TPD Design House Creative Director Liz Schaeffer and TJ Carricato, who works in video game advertising, first met during college while studying abroad in Rome. “It was like two ships passing in the night,” Liz recalls. “There must have been some kind of spark then, but it wasn’t until a decade later when we truly recognized the chemistry between us.” Fate–or the clever matchmaking of a few mutual friends—brought them together again, leading to a holiday romance that quickly blossomed into something more.
After five years together, TJ proposed in New Mexico while they were visiting Liz’s family. “There is a small historic square in the center of Santa Fe that was decorated with seasonal lights,” Liz shares. “After dinner, TJ suggested we take a walk there. As we reached the center of the square, he dropped to one knee and proposed beneath a canopy of twinkling trees. I was completely caught off guard and had no idea it was coming!”
Once engaged, the couple knew they would look for wedding venues on the Jersey shore to honor Liz’s late mother who loved spending her summers at the beach. They chose The Asbury, just steps from the boardwalk, for its location and rock ’n’ roll roots that felt like a perfect nod to their shared love of music. To bring their vision to life, they enlisted the help of Fulton Events and Birch Event Design, with Ben Finch and Storybox Cinema at the lens to capture every detail.
The bride wanted a wedding dress that highlighted her minimal, modern personal style with elegant, architectural details and chose a Katherine Tash style. “The natural, white silk satin reminded me of old Hollywood–style gowns, which felt fitting for the aesthetic we were planning for our reception,” Liz says.
Liz styled her wedding dress with a Simon Rocha purse, Mizuki pearl-drop earrings, and vintage jewelry from her mother and grandmother. “It was important for me to wear the heirlooms as a way to feel closer to my mom that day,” she lovingly reminisces. On the morning-of at The St. Laurent Social Club, Diva Borrelli gave Liz a natural makeup look and an effortlessly chic low bun–chosen to withstand the test of a lively dance floor.
“We both agreed that we wanted to be able to look back on our wedding day and not necessarily know what decade it was, so timeless classics were at the forefront of our fashion choices,” Liz says. The groom looked handsome in a custom Indochino suit, Georgio Armani shoes, and Gucci tie.
After a decade of designing wedding invitations at TPD Design House, Liz finally had the chance to bring her own to life. “Creating my own suite was both exciting and a bit nerve-wracking. I wanted our stationery to highlight bold textures and simple design, featuring a blind-embossed invitation on white stock with gold foil accents on the back—a perfect blend of structure and elegance,” she details. “Driftwood-textured acrylic for escort card keychains and metallic red acrylic for the after-party signage were standout touches.”
The game plan for the weekend began with a welcome party at Asbury’s Silverball Retro Arcade and Pinball Museum, foreshadowed by oversized ticket invitations featuring chunky typeface and glossy red foil. “As a nod to TJ’s career, it was a night filled with free games, natural wine, and pizza for guests to see one another ahead of our wedding day,” Liz shares.
On September 28, 2024, a surprise storm in the wake of Hurricane Helene forced the couple to relocate their rooftop ceremony to the patio area they had planned for dinner. “To our surprise, the Fulton Events and Birch Event Design teams seamlessly transformed the space into a beautiful and cozy alternative, with soft lighting by Jacob & Co Creative and mottled natural light through the rain on the clear-top tent,” Liz notes. “In hindsight, having our ceremony in the tent was perfect. The space felt glowy and ethereal, and its intimate nature made me feel closer to everyone and therefore more comfortable.”
After being announced as officially married, guests made their way to cocktail hour, while the creative teams quickly transformed the tent into a supper club-inspired atmosphere, featuring whimsically minimal tablescapes adorned with candles and petite yellow flowers.
Everyone found their seats via kewpie escort cards. “For me, stationery should tell a story, and one favorite detail was our dinner place cards, featuring drawings of kewpies by TJ from cards he’d made me over the years,” the bride shares. At their tables, restaurant-style leather-bound menus, stamped with one of the couple’s wedding brand illustrations, explained the dining experience by Cardinal Provisions. Inside, an insert from the groom read: “Tonight’s dinner is served family-style because we feel the best conversations are shared over a shared meal. If you’re here, we like you. You all have that in common. So, get to know your neighbors, have a drink with someone new, and don’t fill up on bread.”
As dinner concluded, a dramatic reveal of the Twin Peaks-esque reception space, hidden in plain sight by blacked-out doors and draping, set the tone for the night ahead. “Working in the event industry, I’ve developed an affinity for draping,” Liz jokes. “The red velvet focal wall set against our black and white checkered dance floor felt like we were transported to the nightclub of my dreams.” The newlyweds were the first to christen the dance floor to the dreamlike melody of “Killing Moon” by Echo and the Bunnymen.
Later on, DJ Royale of Bonita Sound kept the celebration going into the wee hours of the night, with a little help from an espresso martini machine provided by Cocktail Academy. Before departing for a local dive bar down the block, the bride changed into a white mini dress from Alice + Olivia. “Before TJ and I headed back to our suite, I visited the back-of-house kitchen and picked up a tray of leftover cake balls to enjoy in bed,” Liz laughs.
