Jill San Marco and Andy Moore, October 9, 2011
Location: Villa Barone Hilltop Manor, Mahopac, NY
The ceremony was at St. Theresa’s Church in Briarcliff Manor, NY, which is the church I grew up in. The reception was at Villa Barone Hilltop Manor. We were going to be inviting 250 people and needed a space that would fit up to that size, but also something that wasn’t too expensive because my parents were paying for everything (and I try to do everything on a budget!).
We originally found Villa Barone on weddingwire.com, and the reviews were wonderful. We met with Nick, one of the owners, who was eager to show us every part of the reception site, including the waterfall that was still under construction, and their offsite property on the water.
The whole venue had a very Tuscan feel which appealed to me because my Dad’s side of the family is Italian, and the colors featured a lot of gold which I thought would look great with our autumn theme. When reviewing what was included in the price per person, we were blown away. The amount you get for the price you pay was really unmatched by the other places we looked at.
Dress: Impressions
I loved the light, chiffon fabric, buttons down the back and fun layers. I bought it at Jeanette’s Bridal in Manassas, VA; the sales staff was wonderful, and the seamstress handled all of my requests even when she thought I was nitpicking!
Shoes: Nina with LemonRing embellishment
As soon as my fiance agreed to an October wedding, I knew I had to have orange shoes to go with the autumn theme. I had a hard time finding ones that I liked and that weren’t too high, so I bought orange flower shoe clips from Lemonring on Etsy just in case. After many months of searching, I kept coming back to Nina shoes since they have actual colored fabric custom shoes, and not just dyable fabric (I was petrified it would rain and my dress would get stained if I bought dyed ones).
I bought the Culver style and ended up clipping the flowers to them to make them really unique. I loved having something a bit colorful peaking out, and even found argyle socks with orange on them at Express for my Dad and Andy to wear.
Jewelry
I don’t wear much jewelry and didn’t want to pretend I did! I found simple, silver tear-drop earrings at Macy’s that matched the sparkles in my dress and my rings for a great price. Right before the ceremony, my bridesmaids also surprised me with a simple but beautiful bracelet from Tiffany’s, which happened to be the first thing I’ve ever owned from there! It was a wonderful surprise.
Hairpiece
I wore the mantilla my mother wore at her wedding, which was made by her mother (Loveday). I always knew I’d wear it for my wedding, and part of my dress search involved making sure that they matched!
The day of the wedding, as soon as I had gotten my hair and makeup done and came home, my Dad said that I never looked more like my mother than I did at that moment. It was a wonderful compliment, and the first time anyone has said I look a lot like my mother (usually I get my father’s side).
After the veil came off, I pinned 4 mini chiffon flower bobby pins into my hair, which I got at The Icing in the mall.
Tux: Men’s Wearhouse
Andy got his tux at Men’s Wearhouse and didn’t include me at all since he wasn’t allowed to see my dress; that was his rule, not mine! I thought all of the boys looked amazing in their suits (Andy in ivory and the boys in platinum) and they all were very happy with the fit and style.
Bridesmaid dresses: Alfred Angelo
I wasn’t sure if I wanted the girls to wear the same dress in different colors (like my parents’ wedding) or the same color, but different dresses. I decided on the latter since each of my bridesmaids are so unique. I really wanted them to pick something that reflected their own personal style, that they would be comfortable in, and that they could wear again.
I went to Alfred Angelo with one of my bridesmaids and we tried on about ten different styles, each prettier than the last, and with their dresses being sold close to wear the girls lived it worked perfectly. My instructions to my bridesmaids were simple: pick something cobalt (it was bright and fun), chiffon (to match my dress), and knee length (except my maid of honor sister who wore floor length to make her stand out), and wear a neutral colored shoe. I know everyone says this, but I honestly believe that I had the most beautiful bridal party ever!
Cake
The cake was vanilla with chocolate mousse and was actually provided by Villa Barone, as they do all cooking and baking in-house. The only caveat was that I am a vegan and that means a wedding cake with no dairy or eggs!
Villa Barone offered to make a cake that would fit my requirements, but to make it simple we just brought the cake topper that Andy and I cut into from the Wobble Cafe in Ossining, NY.
