Best Weddings | Bridal Stories | Hudson Valley NY
The Location – The Links at Union Vale 
Our wedding was at The Links at Union Vale, August 14, 2009. The venue was elegant but not too stuffy or formal. Also, with so many out of town guests, it was a must that we had the ceremony and reception at the same place. The unexpected bonus is that we could have our ceremony outside on the lush grounds. To top it all off, Teri is just the best event planner ever! She went above and beyond to make our dream day everything we wanted.
The Music – The DJ Solution
I couldn't ask for a better DJ/Master of ceremony than The DJ Solution. Jeff also played acoustic guitar during the ceremony and I just loved the classic yet funky vibe it brought to the moment. He took "classic" wedding songs and made them modern.
The Colors – Shades of Purple
I've always been a purple girl so I selected shades of purple, lavender and lilac as my accent colors but I wanted to balance the color by keeping everything else sophisticated and neutral with a black and white palette. I absolutely loved my plum purple callas against my true white dress.
The Flowers – Apple Valley Flowers in Poughkeepsie, NY
The idea for my bouquet came from a bridal magazine (although we modified the accent flowers slightly to fit my taste better). We had white stephanotis to mitigate the darkness of the calla lilies. It's cool to be inspired by ideas from magazines, online and other resources, but changing things up to make them unique for you makes it special.
Another of my favorite decorating details was our centerpieces. We had tall cylinder vases and at the bottom put large purple pebbles. Inside the vases we placed two long stemmed callas and for extra drama when the lights went down, we buried one water submergeable light inside the pebbles and put one flower light inside each bloom. The idea came from my mom's best friend who had seen a similar effect done at an event she previously attended. We took that idea and updated it using our color palette. Apple Valley Florist in Poughkeepsie did a great job of bringing our vision to life.
The Signature Cocktail
Even our Signature drink followed our purple palate! After trials, errors and many fun evenings, we finally came up with the perfect Signature drink (aka. The Special or 1977). It is a twist on the cosmopolitan martini! In our drink, we added more lemon juice to balance the cranberry juice and lighten the color of the drink up. The result was tasty and refreshing, especially on a hot summer evening.
The Cake – Pastry Garden
Our wedding cake was another Pastry Garden masterpiece! Hazelnut cake with alternating filling of chocolate mousse and raspberry mousse. The decoration was also inspired from lots of bridal searches online and in magazines. It was simple yet elegant with a white on white swirl design accented with lilac callas to tie back in with our theme.
One of my favorite moments of the day was the "groom sweep". It's a tradition from my husband 's native country Austria. I'm ecstatic that we were able to add an Austrian tradition to our American celebration. Not only did my husband and I have a blast doing it, but the guests had a hoot, too.
The Photos – Myles Studio *Photos in this post from the Links wedding are courtesy of Myles Studio. 
Myles from Myles Studio did a great job of making sure everyone looked fresh in the photos even in the hot August heat.
The Menus & Programs – Prime Print Shop in Hyde Park, NY
Printer Daniel Clarke of Prime Print Shop had incredible attention to detail that made everything from our menu cards to our programs really fit with our vision.
Our 2nd Wedding!
In addition to our August 14th ceremony and reception, we had a September 12, 2009 ceremony and reception in my husband's hometown for his friends and family who where unable to make the trip abroad. Given the season and location change, we decided to go with a more traditional Austrian style.
I wore a traditional Austrian dress, Dirndl. While my husband wore a traditional jacket, Tracht. We also went for warm fall colors like red, brown, green and orange. My bouquet was stunning with the most amazing and unique arrangement of flowers that fit my dress and day perfectly.
It's much more customary to go with live music for a wedding in Austria. Therefore, we hired a three member band for our reception. They had everyone dancing all
night long with traditional Austrian tunes as well as classic music from the 50s, 60s. As the night progress, we opened up a "club" area away from the main hall and one of my husband's friends spun the whole night long for people who wanted more modern tracks.
One of the major differences between an Austrian and American wedding is that in Austria the space is rented out for the entire evening. Therefore, it's not unusual for the reception to go into the early hours of the morning. Our party was no different, we finally made it to our room around 6am when the sun was coming up!
Courtney's Advice
It's normal for brides to consider every detail of the wedding but once the wedding days arrives, I suggest brides let go and enjoy every moment of their day!
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would be casting my vote for him. Needless to say, I did vote for him and we have been together ever since. Awww...
The Theme – Vintage Pink and Green
Erik and I were together for about seven years before we became formally engaged, so I did have a lot of time to think about the details, which is why we were able to plan our wedding in only three months! And just like our co-ed, outdoor, pig roast, BBQ themed wedding shower, I knew I wanted something a little different!
