Hillary & Brian | The Barn at Old Bethpage | Bethpage, NY

The Wedding of Hillary Lessing & Brian Hogan

Their Vendors

Ceremony: St. Mary’s Church
Reception: The Barn at Old Bethpage Village Restoration, 516.921.5707, lessings.com
Gown: Paloma Blanca, at Village Bridal by Omnibus, Babylon, NY
Bridesmaids: Evening Collective
Tux: The Black Tux
Photographer & Cinematographer: Park Ave Studio, parkavestudio.com
Makeup: Andrea, Adelyn’s Canvas
Hair: Danielle, Ahern Beauty
Florist: Bayport Flowerhouse, Christine
Cake: Campbell’s Bakery
Band: Just for the Record D.J. Entertainment

“One-of-a-Kind”

Brian and I have known each other for what feels like our whole lives. Our families have been friends since our parents went to high school together. We’ve always been friendly and would see each other around. His cousins were my best friends, so we would all hang out at their house a lot. One New Year’s Eve at their house, he asked me on a date and we’ve been together ever since. 

My family has always been into boating, and we take the boat to Atlantique on Fire Island almost every Sunday in the summer. The last Sunday of August, Brian proposed! We were pulling into the marina when Brian asked if I wanted to go on the bow of the boat to take a picture. His friend had just gotten a new drone, and I said yes, thinking it would be a cool picture. Out on the bow, he asked me to marry him, and when we pulled into the dock, all our friends were there to celebrate.

We wanted to be married somewhere that was different from the typical venue. Brian suggested we look at The Barn at Old Bethpage, and when we went to see it, we loved it. It is a unique, one-of-a-kind venue, big enough to accommodate our friends and families. It’s so pretty, and we were excited to think how we could make it our own.

We worked with Emily Virgil, sales manager. She was really helpful, and the process of planning was almost too easy to believe! The entire staff at The Barn at Old Bethpage was really great. They listened to what we wanted and were very accommodating with our wishes. They took a lot of pressure off us so we could enjoy the process.

We had our ceremony at St. Mary’s in East Islip. My whole family went there, and it was nice to be married in my family’s church.

For cocktail hour, we had specially made-by-Brian’s-family signature drinks. His family had their own whiskey sour recipe that they take very seriously, and it was so fun that we were allowed to have them make it and bring it for everyone. Our other signature drink was a hot-toddy, and both were so good!

All the food was delicious. We chose Amagansett lobster rolls, New Zealand baby lamb chops, a ramen noodle bar, a trattoria station with three pastas and Italian bread, a raw bar, and a carving station. There was also a beautifully displayed table with meats and cheese, as well as eight chef-chosen hors d’oeuvres. Our bridal attendant put together a plate with a little of everything, so Brian and I could easily try it all.

For our reception, we chose décor that was rustic but also classic and elegant. We decorated with white, gold, and greens, wrapping ivy along the beams of the barn and embedding twinkle lights in the flowers to create a romantic ambiance. The space in the barn allows for plenty of room to dance and have tables set up without interrupting the flow of the room. Our DJ kept the energy up and everyone was on the dance floor. We loved the music he played, all based on the kind of songs we told him we liked.

For dinner, we chose a burrata salad as our first course, followed by a duet entrée of cabernet-braised short ribs and jumbo shrimp served with roasted garlic beurre, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. Guests with allergies or dietary restrictions were served a separate entrée and the staff at The Barn at Old Bethpage was really good about accommodating them. Our wedding cake was a simple three-tier, red velvet cake. We also had an ice cream sundae bar as another dessert.

We’d love to thank everyone at The Barn at Old Bethpage for everything they did to give us the wedding day we wanted. They were incredibly knowledgeable and accommodating. We’d also like to thank Brian’s parents and my father and step-mom for all their help. We couldn’t be happier with our wedding day memories.

The Barn at Old Bethpage Village, Bethpage, NY, 516.921.5707, lessings.com