To Isabel, Long Beach Island was more than just a beautiful escape from the city; it was somewhere that held a myriad of sweet memories. That’s why when she and Brian began making wedding arrangements, they opted to return to this meaningful place, specifically to the beautiful shores at Mallard Island Estate.

“We love the beach, and Long Beach Island (LBI) has been such a special place to us throughout our relationship,” Isabel says. “I grew up with a family home there, so it was the perfect mix of a destination wedding with childhood ties, and (hopefully) not too much of a hike for our guests to get to.”

The venue selection happened almost as naturally as the location. According to the bride, Mallard Island Estate has always been that iconic landmark you hit when you’re about to get to Long Beach Island.

“I would always get so excited when I saw that red roof,” Isabel recalls, “it signaled that for the next few days I would be in my favorite place!”

The design and decor of the day echoed the setting with neutral tones accented with blue and gold to achieve a chic coastal look. Beachy motifs carried throughout every detail, from frayed ribbons and champagne-colored foil shells on the invitations and menus, to Capiz shell escort cards at the wedding party table. 

The florals, courtesy of MDs Floral Design, wove together fuzzy millet, blue thistle, playa blanca roses, white ranunculus, and seeded eucalyptus, among other blooms, to bring the coastal vision to life. But perhaps Isabel’s favorite touch of all was saved for the chapel itself.

“My favorite thing we did décor-wise was have the aisle ceiling of the chapel decorated with smilax and white wisteria to give it a whimsical feel,” she shares.

Adding a moment of levity before the bride’s walk down the aisle was her 25-year-old male cousin, whom she dubbed the “King of Flowers” and tapped to serve as her flower boy. “Hearing people laugh and cheer before I walked down the aisle helped take some pressure off,” she says. 

The ceremony struck a balance between honoring tradition and letting the couple’s personalities shine through. Isabel made a memorable entrance, walking down the aisle to a string trio performance of “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve. The pair opted for a short Mass, but it was anything but ordinary. Their officiant surprised guests by reading the three things Isabel and Brian love most about each other, answers the couple had submitted as part of a pre-Cana assignment, drawing laughs from the pews.

At the end of the day, Isabel credits the success of wedding planning to a mix of long weekends visiting local vendors, virtual meetings, and a wonderfully accommodating venue team for making a long-distance wedding feel manageable. “The ability to do so much virtually was truly a game-changer,” she says, “especially with a demanding, in-office job hours away in NYC.”

For a couple who first connected after their high school prom, remained friends throughout college, and began dating after being reunited at a hometown parade, Brian and Isabel’s beach destination wedding felt like a fitting peak to a story that had been unfolding, unhurried, for years.

Vendors: Photography: Mario Oliveto Photography; Planning: Gianna Verdoni; Venue: Mallard Island Estate; Florals: MDs Floral Design; Stationery: Julia Marie Designs; Cake: The Bake Works; Makeup: Alexa Yurchak; Hair: Lock & Shade; Bridal Gown: Martina Liana Bridal; Bridesmaids Dresses: Revelry; Entertainment: Mystical Entertainment Group & Ceremonious Strings; Catering: Merri Makers Caterers; Signage: Oak and Sparrow