Jessica & Andrew
July 1, 2017
On a summer day in July, at Tappan Hill in Tarrytown, Jessica and Andrew joined together to become man and wife, surrounded by 182 of their family members and friends. It may have rained on their special day, but it did not dampen the beauty of their wedding.
“When I first got engaged, I envisioned having a garden or Hudson Valley wedding,” says Jessica. “I always envisioned having our ceremony and cocktail hour outdoors, with people being able to relax and celebrate in the open air. I also knew that I wanted our flowers and colors to be classic, timeless, and elegant.”
The bride chose green-and-white floral arrangements for a classic look and added gray accents to incorporate “texture and a hint of color that allowed the other details to shine through.”
Jessica and Andrew enlisted event planner Lindsey M. Events to help pull all the details together.
“For Andrew and me the most important parts of the wedding were having great food, good music, and an unforgettable view,” says Jessica. “We knew if we had the first two in order, everyone would have an undeniably good time, and the view really helped to set the tone of the event.”
After touring almost two-dozen venues, they chose Tappan Hill because of the amazing terrace for the ceremony and the indoor/outdoor feel of the atrium and patio for the cocktail hour.
“The hardest thing for us to decide on was the venue,” says Jessica. “Surprisingly, the easiest thing to decide on was my dress! I went to Pronovias on a whim and walked out an hour later with my dress because it just felt right.”
Small Touches
The bride and groom wanted to incorporate natural elements into their wedding because they love nature and the outdoors. “We only looked at venues where nature and the outdoors were part of the setting,” says Jessica.
For the décor, they used succulents as place cards, natural branches in tall centerpieces, and garlands to decorate the bars.
As a special gift, the bride’s Aunt Barbara gave Jessica a hairpiece to wear on the day and to serve as her “something new,” with the idea that it could be passed down as “something borrowed” to the cousins who marry in the future.
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For the bridal party, it was important to Jessica that each attendant felt comfortable and not “forced to wear something they did not like.” She liked the mix-and-match idea of the attendants wearing different shades and styles, so she chose specific colors and designers and then let each girl choose what style worked best.
The couple also displayed wedding photos of their parents and grandparents. “Unfortunately, both my and Andrew’s grandparents are no longer with us, so we felt that by having photos of them at our wedding, a part of them would be with us celebrating,” says Jessica.
The Reception
For the reception, they kept the décor modern, romantic, and elegant. “Everything was green [and] white with a touch of romantic blues and accented with gold geometric shapes,” says Jessica. “For our tables, we chose to have a combination of high and low centerpieces to help give the room texture and variation throughout the space, as well as to ensure that the incredible views of the sweeping lawn and Hudson River were not blocked.”
Natural greenery was used throughout, especially in the tall centerpieces. The low centerpieces highlighted the flowers used in the bride’s bouquet. Displayed in beautiful urns, they were surrounded by smaller vases of flowers and votives. A variety of arrangements, geometric lanterns, and candles were used on the tables, along with table runners and gold cutlery to accent the lanterns.
The bride, who works for Diageo, a global leader in the alcoholic beverage space, wanted to create a delicious signature cocktail. They chose blood-orange-jalapeño margaritas, since the couple’s favorite drink is a spicy margarita, “and the blood orange added a nice refreshing twist,” says Jessica.
In addition to the traditional cake, the couple chose butlered trays of different desserts. “This was one of the food highlights of the entire evening and one of the things our guests continually talk to us about as their favorite parts of the wedding,” says Jessica. Included were deconstructed key lime push-pops, “brookies” (brownies and chocolate chip cookies combined) with milk, and mini ice cream sandwiches.
“My favorite part of the wedding was the end when all of our friends and family gathered together closely in a circle for the last two songs of the night,” says Jessica. “While the dance floor was filled all night, at this moment, you could really feel the undeniable love from all of our guests.”
The Details
Photography Sara Wight Photography | Venue: Tappan Hill Mansion
Event Planning: Lindsey M. Events | Floral Design: Designs By Ahn​
Catering: Abigail Kirsch | Dress: Pronovias​
Shoes: Stuart Weitzman | Hair & Makeup: Salon 52