Although we didn't really have a "theme" for our wedding, the colors were to be pink and green, with the incorporation of vintage elements and a few quirky elements, as well.
The Dress – Town Shop Bridal
My dress was from the Town Shoppe in Poughkeepsie, the first and only store I went to. Grace (probably the nicest woman I've ever met---with a fabulous eye, to boot!) worked with me, and understood that I had only two rules; no poofy dresses and no tiara. I hoped to find a form-fitting dress with an elegant, vintage feel.
I tried on a handful of dresses that I saw in the books they provided, but couldn't seem to find the right one. Then Grace, in her wisdom, asked that I try a dress that she knew would be perfect for me. Lo and behold; she was right! It was by Demetrios Ultra Sophisticates; a form-fitting lace gown, with a bodice and edging of tiny pleats--exactly like the pleating on my grandmother's wedding dress.
I had an unusual request when it came to my dress, and the Town Shoppe did not disappoint. Erik is a New York City police officer, and I normally always wear a necklace with his shield number on it. Although I didn't want to wear it around my neck on our wedding day; I still wanted to have it with me; so the seamstress created a small silk pouch for the necklace along the inside seam of the dress so that I could have it with me all day. Just another example of people going above and beyond!
The Shoes & Jewelry
My shoes were "Waverly" by Martinez Valero. The subtle pleating matched my dress perfectly and the beautiful vintage inspired broach added just enough sparkle. They were beautiful and actually pretty comfortable! But I did purchase a pair of blue sparkly flats just in case my feet started to hurt (also my "something blue.")
While at the Town Shoppe for my final dress fitting; the most beautiful vintage inspired crystal jewelry set caught my eye. I tried it on with my dress and it was just perfect!
Bridal Party Attire
Erik and I decided to only have best man and a matron of honor. I know that many brides say this, but, I really wanted my matron of honor to have a dress that she 
could wear again! And so the hunt began for a casual green dress.
We ended up finding the perfect mint green, cotton Calvin Klein dress at Burlington Coat Factory for under $30! Then came the hard part; convincing her to wear pink shoes with a green dress! She looked amazing--we paired the mint green dress with pink shoes, a pink clutch and pink crystal jewelry.
The groom, best man, my step-dad and my brother all wore black tuxedos from Men's Wearhouse. Erik wore a cream tie and the rest of the men wore mint green ties.
The Venue – Locust Grove
We knew we wanted to get married someplace different; not your typical reception hall. And as soon as we toured Locust Grove at The Samuel F.B. Morse Estate in Poughkeepsie, we knew it was the place for us!
The gardens and grounds are beautiful—perfect for a summer evening wedding. The entire estate bespeaks of the understated elegance we were looking for. We took the first available date- August 21, 2009.
Our wedding day started out perfectly—blue skies, bright sunshine and a gentle breeze. However, as the afternoon wore on, the clouds gathered, the sky turned black and it subsequently poured for several hours proceeding and, unfortunately, during the ceremony. Needless to say, we were all terribly disappointed, but the ceremony, which was held indoors in the Frances Stevens Reese Gallery, was beautiful nonetheless.
We exchanged the vows we wrote ourselves, surrounded by our loved ones and closest friends, with the beautiful tones of the harp and flute duo in the background. Thankfully, the weather was beautiful for the rest of the evening, allowing our guests to enjoy the cocktail hour outdoors on the covered slate patio and in the surrounding gardens.
The Food – Lola's Catering 
As soon as we became engaged, we both knew that there was only one person we wanted to cater our wedding...Eddie Kowalski from Lola's Cafe in Poughkeepsie. Without a doubt, Eddie and his staff provided the most outstanding, unique and totally delicious gourmet fare ever! People are STILL talking about the food!
We chose about a dozen hors d'oeuvres that included mini hamburgers on black pepper biscuits, hazelnut crusted baby New Zealand lamb chops and mini Stilton popovers. Guests had a choice of beef tenderloin or salmon for dinner, both were amazing!
Eddie and his staff went truly above and beyond in their creation of an especially fabulous menu, and in their impeccable service. They also provided delicious meals for our guests who requested special fare. Vegetarian and nut-free meals were prepared and--especially for me--dairy-free mashed potatoes!
Eddie also served as our wedding planner. He helped us find our DJ, bartender and even the supplier for our table linens! And at the end of the night, Eddie and his staff provided all of our guests with a "To Go Coffee Bar." This special touch came in very handy, as our party continued into the wee hours of the morning!
Lola's was by far our favorite vendor; wedding food never tasted so good!!
