Holiday Inn Budd Lake - Rockaway Area by IHG

Welcome Drinks

Bear Brook Valley

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Late Night Drinks

Our Wedding

Our story does begin a long time ago… over 17 years ago, on the first day of 8th grade at Thomas Grover Middle School, where Drew and Amy shared several classes together. The first thing 13-year old Amy noticed about Drew was his amazing—dare we say, Justin Bieber-esque—hair. She thought it would be funny to leave a couple bottles of Disney hotel conditioner on his desk chair to try and catch his attention. While this may not have wooed him as planned, it did help them become quick friends. Throughout middle school and high school, their friendship grew into something more between all the phone calls, plan-limited text messages, and OoVoo chats. By senior year, Drew and Amy finally shared classes again. Fortunately (well, unfortunately for Drew’s homework load), they were AP Statistics partners and labmates in Human Anatomy. After a few years of "right person, wrong time," Drew asked Amy to be his girlfriend on January 7, 2012. (Amy’s mother was worried this was too early to lock in a senior prom date, but don’t worry—it all worked out!) After a senior year filled with baseball games, class trips, the best promposal a girl could dream of, prom, and graduation, Drew chose to attend the University of Maryland, while Amy headed to Clemson University—about 600 miles apart. They had a long, deep discussion in the car about their relationship, which went something like this:&nbsp; “Should we stay together when we go to college next year?”“I mean, I think we should give it a shot, right?”“Cool, sounds good.” Fun fact: This is still how Drew and Amy make most of life’s decisions to this day. And so their long-distance relationship began. Although four years apart wasn’t easy, they made it work. With surprise visits, formal events, fall breaks, and amazing roommates who didn’t mind an extra guest on long weekends or spring break crashers, Amy and Drew made it through. As graduation approached, Drew accepted a job at Deloitte in DC, and Amy was ready to leave the South. They finally started living in the same state again—Virginia. Living in the DMV (that’s DC, Maryland, and Virginia for non-locals) was amazing in large part due to all the wonderful friends they had or met while living there. Together, they made new memories trying new restaurants, visiting the pandas at the DC Zoo (Amy’s favorite), sampling wine at a Virginia vineyards (Amy’s second favorite), catching a ball game, or wherever else their adventures would take them.&nbsp; Of course, their social life—along with the rest of the world—would come to an abrupt pause in early 2020. Drew and Amy suddenly found themselves at home all day. While they could have done with a few less Zoom calls and takeout meals, they soon realized how much they loved trading in their commutes for the extra time together.&nbsp; As remote work continued, Amy’s parents bought a home in Florida, near Walt Disney World. With the flexibility to work from anywhere, Amy and Drew drove the 12.5 hours to help pick up the keys to the house. They stayed for a week. Then they quickly planned a two week trip.Then a three week trip. Then a four week trip. By February 2022, they were ready to say goodbye to the cold and hello to humidity, officially moving to Florida—missing a snowstorm in Virginia by just one day. Over the years the question was always (and they mean ALWAYS) asked: when would Amy and Drew finally get married? In November 2023, Amy had a big birthday coming up, and Drew used it as a cover to plan a surprise trip to Key West. He arranged everything, from fancy dinners to a beautiful resort with plenty of pool time. On November 18th, they visited the historic Key West lighthouse that Drew had rented out, where he dropped to one knee and popped the question. Amy said yes, and now we get to have a party! By August 16, 2025, Amy and Drew will have been together for over 13 years. And while their story is long, all the memories with friends and family along the way have been what makes this moment so special. Thank you all for your endless support, love, and fun over the years—we can’t wait to see where this story goes next!

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…Wait, no. Let’s try that again.

Our Story

Photos

The Bridesmaids

Amy and Kavi met in 5th grade and have been inseparable ever since, even from different states. Over the past two decades, they’ve grown up side by side through every milestone, from awkward school phases to adult adventures. Their stuffed animals, Lumpy and Winnie, became instant best friends back in elementary school and somehow managed to mirror their own lifelong bond. Even with years and miles between them, every call and visit feels effortless, like no time has passed at all. Turns out, sleepovers just get better when your childhood best friend grows up to be your person.

Kavi

Amy and Megan met at lunch in 5th grade, and they’ve been learning life lessons together ever since. One of the first? Never paint yourself in oil-based paints, a sticky situation that involved a lot of scrubbing and zero adult supervision. From chaotic childhood memories to grown-up milestones, Megan’s warmth, loyalty, and infectious laugh have been a constant. Their bond has always been filled with humor, heart, and just the right amount of ridiculous. Megan has been brightening Amy’s life since the day they met and will continue to — to infinity and beyond.

Megan F.

Amy and Tiffany met in middle school and have been making memories ever since. From softball games, where early crushes were dissected on bus rides (Drew may have come up once or twice), to trips to Quebec and the Bahamas, their friendship has always been full of fun, adventure, and great stories. Their longest-standing tradition, Rice Ball Night, is over 12 years strong and always includes plenty of wine and laughter. Whether they’re catching up over a weekend or picking up right where they left off, time with Tiffany always feels like coming home.

Tiffany

Amy and Lauren grew up just a few houses apart and have been like honorary sisters ever since. From playing dress-up to cheer practice, they’ve tackled every stage of life side by side, including the unforgettable day they had to use their hands to bail water out of Lauren’s car after she left the top down at practice and it poured like the world was ending. Whether they were choreographing dances on the field or navigating adulthood one laugh at a time, their bond has always been filled with laughter, loyalty, and just the right amount of chaos. Lauren has been a forever friend from the very beginning, and Amy wouldn’t want it any other way.

