Welcoming a Baby Girl
Taryn Palone of Somerset’s baby shower at the Molly Pitcher Inn in Red Bank had a slimmed down guest list, with a handful of people at each table, and only family and close friends in attendance. Taryn’s mom and sister planned the party with plenty of special, personalized details to celebrate her sweet girl.
They Still Said “I Do”
Caitlin and Jason Sluberski planned to get married in a church and celebrate their reception at Indian Trail Club in Franklin Lakes. At the time of their wedding, indoor dining wasn’t permitted in New Jersey and their church required the bride and groom to wear masks. The couple quickly changed plans to have an outdoor ceremony at Indian Trail Club followed by a tented backyard celebration at their home in Verona.
The Bride-to-Be
Breanna Popko’s bridal shower at Branches Catering in West Long Branch was rescheduled several times due to the pandemic. The celebration was held entirely outdoors on what turned out to be last summer’s hottest day. The guest list included the bridal party, family and a few close friends. Cookies made by The Sweetest Creation and a beautiful cake from Chocolate Carousel in Wall made it a sweet afternoon to remember.
Rite of Passage
Renée Riebling of Metuchen wanted to give her son, Franklin, the same type of reception his older sister had for her big day but his bar mitzvah fell during the pandemic. Their temple allowed her to do a small service and an outdoor lunch limited to 25 guests with “bagel bags” and an appearance from an ice cream truck. “Franklin learned to chant Torah over Facetime,” says Renée. “He chanted so beautifully. I was really proud of him!”
Baby Blessings
While the pandemic has been extremely challenging, it also yielded two blessings for the Latino family—the birth of Marie’s two granddaughters, Vittoria in August and Liana in March. To commemorate her first birthday as a grandmother, the family had an intimate dinner at her daughter Lisa Marie Falbo’s East Hanover home and documented the occasion with a color-coordinated family portrait.