Bad Sons Brewery

Rehearsal Dinner

The Waterview

Wedding Day

Wedding

Reception

On Sunday, March 16th,&nbsp;2014 Steph and her friend from college were finishing up a great brunch at The Smith when they decided to check out some of the local watering holes. They ended up at&nbsp;The Irish Exit which was quite empty on a Sunday afternoon. They pulled up seats at the bar and shortly there after the group of men sitting next to them ordered them a round of green beers. Steph started talking to one of the guys, Curtis, but was&nbsp;interrupted by another member of the group, a young man named Aaron. He quickly sent Curtis over to speak with Steph's friend and settled next to Steph at the bar. After some beers, bets, and dancing Steph agreed to give Aaron her number. The next day Aaron called Steph to ask her out on a date and the rest is history.

How We Met

On Sunday, November 4th, 2018 Aaron had&nbsp;planned an afternoon and evening of activities, something that made Steph very suspicious.&nbsp; They started the evening at a bar near where Steph lived when they first met called The Ellington. They ordered drinks and reminisced on their relationship so far looking at pictures on each other's phones. As the sun began to set they headed towards Central Park. Steph thought they were crossing through the park on their way to meet Aaron's parents for dinner, but Aaron had other plans. As they got to the park he decided to turn off the sidewalk and down to a pretty pond. Shortly after that Aaron&nbsp;got down on one knee and asked Steph to marry him. She, of course, said yes but that was just the beginning to the surprises. At that moment, Steph's best friend, Laura, appeared from a bush where she had been hiding and capturing pictures of the whole engagement. Aaron then informed Steph that they were in fact meeting his parents for dinner and invited Laura to join them. At this moment Steph began to get upset with Aaron because she wanted to call her parents and he seemed unconcerned and told her to call them later. The three of them hopped in a cab downtown and got dropped off a few blocks from their final destination.&nbsp;As they began the walk to the restaurant they happen to walk right past The Irish Exit, the bar where Steph and Aaron met. Aaron suggested they stop for a drink, Steph was anxious about being late for dinner but agreed to one quick drink. Laura quickly ran to the bathroom when they got to the bar but appeared a minute later grabbing Steph and telling her she needed to show her something. They rounded the corner to another room of the bar and there was all of Steph & Aaron's friends and family waiting to congratulate them on their engagement. Steph's annoyance with Aaron subsided immediately and they enjoyed the best night surrounded by the most important people in their lives.&nbsp;

Our Proposal

Our Story

Our Wedding

How many people can attend?

Currently CT state regulations are capping large indoor events at 100 people.&nbsp; We are hopeful that those numbers will increase as we get closer to the date and vaccinations continue. We will get in touch with everyone soon, please bear with us as we work through these restrictions.&nbsp;If you know you are unable to attend please let us know as soon as possible so we can extend an invitation to others!

What precautions are you taking due to COVID? 

Our venue, The Waterview, is making sure safety of guests & staff is top priority. They have implemented all of the strict cleaning, sanitation and employee training protocols&nbsp;required for a safe event.&nbsp; We are also asking that people continue to practice social distancing and wear masks!

Do I need to wear a mask?

YES! Masks are required at indoor events by state regulations. You must wear your mask at all times unless seated at your table or eating/drinking just like you would at a restaurant! Please be sure to bring your own mask on the day of the wedding but just in case you forget we will have a few extras available.

What should I wear?

Our dress code is formal/cocktail. A suit for men and a cocktail dress for women is perfect.&nbsp;Steph loves an excuse to dress up and is hoping others will enjoy the opportunity as well!&nbsp;Please note the ceremony will be outside and you will be walking on grass to get to your seat.&nbsp;

How do I get there?

The easiest way to access our venue is by car.&nbsp;We highly recommend finding others who might be coming from the same area and can carpool with you.&nbsp;The closest train station is&nbsp;Metro North in Bridgeport, CT (25 min drive to&nbsp;venue and 15 mins to hotels)If you are flying in for our wedding we recommend flying into&nbsp;Bradley Airport (BDL) in CT (about 1 hour drive to&nbsp;the venue) or Laguardia / JFK (about 1.5 hour drive to the venue)

Will transportation be available from the hotel?

Yes! We will have buses available to transport guests from our block hotels to and from the venue.&nbsp; It is approximately a 20 min drive from the hotel to the venue.&nbsp;There is also plenty of parking available at the venue. We ask if you are planning to drink that you take the bus or make sure to have a designated driver for safety.&nbsp;

Are kids invited?

Aaron and I love your little ones very much but&nbsp;our wedding is going to be an adults-only event so that everyone can relax and enjoy the evening. We appreciate you making arrangements ahead of time and leaving the kids at home so you can celebrate with us. If you need assistance finding local childcare please reach out to Steph (stephdjohnson2@gmail.com)

What is the schedule of events?

