From the Kitchen to Forever

What we’ll remember…
Thomas and Nicole Speigel were married on Aug. 29, 2009 on the Congress Hall beachfront. The reception was held following the ceremony at Congress Hall.
Thomas recalls…
I would have to say that my favorite memory of our wedding day was the moment I said “I do” to my best friend and love.
I met Nicole the same way all successful marriages begin at the shore – working at a restaurant (sarcasm). This little blonde, curly-headed firecracker caught my attention the first night I started.
After about two weeks, I dropped the ultimate pick-up line, and made some reference to her texting ability. Finally, after about a month of this debonair flirtation, we finally agreed to go out on a date. More dates ensued, followed by run ins with ex-boyfriends, fighting off would-be stalkers, and the both of us showering each other with class (more sarcasm), joy, laughter, and positive compatibility.
In the next couple months, summer ended, and the dread, that all summer flings feel as labor day approaches, came upon us so fast, that neither one of us planned our exit strategy. We both had school, Nicole working on her Master’s Degree and myself, starting culinary school. So, we just never stopped talking.
At this point, we were madly in love. After some serious discussions, we decided to just be us, and surprise everybody with a drastic decision, “We’re getting married!”
We picked this small, quaint venue called Congress Hall, and we got married the following August 29th. This date will be forever in our hearts and forever on our bodies as well, because the first thing we did the next morning after drinking all night, was to get the date tattooed on the both of us.
I had five groomsmen and Nicole had six girls in her bridal party, each of which wore a coral strapless dress. Mary D’Amico at Ambiance did Nicole’s makeup for the big day. The ceremony was held in the courtyard at Congress Hall, with the beach in view right across the street. Marie’s Flower Shoppe provided all of our floral arrangements.
Nicole and I had our first dance to “I Love You for Sentimental Reasons” by Nat King Cole. We stuck with our beach theme in designing the cake. Its icing was a sandy color and it was accented with starfish and the light blue tone of Congress Hall’s Banquet Room walls.
So, we are currently happily married ever after and live in Oakland, New Jersey. To end, I would like to say that yes, it is possible to meet and fall in love with another down the shore, in the summer, in a restaurant.