A Wildflower Wedding Along the Hudson River at A Private Estate

Melissa and Dan are a fun, colorful, and eclectic couple. We wanted to take his subtle personality and her bubbly personality and blend them into a soft yet bold and bright event at A Private Estate along the Hudson River in Germantown, NY. Germantown is a quaint town in the heart of the Hudson Valley with stunning views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains. Melissa was so much fun to work with! Our personalities really aligned and she wasn’t afraid to give her opinion, which I loved! She had great ideas and personal touches that she wanted to incorporate into the ceremony. On the wedding day, Melissa and Dan decided to do a first look, which I absolutely condone! It gives the couple the opportunity to shake the nerves a bit before the ceremony and also allows you to spend time with your guests during cocktail hour.

It was a beautiful late summer day for a wedding. With the sun in the perfect position, the wedding ceremony took place on the waterfront lawn in front of a 19th-century home with the Hudson River as the backdrop. We did something a little non-traditional in terms of the processional. Melissa and Dan had such a large bridal party including flower girls, ring bearers, and family members, we decided to have the bridesmaids and groomsmen proceed from the sides at the same time. Then we had the kids and family members proceed down the aisle before Melissa walked down with her father. It worked out perfectly!

The bride wore a stunning gown designed by Essence of Australia she purchased at a local boutique, Blush Bridal Boutique. Melissa wore her mother’s veil from 1982.

Cocktail hour was located on the riverside ground under a beautiful sailcloth tent with breathtaking views of the mountains and river. The bride’s father pulled his vintage red truck up to the cocktail hour lawn so guests could take pictures with the Hudson River in the background. The amazing caterer Agnes Devereux Catering offered a delicious spread of meats, cheeses, jams, and nuts along with passed apps. We also had a raw seafood bar by Lekker Food Truck based out of Kingston, NY.

Before the reception, Melissa and Dan wanted to do a private first dance, which is such a great idea! It gives you a moment alone with your new spouse and allows you to preview the reception space before guests enter.

In terms of reception design, Melissa wanted color, wildflowers, and drama with a slight renaissance feel that gave it a sense of elegance. We used ornate, embossed dinnerware from a local Hudson Valley rental company, textured goblets, and multi-colored beaded glassware. We wanted to combine color, texture and art to create a dramatic effect.

The reception was held at the top of the hill in the bi-level wood barn with an attached deck and patio for drinks and dancing. Dinner was served family-style and the food was locally sourced from Hudson Valley farms provided by Agnes Devereux Catering and was served family-style, sipping limoncello between courses.

The mother-of-the-bride is Italian and ordered a spread of Italian pastries for dessert. Her cousin picked up a variety of pastries from a Bronx bakery and brought them two hours north specifically for her daughter’s wedding. The reception patio was flooded with delicious Italian pastries!

A modern DJ, Sounds Buono from Newport, RI and a live brass band, Hudson Horns got everyone on the dancefloor and was the ultimate combination! The guest danced in a circle around the newlyweds to a traditional southern Italian folk dance called the tarantella.

Melissa changed from her elegant, ballroom gown into a glam party dress with feathers and glitter and of course sneakers. And after she changed, we had a mini, tequila-inspired photo shoot in the Carriage House! Loved it!! We ended the evening with lots of dancing, great music, drinks, and desserts. It was a wonderful day along the Hudson River. Congratulations Melissa and Dan!