Villa Barone had a number of cakes to choose from and said they would do anything we wanted. We ended up doing a square, off-centered cake with gold ribbon, and our florist did the flower decorations.
Paper products: Sycamore House Invitations
All of our paper products were done by Sycamore House Invitations, which is owned by a friend of my parents. We went to a store in NYC to pick out the paper, color and styles we wanted, I wrote up the text, and she did the rest!
Being five hours away, I really relied on her expertise and my mom’s ideas to put everything together, and they did a fantastic job. There was a common theme throughout the entire process and everything fit together well.
Flowers: Cheshire Tree, Mt. Kisco, NY
Our flowers were done by the Cheshire Tree in Mt. Kisco, NY, and after meeting with them once we never spoke with another florist. At our first meeting, Sue and her husband showed us pictures of all different types of flowers, bouquets, centerpieces, and anything you could ever think of that they’ve done for different events. They saved our favorites to help narrow it down, and were extremely thorough asking us questions - what colors we were wearing, the heights of the girls, allergies, etc. I had come with a huge list of questions on my own, and they were more than patient answering them.
We went back and forth several times with proposals, estimates, and pictures, and Sue was even able to recreate my bouquet based off a picture I had found online. She was willing to work within our budget, offered advice on cost savings, and gave us so much for our money.
The flowers were still blooming a week after our wedding and my Dad brought some to my grandparent’s grave site. The flowers captured the autumn theme we were hoping for, and the cake turned out beautifully with their decorations.
Entertainment: Dynomite DJs, Washington, D.C
Bruce Pike, one of Andy’s groomsmen and best friends, owns Dynomite DJs in Washington, DC. Having been to many of our friends' weddings where his partner Ernie has been the DJ, we knew we couldn’t have anyone else.
They have a great website where you list all of your key information, create an itinerary, and list songs you definitely want, wouldn’t mind hearing, and that definitely cannot be played! They also have playlists of songs like the top bouquet toss songs, or top father daughter dance songs, and that really helped.
Ernie did a phenomenal job and my parents have received so many compliments from their friends in NY that he was one of the best DJs they’ve ever had at a wedding. The music flowed perfectly throughout the cocktail hour and until the last song, really setting the tone and feel of the evening.
Videographer: The Pros
We haven’t seen the footage yet, but we got a package where Andy and I can watch the raw footage and then choose what we want on the final video. We weren’t sure about having a videographer at all because it was extra money, but I know 50 years from now we’ll love having these memories to watch with our children and grandchildren.
Hair and makeup: A.V. Hair Designs, Briarcliff Manor, NY
Marni did my hair and Tina did my makeup, and they really did a wonderful job. They opened up the salon for us on Sunday and my bridesmaids and I all got ready together. Even though not all of the girls got their hair and makeup done, they were able to bring their own supplies and we all got ready together.
Photographer: Bill Shaw for Maximilian B. Nucci Photography
When looking for photographers, we really wanted someone who had a photojournalistic and artistic approach to shooting weddings. When we met with Max, his pictures were exactly what we were looking for, and the albums he created were of extremely high quality.
A few weeks before our wedding, he had to find a replacement because of an injury, so Bill Shaw photographed our wedding with his assistant Antonia. They did a really wonderful job and were able to take a combination of formal and traditional pictures as well as some unique and creative ones.
Inspiration
Growing up in New York, the changing colors of October have always made autumn the only season I wanted to get married in. Luckily, my husband was on board since he had been in many weddings where he had to wear a tux in 100 degree heat and it was not fun.
My parents had been to a friend’s wedding on a holiday weekend where the day before the wedding they invited everyone in town to come to the rehearsal. Within a week of being engaged, my fiance and I decided on Columbus Day weekend so that we could have our wedding on Sunday and extra time on Saturday to spend with family and friends.
It worked out wonderfully. We had the rehearsal BBQ at the Law Park Pavilion in Briarcliff Manor. It was catered by The Briarcliff Market and featured picnic tables, a fire, pumpkins carved out with hearts, and a big screen photo montage of Andy and I growing up (that our wonderful friend Bruce also put together). Instead of one wedding day, we got an entire wedding weekend.
