A Fairytale Wedding

A Princess & Prince Marry
Il y était une fois ..... a princess named Sarah and a prince named Damon who married in a vineyard by the sea on a beautiful day in June.

The bride, my niece, Sarah, the groom, Damon, the officiant; Alejandro, the bridesmaid, Chelsea, the best man, Mike, and their families and guests never stopped smiling the whole day long.

Indeed it was a fairytale wedding by the sea.

First, there was the Dress...

Before we get ahead of ourselves ... their was much preparation in the kingdom leading up to the event.

Sarah loved a Marchesa frock and tried it on at Gabriella's Bridal Salon in New York City.

Sarah's mother, Jeanne, liked the dress too.

Yes, the dress was a winner. But it would need some alterations
 to fit Sarah's exacting requirements.

Sarah models the dress before alterations.

Then there was the Headpiece and Veil...

Aunt Carol offered to make something for Sarah to wear on her head for the wedding. So the first thing Aunt Carol (me) did was to set up a Wedding Inspiration Board in my studio. 

 Interspersed among the Jeanne Lanvin gowns, are pictures of Jeanne and Sarah as a child.

 The Marchesa dress on a model.

Sarah modeling in an Anthropologie catalog (in the orange top and black & white skirt).

 Sarah loved Kate Moss' gown. Kate's friend, John Galliano,
wears a romantic white hat.
To the right of Kate, a photograph of my mother, Mary,
 at her confirmation.

 Find the Sarahs and the Jeannes.

Sarah wearing a candy-stripe pinafore and my father's boater
 in the garden in Southold.

 Sarah by the Morning Glories and a Jeanne Lanvin wedding party.
I love Jeanne Lanvin's dresses. So pretty and little-girl like.

Two style icons. Grace and Audrey.

Shopping for Supplies in the Millinery District

 For imported laces, tulle and trims, I went to
Sposabella on West 40th street.

 For ribbons, I went to Mokuba, a Japanese ribbon company.
 Mokuba carries exquisite ribbons and has a huge selection in grosgrains,
 silks, satins and double-sided velvets.
They sell only wholesale, but if you show a business card you can buy there.

Mokuba ribbons.

For artificial flowers, I shopped at Tinsel Trading
 which has the best selection in the city.

Sarah Tries on a Selection of Headpieces

After I had completed a number of headpieces, 

Sarah and Jeanne came for lunch at my apartment for a try-on session.

There were eclairs from Francois Payard and presents!

 A delicate birdcage.

 A birdcage with colored petals. I used acrylic paint to tint
the organza for the flowers.

A lace-covered fascinator.

 A vintage-lace Juliet cap.

 A flowered wreath.

A traditional wreath with fleurs.

An elaborate French lace veil.

Sarah's Choice

In the end, Sarah choose a simple wreath, covered with moss-green silk ribbon and vintage Lily of the Valley flowers. The French word for wreath is la couronne. Isn't that beautiful?

The veil is diamond-white tulle to match the dress.

The Rehearsal Dinner

Fast forward several months, and the weekend has arrived. The festivities were held on the North Fork of Long Island in Greenport, Southold and Orient. What to expect? Vineyards, farm stands and the sea.

 Richard and I waiting for the Hampton Jitney at 44th & 3rd.

The marina in Greenport.

 A dining institution in Greenport.

 A 19th century building in Greenport.

The Orient Inn, where we stayed.

The Rehearsal Dinner

 Chelsea, Damon and Sarah, in a stunning Diane Von Furstenberg dress, on the deck of
the Scrimshaw restaurant, where the dinner was held.

Richard enjoying a glass of wine.

Me with Sarah's Aunt Valerie.

Chelsea looking lovely in the evening light.

The Wedding Day Arrives

MOB Jeanne checks last-minute details.

The ladies got ready at the Orient Inn.

 Alex Williams of Heather's Place in Greenport did hair and make-up.

Sarah receives the wedding-party bouquets.

The wedding was held at the Old Field Vineyard in Southold, New York.
 Old Field runs from the Main Road down to Peconic Bay.
 It's a beautiful place for a wedding.

The main house at Old Field was originally an inn.
Old Field was farmed by native Americans for 500 years prior to the
arrival of the first European settlers in 1640.

The guests await the bride. My niece, Samantha, is in the orange dress.

Nephew, Jack, escorts MOB Jeanne with Fern, in pearls.

Jeanne, in an Erdem dress, and Fern -- such a good girl.

Dad, Chris, and grandfather, Jack, escort Sarah down the aisle.

After, pure joy.

Damon's parents, Bill and Theresa.

Sarah and her brother, Jack.
Check out Jack's J. Crew Ludlow suit and Cole Haan shoes.
A sartorialist in the making.

Sarah's cousins, Ansyley and Morgan.

Sophisticated guests.

Jeanne's friend, Luann, and husband, Jeff.

 Jeanne's Katonah neighbors.

Damon's sister, Brittany.

My brother, David, and Heather.

Sarah with my sister, Susan.

 I'm wearing a vintage 1920s bonnet.

The newlyweds among the vines.

Chris and Jeanne, joyful parents of the bride.
Photo by Tere O'Connor

The magical evening falls. 

The fairy princess rules the night.
Photo by Elisa Settimi

Prince, Princess and friends in a magic tree.

Fairytale wedding ... when the sun broke over the magic kingdom of sea and vines.
Your love will forever intertwine.


À bientôt.