Today ~ all the elegance a wedding should be ... the church, the gown, the maids, the accessories ... the shoes (!) ... everything! This blending of two cultures from Ulysses Photography is all that and oh-so-much-more!

Ulysses Shoes

Ulysses Rings

Ulysses Getting Ready

Ulysses Church

Ulysses Bagpipe

Wedding Party

Ulysses Escort Cards

Ulysses Cake

Ulysses Dancing

Ulysses Night

I would describe our wedding as combining 'traditional elegance' with a 'cultural' spin. When I envisioned my wedding, it always took place in the Fall, in a church, followed with a reception at a grand castle. The time of year and reception setting became the easier to execute, since the man I fell in love with and decided to spend the rest of my life with is Jewish. Matt understood how important the Church aspect was to me, and we agreed early on that if we could find a church that would allow both a priest and a rabbi, and if we found a rabbi that would come to that church, we would have our ceremony in one.

Interfaith weddings are still not for the faint of heart. It was very important that the church we picked be the kind of sacred space that would not make any guest (or family member of ours) feel uncomfortable. We were so lucky to find the nicest and most welcoming church ever, the Reformed Church of the Tarrytowns. They were happy to allow us to bring in both a Catholic Priest and Rabbi. I was able to track down the priest my family loved, who had been at my parish when I was making my earlier sacraments, and he was more than happy to be part of the celebration. We then met with several rabbis until finding one whom we felt had the same feeling about interfaith marriage as we did. The church itself was built in 1837, and it's simplicity was everything we had hoped for. Our ceremony included a unity candle lighting, a katubah signing, breaking a glass and a bagpiper (not only am I Catholic, but Irish Catholic). Our priest opened with the best line of the day, how we were uniting two families and two religions, but that we all had one God.

The reception that followed at Sleepy Hollow Country Club was all that dreams are made of. Originally a private mansion of the Vanderbilt family, the clubhouse includes all the amazing original details with high ceilings, Tiffany windows and so much more. It is set on a hill overlooking both the Hudson River and their beautiful golf course. The October 9th date allowed for cocktails to be held outside overlooking the fall foliage until sunset, when our guests moved into the grand dining rooms. The escort cards they picked up were cut-out leaves and in keeping with the Fall theme, we offered hot apple cider to our guests, and their parting favors were candy apples. My father in-law opened the reception by cutting celebratory challah bread for our guests, followed by a blessing from Father Mark and a welcome from my Dad.

It was also very important to me that all of the details of the day remain elegant and timeless. Our invitations were classic ivory with black script and a hint of gold trim, my Monique Lluhlier gown was demure from the front but daring in the back. From the 1964 Rolls Royce to the clubhouse decor, I wanted people to remember a day that will never seem out of style.

I look at the amazing pictures today and would do anything to go back and do it all again. It was truly the most magical day of our lives. Every piece fit together perfectly. I found our photographers, Jenni and Ulysses, on Style Me Pretty this summer. They have taken the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen. Matt and I had met with many photographers last winter and had put down a deposit with someone that did not work out. We were panicked and doing as much online research as possible, as pictures were one of the most important elements of the day for me. It must have been meant to be that we found them, as you will see that our pictures are exquisite. They literally danced circles around everyone else we met with. I have Style Me Pretty to also thank for that!

Photography: Ulysses and Jenni - Ulysses Photography / Ceremony Location: Reformed Church of the Tarrytowns / Reception Location: Sleepy Hollow Country Club / Bride's dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bride's shoes: Christian Louboutin / Bridesmaids dresses: Priscilla of Boston from Bella Bridesmaid - Bridal jewelry: Earrings - David Harvey Jewelers (Darien, CT), Bracelet - A.E. Betteridge Jewelers (Greenwich, CT) / Hair & makeup: Michiko Boorberg / Florals: Carol Kelly / Stationery: Invitations - Write On (Larchmont, NY), Escort cards Fat Cat Paperie (Center Moriches, NY) / Cake: Lulu Bakery (Scarsdale, NY) / Band: Steve Delisi Band