Jeff and I first met Nora and RJ a few years back when we were DJ’ing a wedding and Nora was the photographer.  We hit it off with these sweet, fun loving high school sweethearts and kept in touch when we proceeding to work the weddings for their group of friends.

When it came time for Nora and RJ to get hitched, we were flattered and completely psyched that they choose US to do the music for their big day.

This whole wedding was about HEART; their 240 or so guests were mostly family and the love was overwhelming.  Nora and RJ took it to a new level.  Usually when couples write “love letters” to each other, I read it for them.  But Nora and RJ read their own, bringing down the house with gentle teasing (RJ’s passionate affair with Excel spreadsheets) and the gratitude they have for each other.

THE DETAILS:  Nora designed her invitations, menus, CD favors and came up with her rustic woodlands theme.  The centerpieces were wheat grass and the cake matched, perched on a slice of a wooden log.  Nora made the adorable bird cake topper, using the lace from her mother’s wedding gown in the lady bird’s veil.

Nora couldn’t have been more lovely.  If only I could describe wedding gowns better…she had shed her bird cage veil by reception time, but the feather in her hairpiece added a playful touch.

Could these guys dance!  Nora told me that she and her father were the family’s “crazy dancers.”  They led everyone in an enthusiastic Armenian dance, Tarantella and on into the night.  I didn’t want it to end.

Nora and RJ had just about the best crew I could think of, with the Grand staff doing an excellent job of service and presentation, plus our wedding buds Lori O’Toole and Jen Cassaro of Masterpiece Video.  It was a slam dunk!

We are so pleased and honored to have been a part of such an incredible day in your lives.  Nora and RJ, you ROCK.  Thank you!

Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel

Photos by Lori O’Toole *Photos in this blog post courtesy of Lori O’Toole.

Video by Masterpiece Video Productions

Brett met the rabbi beneath the wooden chuppah topped with turquoise and green cloth that he had made, enjoying the view of the Hudson River in the distance, eagerly awaiting his bride. Boughs of white dogwood graced either side.

Jen finally arrived on her brother’s arm, gorgeous in her strapless mermaid gown, a flower and veil in her hair and an excited smile.

CEREMONY MUSIC: Guests absolutely raved about the ceremony music the couple selected: pop tunes from The Cure, Fall Out Boy and Taking Back Sunday covered by the Vitamin Strings.

THE DETAILS : The Grandview ballroom, while always beautiful, looked amazing at Jen and Brett’s black and white wedding.  White chair covers tied with black sashes to match the elegant bridesmaid dresses, low arrangements of cream and pale green orchids and tulips on each table.  Rhinestones decorated each tier of the wedding cake topped with an adorable pair of birds in a nest.

The Maid of Honor revealed the moment she knew Jen and Brett were meant for each other: when they surprised their college friends by attending a Halloween party dressed as Spartan cheerleaders from SNL…complete with a routine they performed for everyone.  Now that’s love!

Despite the alluring view and unseasonably warm weather, the guests were all over the dance floor.  I loved slipping in the couple’s favorite Michael Buble tunes, along with Kings of Leon and Modest Mouse.

Spring love, black and white elegance and a hint of emo punk flare; a wedding personalized is a wedding to be loved.  Thanks for having us, guys!

Grandview

Photos by Lori O’Toole

Photo by Steph

wedding.

The bridesmaids wore elegant, full length fuschia dresses as they walked down the aisle, carrying bouquets of fushia and pink roses.  Adam was escorted by his parents, then waited under the chuppah for Robin’s entrance.

She was beautiful and regal, hair drawn up beneath her veil in a bun at the crown of her head, with a dazzling smile as Jeff performed the traditional “Bridal Chorus” on guitar for the processional…a song more commonly known as “Here Comes the Bride.”

Rabbi Hershel Jaffe led a simple, moving ceremony including the Seven Blessings and concluding with an explanation of the breaking of the glass.  Robin and Adam were married with the wedding rings worn by Robin’s grandparents!

