The couple was married on the hill beside the garden.  We didn’t get to see that part, but we heard about their romantic horse-drawn carriage ride to and from the ceremony.

Jeff was ecstatic to perform acoustic guitar on the wrap around porch outside the Parlor overlooking the lake.  He’s always in his happy place when he gets to play outside. 

The Details

Patricia indulged her artistic side in the planning; she designed the menus, the place cards and table numbers and put together the elements for her latte lovebird theme.  The bridesmaids wore latte gowns and carried bouquets of pale pink and peach roses.

The cake was decorated in chocolate accents and topped with two porcelain lovebirds in a nest of blush roses.  Guests received favors of lovebird salt and pepper shakers to match the theme.  They couple even had an ice sculpture of the mountain house with a sign reading, “The Lovebirds” in front of it!

The Music

Patricia was full of beauty and grace and so photogenic!  (Janet let us peek in her camera at some of the ceremony pictures.)  She and Vince made the most romantic picture dancing to “I Finally Got It Right” by Fooling April.

Vince choose a beautiful song for his dance with his mother, one that’s destined to be a classic, “All to You” by DJ Keo.  Despite limping to the dance floor on a broken ankle, his mother danced the entire song with him.

Awesome job designing, coordinating and planning this wedding.  Thanks so much for having us, guys!

Mohonk Mountain House

Photos by Ashley Studios All photos courtesy of Ashley Studios

Video by Artistic Images Video

Flowers by A Night in Bloom

The couple asked Jeff to perform a piece called “Love Dreams” on acoustic guitar for Trina’s walk down the aisle.  The song was written many years ago by John’s grandfather; in order to pull this off, John had to sneak the sheet music from his mother, then have a friend learn it and record it on Youtube for Jeff…all while keeping the big secret.  No easy feat!

John made special mixes of “Paradise City” by Guns ‘N Roses for the bridal party’s introduction and “Hot For Teacher” by Van Halen.  (Since Trina is a beautiful teacher, it seemed the obvious choice.)  More surprising, after the newlyweds were announced, John pulled an apple from his pocket and with a flourish, offered it to his lovely bride.

They wrote romantic love letters for each other and John’s made mention of the first Metallica concert they attended together.  Well, we just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to sneak in some of John’s favorite band, so we played a few bars of “Master of Puppets.”  ROCK ON!

THE DETAILS:  The bridesmaids wore beautiful teal dresses and carried pink and white bouquets.  Since John is a classic Oldsmobile collector, each table was named after a different model.  Guests received CD favors with a picture of the groom’s Olds on the front, all displayed beside a license plate, “Trina and John Just Married” and the lyrics to “In My Merry Oldsmobile.”

The personal touches were amazing, the love was undeniable.  Trina and John, thanks so much for letting us be a part of it!

Villa Borghese

Photos by Majestic Studios *Photos in this blog courtesy of Kat from Majestic Studios.

Video by Artistic Images

Photo by Jeff

gorgeous autumn days we’ve had so far.  The reception started at 3:30, allowing guests to fully enjoy the panoramic view of the Hudson River during cocktail hour.

I spied on the couple outside during their photo shoot.  Chris held Kimberly in a tender embrace as the sun set behind them; she was so elegant in her long white gloves.  The he tickled her and photographers Vicki and Allan snapped away to capture the delightful playfulness between them.

THE DETAILS:  The bridesmaids wore merlot dresses.  The Dutchess Manor’s famous rose centerpieces this time w ere cream, white, yellow and rustic orange.  Photos of Kimberly and Chris as children and then together were displayed during cocktail hour.  Favors were classic Jordin almonds and chocolates wrapped in ribbon tied purple boxes.

Photo by Steph

The couple’s love for each other was the most inspiring centerpiece of the evening.  As Chris’ brother and Best Man put it, “No one cares about anything the way these two care for each other.”

Photo by Steph

The Maid of Honor revealed how she met Chris when he visited Kimberly’s dorm and taped her favorite candies to her door…and how years later proposed on a gondola ride in Italy.

This group needed no urging to party!  They were all over the Tarantella, several Greek dances and even Jay-Z made an appearance.

One of my favorite moments was watching Chris doing the lawnmower on the dance floor.

