A Garden Chic Wedding at A Private Estate Events in Germantown, NY

Ah, where do I begin about this wedding? I loved every second! When we started planning Sarah and Michael’s wedding, they knew they loved A Private Estate Events in Germantown, NY, so we were set. If you haven’t heard, it’s a venue with mansion views nestled along the scenic Hudson River in the heart of the Hudson Valley. The estate offers a breathtaking backdrop in so many different ways…the mansion, the water, the greenery, the pond, you name it.

Sarah and Michael were looking for a planner to guide them through the entire process and take care of every detail, including rentals of the tents, tables, chairs, tables, restroom trailer, catering rentals, generator (everything), allowing them to focus on the day and not the logistics. That’s our job! The morning of their wedding, the bridal party got ready at Hotel Kinsley in Kingston, NY, with our Assistant Event Coordinator equipped with umbrellas, ready to tackle any unpredictable weather that might come our way. Despite the looming clouds, excitement filled the air as Sarah donned her regal dress, adorned with a long, elegant veil. She looked INCREDIBLE.

The girls were first to shuttle over to A Private Estate from Hotel Kinsley, so once I first saw them arrive, I had a bottle of Prosecco ready for them at The Carriage House on the property. They then asked to be golf carted over to the reception site to see it in their cute pajama outfits! I said, “Absolutely, let’s go!” Now here’s the sweet part – I found myself sharing a special connection with Sarah throughout the entire planning process, as we both have the same type of personality, and our understanding of each other’s vision and thoughts was wild! During calls, I would see her face, know what she was thinking, texted her, we were totally on the same page. We just got each other! Even when she asked to see the reception space beforehand, she said “you know me by now I don’t like surprises!” I was like OMG we are the same person. Love you, girl! Anyway, I digress…

We did the first look on the property in Germantown in front of the stately mansion at A Private Estate Events, where Sarah and Michael shared such a lovely moment before the ceremony. Oh, and speaking of the ceremony, we had initially planned for it to be outdoors, but you know how Mother Nature can be. So, we quickly switched to Plan B at the very last second we could (florals, bar and chairs) and moved everything under a rain tent. It was all still so beautiful.

Quick side note: Despite not having a ceremony rehearsal due to everyone’s busy schedules, my very meticulous, planner mind had to make sure everyone in the wedding party knew where they were supposed to be in terms of processional and recessional. We provided a VERY detailed layout of the ceremony processional and recessional, which we sent to the entire bridal party and family members at least one week beforehand with a one-page document on getting ready details, shuttle details, etc. And they handled it perfectly the day of, without having a rehearsal! I was so proud of them.

To honor Sarah’s Japanese heritage, during the wedding ceremony, we included a San San Kudo ceremony. It’s a traditional Japanese ritual which is a binding ceremony. Michael and Sarah shared three cups of sake in a gesture that is called San San Kudo, one of the oldest and most sacred wedding ceremony traditions in Japan. San means three and kyu means nine, a very auspicious number in Japanese culture. The ceremony is called San San Kudo because sake is poured into three cups three times, and each cup is emptied with three sips. Since odd numbers cannot be divided in two, they are considered very lucky. Three sips from three shared cups of sake makes for an exceptionally lucky number nine. The sharing of sake cups not only symbolizes the union of two people, but it is also the uniting of two families. The graduated size of the cups from small to large shows how love, wisdom and happiness grow in marriage and deepen over time.

On to the design. The entire vibe was giving Garden Chic Elegance. With specialty linens from BBJ Latavola to beautiful rentals from Events Unlimited, we mixed modern with classic elegance perfectly. The entire event was completely cohesive from the invitations to the bridesmaid dresses to the tuxes to the linens. So chic.

Now, the reception…This band was incredible as usual. Silver Arrow Band always has people on their feet as is so interactive. This one may have taken the cake! They were an absolute hit and the MC and lead singer, Tamika was outstanding. They kept everyone on the dance floor throughout the night. Their interactive performance even encouraged Sarah and Michael to “serenade” each other with the song “You Are My Treasure” using the microphone, which was hilarious yet lovely at the same time!

And let’s talk about food! As usual, Agnes Devereux Catering did an amazing job. She sources all of her ingredients locally from the Hudson Valley and nearby farms and created two beautiful wedding cakes, a naked chocolate raspberry, and a vanilla lemon curd. Yum!!

As the sun set over the Hudson River, Sarah and Michael’s flawless evening came to a close and when we went to do Golden Hour photos, they just started dancing together along the Hudson River without any direction. It was the sweetest thing!

I had such a blast planning and executing this beautiful wedding for such an amazing couple. So happy to see their stories on Instagram on their lovely honeymoon! Congratulations, Sarah and Michael! xoxo