“Classic New York”
Scott and I grew up not far from each other on Long Island. We met after graduating from college when we both moved back home. He was in medical school and I was preparing for law school. We dated for five-and-a-half years before he proposed, with much of our relationship spent long-distance while we pursued a residency, a judicial clerkship, a medical fellowship, and life as a law firm associate. We now live in Jersey City, where we love to cook and take day trips to explore NY, NJ, and the towns of New England.
Scott proposed during a weekend getaway to Providence, RI. He was living in MA, I in NY, so it was the perfect spot to meet up. While exploring my alma mater, Brown University, on the first warm day of the year, we wandered to the idyllic “Quiet Green” and found a secluded spot under a tree. We talked about how special it was for us to be there together before Scott nervously got down on one knee. He said he wanted to keep sharing memories with me forever, pulled out the antique ring we’d picked out months earlier, and asked me to marry him. Speechless with happy tears, I managed to squeak out a “Yes.” Just then, a student walked over to ask if we’d just gotten engaged. She had a fancy camera with her and offered to take our picture. That photo, caught in the moment by an anonymous freshman, is incredibly special to us.
We chose Brooklyn Botanic Garden as our wedding venue to evoke classic NY. We had a fantastic experience working with the event coordinator and the catering sales manager. They’re both experienced professionals who guided us through the wedding planning process, inspired trust, and answered all our questions. The space is gorgeous, with the glassed-in Palm House creating the perfect backdrop for naturally lit photos and the perfect indoor wedding in a natural setting that made for more beautiful, unique photos.
Scott’s family rabbi presided over our ceremony, which included a ketubah signing attended by our immediate family. It was important to us to read our own vows during the ceremony. We chose our florist, an organic flower farmer from central Massachusetts, because we used to buy her flowers at the Worcester farmer’s market. Erica Maust and her team created a beautiful chuppah draped in greenery and studded with dahlias.
Too cold in late October to celebrate outside, we were thrilled to have our cocktail hour in the Steinhardt Conservatory, where our guests were free to explore the desert, jungle, and forest biome rooms, drinks and hors d’oeuvres in hand. We included other nods to our roots, cities we’d lived in, and small businesses we loved, with a New York-themed station featuring a bagel-and-lox wall and an Italian antipasto station, for our favorite foods and heritages. We served beer from Tree House Brewing Company, a New England craft beer favorite.
For our reception, we decorated the Palm House with low bunches of dahlias in warm pinks, corals, and deep maroons, along with taller vases of greenery. Candles everywhere gave the room a warm glow. The chuppah set up behind our sweetheart table as an arch enhanced the simple beauty of the room. The food at Brooklyn Botanic Garden truly impressed us. We had a little-gem Caesar salad appetizer and entrée options of Faroe Island salmon, porcini-rubbed filet mignon, and coriander-fennel-crusted Hudson Valley duck breast. We finished with devil’s food wedding cake with salted caramel mousse. It was the best wedding cake we had ever tasted!
One priority was to dance all night with family and friends and our band delivered. We wanted a party and we got one, complete with a killer hora. We also had so much fun with our photo booth, which featured curated antique props and a greenery backdrop. We sent our guests home with bags of coffee from our favorite NJ coffee shop.
Our wedding was an expression of our love, interests, and history. Emily and Sophia at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden are experts in their field and made our vision come alive. All the small businesses we hired were personally invested in their work. We of course could not have done it without our families, who helped us execute all the details and brought so much joy to our day.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, NY, 718.307.7133, www.patinaevents.com
“We chose Brooklyn Botanic Garden as our wedding venue to evoke classic NY. We had a fantastic experience working with the event coordinator and the catering sales manager. They’re both experienced professionals who guided us through the wedding planning process, inspired trust, and answered all our questions.
