Their Vendors
Ceremony & Reception: The Rockleigh, 201.768.7171
therockleigh.net
Gown: Tony Ward, at Kleinfeld NYC
Bridesmaids: Avery G
Tux: Brooks Brothers
Photographer & Cinematographer: Lucent Vision
Photography-Inessa Sperkach
Cinematography-Mikhail Shcherbelis
Makeup: Lauren D’Amelio;
UMode Salon, Olga Kozel
Hair: Veronika Shurunova
Florist: Eva Madeleina
Cake: My Daughter’s Cakes, Denise
DJ: DJ Alex Edge
Officiants: Rabbi Dennis Tobin;
Reverend Ken Corbin
Live Painter: Erika Angeli
Photo Booth: TapSnap, Mike Rozen
Fireworks: Spark of Eden Fireworks, Abraham
M.C.: Michael Yeretskiy
Singers: Anastasia Kirillova; Troy White
Saxophonist: Mario Castro
Daria & Dmitry | The Rockleigh | Rockleigh, NJ
Daria & Dmitry at The Rockleigh
How They Chose Their Venue
“The first venue we visited was The Rockleigh. It has a ‘wow’ factor, with its brightly lit lobby, large chandeliers, and grand staircase. We loved that every room was full of large windows and allowed natural light to shine in.
Cocktail hour could be inside and outside, so guests could enjoy the views of the grounds and the fountains, which are colorfully lit at night. We knew our guests would feel the same grandiose atmosphere in the reception hall that we felt and would be dazzled by the beautiful chandeliers.
“The event planner, Bari Stevens Puli, is extremely attentive, patient, and incredible to work with. She was responsive and enthusiastic about our ideas. The Rockleigh delivered a phenomenal quality of service, following through on every detail!”
“Grandiose Atmosphere”
Dmitry and I met on Tinder and went for sushi on our first date. He’d just finished medical school and was applying to residency programs. He matched at Albany Medical Center and moved to Albany our first month of dating and is now a physician. I was, and still am, a speech-language pathologist. We had a long distance relationship for three years, spending time together during weekends and vacations. He proposed on vacation in Mexico, planning a dinner on the beach but telling me it would be our Valentine’s Day dinner. He had a photographer and videographer take photos of us around the property on the day of the proposal and hired a violinist to play as he proposed in a heart of rose petals in the sand.
The first venue we visited was The Rockleigh. It has a ‘wow’ factor, with its brightly lit lobby, large chandeliers, and grand staircase. We loved that every room was full of large windows and allowed natural light to shine in. Cocktail hour could be inside and outside, so guests could enjoy the views of the grounds and the fountains, which are colorfully lit at night. We knew our guests would feel the same grandiose atmosphere in the reception hall that we felt and would be dazzled by the beautiful chandeliers.
The event planner, Bari Stevens Puli, greeted us warmly and we felt assured that everything would be planned perfectly. She is extremely attentive, patient, and an overall incredible person to work with. She was responsive and enthusiastic about our ideas, including the lavender colored signature drink Dmitry and I created in our kitchen, mixing butterfly pea flower and lemon. The Rockleigh delivered a phenomenal quality of service, following through on every detail! Tony was our maître d’ the day of our wedding and did not leave our side throughout the night, helping to direct vendors and guests and running the day. Our two bridal attendants were phenomenal!
Coming from different religious backgrounds, our ceremony included Jewish and Christian officiants. They were easy to work with and our personal ceremony flowed beautifully. Our florist decorated the arch on the grounds as a chuppah with flowers cascading down, transforming it into a beautiful canopy. Candelabras, a white runner covered in petals, and a violinist completed the transcendent effect.
Cocktail hour featured passed hors d’oeuvres, a raw bar, a sushi bar, six live stations, a tapas style Tuscan table, and more! We had a personalized ice sculpture with our names in two hearts and an ice luge with frozen martinis and premium vodka. A champagne station with black caviar added the ultimate refined touch.
Our reception was elegant and romantic. Lavender uplighting illuminated the walls and centerpieces. We decorated the room in hues of lavender, light pink, French blue, and off white. Alternating centerpieces had gorgeous glass goblets with candles and clusters of flowers on silver stands. The sweetheart table included a garland of cascading flowers and an eight-foot flower circle behind the table with hanging flowers and candles. Each setting had a menu shaped as our monogram with rose gold foil stamping. The Rockleigh customized dinner to our Russian backgrounds by providing family style food platters and black caviar on each table. For the first course, guests were served a succulent duck wrapped in a crispy wonton shell, then chose between filet mignon, herb-crusted Asian sea bass, or Tuscan roasted chicken breast. Between courses a butler passed intermezzo sorbet lollipops to cleanse the palette.
Following dinner, we cut our five-tier cake outside as magical fireworks went off behind us. Then guests went back inside to a decadent Viennese display! Our wedding cake, alternating tiers of white chocolate Prosecco-infused cake with Prosecco buttercream, Prosecco strawberry compote, and French toast cake with salted caramel buttercream, was cut at a live station. Cascading sugar flowers and a lace design from my wedding dress on every other tier, made it as beautiful as it was delicious. We hired a DJ, a Russian-American M.C., a saxophonist, and two singers to sing Russian and American songs. They were perfect for a night filled with nonstop fun, laughter, and dancing. We also incorporated our hashtag, #justGOFTmarried, in frames throughout the venue.
Thank you to everyone from The Rockleigh! To our DJ for your recommendations. To our dance instructor for a wonderful first dance; to our amazing photographer for capturing our engagement shoot, my bridal shower, and our wedding; to Shannon from Creationari for the perfect invitation; to Joel from Kleinfeld, and my dress seamstress. Thank you to friends and family who traveled near and far to be with us!
The Rockleigh, Rockleigh, NJ, 201.768.7171, www.therockleigh.net
