Krysta and Don's Wedding at Locust Grove on April 17th, 2010
The Location – Locust Grove in Poughkeepsie, NY 
The bride's sister and cousin were both married at Locust Grove years ago and Krysta loved it, so it made the top of their list of Hudson Valley wedding locations. They loved the wooden floor and its history. The fact that it was an estate really worked for the classic, old-fashioned wedding Krysta had in mind.
The Theme – Victorian Classic
Krysta wanted a classic, timeless wedding with nothing modern. The history and ambiance of the Locust Grove estate was perfect. Her décor incorporated that Victorian classic look.
The Photographer – Kristine Palmer Photography
*All photos in this blog post courtesy of Kristine Palmer.
"Kris was fabulous!" Krysta gushed. "She was very real, creative and in the moment. She really went above and beyond!" Kris was easy going and got along with the whole wedding party. Krysta especially appreciated the QUICK turn around time with photos.
The Music – Music Machine DJs
"They were great—down to earth and they just played good music that kept everyone on the dance floor," Krysta said. They made sure it wasn't "about them" and really take pride in their work. Kathy pronounced all her family's difficult Polish names just right!
They even came up with an awesome surprise ending for them by inviting all their guests up to the dance floor to circle and embrace them for the last song of the night. "They just made planning everything EASY," Krysta said.
The Dress
Krysta wanted to look like a bride...not like she was stepping off the red carpet. "I told everyone I wanted to look like the bride on a cake topper," she laughed. She found the perfect "bride" dress: a sweetheart strapless down.
The Flowers
Krysta's bridal bouquet was made up of orchids, lilies and Eskimo roses with ivy accents. The bridesmaids carried bouquets of multi-colored gerbera daisies mostly in salmon, pink and peach.
The Caterer – River Station Restaurant in Poughkeepsie, NY
The River Station set up everything for them; all Krysta had to do was drop off the boxes. From set up to break down they did it all, and kept everything aside for her afterward. "They were great!" Krysta said.
The Cake – Caffé Aurora in Poughkeepsie, NY
Krysta got tons of compliments on both the food and the cake. Caffe Aurora made their vanilla cake with cannoli filling and butter cream frosting in a classic basket weave.
The Cake Topper
Krysta had to have their "love pinch" wedding cake topper. "It was so 'me,'" she said. "We like to have a lot of fun and it was very subtle unless you looked closely."
The Grooms Cake / Birthday Cake
Don's birthday was four days before their wedding and Krysta wanted to make sure it didn't get overshadowed by all the festivities. She decided to surprise him with a Red Shamrock grooms cake, a chocolate cake with vanilla icing.
"Don asked if I would mind singing Happy Birthday at the wedding. I joked that it was my day...of course, he knew I was kidding...to throw him off. A friend drove up a specially made birthday / grooms cake from New Jersey as a surprise."
There's a story behind this Red Shamrock grooms cake. Don has a true "man cave" in their basement complete with pool table, bar and a leather couch; the one area Krysta is NOT allowed to decorate. He named it the Red Shamrock because she's Polish (the red) and he's Irish (the shamrock.)
Bridesmaids Dresses
The bridesmaids wore Hunter green full-length Empire gowns with spaghetti straps that looked great on all her girls. Since her Matrons of Honor wanted to stand out, they 
wore gowns in peridot/light sage. "My girls loved their dresses. No complaining from them!"
The Bridesmaid Gifts
Krysta bought her bridesmaids matching sets of jewelry she bought from Overstock.com at an extremely reasonable price. "They were matching earring and necklace sets, three strands of freshwater pearls of really good quality." She also added a bridal emergency kit into their gift bags and a brooch to dress up their bouquets.
Krysta's Advice
Pick the right location. "The place is really important," Krysta said. "At Locust Grove I had to do everything myself—I like to plan, so I loved it! But it is A LOT to do and stay on top of...basically you're doing the job of a wedding planner or maitre'd. If you choose a more traditional location, they do more of that for you."
Wear Your Dress but Ditch the Shoes. "I switched to sneakers half way through the reception," Krysta said. "I enjoyed dancing much more."
But she advises staying in your wedding dress. "I considered switching out of it, but then I thought, Why not stay looking like a bride in the dress you took so long to find?"
Don't Stress. It was rainy and chilly on Krysta and Don's wedding day, which limited outdoor pictures. Three unexpected guests showed up for the reception. Her two year old flower girl refused to walk down the aisle; the girl's mother tried to bribe her with M&Ms and as soon as she heard about the candy, she was DONE.
"I just laughed and was smiling from ear to ear all day," Krysta said. "Roll with the punches because you can't predict anything. Enjoy the moment for what it is and don't worry about pleasing anyone. It's your day—enjoy it!"
