A Delaware Love Story
Written by Taryn King | Photos by Crystal Finnegan Photography
Tethered their entire lives through mutual friends and varying locations, Sean and Alyssa came face-to-face for the first time in the early days of high school in 2011. Despite their attraction to each other, timing eluded them throughout school, keeping them in each other’s orbit but never single at the same time. During a rare Delaware snowstorm, they both joined a group of mutual friends to go sledding. "I absolutely hate the cold, so I was miserable for most of it, but afterwards we went to Sean's house and hung out in their game room. This is where Sean kissed me for the first time. I still feel those same butterflies after 10 years together."
As high-school seniors in northern Delaware, they bonded over a love of sunsets, baseball, and Boston, MA—" Ironically, Fenway Park has the most beautiful sunsets. We talked about how one day we would buy a condo that overlooked Fenway Park and watch the sunsets and baseball games together.” Alyssa says this was the moment she realized she had a future with Sean.
In 2017, they bought their first fur-baby together, America, and lugged her back and forth between their parents' homes for 4 years before deciding to buy their first home together in 2021. At that point, they added another dog to their little family and named him Boston.
Carousel Park became a favorite haunt for Alyssa and Sean, especially as a backdrop for taking “family photos” with their dogs. In October of 2022, Sean proposed during one of their park visits.
Originally, the couple considered holding their wedding in southern Pennsylvania, due to affordability, but then chose to put their wedding plans on hold for various reasons. In picking them back up again, Sean said, "It would make sense for us to get married at the place that holds so much space in our hearts…we should look downstate.” As avid beach lovers who spend most summer weekends down at the beach, this plan quickly fell into place.
Alyssa and Sean had friends who were married at Willowbrook in Bridgeville, and the photos of the main building’s black exterior and multiple outdoor ceremony locations caught their eye, so they decided to set up a tour. The Willowbrook Woods (one of 6 ceremony options) was erected after their friend’s wedding and was the exact aesthetic that Alyssa wanted for their day. “When Sean and I toured Willowbrook, we walked back into the woods and saw the ceremony wall—I was able to envision all of our loved ones gathered here. I was able to picture the bright florals, and I was hit with so much emotion; I could already feel the love. Tears immediately filled my eyes, and I knew that this was the place where I was going to marry my best friend and the love of my life.” This was the first and only venue that the couple toured in Delaware, and they immediately decided not to look any further.
May 30th, 2025, Alyssa and Sean said their ‘I Dos’ and officially tied the knot. Euphoric, timeless, and intentional are the three words the couple used to describe their wedding day. With a pastel palette and fairytale vibes, the day was nothing short of magical. Every couple strives to make their day unique and memorable, and for Alyssa and Sean, the sentimental touches incorporated throughout the day, not just for themselves and the bridal party, but for their guests as well, are what stood out. Some fun examples include a table of wedding photos of all of their married guests with a sign that read “To Those Who Walked Before Us”, hand-written notes, and pink begonias gifted to the bridesmaids, the couple’s wedding vows in custom-made notebooks—"We will use these notebooks throughout our lives in place of greeting cards. For every birthday, holiday, anniversary, special occasion, or just because, we will write the things we want to say to each other in our notebooks.” And Seaside Bride’s favorite detail: the bride’s second dress worn during the reception; the bottom half came from her mother’s wedding dress, and the top half came from the Mother of the Groom’s wedding dress. Alyssa said, “I wanted to honor her [Mother of the Groom] in the same way that I honored my own Mom, so I came up with the idea of incorporating both of their dresses into one. This was such a fun project that I was able to put so much creativity and love into.”
The couple’s venue choice did not disappoint. From their walk-through to the day after, they had seamless communication with Karen and Katelyn, the owner and one of the venue’s team leaders. “Our experience working with Willowbrook was incredible. 10 out of 10. No notes. If I had any questions or concerns, I was able to send a text message or an email, and they would get back to me within 24 hours with an answer.” Every idea the couple had the Willowbrook team answered with an “absolutely we can do that”. “Sean and I truly felt like we were the most important people in the world to the Willowbrook Staff. They went above and beyond everything we could have expected.”
In addition to their indoor and outdoor ceremony locations, Willowbrook also provides a Bridal Suite and Groom Room for the day of, to relax and get ready. Some additional decorative elements are available for use, including antique doors, floral rings, and boxwood walls.
The venue does have some restrictions, i.e., no confetti/streamers, no open flames, no sparkler exits, no shots from the bar, and a list of preferred food and beverage catering vendors. Dogs are allowed during the ceremony and for pictures with pre-approval. The main hall's building capacity is 250 people, and the property is fully accessible for guests with special needs, featuring wheelchair-accessible bathrooms and easy access to all areas, including the use of golf carts for any guests that may have difficulty getting into the woods on their own.
Recommended booking is 6-12 months in advance. For more Willowbrook details, photos, and contact information, please visit their website at willowbrookweddingsde.com/
When asked what advice they might offer to couples, Alyssa and Sean had two suggestions:
1.) “Do what feels right for you and your partner. The only way you can do wedding planning wrong is if it isn't what you truly want. Just because something is "traditional" does not mean that you have to incorporate it into your wedding. You are in charge of what your wedding day looks like, and if a tradition doesn't resonate with you, you don't have to do it!”
2.) “Your vendors are the most important part of your wedding day. I would like to say that we had the absolute BEST curation of wedding vendors in our area, and it showed in every single detail of our wedding…Make sure to read reviews and don’t be afraid to kindly decline services if you are not vibing with a vendor during your introductions.”
What has life been like for the couple in these early months after the wedding? Alyssa said, “Our time has been blissfully spent at the Delaware Beaches. We decided to push our honeymoon out until after the summer because we didn't want to miss out on all that our favorite place has to offer. Why spend the money to go to a beach destination when we have the perfect beaches right in our own backyard? Luckily for us, life has been just about the same as before the wedding. Spending time with our friends and family, and really just enjoying each other's company. The only thing that's really changed has been my last name.”
Featured Vendors:
Photographer - Crystal Finnegan Photography
Officiant - John Meredith
Ceremony | Venue - Willowbrook
Day of Coordinator - Laina Elizabeth Events
Catering - Skyline Catering
Dessert - Sweet Melissa
Flowers - Styled.
Signage - Styled. | Etsy | Self
Entertainment - DJ Hype
Hair | MUA - 1MakeupMan
Dress/Suits - Maggie Sottero | Meshki-Lysandre Crepe | Formal Affairs
Invitations - Emily Strycharz
Rings - Janvier Jewelers | Staghead Designs
Tents - Coastal Tented Events
Accommodations - Tru by Hilton
