Did they ever!

The bridal party made their entrance to “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over” by Hank Williams Jr. and the newlyweds danced their way in to Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel.”  Their first dance song was a beautiful duet by Dolly Parton and Ricky Vanshelton called, “Rockin’ Years.”

The Details

The adorable bridesmaids wore orange gowns that matched the groomsmen’s vests and ties as well as the lily arrangements on each table.  Guests received favors of white and milk chocolate candy calla lily and truck lollypops.  The card box was a replica of Sheena and Matt’s house, made by a friend!

The high school sweethearts looked amazing.  Sheena in particular just glowed in her gown with rhinestone beading.

Halloween Cake Topper

The cake topper was a tribute to Halloween, a French kissing bride and groom skeleton with a tombstone engraved, “Love Never Dies.”

Photo by Steph

I was so impressed with the new additions to Anthony’s Pier 9!  We checked out the gardens, patio and ceremony area, complete with backlit fountain and stairs for the bride to make her dramatic entrance for the wedding.  Simply gorgeous.

There sure were some crazy moves happening on the dance floor!  The groomsmen arrived in reflective vests to do the “YMCA.”  Guests got their country on with a little line dance action to “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” and “Good Times.”  Sheena’s father and the bridal party feverishly did the “Surfin’ Bird” dance.

A Sentimental Date

Sheena and Matt got married in the very same church where Sheena’s parents were married…exactly 27 years before on the day prior to their wedding!  The newlyweds dedicated their wedding song to them, “Never Gonna Let You Go” by Sergio Mendez.

You set the tone by inviting your “rowdy friends” over for a party, and they delivered!  Thank you so much for letting us celebrate with you.

Anthony’s Pier 9

Photography by Fotos by Cheryl

Video by Starlight Video

The couple’s playful photo shoot with Kris Palmer captured these great images and warmed them up for the ceremony in the indoor gardens. White lights lit the tulle draped gazebo against the stone wall and greenery while gentle waterfalls trickled in the background.

The bridesmaids were lovely in chocolate dresses with pink sashes tied at their waists and carrying rose bouquets in shades of pink. The Maid of Honor’s gown was pink with a chocolate sash.  The flower girls had pink roses woven into their hair and tossed petals, followed by the tiniest ring bearer carrying a cream frog pillow.

A hush fell over the guests as Jen arrived on her father’s arm, an adorable princess flashing that famous, unstoppable grin. Chris met her at the end of the aisle; she kissed her father and took Chris’ arm as he escorted her to the gazebo for the ceremony.

Jen and Chris leaned into each other, smiling, as retired Judge Michael Brown led them in their vows. It was obvious that this couple aren’t just in love; they are also best friends.

THE DETAILS: Pink floral arrangements on the tables were framed by votive candles.  Each table was named after a year with a photo of the couple from that time. Guests were given favors of measuring tape labeled, “Love Beyond Measure.” Too cute! The cake: cascading sugar daisies with pink ribbon tied around each tier.

This was our second wedding celebration with Chris’ fun-loving, tight knit family, and they did not disappoint! By the end of the night we were dancing to Ne-Yo, Rihanna (one of the mother of the groom, Connie’s favorites!) the Cupid Shuffle and a spirited Electric Slide the family had been practicing just for the occasion.

Guests could barely tear themselves away from the delight of double desserts: a chocolate fountain with fruits and cookies for dipping on one side and a pink-hued Candy Buffet on the other filled with Swedish fish, nonpareils and more. All that on top of the wedding cake!

Jen’s contagious enthusiasm drew the guests around her and truly won my heart.  Chris’ love of music and dance brought touches of jazz and blues to the night.

Jeff and I were so touched and honored to be there for this special day in the lives of Jen and Chris. Bravo and well done! Thanks so much for inviting us.

Anthony’s Pier 9

Photos by Kristine Palmer Photography *All photos in this blog courtesy of Kris

Bridal Party Flowers by David Anthony

Cake by The Pastry Garden

Written by Stephanie Padovani

Photo by Steph

couple’s sweet, romantic personalities. The tremendous amount of thought and care in the planning of their day really showed!

The bridal party was introduced to “I’ll Be There For You” by the Replacements, the theme from Friends, and Leanne and Chris entered to AC/DC’s “Rock ‘N Roll Train.”

THE DETAILS:  The tables were draped in navy blue linen to match the bridesmaids’ dresses and were decorated with blue and white flowers nestled in greenery.  Guests were given favors of personalized Hershey kisses and wedding cake candles.

The junior bridesmaid, Jamie, Leanne’s young niece, gave a speech, taking the microphone without a trace of fear.  She read her words off a piece of paper.  “When Aunt Leanne told me she was marrying Chris, I was so happy! Then she said I would be the junior bridesmaid and I talked forever.”

The speeches culminated with a special surprise gift: a framed photograph of Leanne and Chris together as children (though they didn’t meet until their teen years) created with the magic of Photoshop.

