Married May 19, 2018
After being set up on a blind date by a mutual friend, Krista recalls “I started to feel like I could really like this guy!” when James took her on a nostalgic trip to Woodbury, NY, where he grew up touring his favorite local pizza spot, his childhood home, and shared some very special memories of his Mom and Dad, who have since passed away.Normally not one for texting and talking on the phone, James found himself calling and texting Krista, and setting up many more dates. Their connection blossomed, and Krista trusted him enough to introduce him to her three year old son, Daniel.
Krista and James decided to book a vacation to Disney World. It had always been a secret dream of Krista’s be engaged at Disney, and one evening, James spontaneously rented a romantic private boat for them to tour the waters of Magic Kingdom. The tour ended in front of Magic Kingdom, just in time for the “Wishes” fireworks show. Whenever they faced difficult decisions in life, Krista would always tell James, “Let your conscious be your guide.” As the fireworks lit up the night sky in front of them, James said “Well okay then, I’m gonna let my conscience be my guide!” and knelt down on one knee to propose, making Krista’s dream of a magical Disney proposal come true.
In planning their wedding, Krista and James made it a goal to enjoy the process rather than stress and overthink the details. They desired a classic wedding that was formal, yet still had a relaxed and casual ambiance. “Deciding on the venue was the easy part,” Krista said. “we had already hosted events at East Wind and we knew, confidently, that the food was outstanding. It was easy for us to figure out that The Estate at East Wind was the venue that would accommodate and execute the plan we had in our heads!”
In an intimate and emotional ceremony at The Estate, Pastor Bruce Kaifler from Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church read letters of love and adoration the couple had written to each other. “I think we were both overwhelmed with what the other had said because it was sincere, loving and honest,” said Krista “This made our ceremony very special.”
At the request of the bride and groom, the wedding did not have a traditional approach. “We wanted to have a very relaxed and causal atmosphere without taking away from the formal look of a traditional wedding” stated Krista, and instead of a traditional three course meal, there was a cocktail hour atmosphere for the entire night. The patio was adorned with classic, casual furniture, and guests were able to enjoy a cigar roller and a whiskey bar. “The food and drinks were in abundance and we continue to hear compliments about how amazing it was for our guests to be able to enjoy their time together at our reception” Krista recalled “(East Wind) went above and beyond to create the most amazing day for us!”
The bride and groom wanted to incorporate the memory of James’ parents and Krista’s father into their special day as much as they could. After James’ father passed, his classic 1984 Zimmer was placed in storage and preserved. James had it restored before the wedding and sent to the Estate at East Wind. The original plan was for Krista to ride to her wedding in style in the classic car, but her dress was too big! So they settled for taking pictures with it instead.
James had one last surprise up his sleeve for Krista, which he unveiled during the reception. He knew how devastated Krista was of the passing of her father, and how he would not be there to walk her down the aisle or perform the father daughter dance. It had always been a tradition for him to dance to the 1967 classic song, “Soul Man” by Sam and Dave at weddings and parties. James secretly got a video of her father dancing, smiling and laughing to his song at her brother’s wedding in 2006. To Krista’s surprise, the DJ played the video during the reception and they were able to dance together after all.
After a fairy-tale wedding, Krista and James decided to plan a trip back to where the magic all began. They chose to take a postponed honeymoon to Disney world for their one year anniversary, with their two children, and living happily ever after.