9.12.08 Villa Borghese Kim & Rob

Kim was beautiful in her princess cut gown and birdcage veil. She cried as she whispered her vows to Rob.

They'd known each other for five years before marrying, so for most of the guests this was a long time coming.

Both of Kim's kids were members of the bridal party, and family and friends were central to the night.

The Best Man, Laurence, explained how special and included he had always felt by Rob's parents. "They just always made you feel welcome," he said. "I came over to see Rob when we were in high school. His parents didn't even know me, and they'd say, 'Rob won't be home for two hours, and we're heading out. There's soda in the fridge...'"

It was that kind of welcoming that Kim and Rob brought to their wedding reception. Kim's main concern had been finding ways to spend more time with her guests. And she did! On the dance floor, that is.

Officiant: Gail of Interfaith Ceremonies
Villa Borghese

9.7.08 Hillside Manor Audrey & Greg

Audrey and Greg invited their guests to a 1950's themed wedding, requesting that they come in 50's formal attire. The guys donned hats, suspenders, and wing tipped shoes; the girls wore polka dotted dresses and circle skirts with crinoline. Audrey wore a vintage 1950's wedding dress, (she told me the alterations cost more than the dress itself!) and they arrived in classic vintage cars.


Even Jeff and I dressed the part. I found a peach, brown and green speckled wiggle dress and matching shoes, while Jeff wore a skinny tie and jacket, opting for a more rock-and-roll look. (Of course.)


It takes GUTS to pull off a wedding like this. This wasn't just 50's themed; it was a recreation of the 50's.

When guests walked into the Hillside Manor they were directed into the ballroom by a 50's style diner sign with a blinking arrow announcing Audrey and Greg's wedding at the "Diner." They picked up pink and blue place cards adorned with French poodles (for the girls) and vintage toy robots (for the boys) and rubix cube keychain favors. Inside, the room was strung up with blue Chinese lanterns, the linens were pink and the tables were decorated with carboard cutouts of vintage cars stuffed with fuzzy dice.

Audrey wanted this to be an immersive experience for her guests, so she asked us to play nothing but 50's music all night. Well, there were a few exceptions, but nothing newer than 1963.

Audrey and Greg did an awesome swing dance to their First Dance song, "Oh Boy!" by Buddy Holly.

It was all about the Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the Platters. It was doo wop, twist and swing. It was vintage, baby!

9.6.08 Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel Mary & Scott

Mary and Scott's bridal party, in elegant black, the girls with pearl necklaces, were introduced into the Terrace Ballroom, each to a different piece of music selected by Scott. "Big Pimpin" for one couple; "Big Poppa" for the groomsman escorting a very pregnant bridesmaid; "I Wish" by Skee-lo for the vertically challenged groomsman ("I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller..."); "Ice Ice Baby" for the ultra-cool Best Man.

Mary and Scott entered with "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen. Of course.

I showed Scott's brother and Best Man, Marc, how to use the microphone and where to hold it as he spoke. "This ain't my first barbeque, sweetheart," he assured me with a smile.

Marc began his speech with the microphone, then discarded it half-way in. His confident, booming voice easily carried across the room. "Scott grew three feet in high school...except he still weighs the same," he quipped. "Everyone thought it was weird that Scott would play hide and seek when we were little, and he wouldn't tell anyone we were playing. He'd just HIDE. They call it weird; I say he was committed."

Scott must have known what he was in for when he made his brother his Best Man, because he grinned through it all.

Then Marc turned to Mary. "Mary. Sweet Mary. You're a member of our family now. You really didn't think that one through, did you?"

Laughter echoed through the room.

It was that kind of a night. Good humor, inside jokes, memories of the past relived and new ones created. A little make-shift karaoke to "Love Shack" (and a damn good Fred Schneider imitation), all if it steeped in love and fun that could only be Scott and Mary. Sweet, unassuming, and absolutely original.

Photos courtesy of Keith Ferris
Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel

9.5.08 Grandview Kristen & Hunter

Talk about an entrance!

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

8.31.08 Onteora Mountain House Yiting & Scott

Jeff and I watched as the string quartet played and one of the bridesmaids, a tall young woman in a cranberry gown, sang a lovely operatic soprano for Yiting's walk across the lawn overlooking the lush valley.

