Aylina & Anton | Greentree Country Club | New Rochelle, NY

The Wedding of Aylina Bucaj & Anton Gashaj

Their Vendors

Ceremony: Our Lady of Shkodra Church
Reception: Greentree Country Club, 914.636.8500, greentreeclub.com
Gown: Pinina Tornai
Bridesmaids: Evening Collective
Tux: Suit Supply
Photographer & Cinematographer: AlbaPro, albapro.com
Photographer: Vilson Lleshaj Photography
Makeup Artist: Glamour by Drita, Dita Paljevic
Makeup Artist, 2nd Day: Boomie
Hair Stylist: Senada K. Ceka
Florist: Adrian B. Events Design
Cake: Greentree Country Club
Music: Elite Band/ DJ Doleto
Tupan Player: Music by Kresh
Violinist: Kristi Pecaj
Entertainment: EP Entertainment
Decor: Events by Yoly

Being part of the same community, we would pass each other at Albanian events as teenagers, but did not connect until our late 20s, when Anton asked a mutual friend about me. Our first date was a dinner, where Anton was an absolute gentlemen. Sparks flew, and we knew this was it for us. We got engaged a year later at Glenmere Mansion, where Anton had a private room decorated for us, along with a photographer, our siblings, and our parents.  It was magical. So magical that I asked him if it was real and if he was serious! LOL.

I had many milestone events at Greentree Country Club, including events for family members. Greentree always held a special place in my heart. It is so beautiful and the venue was able to hold all of our 600 guests! The cocktail hour was held outside overlooking the harbor, which was wonderful for our guests.  We were able to have our traditional morning wedding there as well as the traditional Albanian second wedding day.

Kristina, the director of sales, was the absolute best. She made me feel like a real-life princess and catered to my every wish. If I had an idea, she knew how to incorporate that. Her professionalism, her relationships with other vendors, and her attention to detail, were amazing. She made sure I was able to not think about anything else on my wedding day and just enjoy everything and everybody! I was so lucky to have her.

We loved the ballroom’s open layout and its white space plus chandeliers that allowed us to choose any color scheme without clashing. I made our wedding look unique by having a blue color scheme, which meshed so well with the ballroom. Our florist made the floral arrangements high, wrapped the columns and stairs in flowers, and helped create our blue dream: elegant, different, and fun.

We used an Albanian band and the traditional Albanian instrument, the Tupan, played by Music by Kresh. Our First Dance was ‘Miracle’ by Riley Clemmons, because Anton and I call each other ‘our miracles.’ Anton did his Mother/Son dance to an Albanian song. My father passed away, so I chose to do my Father/Daughter dance with my brother, sister, and mom.

We had our ceremony at the local Albanian Catholic Church. We held our cocktail hour in the backyard, overlooking the harbor and had every cuisine you could think of: seafood, pizza, potato station (our favorite), sushi, pasta, tacos, burgers. Aside from the potato station, my favorite was the sushi station, and my husband’s was the pizza.

We had a lobster, crab legs, and oyster station; an Albanian station; a sushi station; plus fusilli pasta, and so much more. Being Albanian, we had to have lamb so among our carving stations, we had roasted lamb on an open fire spit, in addition to a tomahawk steak plus roasted pig on an open fire spit stations.

For dinner, we had a pasta course of rigatoni topped with diced filet mignon, roasted shallots, and porcini mushrooms. For entrees, guests could choose from among prime veal chops, chicken cordon bleu, Chilean Sea Bass (my favorite; I still dream of it) and filet mignon in a burgundy truffle mushroom sauce, Anton’s favorite. Guests were also offered an eggplant Napoleon tower, with layers of eggplant and ricotta cheese.

For dessert, we had individual plate samplers for each guest, plus a tier with additional sweets. Greentree made our raspberry chocolate mousse wedding cake and it was a dream. Because our wedding was on May 4th (May the Fourth be With You), we cut our cake with a Star Wars lightsaber!

We want to thank Kristina, Dennis, Bradford, and the entire Greentree team for their generosity, professionalism, and kindness. Kristina gave us new ideas and helped connect us to every vendor we used. Events by Yoly, thank you for turning our church ceremony into magic. Adrain B, thank you for listening to my design requests and for decorating our wedding. Vilson Lleshaj, your photography is impeccable. We also want to thank Elite Band for making it electric, Kresh, for his amazing Tupan talent, and Kristi Pecaj, who is  a musical genius on the violin. DJ Doleto, thank you for keeping our dance floor jamming with every age group at the wedding. Thanks to AlbaPro for their wonderful photography and cinematography, Senada for her glamorous hair styling, Drita for her dramatic makeup, and Boomie for doing my makeup on our second day.

To our family and friends, we feel so blessed to have been surrounded by your love. To our bridal party, you were chosen to stand with us because of our love for you. To our siblings and their spouses, having you by our sides throughout this whole process, and for our siblings, our whole lives, we will cherish forever having you with us. Thank you to our parents, for the values you’ve instilled in us and for your love, sacrifices, and caring. We thank God every day for you and for making our wedding day the best day of our lives. Anton and I feel we’re so blessed and lucky to be surrounded by so many good-hearted people. You made our wedding journey perfect.

Greentree Country Club, 538 Davenport Avenue, New Rochelle, NY
914.636.8500, [email protected], greentreeclub.com