You’ll Love the Surprise at This Montauk Wedding

Christine Diaz
July 27, 2017
Categories: Real Weddings, Romantic

This couple wanted their Hamptons wedding to feature a “JDM” – a jaw-dropping moment their guests (many of whom travelled to New York from the UK to celebrate) would never forget. With the help of their Ever Swoon Weddings & Events, they landed on the idea of having a confetti blower unexpectedly shower guests during the reception’s dance party led by Hank Lane Music. The surprise was wildly successful, and their beautiful beach chic wedding is one that will not be forgotten. Lucky for us, BETSI EWING STUDIO captured the “JDM”, so don’t forget to press play below after seeing the gorgeous gallery.

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From the Bride… Montauk is such a special place to us – it is where we spend our summers and where we got engaged (at Gurney’s, to be exact). Only minutes after our engagement, we found ourselves sipping celebratory champagne at the outdoor bar watching them prepare for a wedding that evening. At that very moment, we knew Gurney’s was going to be our venue. With the picturesque ocean views, cotton candy skies at sunset, and modern yet beach inspired décor – there was no question.

My husband is from England, so we had many guests traveling from across the pond to celebrate with us, and we wanted to ensure they had the most amazing experience. One night was not enough, so we planned an entire wedding weekend. On Thursday, we started with our Rehearsal Dinner at The Surf Lodge’s private outdoor space with 50 of our closest friends and family. On Friday, we rented out The Sloppy Tuna and invited every wedding guest to join us for passed hors d’oeuvres and cocktails accompanied by live music and corn hole!

For the big day, Saturday, we were married at St. Therese Church right in town, which was so convenient for guests as they could walk from their hotels (although we did organize roundtrip transportation for everyone regardless of where they were staying). Our cocktail hour was on the outdoor lower deck at Gurney’s with an over the top raw bar to fit the beach theme as well as many other delicious cuisines. And, you can’t forget our signature cocktail – champagne with an upside down popsicle, perfect for a warm summer day! Everyone LOVED it! For cocktail hour entertainment, we brought in a steel drum player to set the vacation mood and help our guests unwind. It was the perfect touch!

Finally, all guests were escorted to the main event, which took place underneath a grand marquis/tent overlooking the ocean. Our wedding location inspired my vision for our tent decor – I like to call it “beach chic”. I chose natural and neutral colors, driftwood accents, hints of metallic and mercury glass, and a touch of greenery. I wanted everyone to feel like they were outside even though we were under a tent! Our amazing florist brought this vision to life – our centerpieces were unexpected, like a piece of abstract art mimicking the unpredictable aspects of nature. Our flowers focused on ivory hydrangea and snapdragon, pale pink dahlias, and hints of green willows and eucalyptus. The head table was my favorite part – it featured a table runner made of driftwood filled with mismatched floral arrangements and endless candlelight and a wall of cascading greenery and flowers that hung behind the table providing the perfect backdrop for pictures.

I was also in love with our escort card display. I love a good boxwood wall, and our florist was able to recreate my vision exactly – two, six feet boxwood walls covered in the most perfect shade of green with pink and white roses affixed to the perimeter. The escort cards were pinned to satin ribbon which ran down the length of the display. It was a show stopper for sure! Since the flowers and escort card display had a rustic and natural feel, I wanted to balance out the tent to make sure it felt luxurious, so we brought in crystal chandeliers, fabric drapery for the ceilings and walls, as well as white-washed wood floors. It truly was the perfect combination of beach and chic.

Something that was very important to me was adding an element of surprise for our guests. My wedding planners and I discussed possibilities for a “JDM” (jaw dropping moment). Most of our ideas such as fireworks never came to fruition because of fire code or town regulations, but we didn’t stop there. Instead we rented two commercial confetti blowers that sat on either side of the stage where our band was. Just as the dance floor started to get crowded and one of our favorite songs played, the blowers went off, firing gold and silver confetti into the air. Everyone was blown away from the excitement! Since I couldn’t just stop at confetti, we took it one step further. Following the reception, everyone moved to the Regent Cocktail Club for our after party, for which we had a DJ. My husband and I made a grand entrance accompanied by a saxophone player who stayed for over an hour playing alongside the DJ. He was the life of the party, standing on chairs getting the crowd going. It was hands down one of the most memorable parts of the entire day and one that our guests still talk about!

So, those were all of the fancy and materialistic things we did – which, don’t get me wrong, were all amazing and made it such an unforgettable weekend. But, the most important part of it all was being able to look at my best friend and my now husband and think, “Wow! This is just the beginning!” It has been almost six months since our wedding day, and I must admit, every day gets better! My one piece of advice for all future rides is to not get caught up in the planning – things will go wrong and be stressful, but always remember you are marrying your best friend and nothing else matters!