A Nature-Inspired Wedding at Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey

Emily Allen, 31, ?and Nick Papaganeres, 34, met in 2000 at a party. Emily was a freshman at Monmouth University and Nick was a senior at William Paterson. When asked what they remember about that evening, they replied, "I really hav eto make friends with this kid, he has a blow up swimming pool in his dorm room, complete with a raft and goldfish," and "Man, I would love to talk to that beautiful girl sitting over there in the corner," respectively. "Time went on and we kept in touch with AOL Instant Messenger and many failed attempts to hang out," says Emily. "Life lead us to downtown Manhattan in 2010. Nick called me and said he'd be in the city doing a site inspection on Friday and I realized I actually had the day off to go visit my family in NJ. Nick said he'd come meet me, see my place and give me a lift to my parents' house. The timing was finally right." Nature became the inspiration for their Hamilton, New Jersey, wedding. "Our ceremony and reception took plae at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, a venue for art lovers and nature lovers alike. Our ceremony was held outside on 'The Nine Muses.' We fell in love with this setting and its meaning to both of us. The number of figures holds significance in that there were nine muses in classical mythology, all daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who presided over the arts and sciences. Once we saw it, we knew it was the perfect wedding location for an environmental scientist and an art director.