The tables in the ballroom were decorated with fuschia and pink roses accented with dark purple flowers.  (Don’t I wish for a horticultural background so that I could tell you what they were.  They were so beautiful!)  White boxes with fuschia lettering matched the printed menus.

Photo by Steph

The toasts revealed the story of Robin and Adam’s romance: Robin actually met Adam’s mother first, as a student in her art class.  And it was an advanced art class that would bring the couple together years later.

A photo montage put to music, “You’re My Best Friend” by Queen, treated guests to snap shots of Robin and Adam as they grew up and fell in love.

The night was filled with energetic dancing and celebration.  One of my favorite moments…music geek and pun fan that I am…was watching Robin dance to the Jackson Five’s “Rockin’ Robin.”

Well done, Robin and Adam!  Off to an amazing Hawaiian honeymoon…

Dutchess Manor

Photos by Lori O’Toole

Video by Chris Fig

Photo by Steph

These two are born romantics who transformed the Garden Room with classic American songbook selections, jazz and ballroom standards.

DonnaMarie and Ed shared their First Dance to “The Anniversary Waltz” performed by Connie Francis, a graceful waltz around the dancefloor with eyes locked on each other.  It was simply lovely.

THE DETAILS:  The couple’s love for romance carried through in the details of their wedding day.  Their parents wedding photos graced the cake table and their cake topper was a glass cube containing photos on each of four sides: DonnaMarie as a child, Ed as a child, then two beautiful photos of the two of them together.

DonnaMarie and Ed each dedicated songs to each other, springing to the dance floor as they were played.  “That’s All” performed by Sarah Vaughn and “Making Memories of Us” by Keith Urban.

Photo by Steph

Our night incorporated fox trots, waltzes and swing…with lots of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Andrea Bocelli.  I don’t recall ever seeing the Garden Room done up in such classic elegance, so full of nostalgia and love.

Beautifully, tastefully done and a true representation of the love and personalities of DonnaMarie and Ed.

The couple is off for a month long honeymoon in Italy.  Bravo!

Villa Borghese

Photos by Lori O’Toole

Back at the Grandview for a spectacular spring day at the wedding of Catherine and Scott.

From the moment we heard about how they met while skeet shooting (yes, I had to look that up…it’s competitive shooting at targets) I knew this couple was for us.

Catherine and Scott officially married one year ago, but chose to celebrate with family and friends on the final day of their first year as husband and wife.

Rather than writing love letters to each other, Catherine and Scott wrote a love letter to their guests, thanking them for all the love and support that made them who they are.  Lori O’Toole took this cool ring shot on a print out of their letter…

 

And check out their cool first dance song by Morcheeba.  The guests joined them for a little electronica…

I was loving the details of the decor Catherine chose for the Grandview ballroom: small arrangements of white tulips on each table, chocolate brown napkins and a lovely white cake with brown icing.

It was our second wedding that weekend with photographer Lori O’Toole (hip hip hooray for a double dose of Lori) and I peeked into her camera at the images she’d captured of Catherine and Scott on the streets of Beacon that morning.  The couple lounged under umbrellas, conjuring the image of a European cafe, and posing against the brick of Beacon’s stand out architecture.  Ultra hip and cool.

And of course, the Grandview staff outdid themselves once again.  One of these days I’m dedicating a blog post just to them…that’s how much they rock!

Catherine and Scott ended their party in a circle of friends dancing to U2′s “Beautiful Day.”

It truly was.

Grandview

Photos by Lori O’Toole Images

Michelle and Eric set a fun, quirky tone for their wedding reception immediately when they were introduced, while mock boxing, to the theme song from Rocky.

They chose the perfect song for their first dance, “Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, from the movie Once about the romance between Irish and Czech lovers that they saw together on their third date.  Perfect because Michelle is Irish and Eric is Czech.  The first time I heard this beautiful song I hijacked Jeff and made him listen to it immediately.

