Real Wedding At Belvedere Mansion: An Elegant Evening of Victorian Romance
Written by Stephanie Padovani Tuesday, 16 February 2010 10:25
Real Wedding at the Belvedere Mansion: Elegant Evening Chic & Victorian Romance
Sarah and Dan's wedding at the Belvedere Mansion in Staatsburg, NY on October 3, 2009 soared to the heights of romantic Hudson Valley elegance while still managing to be
a throw down, unforgettable dance party. Sarah and Dan pulled it off with style.
The Location – Belvedere Mansion
Sarah had been dreaming of her wedding at Belvedere Mansion from the time she was sixteen years old when her parents took her out to a "fancy" dinner at the restaurant to celebrate her birthday. Sarah and Dan love touring old houses, making the Belvedere Mansion's Victorian romance a natural choice.
The food was unbelievable! (It's true; I rarely eat at weddings and Jeff barely restrained me from licking my plate.) Sarah told me Jill and the staff delivered outstanding service and did everything she wanted.
The Dress – Town Shop Bridal in Poughkeepsie, NY
Sarah didn't want to spend a lot of her wedding dress, but she was set on a gown that didn't look like any other. The perfect dress had to blend with their outdoors wedding and couldn't be super pouffy.
After lots of bargain hunting, she settled on a Watters gown from the Town Shop that she purchased for a "ridiculously low" price. Sarah would definitely recommend this shop and all her bridesmaids got their dresses there, too.
"They will definitely tell you the truth about whether you look good or not," Sarah laughed. "And the tailoring is exceptional! They had to cut the lace in half and rework it to make the dress small enough to fit me, and you couldn't even tell. Your dress will look beautiful."
The Photographer – Michael Polito *All photos in this blog courtesy of Michael Polito.
From what Sarah told me, capturing these amazing images of Sarah and Dan was no easy task. (Though this is hard to believe, looking at the
gorgeous couple.)
"We HATE getting our picture taken and we didn't want any posey pictures," she told me. "Michael was super easy to work with and he really captured our 'goofiness.'"
The Music – The DJ Solution
Yes, it was us. Sarah has forced me to include her rave review, so here it goes...
Jeff's acoustic guitar music for the ceremony was just the right fit, an "artist's twist" on the songs he learned just for them, "Any Other World" by Mika and "The Promise" by When In Rome.
You can watch my rather clumsily filmed video of Sarah and Dan's ceremony below. Check out the little happy dance Sarah does when Dan comes to escort her down the aisle.
At the reception, everyone was on the dance floor together the whole time: parents, college friends, family, friends from law school. Afterward, guests called them to say theirs was the most fun wedding ever.
Sarah and Dan brought such amazing energy to their wedding that their guests would have had to be comatose to resist dancing. After a romantic first dance to Hall and Oates, "Sara Smile," they and 20 of their friends launched into a surprise choreographed dance from Slumdog Millionaire to "Jai Ho." That bold, fun move was a critical piece that ignited the dance floor. Sarah and Dan also introduced us to the best Hora ever, "Hava Nagilah" by Alex M.
The Flowers – Rood's Florist 
"Mr. Rood was unbelievable!" Sarah told me. "I just told him I wanted, 'very elegant bouquets with off white, a hint of green, a little bit of caramel and you do the rest.' He did an amazing job!"
One of Sarah's bridesmaids came to her appointment with Rood's and was shocked that she could trust him with no samples and no pictures. But while Sarah admits that Mr. Rood can be quirky, you can totally trust him because he is super reliable and dependable; just give him a little bit of information and he will "magically do what you want."
Makeup & Hair – Jenny Magliano of Makeup By Jenny and Marc Mazzucca
They were both exceptional!
The Theme – Elegant Evening with a hint of Victorian Romance
Sarah and Dan wanted an elegant evening wedding under the tent with a Victorian feel to match the Belvedere Mansion. Their colors were black, cream and caramel tones that achieved a look of evening chic in the romantic candlelight.
Bridesmaid Gifts – Novica
Sarah wanted to get her bridesmaids handmade gifts, something unique that would also match their dresses. She purchased handmade bead bracelets from Thailand available from Novica, an organization that works with National Geographic to support the artwork of craftspeople from all over the world.
Shoes – Zappos
Sarah wore $20 shoes and her bridesmaids got the same ones for only $12 each! They were all extremely excited about their cheap shoes.
Sarah Suggests...
"Consider whether you really want a veil," Sarah advises. "I spent $300 on mine and didn't even wear it."
Make sure you plan a second by second timeline for your wedding day. They ended up being late and then running like crazy. If you have an early morning, block out extra time for getting ready.
Sarah strongly suggests taking your wedding photos BEFORE your wedding so that you can take your time with it, then relax and enjoy the party with your guests later on.
Sarah and Dan chose an amazing location and hand picked their wedding vendors to ensure an unforgettable wedding day, but it was their exuberant enthusiasm and love for each other that made it a raving success. Kudos!
