A Romantic Wedding at The Reeds at Shelter Haven in Stone Harbor, New Jersey

Every year, since Shannon and Taylor started dating in high school, they’ve visited Shannon’s family’s shore house. Marrying seaside was a no-brainer; however, despite the beachy setting, they opted to center their day around a romantic garden theme. “It was important to me that our love for each other came through in our decorations and overall feel during the day,” Shannon says. Blush complemented her ceremony gown, and marsala made a regular appearance. The bride’s favorite flower, peonies, found their place in the spotlight as well, on the lemon cake and in Shannon’s bouquet. The couple wed in front of a birch arch overflowing with hanging peonies, roses and eucalyptus.

The couple chose to focus on themes and readings specifically related to their love story, instead of incorporating any religious traditions. Prior to the ceremony, guests placed eucalyptus around the altar, “creating a symbolic circle of love surrounding and enclosing us,” Shannon says. Cocktail hour began with tuna poke, pork dumplings, panini bites and a wildly popular spicy cucumber margarita—“the bartenders actually ended up running out of it before the cocktail hour was over,” Shannon says. Because Taylor calls Shannon his sunshine, the newlyweds swayed to “You Are My Sunshine” by Morgane and Chris Stapleton. Guests went home with a cookie look-alike of the couple’s beloved French bulldog, Louie.