“My vision for the wedding? A huge party where I just get to wear a white dress. Immediately upon walking into Vineyards at Aquebogue we both knew that was it. It was bright and natural, chic but simple, and filled with greenery which was everything we could have wanted. The indoor and outdoor options offered the flexibility we wanted for our late September wedding. You also cannot beat the outdoor deck at the Vineyards.
We worked from start to finish with Kate Wiggins, the sales director, and every time we spoke with her she was a breath of fresh air. She made me feel like I knew everything, since the bride is always right ;)”
Their Vendors
Ceremony & Reception: The Vineyards at Aquebogue, 631.722.3200, www.lessings.com
Gown: Lovers Society, Bo Gown, at Lovely Bride NYC
Tux: Tom James
Photographer: Four Doves Photography, fourdovesphoto.com
Makeup: Genna DiGiovanna, DaeGlo.
Hair: Emilie Sciortino, Emilie Does My Hair
Florist: Flowers By Burton
DJ: Deano Events
Musician: Zigs
Cocktail Hour Acoustics: Erica & Michael Zigon
Peter and I met freshman year of college. We ran in the same circles and he got close to my best friend at college, who also happened to be my best friend growing up! Mid first semester, our friend Maggie mentioned we had a class together, but neither of us knew it, since we didn’t go … oops.
Peter got my phone number from our friend Maggie and he asked me to check him into class one day. Lo and behold, I wasn’t there to do so. Not sure what happened next but after that we never stopped talking! I am pretty sure our first date was a lacrosse house party, which seems on brand for us.
After almost eight years together, we planned a trip to Long Island with Peter’s family to visit where I grew up as they had never been to Long Island before! We had grand plans for our trip, staying in Sag Harbor, showing them Babylon Village, and enjoying the water. But we were in the dead of COVID in August 2020, so we did a lot of beaching, fishing, and big family meals at home. One night Peter and I went to the beach and he proposed at sunset. I was floored. In an awful outfit, too. Unpainted nails, the works.
My vision for the wedding? A huge party where I just get to wear a white dress. We decided to consider both LI and Chicago for venues as we currently live in Chicago. Immediately upon walking into Vineyards at Aquebogue we both knew that was it. It was bright and natural, chic but simple, and filled with greenery which was everything we could have wanted. The indoor and outdoor options offered the flexibility we wanted for our late September wedding. You also cannot beat the outdoor deck at the Vineyards.
We worked from start to finish with Kate Wiggins, the sales director, and every time we spoke with her she was a breath of fresh air. She made me feel like I knew everything, since the bride is always right 😉 She could not have made our lives easier from day one until the very last second. The team she set up for the day (Michelle, shoutout to you!! And to our maitre d’!), was literally phenomenal and missed not one detail. Seriously, perfection. They made the experience for all our vendors so smooth.
Our ceremony was short and sweet. We did an intimate religious ceremony at our church. It was extra special with all 185 of our closest friends and family and our extremely special officiant, who was my neighbor when I was growing up and our two families were basically family my entire life. Their children, Chase and Avery, were our flower girl and ring bearer, which made our day feel so special.
Both Peter and I loved the beautiful and natural environment of The Vineyards. My vision was whites, blushes, and lots of greenery, and that is what Flowers By Burton brought to life. We had simple floral arrangements with lots of ivy and candles to create a simple but elegant vibe!
The food at any Lessing’s venue is aways on point. I don’t think I’ve ever heard so many compliments on food at a wedding! I was so happy to have options to-go seafood, passed dishes, and the tuna steak was top notch on our dinner menu! Plus, we got insanely good feedback on the veggie lasagna, which was served in cast iron skillets. I was jealous of whoever had that!
We decided to pass on a traditional cake as we didn’t want any interruptions to the party after dinner when the dance floor opened up. We had passed mini desserts, which for us was definitely perfect, but we didn’t feel any limitation to what was offered.
We could not have had a better experience with Lessing’s and all our vendors. I truly felt like we were their only priority and they were there to throw a successful party. Rebecca, Dean, Flowers By Burton, Kate & Russ, Michelle and her Team — absolute perfection. Special shout out to Erica & Michael Zigon who are lifelong friends of mine who crushed cocktail hour acoustics and were a hit. And of course we want to thank our parents, our bridal party, and our friends for their support and for celebrating with us. It was so special!
The Vineyards at Aquebogue, Aquebogue, NY, 631.722.3200, www.lessings.com
