Public Relations Director Annika Halstrom and Real Estate Agent Mitchel Gendelman both spent many summers down the shore growing up. One of their favorite hangouts among family and friends was the Deauville Inn in Strathmere,
just under the Great Egg Harbor Bridge, where the couple and their collective gang spent innumerable “Sunday Fundays.” When the time came to plan their long-awaited wedding, it was almost a given that the couple would choose this bayside venue for their special day.
High school and college sweethearts, Annika and Mitchel seemed destined to be together. But destiny almost took another path on July 8, 2017.
In a freak accident, Annika broke her C1 and C2 vertebrae: the vertebrae that support the skull and protect the spine. The injury is considered by medical experts to be the severest of all spinal cord injuries. Annika’s fractures were mere millimeters away from causing her complete paralysis or even death. She was placed in a halo device and remained in it for several months.
Her family lovingly refers to July 8 as her “Halo Day,” after the contraption she was placed in – but it also ties in to her doctors repeating again and again that she must have had a guardian angel watching over her. Her recovery was nothing short of a miracle: it followed the installation of the Halo device, screwed into the skull in four places, weekly scans, and multiple painful sessions of physical and occupational therapy.
On July 8, 2023, Mitchel wanted to take a walk on Kelly Drive in Philadelphia with Annika and Bubba, their rescue dog. Though the summer sun was concealed by dark clouds that threatened heavy rain, it was still recorded as the hottest day of that year.
Annika obliged, but not happily.
“I was miserable,” she laughingly admits.
Her mood changed quickly. As scullers glided by and the sun broke through the clouds, Mitchel dropped to his knee to propose – exactly six years to the day from Annika’s terrifying accident.
Though the Deauville had hosted weddings for decades under past ownerships, according to Catering and Special Events Director Judy Brenna, it wasn’t until Blue Dog Hospitality Group took over the reins in 2021 that they implemented a new-and- improved events program with a focus on weddings.
The Deauville can host 110 guests for indoor weddings and up to 265 for an outdoor celebration. Wedding planning and design services ensure that every couple’s vision becomes a reality are gratis, courtesy of the Deauville. Planning and design is overseen by Brenna, who encouraged couples to get creative when decorating the Inn’s event spaces: the beach, lawn, and sand bar. Even the menu, she says, should reflect the couple’s personality, and Executive Chef TJ Ricciardi is there every step of the way to execute any and all ideas. Best of all, with built-in bay views, every couple receives a complimentary sunset as the backdrop for their special day.
“It was a wonderful experience,” says Annika. “Judy guided us through every decision and took the time to make sure everything was exactly how we wanted it. I appreciate when someone brings their professional, and even personal, opinion to the table.
She brought the perfect balance of reinforcing her knowledge of and expertise in the industry while also grounding us in what mattered most: Mitchel and me. She brought our vision to life and it was absolutely perfect.”
