This fun loving, adventure seeking New Jersey couple decided to say their “I Do’s” in the magical setting of the Austrian Alps. This seemed like the perfect setting for Erika and Kyle who reside at the Jersey Shore. Not only does the couple love to surf, skate and snowboard but they also love the outdoors and the Zen like aura this locale offered. The Hoteldorf Grüner Baum set on the edge of Hohe Tauern National Park nestled in a valley of the mountainous region boasted the untouched beauty of the land and a rare and charming display of local culture! This wedding, planned by Princeton, New Jersey Wedding Planner, Kristin Rockhill was unlike any other wedding she had ever done, “This is a wedding straight out of a fairytale and is truly going to be hard to top!”

The wedding was a weeklong trip for the couple and there guests. It started in Munich were the guest took in the sights and paid homage to local traditions including spending an evening at local Beer Garden! From Munich the group traveled to the Hoteldorf Gruner Baum in Bad Gastein, Austria where they were greeted with a champagne toast. First on the list, a meet and greet over mulled wine in the rustic lobby bar where Erika and Kyle welcomed guests. The next two days were spent shopping, hiking enjoying the sites and skiing the Alps!

At last the wedding day arrived and this is where the fairytale wedding truly begins. Planner Kristin Rockhill, of Details of I Do, worked closely with the hotel staff, to not only honor the local traditions, but also to include all of the things important to a traditional American wedding. When the two cultures merged the outcome was a spectacular event unique unto itself. The day started bright and early at 8 am when the ladies began massages, hair, makeup and nails at the on site spa. From the there the girls adorned their wedding finery in the charming suites of the hotel. The bride wore a strapless Alvina Valenta gown with a pick up skirt. Kristin helped the bride to customize the dress by adding antique broaches and a beaded necklace draped around the waist. This gave the dress and unique and one of a kind look! The maid of honor wore a stunning Nicole Miller Satin gown featuring a chocolate satin skirt, deep V front and back bodice in apple green accented with a burgundy ribbon. The Bridesmaids wore complimenting burgundy gowns. This look was pulled together with the ladies bouquets, which featured an exotic bloom, the Lima Amaryllis, with lime green petals with burgundy stripes. The bridal bouquet was a tight bundle of white ranunculus adorned with pearl and rhinestone inserts to match the brides veil and jewelry. Most importantly both the brides bouquet and grooms boutonnière featured the Edelweiss flower. And what you ask is so important about this bud?

Edelweiss
The Edelweiss flower is not only known to be a medicine against the ailments of men and their beasts but also as a powerful talisman to ward of evil and most importantly the ultimate love charm of the mountains. The flower grows in the crags and ledges of the high alpine regions of Europe. Despite the dangers of collecting a bouquet of Edelweiss, love struck suitors were determined to prove the seriousness of their intentions and devotion to their ladylove by bestowing her with this symbolic gift. On this, the day of their wedding, Kyle is wearing the Edelweiss flower over his heart and Erika’s bouquet is adorned with the bud. This symbol is a reflection of their love and devotion for one and other.

And so the story was told at the ceremony, which also featured a touching serenade by the brides mother Phyllis in tribute Erika’s father. The ceremony which took place in front of a bay of windows overlooking the beautiful Austrian landscape could not have been more perfect or emotional as there was not a dry eye in the room. At last Erika and Kyle said their I Do’s and with a passionate kiss led the way to the beginning of this amazing wedding adventure!

First on the list of wedding day activities a ride through the town on an antique fire station car to a local waterfall overlooking the picturesque valley below! As the entire wedding party and guest posed for photo ops they cheered the newlyweds with a champagne toast. Following the waterfall excursion guest were ushered back to the resort where they were welcomed with a fire burning in the hearth and hot chocolate cocktails. As the bride and groom cut their wedding cake, guests wrote their wedding wishes to the couple on custom designed wedding stationary note cards. Once everyone was warmed and rested it was time to load up onto horse drawn carriages for a romantic ride through the National Park in the embrace of the setting sun. An hour later the carriages arrived at a rustic chalet deep in the woods were they raised the cups of mulled wine in honor of the newly weds and nibbled on cured meet. And to think this was only the beginning!