Our ceremony will take place outdoors in the West Garden (weather dependent) at The Waterview and will begin at 6pm. We ask that you plan to arrive between 5:30-6:00pm. It is planned to be approx.&nbsp;30-45mins.Following the ceremony, immediate family & the bridal party will stay outside for photos while everyone else will be invited inside the ballroom for cocktail hour with drinks and appetizers.&nbsp;The reception will follow in the same ballroom with dinner & dancing and will end at midnight.An after party is not currently planned due to COVID restrictions. We are hoping this will change as we get closer.&nbsp;

Details

Frequently Asked Questions

Our venue, The Waterview, is making sure safety of guests & staff is top priority. They have implemented all of the strict cleaning, sanitation and employee training protocols required for a safe event. The staff will continue to wear masks.

Based on the revised CT guidelines masks are no longer required for those who are fully vaccinated. We ask that everyone please be respectful of people's choices to wear a mask or not. A small amount of surgical masks will be available for those who need them.&nbsp;

Our dress code is formal/cocktail. A suit for men and a cocktail dress for women is perfect. Steph loves an excuse to dress up and is hoping others will enjoy the opportunity as well!Please note the ceremony will be outside and you will be walking on grass to get to your seat.

The easiest way to access our venue is by car. We highly recommend finding others who might be coming from the same area and can carpool with you.Driving directions from surrounding areas can be found here:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.waterviewcatering.com/directions/">http://www.waterviewcatering.com/directions/</a>

The closest train station is Metro North in Bridgeport, CT (30&nbsp;min drive to venue and 15 mins to hotels)





If you are flying in for our wedding we recommend flying into Bradley Airport (BDL) in CT (about 1 hour drive to the venue) or Laguardia / JFK (about 1.5 hour drive to the venue)

Yes! We will have buses available to transport guests from our block hotels to and from the venue. It is approximately a 30 min drive from the hotel to the venue. There is also plenty of parking available at the venue. We ask if you are planning to drink that you take the bus or make sure to have a designated driver for safety.

Are there driving directions?

For those staying at the hotels and are planning to drive to and from the venue we recommend the below route. Many of the roads recommended via GPS are backroads with minimal street lights & lots of twists & turns.Driving Directions from Hyatt House to Waterview

Leaving hotel, Turn Right onto Bridgeport Ave.&nbsp;&nbsp; In 0.5 mi. Turn Right onto Old Stratford Rd.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In 0.3 mi&nbsp;Turn Right&nbsp;onto&nbsp;CT-8 S toward Bridgeport.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Take Exit 49 (Danbury) to Route 25 North.&nbsp; Continue 5 mi. to the intersection of Route 111 North.&nbsp; Make a right turn and follow for 8 mi. to end of Route 111 North.&nbsp; Turn Right onto Route 34 East.&nbsp; The Waterview is located on your left.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(Travel time - 30 minutes)

Aaron and I love your little ones very much but our wedding is going to be an adults-only event so that everyone can relax and enjoy the evening. We appreciate you making arrangements ahead of time and leaving the kids at home so you can celebrate with us. If you need assistance finding local childcare please reach out to Steph (stephdjohnson2@gmail.com)

Our ceremony will take place outdoors in the West Garden (weather dependent) at The Waterview and will begin at 6pm. We ask that you plan to arrive between 5:30-6:00pm. It is planned to be approx. 30-45mins.Following the ceremony, immediate family & the bridal party will stay outside for photos while everyone else will be invited inside the ballroom for cocktail hour with drinks and appetizers.The reception will follow in the same ballroom with dinner & dancing and will end at midnight.An after party is not currently planned due to COVID restrictions. We are hoping this will change as we get closer.

Have any other questions?

Send an email to the Bride (stephdjohnson2@gmail.com) and she is happy to help answer!

Photos

Laura Nizam

Cee Cee Johnson

Mohammed Nizam

David Johnson

Laura Janeczko

Zach Abromowitz

Carly Russo Whittaker

James Njau

Curtis Tucker

Aimee Oldmixon

Nicole Pinsdorf

Jeff Gilligan

Amanda Ferrari

Rob Lynch

Abhi Nafday

Ilana Rashba

Tarif Chowdhury

Ashley Elmer

Wedding Party

Registry

Q + A

Transportation will be available (via school bus) to and from the venue and this hotel.UPDATED 5/13:Our discounted rate has ended. As of today the hotel website is not showing any rooms available for Saturday 6/5. If you still need a room please call the hotel and mention you are with our event or check out the other hotel option below.

Hyatt House Shelton

UPDATED 5/13: Our discounted rate is no longer available but there are rooms available for Saturday June 5th. This hotel is 2 minutes down the road from the Hyatt House.If you book a room at the Marriott and need transportation to and from the venue please email Steph (stephdjohnson2@gmail.com)

Stephanie & Aaron