Leanne and Chris challenged us with a unique twist on the centerpiece giveaway.  Each guest filled in their answers to a bride and groom trivia quiz and the person who answered the most questions correctly took home the floral centerpiece.  The real prize was learning how well these guests knew the couple.  From the couple’s first meeting at Dick’s Sporting Goods to their romantic Sunset Beach proposal and Hawaiian honeymoon destination, these guys knew their Leanne and Chris trivia!

It was a treat for Jeff and me to watch Leanne and Chris smiling at each other, surrounded by their loved ones.  Chris’ family had even practiced the Electric Slide just for the occasion!  Nicely done, guys.  I meant what I said about taking you on the road with us. *grin*

Anthony’s Pier 9

Photos by Yerkes Photo

Written by Stephanie Padovani

Photo by Steph

at Anthony’s Pier 9 in New Windsor.  They made their introduction to the pumpin’ “Boom Boom Pow” by the Black Eyed Peas.

Beth’s auburn hair was drawn up into an elegant, layered updo reminiscent of the 1930′s.

I understood the significance of their chosen first dance song, John Legend’s “Stay With You,” after the Best Man’s toast.  He explained that ‘Los had a huge “man crush” on John Legend.  The Best Man, Aaron, had known Beth since she was two months old.  He traced the growth of the couples relationship back the ten years earlier when Carlos returned from Oklahoma as something that was always meant to be.

One of the most adorable moments was when the flower girl requested, “Fire Burning” by Sean Kingston.  She bounced around the dance floor, singing along with the lyrics, “Shorty fire burning on the dance floor,” and ran off to drag her father out to dance.  He lifted her off her feet as she sang at the top of her lungs.

We ended the night with hip hop, a touch of reggaeton and a surprise request for the catchy “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus for Beth and her girls.

Beth and Carlos are off to their Puerto Rican honeymoon.  Congratulations, guys!

Anthony’s Pier 9

Photos by Eli Sloves

I’ve been looking forward to this wedding for months!  Ever since we met Erica and Eric at the Poughkeepsie Grand bridal show and discovered that we are neighbors.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting their adorable black lab puppy, Chloe, nicknamed their “engagement dog” since Eric hid the ring in her collar when he proposed.  And our zoo just loves Erica since she pet sat for them last summer.

All this to say that it was an immense pleasure to be a part of Eric and Erica’s wedding ceremony.  Jeff performed acoustic guitar for Erica’s walk down the aisle, so lovely on her father’s arm and carrying a bouquet of purple daisies.

There were many familiar faces in the crowd, including our couple Corey and Ryan from last month.  (Of course, we snuck in their first dance song to give the freshy-fresh newlyweds a chance to enjoy it on the dance floor.)

Erica choose a beautiful song by Darius Rucker, “It Won’t Be Like This For Long,” for her Father-Daughter dance, so appropriate and sweet that I will definitely be recommending in the future.

As a tribute to Erica’s passion for animals, she and Eric did a Dollar Dance to raise money for the North Shore Animal League, the rescue center they adopted Chloe from.

DETAILS: The favors were cookie cutters with an adorable card, “We’re cut out for each other,” and a recipe for sugar cookies.  Guests were also invited to write their memories, wishes and advice for the newlyweds on a card to be placed in the guest book.

Fortunately, we’ll be seeing Eric and Erica again “around the block” after their return from St. John.  Thanks so much for letting us be a part of your day, guys!

Anthony’s Pier 9

Photos by Harvey Manger-Weil of The Uncommon Image

We met the couple when we worked the annual Holiday Ball for the employees at Stewart Airforce Base. Danny “volunteered” to be a human Christmas tree and was decorated by the ladies with tinsel, ornaments, and ladies undergarments. As if that weren’t enough, he did a runway walk, strutting his stuff for the crowd.

Yep, that’s Danny.

With three children each, Mashelle and Danny are forming a regular Brady bunch.

On their wedding day, Danny and Mashelle made their grand entrance, rising up the elevator in the Imperial Ballroom, lights flashing, the theme from 2001 Space Odyssey blaring. We kicked in with Rob Base’s “It Takes Two” and the guests went wild.

Danny really stretched my vocal talents with the Love Letter he wrote for Mashelle, inspired by the Jack Black comedy Nacho Libre. I assumed my best Mexican accent to deliver lines like, “Let’s get down to the nitty gritty,” (except it sounded more like, “neeety greeety“) and “I was wondering if you would join me in my quarters this night…for some toast.”

How many times did you see that movie, Danny?

Mashelle and her young son Barrington, who had also walked her down the aisle, shared a special dance together. He held her tight, head pressed into his mother the whole time. It was the sweetest parent dance I’ve seen in ages.

Let me tell you–the bouquet toss later on was FULL CONTACT. Those single ladies were dangerous! They actually tackled each other and wrestled for the bouquet. Stray flowers were flying everywhere.

We tapped into some salsa, merengue, old school hip hop and freestyle for this party, interspersed with some of Danny and Mashelle’s Christian favorites.

My favorite moment: seeing the looks of love exchanged by Danny and Mashelle as their six children surrounded them on the dance floor. These are the moments you remember.

Thanks, guys!

Anthony’s Pier 9