When Taylor O’Donnell and Zack Farnell decided to get married at the
Jersey Shore, she wanted a venue that captured its essence without being on the sandy beach itself.
They also wanted options in case the weather was bad — a venue that could provide all these aspects, plus the food and drink.
Enter Avalon Golf Club & Links Restaurant, and their Wedding and Events Director
Dawn Sachs. “I think the best part about our venue is how timeless and classic the reception space is, and its versatility to make it exactly what a couple envisions,” Dawn said. “It has great bones…soft neutral colors, wood floors, and lots of windows with natural light.
“It truly is a beautiful blank canvas waiting for the couple to pour their color palette, their personalities, and their love into it,”she continued. “I also love our deck, which like the reception space, overlooks the golf course, for cocktail hour. It’s the right amount of nature and fresh air, without having to worry about the elements. The outdoor ceremony space makes the day picturesque and convenient as well.”
According to Taylor, “The thing that really sold us on the venue, though, was the event coordinator, Dawn. She was so great from the start. She was so thorough and helpful, and we could tell she was truly passionate about the weddings she hosted. We knew that we would have so much support and guidance along the way.”
The venue gave them a really accurate timeline in which they could use to try to keep things on track. “They offered us suggestions of preferred vendors, and also gave us questions to ask our vendors to make sure that everyone was on the same page and organized for the big day,” Taylor recalled. “I really wanted a venue that was able to bring the essence of the Jersey Shore, but not specifically
be on the beach,” she said. “I also loved how I knew I would be the only wedding at the venue that day, and would have so many different options depending on what the weather would be.
We ideally wanted our ceremony outside, but in the case that it was cold or raining, we loved how there was a designated indoor ceremony space. We loved that the venue offered it all – they provided all of the food, drinks.”
What really made it special for Taylor was that the venue allowed the girls, her bridal party and herself, to get ready on-site. “This really allowed us to take our time and be able to relax and be available to be there for anything all day,” she said. “It also allowed us to start celebrating earlier in the day! It was much easier organizing and coordinating the morning and photos since I was already there.”
Zack and Taylor met in 2015 at Wesley College in Dover, Delaware. They graduated from there together, then moved to Florida together, before deciding to come back up to get married at the Shore.
“I grew up spending every summer down the Shore,” Taylor said. “I lived in Delaware most of my life, and as a kid, we would drive down the Shore with my parents and brother every weekend during the summers.
“Once I got older, I started spending more time there and would spend my college summers living down the Shore and working at local restaurants,” she added.
“Now that we live in Florida, we try to make it up to still visit at least once a summer. Planning our wedding here has also brought us up to the area a ton more recently,” she said. “It’s been great.”
