Couples Tribute: Emily + Rich

Emily and Rich were married on July 24, 2021 in a garden/tented wedding celebration at Celebrate Snug Harbor. It was a very romantic, memorable day for all.

We picked Celebrate at Snug Harbor because I had always dreamt of an outside wedding. We wanted a wedding venue that felt very whimsical and fairytale like. Hosting our ceremony in the White Garden and the reception in Tented Pavilion gave us that exact feel. We also loved taking photos in The Chinese Scholar Garden. It is so architecturally beautiful, that it made my designers eye so happy.

Our wedding ceremony took place in The White Garden. Cocktail hour followed in The Chinese Scholar Garden. Our reception continued the night in The Tented Pavilion.

We used an event planner to help us plan the wedding day. We used Party Bliss LLC. The Celebrate team also went above and beyond to make everything go as smooth and seamless as possible for us.

Our wedding cake wasn’t traditional, it was cow themed. It said “I Love Moo” on it because we say that to each other quite frequently throughout the day. We just one day started doing it after seeing cows on the side of the road while vacationing. It then became sort of a message to each other that symbolized us wanting the other to know we are there and thinking of each other but we didn’t have much to say.

We have been together since high school, and originally had a different song as “our song”. But it had changed because of a horror movie and we wound up having a new song… Can’t help falling in love with you by Elvis. It was because we love the Conjuring.

Our wedding hashtag was “EmilyStruckItRich” because his first name is Rich, I thought it was pretty clever. We also had “GoingGandolfo” because that was what I was becoming.

At some point during your wedding, just step back and take a moment to look around and absorb everything that is going on. Basque in the moment, in the ambience, and take a mental picture of the day. Those few moments you steal for just the two of you to soak in the day is worth it.

We are so lucky to have delightful couples like Emily and Rich to work with at Celebrate Snug Harbor. A special thank you to Joey G Photo and Video who was on hand to capture every moment of this special wedding.

Bridal Hair & Makeup: Valona, Inzone @v.i_beauty_

Dress: Martina Liana

DJ: X-Clusive Sounds Djs

Florist: Brooklyn Bloom

Photography: Joey G Photo and Video

April 10, 2022 0

Couples Tribute: Cristina + Christopher

Cristina and Christopher were married on June 18, 2021 in a garden/tented wedding celebration at Celebrate Snug Harbor. It was a very romantic, memorable day for all.

We chose Snug Harbor as a wedding venue after we originally chose it for my bridal shower. We were having a hard time with our previous venue being non responsive and Covid protocols. We fell in love with the atmosphere at Celebrate and we decided to change our venue and get married at Celebrate Snug Harbor instead.

Our wedding ceremony took place in the White Garden. It was a beautiful day for our outside ceremony. Our reception followed in the Tented Pavilion.

We wanted our reception to look elegant and dreamy for our guests. We decided on a white and gold color scheme. Our bridal party was dressed in black and white.

Our first dance song was “Nobody But You” by Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani.

My advice would be to not get upset if something you plan doesn’t go the way you thought. We had completely different plans for our initial wedding and all of them changed. We were so happy we decided on Celebrate Snug Harbor for our wedding day!

Bridal Hair: Sabrina @stylemesabrina

Bridal Makeup: Alessia @alessiagalifi_

Dress: Eva Lendel

DJ: Dash of Class with Sax and Percussionist

Event Planner: Party Bliss

Photography: Joey G Photo and Video

March 14, 2022 0

Couples Tribute: Amy & Nate

Amy and Nate were married on June 5, 2021 in a garden/tented wedding celebration at Celebrate Snug Harbor. It was a very romantic, memorable day for all.

We wanted to share our love of Snug Harbor with all our family and friends and show them a side of Staten Island & NYC that they wouldn’t otherwise get to see.

Our wedding ceremony took place in the Tuscan Garden. Our reception followed in the Great Hall.

We did not have a wedding planner, but the amazing team at Celebrate Snug Harbor was by our side every step of the way.

DIY elements – Amy’s mom made the pillow for the ring bearer using fabric from Amy’s sister’s wedding (her bridesmaids also wore navy dresses) and lace that matched Amy’s wedding dress. Amy’s sister and Matron of Honor, Alyson, did the calligraphy on all of the invitations and place cards.

TRUST THE CELEBRATE TEAM. They know everything.

While planning, don’t forget to go out on dates and talk things through with your partner! You’re in this together.

January 27, 2022 0

Couples Tribute: Jennifer & Leo

Jennifer and Leo were married on April 24, 2020 in a garden/tented wedding celebration at Celebrate Snug Harbor. It was a very romantic, memorable day for all.

Why did you pick Snug Harbor for your wedding, was there any special reason?

Leo stumbled upon Celebrate Snug Harbor while bike riding through he park. As luck would have it, Leo walked into Celebrate to use the bathroom while a wedding was taking place. He loved everything about Celebrate! It ending up being the only place we looked at for our wedding.

