When your engagement story starts with seeking shelter from the rain in a Tiffany’s, the act that follows is bound to be romantic and beautiful, and this wedding was. With Brian Dorsey Studios on the job, every single image is perfection embodied, and we’ve put everything from the Village Invites to the glowy exit, in this beautiful gallery!
From the stunning bride… Dan and I began dating in 2007 as University of Virginia undergrads, and in 2012, during a rainy July weekend in East Hampton, we dashed into Tiffany’s to escape a downpour — and who could resist trying on engagement rings? Dan observed I loved the round solitaires and discreetly noted my size. One month later, over drinks in Madrid during our August vacation, he pulled the perfect ring from his pocket and popped the question, receiving a resounding “yes”!
Now the hunt was on for the ideal wedding venue. When we toured Wolffer Estate in Sagaponack, NY, a working vineyard with a stylish tasting room, we saw it had the very atmosphere we wanted for our wedding: rustic and relaxed, yet beautiful and elegant.
One year later, on September 21, 2013, Wolffer provided the perfect setting for our big day. The late afternoon ceremony was in the vineyard, with clusters of ripe grapes hanging on the vines; this was followed by a cocktail hour on the adjacent lawn, where guests sipped Wolffer’s Cabernet Franc and a string quartet played Sinatra classics; supper was served on the open-air veranda, followed by dancing in the Italianate tasting room, to pop tunes spun by our terrific DJ, Ray Jarrell.
Our design decisions for the event were inspired by Wolffer’s glorious fall beauty. Jeff Pennington of Southampton NY was our floral designer, and his arrangements reflected the lush ‘Indian summer’ feeling of Wolffer in late September. The flowers included dahlias, scabiosa, calla lilies, and orchids in brilliant wines and purples offset with blue and green; these were flanked on the tables by compotes of pears, figs and tiny green tomatoes; and he placed trees hung with candles in amber glass pendants in the tasting room. I picked Vera Wang’s “Diedre” wedding dress, because its jagged organza ruffles had a country-chic vibe, and the spiced wine bridesmaids’ dresses stood out dramatically against the dark green vines. Lighting designer Matt Murphy installed wrought iron chandeliers on the veranda and lights that shimmered in the vines after sunset.
We couldn’t have done it without our wonderful event planner, Jill Gordon, who helped create the rustic yet elegant feeling we wanted. For the wedding supper she helped me choose gold-rimmed formal china and crystal, rich golden napkins, and dark purple menus with gold calligraphy, which contrasted with the roughhewn farm tables, burlap table runners, and craft place cards tied with raffia and rosemary sprigs. Calligraphied silver gray escort cards were placed on garden stakes in Jeff Pennington’s pave arrangement of jewel-colored hydrangeas, and the thick creamy icing of caterer Fresh Flavors’ carrot wedding cake was adorned with simple spider plants. Jill set up fun photo booth accessories, a basket of pashminas, and a late night Hamptons Popcorn bar, and she provided guests with wands of streamers to wave us to our vintage silver Rolls getaway car. Our good-bye gift for guests was a half-bottle of Wolffer Chardonnay.
It was amazing to have all our family and friends share our wedding celebration, and we felt photographer Chris Owyoung, of Brian Dorsey Studios, completely captured our joyous mood. The one thing we couldn’t have arranged in advance was the full harvest moon that hung in the sky over Wolffer that night, providing a perfect end to an incredible day.
Photography: Brian Dorsey Studios | Event Planning & Design: Jill Gordon Celebrate | Floral Design: Pennington Flowers | Wedding Dress: Vera Wang | Invitations: Village Invites | Hair & Makeup: Hiroko Takada | Lighting: Matt Murphy Event Lighting | DJ: Jarrell Entertainment | Wedding Venue: Wolffer Estate Winery | Catering & Cake: Fresh Flavors Catering | Ceremony & Cocktail Musicians: East End Chamber