The guests sipped pomegranate mojitos during cocktail hour as Jeff entertained them with his acoustic guitar. Red, the Chinese color for luck and good fortune, was found everywhere, from the bridesmaids' gowns to the napkins on the tables, the roses in the centerpieces and the Chinese letter candles.

COOL IDEA ALERT: Instead of favors, Yiting and Scott made donations in their guests' names to charity. A printed card invited guests to select one of four "Favored Charities," by checking a box inside their place cards. Cute and generous!Yiting and Scott made their entrance to Harry Connick Jr.'s "It Had To Be You," perfectly timed after the crescendo to begin their choreographed dance. The couple expertly turned and played to the crowd, smiling the whole time.

Later on Yiting changed into an exquisite red and gold dress. She danced swing and hip hop with equal style and grace. And Scott? He invited many of the ladies to the dance floor, showing off his footwork.

The newlyweds weren't the only skillful dancers. A few of Scott's college buddies boasted break dance moves, flips, and handstands--complete with pelvis thrusts--when we broke out the old school hip hop. Even the staff was dancing along!
These gorgeous photos are courtesy of our friends Jeff and Lisa of Forever Moments Photography www.ForeverMomentsPhotography.com. They kept it light and fun as they clicked away, capturing these memories forever. AND they're a husband-wife team (newlyweds, in fact!) and you know how much I love that idea. *wink*

8.30.08 Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel Rebecca & Mike

Rebecca and Mike held each other close, barely moving, as they danced to the duet by Shania Twain and Bryan White, "From This Moment On." Swaying with eyes closed, they were alone on the dance floor, despite the fact that their closest family and friends surrounded them.



I asked Rebecca how her ceremony went, and she flashed that beautiful grin. "I woke up this morning and it was drizzling. And I thought, 'I don't even care. I'm getting married! It doesn't matter.' And everything has been great."



The sun did shine for Rebecca's wedding day, allowing photographer Catherine Leonard to take some gorgeous shots outside the Methodist church.



Each table was decorated with a differently themed vase, flowers, and frame, so Rebecca asked us to give away those centerpieces by playing snippets of songs referencing its theme: "Monkey" by George Michael for the table with a bamboo and jungle centerpiece, "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid for the seashell and starfish table, and so on.



I had Rebecca and Mike answer trivia questions ahead of time, then quizzed their guests to let them earn the centerpiece with questions such as, "Which flavor of ice cream best describes Rebecca and Mike's relationship?" "If Rebecca were stranded on a desert island, which would she crave first?"



The guests got more answers wrong than right, but everyone laughed and clapped; especially when Rebecca revealed that she wished Mike would stop "belching like a frog."

The seven year old flower girl requested the Miley Cyrus song, "Seven Things," and aunt Rebecca gave her nod of approval. The cute blonde head-banged and lip synched her way through, "The seven things I hate about you!"



When we left, the memory Rebecca's beaming face made me smile all day long.

Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel

Photos by Catherine Leonard

8.29.08 The Grandview Andria & Sal

Andria and Sal posed back to back with their arms crossed as they were introduced into their wedding reception in the Grandview ballroom to "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross.



As the music faded, I read Andria's Love Letter to Sal. She told how they met in high school when they were only fifteen, and she knew, even then, that they would marry. Through late night, whispered phone calls and a long distance relationship when they were in college, everything lead up to this day.



Sal's Love Letter revealed how he knew Andria was the one...when he grew accustomed to the HUGE shadow (of her thumb) over his tiny head...and when he saw her beautiful lips singing every word to a 50 Cent song at a concert she bought them tickets for!



I doubled over with laughter listening to the words of "My Mother Said," the song playing when Sal danced with his mother. "My mother said...always wear clean underwear and stop picking your nose."



High school sweethearts Andria and Sal had such love around them that I had visions of the two of them watching their own children dance on their wedding day many years in the future. Sometimes you just know.



And I promised Sal I'd say something nice about him in my blog. So here goes:

"Sal, you have the most beautiful TEETH..."

These photos are courtesy of our friend Cheryl Bolton-Reuter p://www.boltonreuterphotography.com/. Nothin' but love, baby!