40 guests joined Jennifer and Manny for their May wedding. The ceremony took place at the Union Church of Pocantico Hills, followed by a reception at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. From Jennifer: "We chose to have a very small and intimate wedding. Manny and I were both previously married, and wanted to focus on different things this time around. We wanted to invite those who were close to us and to offer a really special experience for our guests. Food was definitely a priority and that is why we chose this venue. We loved the idea that a farm could be laid back, yet elegant. Also, the venue was beautiful on its own - it didn't need a lot of prep work, which was something we wanted to avoid."
And now, on to the photos!
As a graphic designer, Jennifer really got into designing the invitation suite. Each piece incorporated illustrations from vintage children's books, as well as Betsy Dunlap's wonderfully whimsical calligraphy. The pale pink, dusty blue, and cream color scheme was perfectly light-hearted.
Blue Hill at Stone Barns provided all of the flowers, including Jennifer's pink and white peony bouquet. Jennifer worked directly with Carmela Sutera in choosing her wedding dress, and paired it with blue floral peep toes. (Make sure you enlarge this photo and check out all of the detail on that dress!)
Jennifer used vintage embroidered flowers to make a simple and lovely hair pin.
Jennifer shares a bit about the importance of family for their wedding: "Not having a bridal party was special for us because it was myself and Manny and his two boys. Jacen (age 10) was Manny's best man, and Logan (age 6) walked me down the aisle. One of my favorite moments was being walked down the aisle by Logan. He was so proud and took it sooo seriously and wanted to do the best job! And he did! It was special that our new family was the focus - it was a great bonding experience." Though they didn't have a cake, Jennifer and Manny had a cake topper custom made by The Small Object, even including the boys' orange bow ties!
Jennifer made orange bow ties for the boys, as well as boutonnieres from vintage wooden toys - what a great alternative to a floral boutonniere!
Manny wore a gray Ralph Lauren suit purchased at Kohl's.
Jennifer says that the wedding felt more like an elegant dinner party than anything else, starting with passed hors d'oeuvres and a signature cocktail: a black currant cosmopolitan. The three course dinner included: "Greenhouse Greens and Herbs salad with asparagus, apricots and this morning's farm egg; Stinging Nettle Cavatelli with mushrooms and asparagus; Loin of Beef with cracked wheat, quinoa and parsnips." Each course included a wine pairing.
The children's book illustrations made an appearance again as table "numbers."
The littler guests were greeted at their seats by various stuffed animals.
Instead of wedding cake, dessert was a crunchy chocolate hazelnut brownie with maple ice cream. Music was provided by the couple's iPod!
One of my favorite things about Manny and Jennifer's wedding is that it's proof that a small intimate dinner party doesn't have to be stuffy - it can still be totally playful and fun! Thank you so much to both of you for sharing this wonderful day with us, and to Erik Ekroth for sending over these fabulous photos (don't you love those dancing shots?). You can see even more from this wedding on Erik's blog.