The DJ – The DJ Solution
When we met with Eddie at Lola's, I asked him if he knew of any "non-corny" DJ's. He said he knew just the people; The DJ Solution.
When we met Stephanie and Jeff (and their adorable pets), we knew they were exactly what we were looking for! I came to our first meeting with a very long list of songs in hand; having been a morning show co-host on WRRV, I tried really, really hard not to be a "diva" about the music that was played.
Along with a "no play" list, I had a long list of song dedications that I asked them to play for the special people in our lives, and they got every single one in! "Surfin' Bird" for my brother, "Song 2" by Blur for my mom, "Hakuna Matata" for my step-sisters, "California Love" for my aunt, "Cruisin" for Boris and my parent's wedding song; "You Look Wonderful Tonight." And since Erik is a member of the NYPD, they of course played "Bad Boys" to honor all of the police officers, which everyone got a kick out of!
Stephanie and Jeff kept the dance floor packed all night long. A DJ can really make or break a wedding and they sure made ours!
The Flowers - Flowers by David Anthony
Our florist, Flowers by David Anthony of Monroe, exceeded my expectations by leaps and bounds! My bouquet was a gorgeous array of pink cabbage roses, accented by zinnias and dahlias. It was adorned with white ostrich feathers and the bouquet was finished by the placement of a family heirloom cameo brooch, centered on the cream silk wrapping which encased the stems.
The flowers definitely set the theme for our tables—copious arrangements which perfectly echoed my and my matron of honor's bouquet. Pink cabbage roses with zinnias, dahlias and mint spilling over the silver bowls in which they were placed.
In my searches for the "just right" vintage details, I found hobnail milk-glass vases that looked perfect when filled with zinnias, dahlias and coneflowers for the outdoor tables.
As a special arrangement for the escort card table, we used a set of three sterling silver nesting bowls, and had them stacked one upon the other, with flowers in between. In the top bowl, we had water, floating candles and rose petals.
Instead of having flower boutonnieres for the men in the wedding party, we opted for something a little different. A sprig of rosemary with tiny white wax flowers not only looked great, but it also smelled delicious!
The Cake - Piece A Cake Dessert Catering 
Debbie Rhoades, a wonderful family friend, made both the wedding cake and the groom's cake. We picked a simple but elegant round, three-tier design for our wedding cake that was accented with a full cascade of beautifully handmade, silver-frosted sugar flowers. Not only did the cakes look amazing, but they tasted absolutely delicious, as well!
The groom's cake stole the show! I wanted to pay tribute to Erik and all of his NYPD friends, and what better way to do that then with a police car cake with real working lights! Another tribute to Erik was awesome custom NYPD garter from Hand-Crafted Creations.
Our cake topper was handmade by Vintage by Crystal who I saw featured on the Martha Stewart Show, and it is something that we will treasure forever. She customized it for us, as we wanted to incorporate our two dogs into our wedding, and the outcome was unbelievable!
We have our first family heirloom---the cake topper with hand-made representations of Erik, myself, and both dogs done in spun cotton. Crystal captured every detail and it is truly one of a kind!
The Details
The escort cards were done in beautiful calligraphy by a family friend. I purchased about 10 lbs. of vintage buttons, then hand-selected one button for each escort card. Then came the fun part! I superglued one on each of the 60+ cards! It was a long and sticky process, but I loved how they came out, as did our guests!
We opted for something a little less traditional when it came to the guestbook. I found this wonderful recycled frame with a honeycomb center (from Uncommon Goods.) We supplied slips of brightly-colored paper for our guests to sign, write their best wishes, give marital advice—whatever they wished---and insert in the honeycomb. We had so much fun reading all of the thoughtful, fun and crazy things our guests wrote!
We ordered tiny paper butterflies to perch upon the rim of our glasses and those of our guests—it was a simple, yet lovely touch that added to the beauty of the tables.
We found a large set of matching vintage-inspired frames, and thanks to my Mom's handiwork, she made our table numbers using pink and green paisley scrapbook pages for the background and hand-cut spring green numerals.
The Favors – Beacon D'Lites
For our favors, we decided to offer jelly-jar candles from a local artisan. Beacon D'Lites worked tirelessly to provide us with our own unique candles-- wonderfully fragranced (Sweet Innocence), hand-poured soy candles, with custom labels designed with our names and the wedding date.
My mom and brother surprised us with hand-made chocolate rose-shaped candies, wrapped up and tied with a bow, to be a small add-on to the favors. It was such a thoughtful and delicious surprise!
Photography – Catherine Leonard Photography *All images in this post courtesy of Catherine Leonard.
Catherine Leonard Photography did a beautiful job of capturing all the details and special moments of our wedding. Although the weather did not cooperate and the ceremony was held inside, Alistar captured each and every special moment.
