“Falling” into Love: An intimate and gorgeous Hudson Valley Autumn Wedding
Alexis and Chantell | October 1st, 2015
Chantell was mentioned to
Alexis through a mutual friend. After months of unsuccessfully being able to
meet, Alexis took fate in to her own hands and crashed a Birthday party
Chantell was attending to meet her in person. The strategy worked as the two
had an instant connection and have been inseparable from that moment forward.
Alexis attended the
Culinary Institute of America in the Hudson Valley of upstate New York for
College and after a vacation there with Chantell, the girls decided that the
stunning views with the mountains, trees, and the Hudson river would be the
perfect backdrop for their nuptials.
Playing off of the natural
colors of the area in October, the entire wedding was in deep shades of Autumn
brilliance: hues of gold, purple, copper, and green were mixed with wooden
accents. All of the stationery items were made to compliment the color scheme
and feel of the wedding location itself: The Garrison. A combination of scenic
golf club, small country inn, and fine food restaurant nestled in Hudson
Highlands with views of the river and Catskill mountains, the Garrison was both
comfortable and elegant. The ceremony garden was accented by a inter-woven vine
pergola complimented by Autumn inspired floral details.
The wedding was all about family…and friends who are as close as
family. Many of the guests were friends and colleagues of the brides from Las
Vegas, their home, who had traveled across the country in order to be present
for this momentous occasion. Alexis stated to me, “After all that hard work of
planning a wedding 3000 miles away, being at the alter and thinking that this
was our time to start our lives together in front of all our loved ones; realizing
how many people flew across the country or drove all that way to share our
special day with us was our favorite moment.”
The ceremony was filled with
intimate moments to share that love with all of the guests. There was a touching
rose ceremony for the mothers, to honor their knowledge and the women they had
helped to create, and a very sweet and funny moment at the end of the ceremony
when a good friend ran up to the front to place a hand-painted stool in front
of Alexis so that she could be as tall as Chantell for their first kiss as a
happily married couple. Alexis’ two
nieces acted the flower girls and stole the show during the reception dancing
and entertaining all of the guests.
It rained everyday leading up to
the wedding, but that afternoon, the sun poked through the clouds and came out
long enough for every single picture and the ceremony. The first drop of rain
came as the guests made their way inside of the warmly decorated Husdon Room
with huge all glass windows facing the river. The tables were all
adorned with fall inspired floral centerpieces and matching stationery. The
ceremony and cocktails were accompanied by live guitar switching to a selection
of fun dance tunes after a delicious dinner of local Hudson favorites, followed
by a dessert buffet of various pastries, cookies, and other delectables. As the
sun started to set and it began to drizzle, the brides threw off their shoes
and ran through the cold wet grass to
capture a picture in front of the gorgeous Hudson Valley Sunset.
The soft storm that followed left drops of rain on the windows
and the sound of it trickling off the roof added to the cozy warmth all felt
inside.
The guests were all given fuzzy socks to dance the night away
and The night ended with local
chocolates and wines from Alexis’ home town in Ohio: a perfectly sweet way to send
the guest back to their hotels.
When asked if the girls would change anything about the wedding,
they responded, “We wouldn’t
change our wedding for anything. It was perfect: everyone was thrilled to be
there. Our Expectations were met from the first day we flew to New York until
the last moment.”
Advise from Alexis and Chantell for
other couples planning their wedding:
“Take your time!! We cannot stress
this enough. By taking our time, we were able to have 95% of our guests
present. You’re only getting married once, so do it right! You will be much happier in the end. Stick to
your budget and make it work. One thing we noticed is everything is negotiable.
We did our wedding on a Thursday (Mid-Week) and people were willing to give us
different rates to secure our business. Most weddings happen on weekends so
there are often rebates when having your wedding on a day that normally the
companies have no new business. It was a win-win situation for all!
Cathy was so incredible to work
with! Her smile and warmth once you have you initial meeting made you feel at
home. This could be a very stressful time for couples. Remember this is your
1st time doing this and you’re not an expert. Sometimes people get crazy and
you just have to take a step back and have Cathy do what she does: she is a
professional. She knew what we needed to do, at what time and how to achieve
what we wanted for our wedding. She has been working in the Las Vegas area for
years and her reputation is amazing! Not
to mention she traveled with us to NY to be apart of our day. I never worried
about anything when she was around.
1st Impressions Invitations created
our invitations, place cards and seating arrangement so all the pieces
coordinated together perfectly. I had so many of our guests comment on how
beautiful they were. The craftsmanship attention to detail is beyond what I
could have imagined. The invitation is the “1st Impression” your guests will
see of you wedding. Blow them away from the first moment you can!”
It was my sincere honor to be a part of this wedding
celebration: congratulations Chantell and Alexis! May your future be filled
with immense joy, laughter, and more love with each passing day. Cheers!
Special thanks to:
The Garrison
2015 U.S. 9, Garrison, NY
10524
Floral Fantasies by
Sara-Flowers
Hudson Valley Officiants
Rev. Louis
Chris Carter Photography
Gene Pino-Guitarist
1st Impressions Invitations
Labels: 1st impressions invitations, 1st invite, Custom Wedding Invitations, Destination Wedding, Fall wedding, New York Wedding, wedding coordination, wedding details
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