DIY Bride Stephanie Roth Talks Oak Tree Lodge
I recently sat down with one of our all-time favorite Do It Yourself brides, Stephanie Roth.
Her and her husband Stephen Mistretta chose Oak Tree Lodge to host their reception, after they were married on Belmar beach in October of 2016. All we were hearing all day was how it was the best wedding most of the guests had ever been to!
Read on to see what we talked about!
Sara DeCuir: What made you want to do a DIY wedding?
Stephanie Roth: I had originally looked at a big fancy wedding and just got annoyed with “you can do this, but not that” type of organization. I wanted the freedom to be unconventional and not have to worry about someone either not understanding or telling me no.
SD: Did you have a theme or color scheme?
SR: Red and black fall/Halloween/punk rock/tough of Harry Potter
SD: What did you find were the benefits? The drawbacks?
SR: No drawbacks at all. The top benefits were freedom to have my day just the way I imagined it, a lot of flexibility, and a casual feel
SD: What was the feedback you received after your day came to an end?
SR: Most people said it was the best and most fun wedding they’ve ever been to. Everyone loved the food-especially the pork
SD: Would you have done anything differently?
SR: More booze. We played it a little safe on the estimation, and we had to do a run after the reception had already started. It wasn’t the end of the world, but that would be something I would think about differently. For any other brides, I would really think about your guests and what they like to drink, and how much. We had a few craft beers on tap, but it was our light beer that we didn’t have enough of.
SD: What was your favorite moment from the day?
SR: Our entrance. Pete and Sara have known us for many years, so they were on board with our idea of doing a unique entrance. I’m a competitive figure skater and coach, and my husband is never going to turn down the spotlight. Together we choreographed our entrance to one of our favorite songs, “Where Eagles Dare” by The Misfits. We had jumps, spins, dips, you name it. It left a big impression on our guests!
SD: What made your day stand out from other weddings that you’ve attended?
SR: It wasn’t rigid. Everyone has been doing sit down dinners and it makes the events feel very scheduled and stuffy.
SD: How did you choose your vendors?
SR: Basically they were either all friends or vendors we’ve used. We knew the photographer, florist, and band personally and we’ve used the bakery for numerous occasions-they were also close to the venue (Photographer, florist, entertainment, baker, etc)
SD: Do you feel that you were able to add special touches to make your day personal here at Oak Tree Lodge that you may not have been able to do at any other locations?
SR: Yes, because where else can you set up a camp fire in a wedding gown?!
SD: Why did you choose Oak Tree Lodge?
SR: It seemed like the only place where I was going to be able to do what I envisioned, but still be able to keep traditionalists happy
SD: What advice would you give to future brides who are considering doing a DIY wedding at Oak Tree Lodge?
SR: Don’t be afraid to make those Pinterest boards come to life. It might take a little more time and effort, but it’s completely worth it to know that you did it yourself and it can be exactly the way you want it to be
SD: Well thank you Stephanie, it’s been a real pleasure getting to sit down with you again. Your wedding was absolutely beautiful and we had a great time!
SR: Anytime! We really had a great time and couldn’t imagine holding it anywhere else!
