“A Magical Experience”
We met through the dating app JSwipe in the midst of a massive snowstorm. The weather prevented us from meeting in person, so we decided to FaceTime and clicked right away. Our first real date was at Rosie’s Wine Bar in Garwood, NJ, and after dating for a year we got engaged on our one-year anniversary.
Yitzchak took me to a beautiful park a few days after we met and he proposed there at the exact same spot. He asked my close friend, sister, sister-in-law, and mother-in-law to hide in the woods with roses. As we approached the spot, he got down on one knee and everyone came out of hiding and surprised me. It was a memorable, beautiful moment. Following our engagement, our family threw us a small surprise dinner to celebrate.
We wanted a hotel for our New Year’s Eve wedding and heard from a friend about Hilton Pearl River. We called Gerry Burns, the director of catering, and she instantly made us comfortable. From the minute we walked into the venue, we were met by the warmest, friendliest staff. They were super accommodating and so easy to work with. We explained what we wanted and nothing was too much for their amazing team! Gerry walked us through every step. Gerry, Derek Rubino, the banquet manager, Abbey Rochford, the senior events manager, and Nicole Astalos, were rockstars! The day of the wedding went perfectly thanks to Gerry and her team. It was a magical experience and I can’t thank the staff at the Hilton enough. We were so at ease thanks to their expertise and professionalism.
The night before the wedding, we hosted friends and family in the Hospitality Suite and the morning of the wedding, I popped confetti in the Bridal Suite with all the girls. We had a special moment lighting sparklers outside as well as a beautiful Ketubah signing before the ceremony in Hilton’s elegant Conservatory. Our traditional Jewish ceremony was under a beautiful Chuppah adorned with long branches and white roses provided by our amazing florist. Our wedding singer, who was accompanied by a small orchestra, serenaded guests throughout our ceremony.
For cocktail hour, we had six stations including sushi, which was Yitzchak’s favorite! A cinnamon-bourbon cocktail, our groom’s signature drink, and a white winter sangria, my signature drink, were mixed to perfection by the Hilton’s bartenders. We laid out a guest book with a Polaroid camera for everyone to take their photo and sign. In the ballroom, we had confetti flying and over 200 sparkly black, gold, and silver balloons that were released at midnight! Our winter theme included long branches with arrangements of white flowers and red roses draped with tea lights and candles, creating a warm atmosphere. At midnight, we had a countdown clock to ring in the New Year.
It was a party all night long! One of our guests surprised us by dancing on stilts! We had a live percussionist, Tommy, who lit up the room with his talent. Our DJ, Peter Sciortino, kept us on our feet with a mix of great music. We had a traditional Jewish custom called the Mezinka, celebrating the bride’s parents for marrying off their last child. The next day, the Hilton provided us with a beautiful brunch for family and friends, completing our weekend wedding.
Thank you to the Hilton Pearl River staff for your wonderful execution of our wedding. We plan on returning for our one-year anniversary. Our wedding photographers captured every important moment for us. Our videographer worked hard to ensure we’d remember everything about our special day. Nu-Image did a phenomenal job making us look gorgeous! We were thrilled with Beers Flower Shop and loved our flowers! We thank all our guests for coming and bringing their energy to our wedding!
Hilton Pearl River, 845.735.9000, Pearl River, NY, www.hiltonpearlriver.com
“We wanted a hotel for our New Year’s Eve wedding and heard from a friend about Hilton Pearl River. We called Gerry Burns, the director of catering, and she instantly made us comfortable. From the minute we walked into the venue, we were met by the warmest, friendliest staff. They were super accommodating and so easy to work with. We explained what we wanted and nothing was too much for their amazing team!
