The Location – Castle on the Hudson, Tarrytown, NY
Michele (who just so happens to be my sister) and Jay picked their Westchester wedding venue because, as Michele says, “Who doesn’t want to get married in a castle?!” The fairy tale, happily-ever-after-feel and gothic look were perfect for my sister and her new husband.
“The people at the Castle are on another level of awesome,” gushed Michele. Their adoration of the staff started on the day they did their tasting—which Michele and Jay unanimously decided was the absolute best part of wedding planning. The staff was so helpful and made the entire experience so easy for the jittery bride and groom.
“We didn’t have to worry about a single thing from the first day we met Gilbert (the general manager) until the wedding was over,” said Michele. “He literally had the entire day planned down to the minute and he listened to all of our wants and made them a reality.”
Another major perk at the Castle was the food. “It’s the best food we’ve ever had,” said Michele. “I highly recommend the raw bar for cocktail hour. It was a huge hit!” Michele and Jay were so excited about the food, but, like many brides and grooms, they didn’t get to enjoy their meals on the day of the wedding. They were so busy dancing and laughing with their guests, they missed out on their meal! The always accommodating staff arranged for the newlyweds to come back to Equus (the restaurant at the Castle) for their one-month anniversary. The trout dish Michele and Jay had so looked forward to is made differently at the restaurant but David Haviland, the chef, made it for them exactly the way it was made at their wedding.
Theme – Medieval Garden
The Castle in Westchester County provided the perfect inspiration for Michele and Jay, who went for a sort of medieval garden theme. If you saw their home, which is decorated in dark woods with a lot of gothic accents, you would know that a castle was the perfect choice for these two. It completely fits their personal style.
It was also really important to them to incorporate art. “We wanted a Van Gogh wedding because we both love art, especially Van Gogh,” said Michele. Playing off of Van Gogh, they decided to go with sunflowers and irises as their flowers of choice, two flowers that are found in many of his paintings.
The Photographer – Maximillian B. Nucci
From the second Max walked into the room my sister was staying in at the Castle, I knew he was the perfect choice. My sister was in the midst of a meltdown after seeing her bouquet (which wasn’t what she had envisioned) and the boutonnieres that were, in her words, “made for either clowns or ten-foot tall giants.” Let’s just put it out there: she was in full-on angry Bridezilla mode. Max immediately started 
cracking jokes and sticking the camera in my sister’s face, which totally put her at ease. His calm presence instantly diffused a situation that could have gotten a lot worse.
Michele and Jay chose Max because they were looking for something a little more artistic than traditional posed photos. Max set up an engagement session with the couple, explaining that it would make them more comfortable both with him and with being in front of the camera. It also gave Max an idea of how Michele and Jay photographed so that he could get the best shots possible on the day of the wedding. They loved their engagements photos so much that they bought the rights to all of them.
The DJ – Junior Molina, Soundwaves Productions
Michele and Jay knew exactly what they wanted in a DJ. “You know those really obnoxious DJs that sing and scream and practically drag you out by the back of your dress to dance the funky chicken? Yeah, Junior's not one of those,” Michele explained. They liked the fact that Junior is good at feeling out the crowd and knows what to play and (maybe more importantly) what not to play.
They also had a specific list of songs that they wanted played at certain times throughout the reception (starting with “We’re Going to Be Friends” by The White Stripes as people were finding their tables). “I was a mess as the wedding got closer,” said Michele “and I wrote him a new email like every five minutes with changes. He just took it all in stride.”
Michele and Jay also wanted to make sure that their guests had a good time and they knew their choice in DJ would be critical. “We had a day wedding, which can be tough to turn into a party,” Michele said. “Jay and I really wanted a party. We wanted everyone drinking and dancing and having fun at noon. Junior made it happen, and everyone had an awesome time.”
The Dress – David’s Bridal
I was really nervous about going dress shopping with my sister. She’s currently in school for fashion design so clothes are kind of her thing. She had a very specific look in mind and I was afraid she would either be disappointed or she would settle on a dress she wasn't crazy about because she didn't think she had another choice.
Somehow on the very first day that we walked into a David’s Bridal (more for her to get a feel of the styles and fits out there than anything else) she bought her dress. Even stranger is the fact that she tried only one dress on. As she stood on the little pedestal looking at herself in the mirror, she asked us if she should try out any of the others we had seen. One of the other women in the store piped up and said “Why bother? That one's perfect!” She was right. We left once we could tear Michele out of the dress.
The Shoes – Seychelles 
I have to tell you, Michele’s choice in shoe shocked me. She has a soft spot for shoes (OK, it’s more than that. My nephew recently said to Jay “Daddy, why does mommy have so many shoes?”), so I knew they would be fabulous. But the awesome fish scales totally threw me for a loop. They were something I would pick—and a pair I can’t wait to borrow!
I love the fact that they're not at all traditional. It suits my sister. A cool pewter color, they definitely don't scream "bridal!" The scales at the top and on the sides added really interesting detail and texture, something most bridal shoes are lacking. Just look at them! They’re totally drool worthy! If you're interested in these beauties for yourself, they just so happen to be featured in our shop!
The Hairpiece – Tessa Kim and Jennifer Garry
Michele borrowed the birdcage veil by Tessa Kim that I wore at my wedding (check out the link to see how different our weddings were!). She was torn for awhile on whether to do a long, dramatic cathedral veil or something short. On a whim, she tried on mine and loved the versatility of it. There were a variety of different ways that she could wear and she could definitely make it her own.
Michele also wanted a dramatic, feathery headpiece. Since I make accessories, we decided to design a piece together that I would make for her. After a few different incarnations (my dear sister first wanted a headband, but decided—after I had made it—that she would wear her hair up instead of down and so she needed a comb), Michele cried when she saw the final product, which made me one very happy sister.
A Bride's Advice:
- Make it personal: “As a way to incorporate more art into our wedding we printed our own table numbers, each table having a different painting with a number. Jay used the same paintings (all of which are my favorites) during the proposal.”
- Wishing tree: Make a wishing tree instead of having a guestbook! “It's much more interesting and people can write down their wishes for you andyour spouse on little cards and hang them from the tree,” she said. “It was really fun and romantic to take the wishes off the tree and read them with my husband over a bottle of wine.”
- Cake: Fight the urge to have a traditional white wedding cake. GO CHOCOLATE!
Jennifer Garry is a writer and accessories designer living in Westchester, NY with her husband and daughter. When she's not up to her ears in kiddie crafts, you can find her swimming in a pool of beads. Her obsessions include tea, chocolate, sarcasm and her daughter's giggle--any of which can be used to coax her from her little jewelry-making fantasy world.
