October is a significant month for Alexandra Moriyon and Michael Stark. It’s the month when they first met, and it’s the month they chose for their wedding date.
“Our love story began October 2019 at our church,” Alexandra shares. “We both attend Grace Church on the Mount. I have been attending there my whole life and Mike had just recently started attending. Our church was hosting an event and we were both volunteering in different areas. He was in a band that was performing for entertainment, and I was at the dessert table giving out sweets. He approached me, and we talked and flirted.
It was only a few minutes, but I was definitely intrigued by him. He had to go get on the stage before he gave me his name. Just as he walked away, my phone buzzed. I had a friend request from Michael Stark. I immediately accepted. I thought he was so handsome, charming, confident, and I definitely wanted to know more about him. He felt the same thing about me because eventually, he asked me out in early January of 2020.”
“The night felt like love.”
COVID made it difficult for Alexandra and Michael to get together. There was so much anxiety and uncertainty at the time; but talking to each other provided a much-needed highlight to their days.
“Soon we were talking about potential weddings and what rings I would want to be proposed with,” Alexandra recalls. “What I didn’t realize was that he was remembering every conversation. He reached out to my best friend to give me a surprise proposal because surprises are my favorite. He took me to a cute little part of town for a walk with the promise of a surprise dinner spot afterwards. He led me to a white gazebo that was in the center of town. Before I knew it, he was down on one knee, taking my dream engagement ring out of a red box. My best friend and her fiancé popped out of nowhere to take photos of our moment. What a moment it was.”
After celebrating their engagement with family, Alexandra told her new fiancé that she would wait a month to begin planning their wedding, and simply enjoy being engaged. That lasted about a day, as she and her mother promptly got to work.
“I had heard from many people that the planning process was stressful,” she says, “but I was so blessed. Everything worked out so perfectly for us! Originally, we were going to get married in November 2021 because that was the only date we could get at any venue we looked at. But a last-minute cancellation gave us the perfect date of October 10, 2021, at my dream venue, The Legacy Castle. I was always a Disney fairytale fan, and to be able to get the Legacy Castle was just confirmation that it was going to be the wedding of my dreams.”
Once the couple had their fairytale wedding venue booked, the rest of their vendors fell into place. Their roster of wedding experts included photographer Aly Kuler, Midnight Ember Studios, Magic Moments, and Arcadia Floral.
As a Disney lover, the bride wanted to make sure the wedding paid homage to Disney in recognizable, yet elegant ways. She wore the Platinum Ariel 2021 wedding dress as an ode to her favorite Disney princess. The couple’s cake topper was Mickey and Minnie, and there were several other subtle Disney details incorporated throughout the celebration. With a classic and timeless wedding aesthetic, she felt as if she were a princess marrying her prince charming.
“The most memorable part of the night was the ceremony, when my husband and I made a commitment to each other to love and respect each other for our whole lives,” says Alexandra. “It was such a touching moment that I will cherish forever. Another memory was when my aunt, mother, and maid of honor were struggling to bustle my dress (the buttons were well hidden) and my new husband began handfeeding me food as they struggled to get my dress ready. It was a funny and sweet way to start our marriage. The night felt like love. The love of our families, our friends, and our love all culminating in every aspect of our wedding. That was the feeling that overtook every other thought and emotion that day. Love.”
After their fairytale Disney wedding, the newlyweds went on a tropical honeymoon to Costa Rica. Both Alexandra and Michael speak Spanish, so they wanted to go somewhere they’d never been before, where they could practice their language skills.
“Costa Rica was astonishing,” Alexandra adds. “The beaches were beautiful, the food was delicious, and the animals popping into our Andaz resort at Papagayo Bay were so cute! During one of our breakfasts, a monkey landed right in front of me wanting my food. But the most memorable part was going to see the sloths in a nearby rainforest.
Our guide said that we were very blessed since we saw four sloths in the wild. I was so happy sharing this adventure with my husband, and I truly want to go back one day. Maybe for a 5th anniversary trip we can go back. Overall, I could not have imagined a more perfect wedding, a more perfect honeymoon, or a more perfect man to share it all with now and forever.”
WEDDING TALENT
Location: The Legacy Castle, Pompton, NJ; Floral Design: Arcadia Floral Company, Paramus, NJ; Bridal Salon: Kleinfeld Bridal, New York, NY; Photography: Aly Kuler Photography LLC, Parsippanay, NJ