe that fate played a big part in our love story. Our paths could have (and honestly should have) crossed YEARS before we actually met. I (Jess) went to preschool less than a mile from Billy’s childhood home. Billy spent most of his weekends up in my hometown playing paintball with his friends. Billy attended a Catholic high school where some of my good friends went. The stories go on and on, but it took some mutual friends, a house party, and even a dating app to get us together.

We’ve spent the last 7 years traveling, hiking, skiing, kayaking and loving each other. Most weekends you’ll find us heading to the mountains to do one of those activities – but now with a dog in tow! We adopted our sweet girl, Rumor, in April 2020 and we are obsessed with her. She is named after a ski trail at our ‘home’ mountain.

We love The Office, Parks and Rec, and Modern Family – those are pretty much on repeat all day, every day. Our favorite shows that we watched during the pandemic are Ballers, Below Deck, Peaky Blinders, and Hunters. I also have a true crime obsession so I’ve spent many hours listening to podcasts like My Favorite Murder, Uncover, Missing and Murdered, and Someone Knows Something. Billy spends his downtime playing Xbox and training for obstacle course races. We can’t wait to get married and spend the rest of our lives laughing at our lame jokes, seeing as many beautiful places that we can, and taking every adventure!”

Crystal Springs Resort Grand Cascades Lodge October Wedding Adventurous Outdoorsy Hamburg New Jersey North Jersey Quarry Essense of Australia Brides by Young Azazie Men's Wearhouse