We could not have asked for a more perfect spring day for Hunter and Ryan’s Blue Hill at Stone Barns wedding in Pocantico Hills, New York. Hunter wore a stunning Oscar de la Renta gown. It had sheer sleeves and floral embroidery with an oversized asymmetrical bow at the back. Adding her favourite colour, she wore a pair of hot pink Manolo Blahnik heels. Ryan wore a navy and black tuxedo from Isaia with lace-up oxfords from John Lobb. I am slightly obsessed with the wildly romantic bouquet that Putnam and Putnam designed for Hunter. Featuring peonies, hellerbores, tulips, rannunculus and roses, it had such gorgeous texture and colour!
Their invitation suite from Fourteen Forty featured a crest that included their dog Ziggy! There were also illustrations giving a nod to the the architecture at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and an adorable croissant for the Sunday brunch. Using a modern script, artisanal handmade paper, a silk ribbon and blush wax seal, it made for a really special suite.
The wedding ceremony took place outdoors in the courtyard. We lined up the aisle at an angle, so that the bridal party started the processional exiting from the main restaurant and walking diagonally across the courtyard towards the tree. The rows of chairs were curved a little around to create an intimate feel to the setup. Putnam and Putnam created a lush floral arch to mark the ceremony area with lots of pillar candles at the base. They also created florals growing up from the ground on either side of the aisle. Using trays, heavy rocks and chicken wire, these pieces growing up from the ground were designed without using any floral foam! A string quartet from Luminous Strings provided the music for the ceremony. The bridal party walked down the aisle to “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” and the bride to “In My Life”. Hunter wore a cathedral length veil with matching floral embroidery from Oscar de la Renta. Hunter and Ryan wrote their own vows and said them in front of their nearest and dearest, with a good friend officiating the ceremony.
After the ceremony, guests walked over to the restaurant for the cocktail reception. We borrowed a cute little cart from the Stone Barns Center that we decorated with florals and wooden calligraphy signs to show the directions for cocktails and dinner. The cocktail reception at Blue Hill at Stone Barns is always one of my favourite parts. For a larger format event, this can take place in the restaurant and the combination of the main dining room and the terrace looking out onto the farm makes it really special! Fourteen Forty illustrated a pig wearing a top hat, monocle and sipping a cocktail, which was printed on customized napkins and on the signature cocktail sign. We affectionally dubbed him “fancy pig”. Passed hors d’oeuvres included walnut and kale tarts, potato farm bites, crab kohlrabi tacos, sausage and brioche, beet blinis and caviar, mushroom burgers, seed crackers with picked pesto and radish, and chicken wings. We also had the grill station going with beet dogs and the bakery experience, which includes Blue Hill Farm cheese and charcuterie. It was a food lover’s delight!
The escort cards were metallic gold calligraphy navy envelopes with inserts including Fourteen Forty’s illustrated “hungry pig” (a pig wearing a bib and holding a knife and fork)! Ryan thought it would be humourous to name the tables head table, which table, what table, this table, that table, left table, right table, your table and our table. Guests had a lot of fun with it and surprisingly it actually didn’t take that long to seat everyone for dinner later!
After the cocktail reception, guests walked along a candle lit path across the courtyard to dinner. In the silo lobby, we had a statement display of florals with framed photos of Hunter and Ryan, and their family at the base. I always love seeing wedding photos of parents and grandparents and see what the fashion and florals looked like back then!
We were able to repurpose the ceremony aisle florals to the hallway leading to dinner in the upper hayloft and it made such a lovely walkway lined with candles. The dining tables were a mix of round and long tables and a mix of high and low centerpieces. We used a silver shantung linen and grey nu weave dinner napkins. For the place cards, Fourteen Forty used handmade deep navy paper with a metallic gold paint splatter and calligraphy from Ink and Nibs. The paint splatter was all hand done so each one was truly unique . A sprig of rosemary completed the look. The floral palette was cream, blush, dusty pink, mauve, dusty purple and greens. Florals growing up from the windowsil created a gorgeous backdrop for the long head table. Ryan is a talented musician, and together with some of his closest friends (including groomsmen and the officiant) he played two songs for Hunter: Something (Beatles) and Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen). It was a really special touch! Guests dined on three delicious courses of asparagus, halibut and striploin of beef and braised pastrami before heading back downstairs for dancing and dessert.
While dinner was in progress upstairs, there were many busy bees working downstairs to setup the courtyard and haybarn for dessert and dancing. We created a lounge area outside in the courtyard with string lights from Pegasus and lounge furniture and blankets from Patina Rentals. The ceremony arch made for such a beautiful backdrop for the bar. We added more lounge furniture inside the haybarn, where the amazing Chevy Chevis Band kept the dancing going all night! Hunter and Ryan cut the wedding cake outside under the string lights surrounded by their friends and family. This was followed with passed desserts including s’mores, malted barley ice cream cones and rosemary donuts. Guests went home with Blue Hill cookies and wedding favours (chocolate chip and sugar cookies shaped like a cow). It was such a magical celebration and I was so happy to have been a part of it! Thank you to Judy Pak for all these gorgeous photos.
See Hunter and Ryan’s wedding video highlight here and their wedding published in Hudson Valley Magazine
See more of our favourite Blue Hill at Stone Barns weddings here:
Venue: Blue Hill at Stone Barns | Photography: Judy Pak Photography | Wedding planning: Ang Weddings and Events | Videography: McKenzie Miller Films | Florals: Putnam and Putnam | Save the date, invitation and day of paperie: Fourteen Forty | Calligraphy: Ink and Nibs | Strings: Luminous Sounds | Band: Chevy Chevis | Lighting: Pegasus Productions | Rentals: Party Rental Ltd | Lounge Furniture: Patina Rentals | Gown: Oscar de la Renta | Hair and makeup: Face Time Beauty | Lighting: Pegasus Productions