Weddings, Jersey style: Tech lovers throw a social media-themed soiree

Kayla Bryant's first stop on her wedding day wasn't a church, banquet hall or a scenic park. It was a bar.

But Bryant wasn't looking to throw back cocktails to calm her nerves. She was visiting her husband at a popular Irish pub in downtown Jersey City for their "first look" — just hours before their wedding ceremony.

Dorrian's Red Hand restaurant is a familiar location for Bryant, and the spot she associates with having found true love.

In May of 2013, Bryant met her husband Vlad Khanutin at Dorrian's during a bustling happy hour.

"He was there first," Bryant said. "I was there because I was early meeting friends in the city for happy hour and had time before getting on the PATH train."

Bryant took the only open seat.

"We sat next to each other at the bar and have been inseparable ever since," she said. "At first, it was busy. By the time I left, it was empty. I wound up missing my train to New York City and never made it to my friends because we were having such a good time."

On Dec. 24, 2013, Khanutin took Bryant to Rockefeller Center. Bryant remembers feeling nervous, as she believed Khanutin planned to propose. The nerves weren't a sign of cold feet however. Bryant thought the crush of tourists crowding the area's famed ice skating rink was an impersonal place for such a memorable moment.

"One day, we were talking about proposals and I said that I felt bad for people who get engaged at places like the Rockefeller Christmas tree because there are so many strangers crowding your space, and how can you get a good picture for Instagram with all that commotion," she said.

Khanutin had taken note. The visit to the tree was simply a pre-amble for his proposal.

Roughly ten minutes after they started driving home from New York City, Khanutin pulled over on Exit 14 of the New Jersey Turnpike.

"I got so annoyed because Vlad has the weakest bladder of anyone I have ever met and we always have to pull over," Bryant said through laughs. "Only this time, he went in the trunk and then came over to my side to open the door."

By this time, Bryant was even more annoyed because it was a frigid December night.

"But he opened the door and just as I was about to start complaining about the cold, he proposed," she said. "Of course, I said, 'Yes.' But then I practically begged him to get back in the car because it was that cold."

Bryant and Khanutin said they have pushed each other to try new things — personally and professionally.

"Before him, the idea of marriage never bothered me, but the thought of having kids and being responsible for another life, scared me," Bryant said. "With him, it's different, because we have similar beliefs and upbringings, and think so much alike that I'm excited for it."

Their wedding date

Since Bryant is a high school English teacher, she and her husband chose to marry on July 18.

"We didn't have much choice outside of summer," she said. "The rest of the year is far too hectic."

By marrying in mid-July, Bryant had almost a month after the school year ended to make final arrangements before her big day.

"Plus, we could take our honeymoon and still have time to come back and relax before I have to start preparing for the next school year," Bryant added.

The venue

Bryant and Khanutin wanted their wedding to have a contemporary feel to match their styles.

"Minutes after walking into the Fiesta's Casa de Rosa ballroom, I knew it was 'the one,' " Bryant, 28, said.

The Freehold couple said they loved the marble dance floor and the curtained stage at the Wood Ridge venue.

"It was beyond beautiful," Khanutin, 32, said.

What they splurged on

Bryant and Khanutin share a love of technology.

Their social media-themed wedding included plenty of photo opportunities — which was a top priority for the couple.

"Through our deejay company Premier Entertainment, we purchased a step and repeat with our wedding logo," Khanutin said. "We figured this would be fun for our guests to take pictures with."

Bryant designed a logo to entwine the first initials of her name and that of her beau, which Khanutin tweaked using Photoshop to include their wedding date and hashtag: #keepingupwiththekhanutins.

Bryant's bouquet from the Clay Bouquet Shop on Etsy.com was made up of handmade white, aqua and royal blue roses to match the bridesmaids' dresses.

"That way, she can take it home and if we ever have a daughter it can be her 'something blue' when she gets married," Khanutin said.

Since social media-themed weddings are relatively uncommon, the couple said there were few decoration options. So Bryant made most of them. The personalization proved pricey.

"She hand painted the apps on our 'Application Seating Chart' — made up of 16 baking tins — and made the escort cards," Khanutin said.

For table names, the couple used mini chalkboards made to resemble iPads.

"Over time, the costs began to add up because we had to purchase all the supplies to create and decorate each item individually," Khanutin said. "Kayla also hand decorated the broom we jumped over at the end of the ceremony to match our wedding colors."

For wedding favors, the couple ordered soap from Etsy.com, which were shaped in the form of a Facebook "like" and packaged in clear boxes that read: "We Hope You 'Liked' Our Special Day!"

Khanutin and his bride even had their cake trimmed in a social media-themed ribbon.

Where they saved

Bryant was thrifty when it came to her wedding attire.

"Instead of wasting thousands on a dress I'd wear only once, I ordered my Mori Lee dress online," she said. "My measurements came out perfectly. I only had to have the bottom hemmed."

She spent $500 on her ivory mermaid dress, which featured a chapel train, organza and ruffles. That tab included alterations, which were done near her home in Freehold at Andres the Tailor.

The couple also saved on their invitations.

"We've been to so many weddings, yet don't remember what anyone's invite looked like," Bryant said. "So, instead of spending $2-plus per invitation, we ordered them online from Ann's Bridal Bargains, and they did a great job."

Bryant said this to-the-point approach made for a lightweight invite, which reduced postage costs.

How they made their wedding special

The newlyweds personalized the theme of their wedding to incorporate decorations and activities their 150 guests might not see elsewhere.

"We both love social media — probably the only thing more than each other — and Vlad works in IT," Bryant said. "So technology is a big part of our lives."

Bryant had each guest's name written out as a Twitter handle.

Instead of traditional garter and bouquet tosses, the couple threw a custom football personalized by the bride. The football was signed by the bride and groom and by the two individuals who caught it. The athletic duo said it will be kept in a football display case at their home.

The newlyweds wanted to include their parents in the celebration, so their first dance was a medley of their weddings songs and their parents' wedding songs.

"Our first dance song was 'Yes' by Musiq Soulchild, but we had it shortened and mashed with 'Ribbon in the Sky' by Stevie wonder and 'Lady in Red' by Chris De Burgh because those were my and Vlad's parents' respective first songs," Bryant said.

Most memorable moments

The best part of their big day was exchanging vows and dancing with their guests at the reception, the couple said.

"The vows were my favorite because now we have standards to hold each other to that were witnessed by everyone we love," Bryant said. "And the reception was just insane. Our deejay, Dan, of Premier Entertainment, made sure everyone was up and dancing."

Even Bryant's mother, who is usually very reserved, did a little solo number when Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass" was played.

Khanutin was as moved by his bride on their wedding day as he was the first time they met at Dorrian's.

"When I saw the look on Kayla's face as she walked down the aisle with her father, the reality of what we were about to do really sunk in," he said.