My heart was warmed just looking at this loving couple.  Thanks for having us, guys!  It was truly an amazing day.

Dutchess Manor

Photos by Allan Levine Photography

Video by Artistic Images

It felt like we knew half the guests, and we certainly recognized many more from this Pleasant Valley/Poughkeepsie crowd.  I’ll admit to feeling a touch of nervousness at the start, with so many of our friends among the guests…I was bound and determined to impress them…but it quickly passed as I was completely enveloped in the fun-loving spirit of the crowd.

Paula was just radiant, with a beautiful smile that lasted the whole night through.  The couple’s first dance was “When You Say Nothing At All,” performed live by Brian’s talented daughter, Morgan.

Paula and Brian didn’t just want their wedding to be their day; they were dedicated to including everyone in each and every choice they made.  Brian explained during his speech that they’d chosen a Time theme: the herb thyme and bookmarks Paula had made as favors, the photo booth to preserve their memories through time.  “We want to thank you all for sharing your precious time here with us,” he explained.

FATHER’S DAY TRIBUTE:  Paula’s friends pinned red carnations to the lapels of all the fathers at the wedding and then we dedicated, “You’ve Gota Friend” to all the dads.

Paula and Brian gave a shout out for all the birthdays, and even had a couple join in during their own first dance, knowing that they share the anniversary of their first date as well as the same wedding song.

INTERESTING TWIST ON THE CAKE, BOUQUET & GARTER:  I told you Paula wanted to include everyone, right?  Well, instead of cutting the cake with her new husband, she insisted that her friend Queenie (who was celebrating his 50th birthday) cut the cake, then the couple who caught the bouquet and garter had to feed it to each other.

There were far, far too many personal moments at the wedding for me to document here: dedications from Paula’s sons, Brian’s daughter, serenades to “Man, I Feel Like a Woman,” presentations by Brian’s make-believe By Eye Construction company, watching Brian get “party boy’ed” by the girls from Cutter’s Edge.

It was a vivacious, fun-loving, amazing wedding with Paula and Brian.   Thanks, guys!

Grandview

Photos by Steve Planck of Blue Sky Photography

Video by Jim & Kathy Culhane of Artistic Images

It was the third splendid autumn day in a row for Nicole and Dan’s Grandview wedding.

Guests gathered for the ceremony on the patio overlooking the Hudson River, lulled by the sounds of Jeff on acoustic guitar. I switched into “Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawo’oole for the bridesmaids processional, a perfectly timed walk. All the bridesmaids were dressed in red-brown gowns with sand sashes, except for the Matron of Honor who stood out in a sand gown and red-brown sash.

Nicole beamed as she stepped delicately down the aisle to the romantic piano of “Everytime We Touch” by Cascada, the Candlelight mix. Dan fought tears during the ceremony as the Blessing of the Hands was read first by one of their female friends, then by a male, as he held his new wife’s hands in his own.

The bridal party planned a surprise for Nicole and Dan during the introduction. As each couple was introduced, they had me announce them as “Nicole and Dan after one year of marriage,” then after two years, after three years, etc., a succession of VERY pregnant Nicoles and VERY worn out Dans, some of them staggering with drink in hand.

But Nicole and Dan’s First Dance topped it all. They started out dancing to Keith Urban’s “Making Memories of Us.” Then, a minute into the song, the record scratched and the couple turned to us in mock confusion and anger, until the beat of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” began. As if they were possessed, Nicole and Dan began a choreographed dance through the decades including “Thriller,” “Baby Got Back,” “Walk Like an Egyptian,” and “The Twist.” The crowd laughed and cheered each dance number as Dan and Nicole hammed it up. (I laughed so hard myself that my face hurt!)

With the start of a party like that, it couldn’t go wrong. It was a crazy dance party, complete with Nicole leading the Cha Cha Slide and Cupid Shuffle, not to mention working “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” with the microphone, egging on the men and women to sing their parts.

Talk about ending the weekend with a bang!

Our friends Jim and Cathy Culhane of Artistic Images were there to capture the action on video. Check out their video blog for a peek at Nicole and Dan’s romantic, rockin’ day.

Grandview

Photos by Lori O’Toole

Video by Artistic Images