For DJ Jacobs and Angela Arnold, a friend’s 30th birthday in New York City turned out to be more than just cake and ice cream. It was the birth of their lifetime together. In town from Boston, DJ spotted Angela from across the room. “I went right over there and introduced myself. It was very unlike me,” laughs DJ. For Angela, her future husband wasn’t overlooked. “He was wearing a green T-shirt with the characters from ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ but they were zombies,” she laughs. “I thought he was an interesting character.”  

After a quick courtship and a long-distance romance, DJ proposed nine months later. Having planned a romantic trip to Greece, Angela assumed the proposal would take place overlooking the Mediterranean. Instead, DJ opted for a scavenger hunt inside her New York apartment. With props, pictures and messages throughout the pad, the trail would eventually lead Angela outside to her deck.

“I employed her roommate to lure her home,” laughs DJ. After frantically trying to leave work early, Angela got back expecting to find her roommate, but instead the apartment was eerily silent. “I thought we were being robbed,” she laughs. Fear aside, she followed the clues, which ended with DJ waiting for her outside. The pair later celebrated with takeout and good chuckles.

They married 13 months later at DJ’s stepfather’s commercial nursery, The Plant Group, in Franklin, Connecticut. More than anything, “we wanted a party; an opportunity to get our friends and family together and have the best possible time,” says DJ.

Not wanting to burden the bridal party, the groom asked his men to wear black suits and said that he would provide the rest. So, before the wedding, DJ passed out purple Converse sneakers and purple ties to match his purple Hugo Boss suit. “I could never dress my friends as well as they could dress themselves, so I just told them purple,” says Angela, who followed suit and allowed her bridesmaids to select their own dresses.

One of the most memorable moments was when the couple’s mutual friend Ross, the friend who inadvertently set them up, married them. “He personally meant so much to each of us, before we even knew each other,” says Angela. “He did such an amazing job.”

For flowers, the couple picked colors that would complement the fall wedding and interior of the greenhouse. Going for a modern, yet contemporary feel, they chose a jewel tone palette. “Angela ordered all sorts of noisemakers and we made them into the themes of the tables,” says DJ. “We put people at the blue hand-clapper table,” he laughs.

Another special touch was the “Angela” and “DJ” Muppets who resembled the couple and made an appearance at the photo booth. When it came to food, the Bluebell ice cream sundae bar was an evening highlight for the bride. A brand only sold in the South, “my step-dad bought 50 gallons direct from a distributor in North Carolina and drove it up to Connecticut,” she says.

After dancing the night away with their 260 guests, the couple honeymooned in South Africa for two weeks, before returning home to Boston.