New Jersey Bride Blog

In our recent issue, we feature the really fun wedding of Elka Shapiro to Brian Anstey, where the comedian Kathy Griffin married them in a not-so-traditional exchanging of vows. I actually had the privilege of attending the wedding out in Queens in March—wedding planner Samantha Goldberg of Gold Events in Chester helped put together the whole event and invited me to watch from the sidelines.

And it was all filmed for an episode of Kathy Griffin’s My Life on the D-List, which airs July 3rd at 10 p.m. on Bravo. It was classic Kathy Griffin—a lot of fun, a little controversial, and a few “she-didn’t-just-say-that” moments. There were cameras everywhere, a torrential downpour outside, guests had to sign nondisclosure agreements, and “Team Griffin”—Kathy’s entourage—were underfoot. But Elka and Brian soaked it all up and just loved the whole experience—they’re a really fun couple who are just happy to be together. Tune in to see how it all played out. And congratulations to the Ansteys!

I was so excited to see Laura Benanti, the Broadway actress from Kinnelon whose wedding is featured in our current issue of New Jersey Bride, win the Tony last night for her role of Gypsy Rose Lee in the revival of “Gypsy.” She looked absolutely stunning in her Marc Bouwer burgundy gown. And I found it interesting that the role has been said to have been cursed in the past, since the four other actresses who have played the part have never won a Tony. Well, Laura broke the curse and won her first Tony! The third time was a charm for her, since she’s been nominated twice before for her roles in “Swing” and “Into the Woods.” Laura stars alongside the phenomenal Patti LuPone, who also won the Tony last night for Best Actress in a Musical, and Boyd Gaines (pictured with Laura above), who won for Featured Actor in a Musical. Congratulations to all!! And be sure to check out Laura’s wedding in our current issue.

In our upcoming issue, we have a great real wedding of Laura Benanti and Steven Pasquale, which took place at the beautiful Crossed Keys Inn in Andover (www.crossedkeys.com). Laura was just nominated for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in the revival of Gypsy, where she stars alongside Patti LuPone. Her husband is actor Steven Pasquale, who stars in FX’s Rescue Me. We wish her tons of luck at the Tony Awards on June 15th!

And be sure to see her wedding when our new issue also comes out in June. It was an absolutely understated affair—not the typical blow-out wedding you’d expect from a seasoned showbiz couple. It was elegant, intimate, and inspired by nature, with Crossed Keys being the perfect backdrop. If you’re envisioning a garden or tent wedding in New Jersey, it doesn’t get much more beautiful than this.