Real Wedding: DJ & Jeff
Nantucket, Massachusetts
Photographer(s): Claudia Kronenberg
Jeff Melzer had too many perfect opportunities to propose to his girlfriend, DJ. Together they traveled to Mexico, spent a weekend in New York City, and watched countless Malibu sunsets in their hometown. The problem was that he wanted the proposal to be a surprise, something DJ would never expect. So one morning, Jeff woke up early and tied a sparkling engagement ring to their dog Jake's collar. He then got back in bed with DJ and waited for Jake to jump up and snuggle.
Half an hour later, Jake jumped onto the bed and DJ spotted the ring. Her screams of excitement scared the dog away, and she had to chase him around the house to get it. Jeff followed, chasing both Jake and DJ so he could pop the question. Once the commotion ended and DJ said "yes," the newly engaged couple spent the day celebrating in Malibu.
Their hectic proposal story fits in well with their courtship story, though. Jeff first caught DJ's attention after pursuing her at an intersection while driving. It was unclear which car stopped first, and therefore it was unclear who got to go first. DJ seized the opportunity and turned. Looking in her rearview mirror, she realized the other car from the intersection was following her. It continued to follow her for two blocks, to the street where she lived. Later that day, DJ found two sticks of Juicy Fruit gum attached to a phone number and an invitation to watch the sunset. She called, met Jeff, and the two got along immediately. They moved in together nine months later.
The first time DJ met Jeff's family was on a vacation to Nantucket. DJ immediately thought the island was the perfect location for a wedding. The day Jeff proposed she knew they would marry on the island. They were engaged for six months, and by paying close attention to small details, DJ and Jeff were able to make every part of their wedding reflect meaningful characteristics of their relationship.
Since Nantucket was a destination location for the Melzers, they planned a "wedding weekend" for all of their guests. They opened a tab at a local bike shop and provided their friends and families with welcome bags equipped with bike maps, and of course, packs of Juicy Fruit. They also organized fishing trips on the water and hosted a lobster bake rehearsal dinner so the guests always had things to do. To promote their love for Nantucket, they included a list of bride and groom favorites, suggesting shopping and dinner locations. At their reception, they served their favorite local foods and beers.
Their event planner, Nicole Welden, of Unique Nantucket made sure the entire day went smoothly. After the wedding, DJ realized that Nicole's assistance meant that there was nothing for her to stress about on her wedding day. "I didn't slow down to enjoy everything," she says. "Once everything was over, I was sad, so enjoy it!" she advises. Dawn Kelly, of Soiree Floral, worked with Jeff and DJ to design hydrangea bouquets, and even their invitations were designed on the island, by Parchment Nantucket.
During their candle lighting ceremony, the church's organist played an acoustic version of Taylor Swift's "Love Story." DJ loves that this song made her wedding unique. "It was a cool way to bring in a more current, untraditional song into a traditional church wedding," she says. She and Jeff also broke tradition by involving their dogs in the day's festivities. They flew them across the country to be greeters at the church, and during the reception the canines entertained and shared hors d'oeuvres with the guests. "Everything came together," DJ says, "It was amazing." Their three-day wedding weekend was the perfect first chapter to their love story as Mr. and Mrs. Melzer.