Venue: The Estate at East Wind
Flowers: Colonial Flowers
Photography: Studio 27
Videographer: Studio 27
Officiant: Rabbi Ian Jacknis
Dress Designer or Boutique: Bridal Reflections, Massapequa
Tuxedo rental: The Wedding Plaza
How did you first meet and your relationship grow from that point?
“We first met when we were 13/14. We dated on and off for a while but broke up. When Samantha was 17, Brock 18 we got back together. We dated long distance for 5 years. Brock went to Johnson and Whales University in Providence Rhode Island while Samantha finished up high school and went to SUNY Albany. It was hard. She was studying to be a teacher and he was studying to be a chef, very opposite jobs. We came home from college and moved in together immediately.”
Your proposal was it special for you both?
“We had both sides of the family over for a little holiday party with a dinner that Brock cooked. We opened presents and celebrated. Brock looked at Samantha and said I have one more present for you, and got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.”
What your most memorable moment of your wedding?
“Both families together dancing the hora and celebrating the union.”
In planning your wedding, were there any specifics you were seeking in a venue?
“We wanted a venue that felt formal but also was rustic style. We wanted elegance but we also wanted a more laid back wedding.”
What was the most enjoyable part of the wedding planning?
“The bride loved wedding dress shopping and being able to have that special moment with her mother, sister and grandmother. It felt special and like a large bonding moment not only finding the bride’s dress but also everyone else’s. That is irreplaceable. Every dress tried on and every fitting was special. and filled with laughs and happy tears.
Did you have any post-wedding plans?”
“The morning after we all went to the aquarium and the groom and a bridesmaid did a shark dive. We spent the day walking around the aquarium.”
Any funny or emotional moments your guest shared with you?
“It made our night that the best man dropped the wedding ring in the middle of the ceremony and then when it was his time to give a speech nobody could find him, and the other groomsmen had to go find him.”
What advice would you give to other brides or grooms planning their weddings?
“Don’t worry about the small things. Everything always comes together. Just enjoy the night.”