A fall wedding at Blue Hill at Stone Barns is so lovely! Marissa and Vincent were such a delight to work with. They put so much trust in me, the venue and the vendors. Fourteen Forty designed all their paper goods, which started out with a watercolour rendition of the well known ivy covered shed at the back of the restaurant for their save the dates. She also designed their wedding website which had the most adorable animation in watercolour of their engagement in Telluride, Colorado. Vincent had thoughtfully hired a photographer to capture the special moment when he proposed on a snow-covered mountain and Marissa said yes. The invitation had so many special details, but my favourite had to be the die-cut letterpress artichoke for the details card. The liner of the hunter green envelope had a different view of Stone Barns as you drive up to the restaurant. The wildflower printed vellum, string and black monogrammed seal wrapped everything up nicely. Fourteen Forty has designed so many different Blue Hill at Stone Barns wedding invitations for my weddings, and it is super fun to create something unique every time.
Marissa wore a silk satin strapless ballgown with a scooped neckline. Vincent wore a midnight blue custom tuxedo with his parents’ names embroidered inside over his heart. We also displayed a picture of his parents at the wedding. Due to an afternoon of rain, we planned for the ceremony indoors in the hayloft. Denise Fasanello brought the outdoor nature inside! She created a lush rounded ceremony arch filled with seasonal greenery and flowers. Along the aisle were more flowers and greenery placed at the base of the aisle chairs to be moved afterwards to the windowsills. Crossback chairs from Party Rental Ltd added a lighter touch to the room.
The bride carried a bouquet featuring dahlias, mums, lisianthus and lace hydrangea. The palette was comprised of sunset tones of soft creams, buttery yellows, coral hues and blush tones. Pops of burgundy and deep plum added depth and sophistication. Marissa and Vincent braved the rain for some portraits outside and we did most of the group portraits in front of the ceremony arch in the hayloft. The Highline String Quartet played for their ceremony with Vincent walking to “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure, family to “Lover” by Taylor Swift and Marissa to “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley. The groom’s cousin Mykel officiated the ceremony.
Guests walked downstairs, through the courtyard and to the main restaurant for the cocktail reception. Due to the rain we had moved the outdoor bar inside to the PDR. However, the drizzle cleared up with enough time to setup the outdoor grill with the mini beet dogs. Marissa and Vincent went all out as hosts and included the grill station and the bakery experience for their guests. What a treat! For their signature cocktails, they named one after a blend of their names and the second after their dog.
MarVin
lady apple gin, apple cider syrup, cognac, champagne, tonic
Forrest
marigold reposado tequila, mezcal, pasilla chile tea, housemade chocolate bitters
The team was busy flipping the hayloft from the ceremony to the dinner setup with 20 round tables. The room feels very comfortable with that count. I prefer using all 60” rounds instead of the larger 66” and 72” rounds when the room is full like that, as it feels less crowded. It is easier to fit the 60” around each other and make sure there is room for service, which is so important for a food lover’s wedding at Blue Hill at Stone Barns! As we had so many tables, Denise Fasanello created 2 different tablescapes. One with a large glass vase filled with lush flowers including garden roses, dahlia, mums, hydrangea, ranunculus and lisianthus. A second with 4 smaller flower arrangements interspersed with 3 floating candles of various heights. The hallway was lined with pillar candles with a statement archway to the entrance of the Hayloft. The windowsills inside were decorated with the repurposed aisle arrangements and more candles. We placed the head table close to the center of the room, so that Marissa and Vincent could be surrounded by their loved ones on all sides. For dinner, guests had:
I
Honeynut and 898 Squash
in the style of a tartare
Peter Dipoli ‘Voglar’ Sauvignon Blanc, Alto Adige, Italy 2016
II
Maine Lobster
corn & chanterelles
Presqu’ile Winery Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County, California 2021
III
Grass-Fed Beef
polenta & creamed spinach
Chateau des Laurets, Puisseguin Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, France 2016
IV
Wedding Cake
einkorn chiffon, pumpkin seed praline, stone fruit jam, apple-molasses buttercream
The Hudson Project provided music for the cocktails, dinner and dancing. Vincent has an extensive background in music, so we had a meeting in person with the band leader Andrea before the wedding at Soho House. We went through the entire song list to mark off songs that were must plays, maybe plays and do not plays. Andrea singing a line or two from each song when it didn’t come to Vincent and Marissa immediately. It was such a fun meeting! Andrea created such an awesome night of music for the happy couple. Dinner courses were interspersed with some meaningful and hilarious speeches before Marissa and Vincent took the microphone for their own speech before inviting everyone downstairs for dessert and dancing. They even thanked the venue and vendors all by name, which was so heartwarming! I think Vincent personally thanked every single person working that he came across that day, which is a testament to the kind of gracious and generous people they are.
Even though we couldn’t use the courtyard earlier for the ceremony, we set it up with the lounge seating and string bistro lights for dancing as the weather was clear for the rest of the evening. The courtyard had a zig zag of bistro lights over the outdoor bar and seating area with heat lamps. Inside the haybarn we had more lounge furniture and bistro lights that extended the entire length of the room. We went for a new old fashioned look with the lounge furniture from Patina and it worked so well in the space. A walnut rattan linen was used for the highboy tables inside and out.
Marissa did a quick change into a second dress and then Marissa and Vincent danced to “That’s How Strong My Love Is” Otis Redding. The father daughter dance was to “What A Wonderful World” Louis Armstrong. The dance floor opened and after about 20 minutes the groom and three of his close friends and band mates took the stage to play “Yellow” by Coldplay and “Take Me Out” by Franz Ferdinand with Vincent on the drums. The crowd loved it! Wedding cake was passed and later s’more semifreddo, whole wheat honey biscuit and spruce tip ice cream cones. A photobooth from Mirmir was fun for guests. On the way home guests took caramel popcorn with custom tags with the bride and groom’s thanks. It was truly an honour and a privilege to work with this gem of a couple. Congratulations to Vincent and Marissa!
Planning: Ang Weddings and Events | Venue: Blue Hill at Stone Barns | Photography: Twah Dougherty | Videography: Liron Erel | Flowers: Denise Fasanello | Paperie: Fourteen Forty | Band: The Hudson Project via The Band Method | Strings: Highline Quartet | Chair and linen rentals: Party Rental Ltd. | Heaters: Broadway Party Rental | Lounge: Patina | Lighting: Pegasus | Transport: Red Oak | Hair: Manes by Mia | Makeup: Elena Miglino | Photobooth: Mirmir
See more of our Blue Hill at Stone Barns weddings here: