As a little girl, I could see the top of OHEKA CASTLE from my school bus stop.
… And when we called the castle to inquire about weddings, the phone number was very familiar — it was the old number from the house I grew up in! It was kismet.
Their Vendors
Ceremony & Reception: OHEKA CASTLE, 631.659.1400, oheka.com
Gown: Lazaro
Bridesmaids: Jim Hjelm
Tux: Lombardo Custom Apparel
Makeup: Donna Bardot
Hair: Jennifer Mayer / G. Zay Michaels Salon
Florist: Andrew Pascoe Flowers
Cake: OHEKA CASTLE
Photographer: Marquee
Band: Chaser
Ring: Chris Fowler and Raffi Fine Jewelry
We first met in a less than romantic setting: the final moments of an ESPN company Christmas party. Over time and several dream-like vacations, our love grew. Then one day Chris surprised me with a proposal over coffee on the balcony of our Paris hotel room.
Friends joke that we’re the ‘Green Acres’ couple. Chris is from the Colorado mountains and I’m a New Yorker. Choosing a wedding site could have been tricky, but once we set foot on the breathtaking grounds of OHEKA CASTLE, we knew it was the perfect spot.
As a little girl, I could see the top of the castle from my school bus stop. And when we called the castle to inquire about weddings, the phone number was very familiar — it was the old number from the house I grew up in! It was kismet.
Not every moment unfolded in fairy tale fashion. Aiming for that perfect wedding day glow, I unknowingly put sunblock with a tan accelerator on my upper lip and gave myself a mustache, with the big day just three weeks away!
While parallel parking at the florist, I smashed our car window against the side mirror of the florist’s van. (Our flowers were still magnificent.)
Then, at my final fitting four days before the wedding, the seamstress cut her finger and bled all over the front of my dress! (Don’t worry, after 20 long minutes it was ecru once again.) Add to that a week of thunderstorms, cancelled flights, lost luggage with groomsmen’s tuxes; trust me, a sense of humor goes a long way.
Thankfully, we had a fairy tale wedding. The sun set over our ceremony in OHEKA’s gardens. No one left the dance floor, except to enjoy the delectable food, and at night’s end a full moon rose over the castle filled with family and friends.
OHEKA CASTLE, 135 West Gate Drive, Huntington, NY 11743, 631.659.1400 oheka.com
