Like many other couples Laura and Keith had to reschedule and downsize their wedding due to COVID-19. We finally came together in June and had a safe and joyful celebration of their marriage at Blue Hill at Stone Barns! Every guest and vendor had to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to attend. Before the ceremony, Laura and Keith arrived early to take pictures around the beautiful grounds. They were so natural with each other that their photographer Kim from Brian Dorsey Studios said she hardly had to give them any direction! Clearly two people who were meant for each other.
It was touch and go with the weather forecast, but we lucked out and the ceremony went ahead in the open courtyard against the dramatic big tree. We curved the chairs around to give it an intimate feel. Denise Fasanello designed a birch chuppah with airy flowering branches. Ferns and iron urns filled with flowers marked the entrance to the aisle. The flower boys had pails filled with lavender, that they threw with gusto (including throwing the pail at the end!).
As they had to downsize their guest list for safety, Laura and Keith arranged for their ceremony to be live streamed, so that more friends and family could be a part of the special occasion. After the ceremony, the happy couple said a few words directly to the camera and we ended with a mini hava nagila for the young nephews who were departing after the ceremony.
Guests were invited to the Dooryard Garden for the cocktail reception with a selection of delicious hors d’oeuvres including vegetables from the farm, asparagus burgers with smoked farmer’s cheese, hakurei turnip with poppy butter and farm bar with pickled rhubarb chutney. The Beverage Director proposed a specialty cocktail based on their love of basil cocktails: a Basil Bee’s Knee’s, featuring gin, Stone Barns Center honey and basil.
While guests were enjoying the cocktail reception, the ceremony was broken down and the flowers repurposed around the bar and the courtyard. Pegasus Productions setup string lights in a zig zag around the open courtyard to make it festive for dinner and dancing. It felt safer for everyone to move the dinner from the originally planned indoor Hayloft to the tent outside. The sailcloth Sperry tent in the courtyard seats 150 guests, so we were able to space out our 100 guests nicely and still have a little space in the tent for speeches and special dances. For the centerpieces, Denise Fasanello designed lush florals in terra cotta footed bowls, incorporating peonies, garden roses, ranunculus and lisianthus as well as fresh herbs (sage, mint, oregano, rosemary and lavender).
As there was a possibility of rain, we setup the Kevin Osborne Band safely inside the lower Haybarn and pulled speakers to the tent so that we had live music during dinner. To start off the evening, Laura and Keith had their first dance to Harvest Moon, before going in a horah in the courtyard under the string lights. The dinner menu comprised of 1) asparagus tartare with Blue Hill Farm ricotta 2) ravioli with spring onion marmalade 3) this morning’s catch with mushroom béarnaise and sugar ann peas, with wine pairings for each course. The wedding cake from Nina Cakes was a mini two tier cutting cake with two flavours, coconut cake and strawberry shortcake. We had separate sheet cake that was served to the guests. Late night passed desserts included chocolate panna cotta with strawberries and candied sorghum, goat cheese and carrot tarts and mountain mint s’mores. Nobody went home hungry!
Planning: Ang Weddings and Events | Venue: Blue Hill at Stone Barns | Photography: Kim from Brian Dorsey Studios | Florals: Denise Fasanello | Band: Kevin Osborne from Hank Lane | Cake: Nine Cakes | Beauty: Beautini | Invitation: Bella Figura | Calligraphy: Ink and Nibs | Tent: Greenwich Tent Company | Gown: Elizabeth Fillmore | Lighting: Pegasus Productions
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