“Our wedding date was 4/24/2021, which was probably the most special part and solidified that Celebrate Snug Harbor had to be our wedding venue. When we were discussing available dates we knew we wanted a Saturday in Spring. April 24th was the only one available. April 24th just so happens to be one of my best friends’ birthdays. She was killed in a car accident in 2019. We took it as a sign from her so that was very beautiful and meaningful to us.”

Can you tell us about your wedding dress?

I work as a psychiatric emergency clinician on the frontline. During covid, there were several companies that generously hosted raffle prizes to show appreciation to frontline workers. I was encouraged to enter the Brides Across America Raffle to win a wedding dress. A few months later I was notified that I was chosen as their winner! I was able to shop at Bridal Reflections on 5th avenue in Manhattan and was able to pick out my dream wedding dress.

When I tried on this dress, I knew immediately that it was the dress! Leo had always told me he wanted me to be in a princess dress, so for our first look I surprised him by adding an over skirt and straps. Another crazy part is that unbeknownst to me, the over skirt I bought was the exact same one I had in my wedding book. I didn’t realize until way later. It was the perfect combination of a form fitting dress for me and a princess dress for Leo.

Where on the grounds of Snug Harbor did your wedding take place?

We had our wedding ceremony in the Tuscan Garden and our reception followed in the Tented Pavilion.

Did you have a wedding planner or any DIY elements?

We did not have a wedding planner, but Erin at Celebrate Snug Harbor went above and beyond with everything for us.

We are both very detail oriented so we had a bunch of DIY elements and special things included. We are both therapists, so being mindful and living in the moment is big for us. Having that incorporated to our wedding day was very meaningful to us.

Did you have a certain wedding theme or color scheme?

The most important thing to us was to have a warm and loving vibe for our wedding. We used rose gold as our main color and added other soft colors to compliment our decor.

We made signs, candle holders, and probably painted everything rose gold ourselves. We also made the sparkler signs, painted and glittered the matches and made sure everything from the charger plates to the napkin rings were hand picked or painted by us, even the cake topper.

Leo made the dance floor love sign himself! I totally didn’t see myself as crafty person prior to this but this really inspired us to make sure we had everything we wanted for our wedding.

What was your 1st Dance Song?

For our first dance we danced to Never Break by John Legend.

Advice for future celebrate couples?

“Have fun with it and do it together! This is an introduction to married life and being able to know that you’re a team and that you don’t have to carry all of the weight of this big event really makes it such a fun process.”

We are so lucky to have delightful couples like Jennifer & Leo to work with at Celebrate Snug Harbor. A special thank you to Dream Life Wedding Photography who was on hand to capture every moment of this special wedding.

Wedding Vendors:

Florist: Flowers by Bernard

Dress: Bridal Reflections

Photography: Dreamlife Wedding Photography

Violinist: Bri Blvck

Makeup artist: Kory Martinez

November 8, 2021 0

Couples Tribute: Emily & Joe

Emily and Joe were married on August 22, 2020 in an outdoor micro wedding celebration at Celebrate Snug Harbor. This couple didn’t let the pandemic put a damper on their I Dos! With a bit of imagination, they found ways to rework their celebration to make it both safe AND sentimental. It was a very romantic, memorable day for all.

Why did you pick Snug Harbor for your wedding, was there any special reason?

Our wedding date was August 22, 2020. We picked Snug Harbor after our original plans were cancelled due to the pandemic. We live on the North Shore of Staten Island and were familiar with how beautiful the setting was and the excellent reputation Celebrate Snug Harbor has. We also had been guests to weddings there and were always very pleased.

Where did you wedding take place at Celebrate Snug Harbor?

The ceremony was in Tuscan Garden and the cocktail reception was in the Tented Pavillion.

Do you have a certain wedding theme? Color scheme? Special décor, favors for guests?

We opted to donate to 3 local non-profits in lieu of traditional favors in light of everything that was going on.

Did you have a wedding planner or any DIY elements?

Though we did not have a wedding planner we have to give a special shout out to Erin O’Keefe – the Catering and Events Specialist – she went above and beyond from the moment we first met with her right up thru the end of our reception!

What was your wedding song?

Our wedding song was “You and Me” by Dave Matthews.

Advice for future couples planning their weddings?

“If anyone is considering having a wedding, we highly recommend Celebrate Snug Harbor without any reservation! The setting, the food, the service, and all the staff involved were outstanding and beyond our expectations.”

We are so lucky to have delightful couples like Emily and Joe to work with at Celebrate Snug Harbor. A special thank you to their photographer Rita Sykes de la Pena who was on hand to capture every moment of this special wedding.

Vendors:

Photography: Rita Sykes de la Pena

Florist: Flowers by Bernard

DJ: Josh Nieves

Wedding Cake: Moretti’s

June 1, 2021 0