The newlyweds handed me last minute love letters written to each other, Michelle’s mentioning how she looked forward to “fighting over the walker when they were 90 years old.”

There was no mistaking the couple’s personality in every moment of the wedding.  With Irish waltzes and traditional Czech songs, the White Stripes and lots and lots of the Beatles, it was clear how important music is to Michelle, Eric and their family of musicians.  I won’t embarrass anyone in particular (Michelle’s brother Johnny the dance floor ham) by recounting who broke it down to “You Should Be Dancing” and “Billie Jean” with particular zest.

I enjoyed giving the guests a brief summary of the bouquet and garter tradition at the request of Michelle, the history buff…although it’s safe to say the single ladies were more interested in scratching and clawing after the bouquet than in my little history lesson.

Michelle’s grandfather sang the Irish Wedding Song a capella for the newlyweds, his weathered hands trembling as the read the sheet of lyrics he had carefully prepared.  His lovely, warbling tenor brought Ireland into the ballroom of the Plum Bush, with Michelle and Eric smiled and leaned into each other as they listened.

Though Jeff and I finished our night at the Plum Bush, the party moved on to the Cold Spring Depot where the family musicians would entertain themselves for the rest of the night.  Judging by the energy in the room, I’m betting they shut the bar down!

Plumbush Inn

Photos by Lori O’Toole Images

Video by Jason Barbosa

Jeff’s biggest fans during his acoustic guitar performance for cocktail hour were the kids. Dozens of them raced around the dance floor in time with his music. Lori O’Toole captured one of those special moments in this photo…

Kelly and Eric each wrote Love Letters to each other that it was my pleasure to read before their First Dance. Kelly related the moment she knew Eric wanted to marry her, at a café by a canal in Italy, and how she couldn’t believe such a wonderful man wanted to marry her.

Eric told the story of how they met through internet dating…even though they had both grown up in New Paltz and attended the same high school! He listed all the many things Kelly is to him: personal travel agent, sounding board, spunky NYC girl and the most important, his wife. Eric ended his letter, “Psst, Kelly. Stop crying. I know you are.” And sure enough, she was dabbing the tears streaming down her face.

Kelly danced with her brother to “Wild Rover” by the Dubliners, in honor of her Irish heritage. Later on, she embraced the tough task of making a speech about her father who had passed away a few years earlier, shortly after she and Eric had met. “He knew Eric was special, even then,” she said. “And I know he’s smiling down on us today.”

It was an emotional moment, but Kelly balanced her sadness at her father’s absence with the joy and love she felt for all her had given her. The guests recovered quickly, and ended the right with enough dancing (and drinking) for three weddings.

Christos

Photos by Lori O’Toole

The bridal party strutted in wearing sunglasses, the girls in black cocktail dresses, guys in black suits, to Will Smith’s “Men in Black.” Then the Best Man removed his jacket, dusted it off, and hit the floor with the Worm.

The music faded, then rose again as I introduced Kristin and Hunter to the thumpin’ bass of “Bring ‘Em Out” by T.I. The couple bounced in, so full of energy that the entire bridal party jumped to the dance floor with them to finish out the song.

Kristin and Hunter positioned themselves for their First Dance and begin a lively two step to “Forever and Ever, Amen” by Randy Travis. The smile never left Kristin’s face as her dress hindered her movement, and without hesitation, she lifted her skirt and bounced around the floor with Hunter.

Kristin’s unbridled enthusiasm and energy filled the room and drew her guests to her. It was a pleasure to behold.

And our friend Lori O’Toole was there to capture it all! Lori told us about a little known estate called Wethersfield where they had stopped for photos, with sprawling gardens that rival Vanderbilt and wandering peacocks. I love, love, love these photos.

Jenn and Mike of Beautiful Memories Video did an awesome job filming Kristen and Hunter’s day. Check out their blog post for some great images and video clips at http://www.beautifulmemoriesvideo.blogspot.com.

The Grandview
Photos by Lori O’Toole
Video by Beautiful Memories