Despite it being about 90 degrees with 100% humidity, all of the outdoor pictures came out absolutely perfectly! We love their photojournalistic style of photography and are thrilled with the photos. Catherine Leonard Photography also offers a "Destroy the Dress" photo session which I am seriously considering doing on our first anniversary!
Hair & Make-up - Jal Day Spa and Salon
My mom and I did my make up for the big day, but the hairstyle I envisioned required a professional. Karen at Jal Day Spa and Salon in Fishkill has been my stylist for a while, so I knew she was the one!
Although I am normally uncomfortable wearing my hair up, but we decided to go with an "up do" since the wedding was in August and there was a strong possibility that it would be very humid and my hair would frizz. Karen created a masterpiece; exactly like what I had envisioned; a loose, yet elegant bun of curls. It came out beautifully and stayed in place all night; despite the rain, humidity and all the dancing!
What would we do differently?
When asked by our photographer whether we would like to have our pictures taken before the ceremony or at the cocktail hour, I opted to have them taken at the 
cocktail hour. However, looking back, that is the one and only thing I would change about my wedding! We really wish we had more of a chance to mingle with our guests, and enjoy all that was offered at the outdoor cocktail hour.
My Advice
If you are planning an outdoor wedding be sure to pick a Hudson Valley venue that also has an indoor space where the ceremony can be held. I wanted our ceremony to be held outside so badly that even as the sky was turning black a few hours before the ceremony, I kept saying, "It is not going to rain on my wedding day!"
But it did, and even though it was not our ideal setting, we were so grateful that Locust Grove had an indoor room for us. And as it turned out, bringing a huge golf umbrella and my green rain boots turned out to be a pretty good idea after all!
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allowed the bride be the true centerpiece of the day, something that was especially important to John.
Ceremony – St. Martin de Porres in Poughkeepsie, NY
The Location – Belvedere Mansion
The couple's wedding style started with the look Nancy chose for her champagne dress. Once her classic look was established, all their other choices were based around it.
The reception location had to have that same classic ambiance. Nancy and John wanted a wedding that was different and intimate. "I didn't want a 'shake and bake' wedding," John told me. They wanted a relaxed event where their 30 guests could mingle and talk without worrying about a time schedule.
Having a wedding in April can be tough for outdoor photos; it's difficult to predict whether the landscape will be green or brown. This made it important to find a location with indoor beauty. As soon as the couple found the Belvedere, they knew its historic elegance had what they were looking for.
Nancy and John found the staff at the Belvedere amazing to work with. The couple told them exactly what they wanted, even down to preparation the day before and they were very accommodating. The day was well-paced and classic, from the menus to the attentive service at each table.
The Photos – Steven Planck of Blue Sky Photography *All photos and the slideshow in this article courtesy of Steve Planck.
The couple was drawn to Blue Sky Photography because they wanted a dramatic feel to their photos and they loved Steve's outside the box, creative approach.
Steve was also incredibly patient with their 8 and 11 year old children and the rest of the family. John and little Scotty are huge Star Wars fans. When they asked Steve to take pictures of them with light sabers on the day of the wedding, he was totally game.
"Steve was fantastic. Brilliant!" John said. "I cannot say enough good things about him."
Check out this amazing video slideshow with highlights from the wedding:
The Cake – Calico in Rhinebeck, NY 
Leslie was extremely patient and really worked with the couple to create a cake for their intimate wedding. She helped them make modifications for their small group so that there was no waste and it was still beautiful.
Makeup and Hair – Marion Salon Spa in Pleasant Valley, NY
Highly recommended!
The Details
In keeping with that classic wedding elegance, John and Nancy had a classic Rolls Royce to transport them from ceremony to reception. The bridesmaids' raspberry dresses were fun and springy, but still classy. The groomsmen wore black on black.
The Flowers – Floral Fantasies by Sara
Sara was very patient and helped the couple base their flowers on Nancy's gown. She was familiar with the Belvedere's interior, which made it even easier.
They used lots of roses to compliment that classic style: white Vendella roses with just a hint of pink for Nancy, Sahara roses in a deeper shade of pink for the bridesmaids. The groomsmen wore orchids on their lapels.
John's Advice
"Whether you're planning large or small, you're still planning and it's still just as stressful," John says. "It can be overwhelming. Know what you want going in and that makes it easier. Once you've determined your theme and what you want, don't let anyone steer you from that."
Nancy and John did not choose to have an intimate wedding for economic reasons, but it can really work out that way. You can still have a beautiful Hudson Valley wedding without having to break the bank to invite 250 guests.
And whatever you choose, remember to have fun!
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