“Absolutely Wonderful”
For three years, Jamie worked about a mile from where I lived, but we didn’t cross paths until connecting on Bumble. After a few weeks of chatting, we had our first date at a restaurant in midtown Manhattan. I was going to meet a friend who was visiting, so we planned to just meet for a drink. Conversation flowed easily and I was soon late for my friend! One of Jamie’s favorite jokes is that I double-booked him on our first date. He got over it pretty quickly, proposing 10 months later!
His parents have a home in Rhode Island and we were visiting for the weekend and Jamie and I biked to his mom’s favorite beach. She had passed away a few months before and we loved to walk along the water. After a while, he dropped down on one knee and proposed. When we turned around, our friends and family were waiting for us with champagne and had taken beautiful photos of our engagement.
Jamie and I grew up spending summer weekends by the beach. We love being by the water and looked for a central location with a waterside view. As we drove up to Glen Island Harbour Club, we were blown away by the views of the Long Island Sound. We toured the venue and saw the ceremony room, cocktail hour space, and reception room, all with large windows and water views, and knew this would be our venue.
The team at Glen Island was absolutely wonderful and easy to work with. Jack LePostollec, the banquet manager, guided us through the process seamlessly from the day we booked to our tasting to our wedding day. The kindness and professionalism exhibited by the entire staff made our event exceptional. Everyone provided top-notch service and our guests received five-star treatment. Bob, our maître d’, and his team made the day flow so easily and were there for anything our guests needed. From setting up our memory table, wedding favors, and other special touches for our day, everything was even better than we had requested. Natalie, our bridal attendant, and Carina, her assistant, were wonderful. Many of our guests complimented us on the wonderful staff and service!
Our beautiful ceremony featured the circular altar showcasing full-length windows overlooking the water, giving us a gorgeous backdrop as we exchanged vows. Four pillars topped with flowers stood in front of the windows and candlelit lanterns and rose petals lined the aisle. Our wedding was officiated by our close family friend, David B. Erwin, a justice of the peace, who combined humor and sincerity to make our ceremony special. Our DJ provided a pianist and bible passages were read by my close friend, Megan Wagner, and Jamie’s uncle and godfather, Stephen Bebrin.
The cocktail hour at Glen Island is incredible. Since we come from Italian-American families, we chose stations with Italian and Mediterranean influences. The salumeria station and the Italian feast station, filled with a variety of meats, cheeses, breads, and Italian specialty dishes, were two of our favorites. The prosciutto and eggplant rollatini were crowd pleasers as well. We also had a Mediterranean seafood station and a carving station featuring amazing brisket, veal, and lamb. There was certainly no shortage of food!
To complement the winter atmosphere outside, we chose a variety of flowers in deep reds and creams, with touches of greenery. We had four high centerpieces at tables circling the dance floor with matching low centerpieces on the remaining tables. We chose cream-on-cream tablecloths and lined each with champagne-sequined table runners, which sparkled with our votive candles. Our sweetheart table was lined with a garland of greenery and gold-painted wood blocks that spelled out Mr. and Mrs., tying the colors together.
When our guests entered the ballroom, their first appetizer was warm brie over mixed greens with apples and pecans. Entrées were steakhouse grilled filet mignon with asparagus, parmesan, and rosemary potatoes; a mirin-glazed sesame-crusted salmon with garlic mashed potato; and chicken Sorrentino Napoleon with imported prosciutto, eggplant, and parmesan gnocchi. Each was outstanding!
Dessert was our wedding cake with mini cheesecakes, rainbow cookies, Rice Krispy treats, dessert shooters, and more! LJDJs were in charge of our entertainment and worked with us on the music we wanted and also provided an amazing electric violinist to play with the songs. They also helped us craft a touching tribute to Jamie’s late mother.
We cannot give enough thanks to our truly exceptional vendors for making our day so special! Everyone exceeded our expectations! Our gratitude to Jack LePostollec and the team at Glen Island, Jack Bermeo of LJDJs, our vendors, and our family and friends is beyond measure!
Glen Island Harbour Club, New Rochelle, NY, 914.636.6500, www.gi-hc.com
“Jamie and I grew up spending summer weekends by the beach. and looked for a central location with a waterside view. As we drove up to Glen Island Harbour Club, we were blown away by the views of the Long Island Sound. We toured the venue and saw all the large windows and water views, and knew this would be our venue.
