Photos by Photos by FJ
FEAST at Round Hill was the backdrop for this beautiful celebration that paid homage to the bride’s Greek family and the groom’s roots in El Salvador.
Chrisanthe Orantes was immediately enamored with her now-husband Oseas’ bright personality.
“He’s a very vibrant bubbly person, and he loves to be liked. He’s silly, I guess you could say. That was very attractive to me, and it still is because that’s how he is and how he’s always been,” she says. “He’s very selfless, and he doesn’t realize he is. That’s what hit it off the most when we first met.”
The couple first met in a restaurant, the center of many aspects of life in their respective cultures. She comes from a large and unforgettable Greek family, while he originally hails from El Salvador. Chrisanthe’s father, a lifelong restaurateur, started working for the same New Jersey eatery that Oseas was managing. She in turn joined the crew, and their love story began.
“It wasn’t one of those things where he asked ‘Do you want to be my girlfriend?’ We just had a deep, mutual connection,” she explains. When their relationship got serious, the charismatic-yet-bashful Oseas planned the perfect proposal. Forget elaborate YouTube-worthy shenanigans, and think intimate and meaningful. He took her out to a romantic dinner and slyly hid a beautiful engagement ring inside one of her favorite desserts. After digging into the Galaktoboureko — a Greek semolina custard baked in filo — she found the ring, and he popped the question.
“What was funny, and absolutely adorable, is you could see he was going to propose from a mile away. He was so beyond nervous and excited. Plus, when you know, you get a feeling that it’s coming. He was so nervous that he forgot to go down on one knee,” she laughs. After they left the restaurant, he pulled off the road in front of a scenic vista overlooking the waterfront. He opened her door, and this time fell to a knee. In all of their moments together, their lightheartedness and sense of humor always shine through.
Everyone who plans a wedding runs into challenges and has to go with flow. The first venue the couple had booked ended up not panning out, due to some difficulties with the staff. They had to delay the reception, and then the ultimate postponement force of COVID-19 hit the nation. They thought about tying the knot in South Carolina, with just their immediate families, but the wave of micro-weddings that popped up across the Hudson Valley gave them hope of holding the ceremony here.
An Orange County native, Chrisanthe always wanted to celebrate a beautiful moment in a place she called home. The pair found FEAST at Round Hill, a gorgeous Washingtonville venue that boasts lush gardens and top-rate customer service. One hundred different types of plants are absolutely bursting with color in the autumn months, which was part of the reason Chrisanthe and Oseas booked a fall wedding. The team from FEAST helped them arrange an outdoor reception of 50 of their closest family members and friends.
“That venue was exactly what we were looking for. The setting was beautiful, it was outside in fall-time, and the people that we worked with made it that much better. They were extremely comforting throughout the entire planning process,” she says.
On a pristine fall day in October 2020, the pair married. Their special day looked like it came out of a story book, with amber leaves slowly falling to the ground around them. A vintage theme pervaded the space, with rustic flourishes at every turn. FEAST’s ornate stone walls and water features set the scene for a magical day. The bride’s timeless, classy dress matched the groom’s clean, sleek suit perfectly.
State COVID-19 regulations never got in the way for a moment. For instance, only a few people were allowed on the dance floor at a time. Chrisanthe’s parents took that opportunity to perform a traditional Greek dance, and her father even serenaded them with a song. Their DJ played music popular in El Salvador, matching both sides of the family. For dinner, guests could choose from Greek specialties like rack of lamb or indulge in a wide variety of Latin cuisine. Poughkeepsie’s iconic Pastry Garden made their cake to perfection, creating a carrot cake base with a raspberry mousse-filled lemon cake topper.
“Being able to finally enjoy ourselves with the people that we really wanted to have around us, and being able to share those special moments in general is just very relieving,” she says. “It ended up all coming together for a truly beautiful day.”
Vendors
Catering: FEAST at Round Hill
Dessert: Pastry Garden
Dress:Â Letitia’s Bridal
Bridal Hair: Â Hair by Jessica
Bridal Makeup: Makeup by Monique
Photographer: Â Photos by FJ & Vertical Fotos
Venue:Â FEAST at Round Hill