Great finds and special ideas
Since many guests travelled far to be at our wedding, we included welcome bags for those staying at hotels. They had water, snacks, directions to the rehearsal and wedding, and things to do in the area. Was all of it necessary? Probably not, but it was a nice surprise for our guests. We also ordered a shuttle service for guests to and from the reception so they wouldn’t have to drive at night in an unfamiliar area.
I wanted to do something to surprise my husband and guests at the wedding and decided to look for an Acapella group to sing the recessional at the church. I got in touch with Jon from the group Time Check at Marist University and he got their female counterpart group The Sirens involved. The day of our wedding, the two groups sat in the last two pews of the church and sang All You Need Is Love by the Beatles after we kissed and while we walked out. Everyone was surprised and it sounded beautiful in the church.
We bought a custom wood sign from the vendor MRC Wood Products on Etsy to go in front of our cake at the reception. It had our first names and new shared last name, as well as the established date of our wedding. It looked so neat in front of the cake and many of our guests commented on how much they liked it. Right now it’s hanging in our living room!
I knew many of my little cousins would be coming to the wedding, and wanted them to sit together so they could feel more grown up. Rather than have centerpieces, my sister-in-law and I put together a basket full of activities and coloring books for them to do, and even included glow sticks for them to wear while they danced.
For the garter, Andy and I have always felt it was extremely awkward to take it off in front of our family and even more uncomfortable for two strangers to have to put it back on. Instead, we tucked the largest underwear we could find online into my garter and Andy pulled those out instead. It was another way for Andy and I to show our fun side and it was another surprise our guests didn’t see coming.
What Jill would do differently
I would try to spend more time with my parents and family during the reception. I kept rushing around and would have loved to dance with them more.
Jill's advice for future brides
- If it’s possible, plan a rehearsal dinner that everyone can be a part of. It was so nice to have guests who had never met get to know one another. We were able to see the slide show without taking time away from dancing at our reception, and spend more time with the people we love.
- Go to your cocktail hour! Villa Barone had an amazing spread that we didn’t want to miss, but it also allows you to thank guests for coming, which leaves more time for dancing at the wedding.
- Never ever back down on what you want and keep looking until time runs out. This is your day, you’re spending a lot of money, and everything should be perfect. That being said, all you really need to get married is the bride, the groom, an officiant and a witness, so don’t sweat the small stuff.
- Bring as many sentimental things as you can into your day! My something blue was my grandmother’s blue sequin purse that she had made for my parents’ wedding day. My something old was my veil and my something borrowed was my other grandmother’s cameo which I attached to my bouquet. For the ring bearer’s pillow I had my nephew-in-law carry my baptismal pillow; I actually found it the day before my wedding in the back of my bedroom closet.
- Make sure your photography package comes with a CD or the high-resolution prints and the copyright agreement!
- Make sure you are prepared! I put baskets in the bathrooms for guests at Villa Barone that included toothpicks, floss, lotions and stain remover, and brought a curling iron, bobby pins and sewing kit to the bridal suite as well.
- For bridal party gifts, don’t get something that is just a waste of money. I got my bridesmaids matching clutches and pashminas for them to use on our wedding day, and Andy got his groomsmen personalized flasks to take in the limo between the church and reception.
- If you are busty, don’t be afraid of a strapless dress! I went to Trousseau in Virginia, and they do custom alterations to bustiers and corsets for free. I never once felt like I was going to fall out of my dress.
All photos courtesy of Maximilian B. Nucci Photography
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|198.228.197.xxx |2011-12-22 22:52:41 Vito and Caro Priore - Pictures
great Pictures We had a wonderful time at your wedding, it was a beautiful day. Enjoy one another
Best wishes
Carol and Vito
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|99.228.245.xxx |2011-12-23 16:24:49 Nora and Terry - A Grand Experience.
Many thanks for including us in your special day. For sure, it was a wedding we will never forget. The planning was perfect. Thanks for sharing this presentation...through your Dad. It is a lovely story.
Best wishes again for a wonderful life together. Merry Christmas too!
Love....Nora and Terry
