Real Wedding At the Grandview: M&Ms in Chocolate and Tea Rose
Written by Stephanie Padovani Wednesday, 10 February 2010 11:00
Real Wedding at the Grandview: M & M Theme in Chocolate and Tea Rose
Melissa and Mark’s wedding on October 10th 2009 at the Grandview in Poughkeepsie, NY was everything they could have hoped for and more. As Melissa put it, “I was 
on cloud nine the entire day!”
The Location – The Grandview
After 13 years of dating, Melissa and Mark were finally engaged!
Melissa and her mother had looked at several Hudson Valley wedding locations based on reputation. As soon as they walked beneath the gorgeous Grandview tent, Melissa looked at her mother. “This is where the wedding is going to be,” she said.
The Grandview tent’s outdoor beauty was perfect for Melissa and Mark who both love to spend time on the water, jet skiing the Hudson.
Melissa had high expectations based on the Grandview’s stellar reputation, but they were absolutely blown away on the day of their wedding. “They were so attentive to every single person there…I just threw ideas at Margaret and she made them happen.”
The Wedding Planner – Sage from Hudson Valley Ceremonies
Sage knew the bride’s personality and came up with ideas she hadn’t even thought of. “Sage had just as much to do with our wedding as I did.” Melissa laughed. “By the time of the wedding, she could finish my sentences!”
Working with a wedding planner saved the couple a lot of money with the discounts available. Sage helped coordinate Melissa’s tea themed bridal shower along with the wedding vendors, the favors and made sure everything went smoothly on the day of the wedding.
The Ceremony – St. Joseph’s Church in New Paltz
Melissa and Mark really tried to include the talents of all their loved ones in order to make them a special part of their wedding day.
The bride’s great Aunt and Uncle sang “Ave Maria” after Communion and the white twig arrangements decorating the pews were handmade by Melissa and her mother.
The Dress – Alfred Angelo princess cut
The Theme – M & M Chocolate Brown and Tea Rose
Melissa and Mark had fun using their initials to create an “M & M” theme integrated throughout the wedding: their M&M monogram was projected onto the dance floor with a gobo light and included on the invitations, napkins and wedding favors.
Their colors were chocolate brown and tea rose pink and the tables featured feathers and animal print linens. A Pumpkin Martini signature cocktail matched the autumn season.
The Favors – M & Ms (of course!) and homemade Italian cookies
The couple gave their guests wedding favors of chocolate and pink M & M candies. Melissa’s grandmother over 1,000 homemade brown and pink Italian cookies for guests to take home after the wedding.
The Music – BBE DJ
BBE DJ was easy to work with, professional, personal and attentive. They made sure Melissa and Mark had everything they needed to really customize their wedding. 
And Josh was great the night of the wedding, keeping everyone on the dance floor!
Josh also helped Mark pull of a surprise for the garter removal. Since Mark owns an auto repair shop, he rolled out on a “creeper” to get the garter. It was hysterical!
The Photos – Ulysses Photography *All photos in this blog courtesy of Ulysses Photography.
“I LOVE them!” Melissa gushed. “I knew the second I met Ulysses and Jenni that they were for us.”
The couple’s engagement session with Ulysses and Jenni made them feel totally relaxed. On the day of the wedding, they took candid photos that really captured their personalities. Melissa says that she got to be so close with Ulysses and Jenni that it felt like they were guests at her wedding.
“When looking through our gallery [of proofs] they captured moments I didn’t even know happened—and I was in them!”
The Cakes
The Grandview pastry chefs did an amazing job with Melissa and Mark’s wedding cake, a five tiered chocolate fondant masterpiece with rhinestone embellishments topped with an M & M rhinestone cake topper.
As a surprise, Melissa’s mother surprised the couple with a groom’s cake: a replica of Mark’s prized Plymouth Prowler sports car.
Tip for Grandview Brides
Melissa and Mark called the Mid-Hudson Bridge before the wedding to request pink bridge lights to match their wedding colors. They did it and it was FREE.
Final Advice from Melissa
“I spent so much time paying attention to the small details no one notices,” Melissa told me. “What makes the difference are the people at your wedding, not the details. Think more about your guests and less about your hairstyle.”
“When the priest announced we’d been together for 13 years, I could see and feel the anticipation of everyone in the church. All our favorite people were there in the same room to celebrate. It was the best day in the world!”