Upon return to the Gruner Baum guests had a quick reprieve to freshen up and done their dancing shoes. At 8 pm they gathered at the Old Pharmacy Bar for a few drinks and were then ushered into the reception room. The bridal party was announced including the two flower girls in their traditional Austrian Dirndl dresses and the ring bearers in their Lederhosen. The tables were dressed with chocolate satin overlays and adorned with antique silver chargers. The centerpieces featured green and burgundy orchids nestled amid the crystal branches submerged in tall cylindrical vases. Votive candles glittered with a snow like exterior and created a soft and romantic glow. To top off this elegant tabletop, custom designed embroidered napkins featuring the couple’s monogram gave the room a personalized and unique touch. The napkins were a gift from wedding planner Kristin Rockhill. “ I truly feel that every wedding should have a personal touch unique to each and every couple.” The design on the napkins as well as all of the wedding day stationary was a reflection of the couple’s personalities and also symbolized the Austrian culture. Two kissing birds set atop a flowering branch not only represented the couple but also the official Austrian bird, the barn swallow which the couple got matching tattoos of in Salzburg. The flower represented the Edelweiss, which also played a significant role in the meaning of this day. As guest enjoyed local fare and danced to a local Austrian duo onlookers could not imagine a more magical affair. After every last bit of dessert was gone and the bouquet and garter tossed, guest moved into the next phase of the evening, which featured a discotech and lots of German beer!

The official end time on record for this event was quoted at 4 am!

So this Austrian Adventure of Wedding Day Bliss is truly an inspiring tale! However the thought of pulling together such an event seems intimidating to say the least. We asked our expert planner, Kristin Rockhill to give us some pointers on navigating a Destination Wedding and what makes it so special…

“Destination Weddings can definitely be a stressful event to plan. You are often dealing with people and places in which you have never meant or seen. You are also incorporating travel planning & hotel accommodations. More importantly however then all of the drawbacks are the intimacy and opportunity to spend time with loved ones that out weighs these other issues. Destination Weddings are typically a smaller group of people, however the people that do make the effort to attend the wedding are the people that truly care about you and want to be with you to share this important moment in your life. It is also an opportunity to spend some real quality time with friend and family. It’s important to prepare an itinerary so that everyone attending knows what you and your fiancé are doing and what activities they will be joining in. By providing them with this they truly feel part of this important event and feel their presence is appreciated. I also suggest choosing a locale that truly inspires you, a place that you feel is magical! When you find the perfect place its also wise to not try to control every detail as you would at home. Let your planner guide you on the best ways to incorporate things that are important to you while also honoring the local culture. By doing this your wedding will be the magical and memorable event that you dreamed it would be!”A

Special Thanks to all of the amazing people who helped bring this fairy tale wedding to life. Wedding Dress - Bridal Garden www.bridal-garden.com Satin Overlays - Party Rental LTD www.partyrentalltd.com Embroidered Napkins - Initial It Yours www.initialityours.com Wedding Reception & Accommodations - Hoteldorf Gruner Baum, http://www.hoteldorf.com, jblumschein@hoteldorf.com

What the bride had to say Thanks for everything. The wedding was amazing and you were a big part of that. Kyle and I were blown away by all the little details you had put together. The stationary, the table settings, the flowers...it was all amazing. Thank you so much for all your hard work, words can not say enough. You and Doug Rock!!!! Thanks Again - Erika and Kyle Hi Kristin, As a mother of the bride, twice, I have to say thank you for doing all the work for Erika that I had to do for Becki's wedding. It was such a pleasure to sit back and enjoy my eldest daughter's wedding. You did an awesome job. It was undoubtedly the best wedding I've ever attended and it was doublly great because it was Erika's. Phyllis - Mother of the Bride