Marissa Jimenez and Steve Vitolo met through mutual friends. One night in a saloon in Manhattan, they “started talking, and then never stopped hanging out,” Steve says.
When it came time to start thinking about a proposal, Steve—after asking Marissa's father's permission—wanted to do something romantic in a unique setting. Luckily, the couple was planning on going on vacation, and had the destinations narrowed down to Hawaii and Costa Rica. Steve let the final decision come from Marissa. “I was kinda rooting for Hawaii," he admits, "but I let her go where she wanted to go. Then I looked into romantic locations near where we were staying.”
Steve found a resort nearby that would host dinner on a beach with a sunset backdrop. “The sun was setting and he got up, to get whatever he was getting," Marissa says. "As soon as the sun starts to set, it only takes a matter of minutes. I was like, 'Are you joking? In the middle of dinner?”
Left alone at the table and (almost) in the dark, Marissa didn’t have a clue what Steve was up to until he returned with a bottle of wine and asked her to open it. “But it wasn’t a twist off,” Steve says. Marissa was confused for a second, until he turned the bottle over to show a label the label that said: “Marissa will you marry me?”
Marissa wore a strapless, a-line gown by Hayley Paige-London.
Once back in the states, Marissa knew that she wanted a rustic wedding and a venue that a lot of her guests hadn’t been to before. Hampshire Country Club was the best fit for their reception. With a view of a pond and enough room to accommodate their 230 guests, it fit perfectly. To give the venue some rustic touches, the tables were adorned with burlap and vintage bird cages.
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“Getting people out on the dance floor, that was really important to me,” Marissa says. With the dance floor packed all night, a cigar roller for the gentlemen, and a photo booth, there was plenty to entertain guests. “It was a nice to be able to go home and see all of the goofy pictures from the night,” Steve says of the photo booth.
To pull it all together with a personal touch and send the guests home with a gift, Marissa and Steve handed out pint glasses with the inscription ‘Eat, Drink, and be Married’ on one side with their names on the reverse. The favor represented Marissa and Steve as a couple because they brew beer together, and it would be a reminder of the wedding that the guests could use all year long.
Birch-wrapped centerpieces continued the rustic theme.
Marissa and Steve’s favorite moment together was when they walked into their reception filled with family and friends, feeling the energy and excitement that filled the room.
RESOURCES
Photographer
April and Steven Photography
Edison, NJ
(908) 913-0814
Reception Venue/Caterer
Hampshire Country Club
Mamaroneck
(914) 698-4610
Cake/Dessert
Riviera Bakehouse
Ardsley
(914) 674-0000
Florist
Westchester Floral Decorators
Pelham
(914) 633-1900
Music/Entertainment
Get Down Entertainment
Valhalla
(914) 949-2662
Invitations
Petal & Ink
Ossining
Favors
Stackable Sensations
Randolph, NJ
(973) 442-2831
Bridal Attire
Hayley Paige-Londyn gown purchased at
Wedding Atelier
New York, NY
(646) 638-3263
Shoes
Shoe Chalet and Dyeables
Yonkers
(914) 961-5755
Bridal Hair/Makeup
Lord and Taylor
Ridge Hill, Yonkers
(914) 423-1371
Bridesmaid Dresses
Jenny Yoo Collection
New York, NY
(212) 645-0823
Men's Attire
San Marko
Yonkers
(914) 964-8982