Lauren

Amy and Megan became twins in their honor fraternity at Clemson, but their bond wasn’t exactly instant. It took some persistence, but Amy eventually broke her down and won her over, and they’ve been inseparable ever since. What began with late-night study sessions and campus shenanigans grew into a friendship that’s spanned moves, career jumps, and countless life changes. Their iconic Mombo Italiano weekends, featuring an alarming amount of pasta, wine, and marathon YouTube music video sessions, are a sacred tradition. Megan is the friend Amy can always count on for deep conversations, cosmic reasoning, endless inside jokes, and laughter at exactly the right time. Through every season, she’s been steady, silly, and completely irreplaceable.

Megan O.

Amy and Elise met working together at Kettler and became fast friends, bonding over office singalongs, shared brainwaves, and an ability to get way too excited about a good spreadsheet. Elise is technically Amy’s boss (though she hates being introduced that way), but their friendship has always gone far beyond titles. She’s been by Amy’s side through wedding planning spirals, big life decisions, and countless coffee runs, always ready with honest advice and a glass of wine. Their favorite nights include pizza and sushi (yes, both), wine, and binge-watching Grey’s Anatomy or Ink Master. She’s the person Amy turns to when things are chaotic and the one who always understands without needing it explained.

Elise

The Groomsmen

Almost as iconic a duo as Drake & Josh, Drew and Josh have been inseparable since middle school. Though they never shared a classroom, you could always find them together—taking care of business on the South baseball field, at Cranbury Golf Course, or making an unhealthy number of visits to Five Guys. Even today, they live hundreds of miles apart but still co-manage a fantasy football team, using it as a yearly excuse to stay close (even if a championship eludes them).

Josh

One of Drew’s first friends at UMD, the two quickly became roommates, dodgeball teammates (yes, dodgeball), and of course, go-to beer pong partners (#BPP4L). When they meet up, you can find them catching a ball game—usually on Justin's quest to visit all MLB stadiums—or sneaking in a highly competitive game of mini golf (Drew is undefeated).  IllinoisBois and ManticToe still catch up almost every week with a game or twelve of Apex on Xbox with the squad (and shoutout Ed!).

Justin

Chris and Drew grew up playing little league and travel baseball tournaments together, which seemed to always include a post-game diner runs with Pat and Rich. These days, they still make the time to visit or take trips together. Fewer baseball games, better restaurants, but—let's face it—Drew’s still ordering chicken tenders like it’s 2007.

Chris

PJ is another close friend from little league (shoutout CPLL). The two spent many of their days playing backyard football, commiserating over the Jets, drafting Madden franchise teams (ask him about the DLs), and crushing nachos and cookies. Drew can always count on PJ to pick up a FaceTime, make the trip, or show up when you need a little extra muscle.

Mark is another childhood friend that Drew met in little league. The two spent weekends and summers playing travel ball with the Tigers, pickup basketball, and endless games of 2K. Always the entertainer, you can find Mark crushing it on stage, killing it on the dance floor, or just starting a round of Bohemian Rapsody with the boys.

Mark

Travis is yet another one from our little league and travel ball days on the Tigers (are you sensing a theme yet?). From laser tag games to impromptu pile ups to ill-advised tumbles down PJ’s stairs (Chris loved it!), Travis makes every moment more fun and slightly unpredictable. Some might call him a wild card.

Travis

Wedding Party

Q + A

Residence Inn Mt. Olive at International Trade Center

The hotel strongly recommends calling the front desk to book your room. If you prefer to book online, you must use a computer to receive the wedding block rate. The rate is not available from the app or a mobile browser.

Holiday Inn Budd Lake - Rockaway Area, an IHG Hotel

Travel

—Things to Do—

A restored 19th-century canal town offering historical tours and scenic views along the Musconetcong River.

Waterloo Village

Local produce and plant farm serving coffee, pastries, and seasonal ice cream.

Windy Brow Farms

Year‑round farm market with fresh produce, baked goods, homemade ice cream, hayrides, events &amp; more.

Tranquility Farms

—Restaurants—

An acclaimed contemporary American restaurant known for its farm-to-table cuisine and elegant ambiance. Perfect for a special dinner.

The Circle

Seasonal, lakeside Italian &amp; American dishes with handcrafted cocktails on Lake Hopatcong.

The Windlass

Innovative American fare &amp; craft cocktails served in a stylish, industrial-chic setting.

Industry Kitchen + Bar

Chic lakeside eatery offering brunch, dinner &amp; themed supper clubs with a view.

Alice's

Family-run Argentinian grill serving empanadas, charcoal BBQ &amp; full bar.

The Sizzle BBQ Argentinian Steak House & Bar

Rustic farm‑to‑table café &amp; market with seasonal plates, antiques &amp; gourmet goods.

The Farmer’s Daughter

—Breweries & Wineries—

Independent craft brewery with a tasting room, beer garden, live music &amp; food trucks.

Angry Erik Brewing

Cozy microbrewery featuring a rotating lineup of bold, handcrafted beers.

Man Skirt Brewing

Community‑focused taproom serving small‑batch ales in a relaxed setting.

Czig Meister Brewing

Family-run vineyard offering scenic views &amp; estate-made wines.

Brook Hollow Winery

Quaint winery producing handcrafted estate wines in a countryside setting.

Amy & Drew

Amy & Drew

A&D

Welcome Drinks

Wedding Day

5:00 PM

Ceremony

5:30 PM–11:00 PM

Reception

11:30 PM

Late Night Drinks