Having spent a lot of time in Stillwater, NJ growing up, I was surprised and excited to be back in the Sussex County woods for Alysa and Sean’s wedding at Brook Falls Farm, a venue I’d never been to before.

Alysa and I go pretty far back… like, pushing two decades back. We met in high school, went to shows together through college, and even worked together for a little while. So when I rolled up to her venue, I couldn’t have been more excited to see her marry Sean.

When I arrived, Sarah from Obsidian Photographic and I were escorted to the back of the premises where Sean was waiting to see Alysa for the first time, then we made our way toward a small plank that spanned a peaceful waterfall. As we were crossing, we discovered a snake that found itself in a position where it might not have had the best day, so Alysa, dressed in her full wedding dress, rescued it and released it in a safer location.

Afterward, we made our way deeper into the woods where we were treated to a truly panoramic view of the area, complete with a river, endless woods, and the bride and groom’s peaceful “suite,” a large, secluded tent pitched nearby.

While the day was full of hula hooping and Steve the Best Dog, it was completed by a truly once-in-a-lifetime performance by an amalgamation of musicians from three nationally-touring bands — Fikus, Shwizz and Particle — and three other talented friends. The result was an incredible night of really great jams and covers. I’m not sure that the dancing ever stopped, even for dinner.

Congratulations, Alysa and Sean!