Photo: Hannah Thomson1/48I worked with Fin Fellowes to create an invitation that would capture the spirit of what I hoped the weekend would be like—festive, lush, and romantic. We included local East Hampton foliage and blooms with touches of citrus and bougainvillea, inspired by the Amalfi Coast, one of our favorite places.
Photo: Hannah Thomson2/48We kicked off the celebrations with a rehearsal dinner on Thursday night for our wedding party and closest family and friends at home on the porch, where we always spend evenings if the weather permits. With the entire weekend ahead of us, Maxi and I were beaming with excitement just beforehand. I chose a green floral Dolce & Gabbana gown that I loved.
Photo: Hannah Thomson3/48There was so much anticipation, but the moment we walked onto the lawn to greet our friends and family, our nerves about the weekend melted away.
Photo: Hannah Thomson4/48Maxi and I are completely in love with my half-sister, Alice. She lives in Paris with my father and stepmother, so when we do get to see her, it’s always very special.
And as an only child until two years ago, it is thrilling to have a little sister to coordinate outfits with!
Photo: Hannah Thomson5/48Maxi’s mother, Priscilla, organized the most spectacular rehearsal dinner for us. She created a menu including some of our favorite dishes—a bright, chilled beet soup, local corn and tomato salads, shrimp curry, and a blackberry-peach cobbler for dessert. I think 10 speeches were made that night—thank God they were all entertaining! It was an intimate, laughter-filled evening.
Photo: Hannah Thomson6/48The setting for both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding was Maxi’s family property in East Hampton. Maxi’s mother and stepfather have created such a unique and inviting home there, where we have spent so much time over the course of our relationship. It only felt fitting that we hold the festivities someplace so close to our hearts.
Photo: Hannah Thomson7/48En route to the welcome party on Friday evening. I selected a simple Stella McCartney dress with eyelet detailing for the occasion. Maxi surprised me with this 1967 convertible, borrowed for the wedding weekend. It had belonged to his father when he lived in the States.
Photo: Hannah Thomson8/48I had been waiting to wear these Rebecca de Ravenel Bonbons since I bought them in March!
Photo: Hannah Thomson9/48I was blown away by the beautiful arrangements of wildflowers that were placed throughout the party by Eleanora Kennedy, who graciously lent us her home for the occasion.
Photo: Hannah Thomson10/48We included everyone at the beach party hosted by Maxi’s father and stepmother. The night’s festive energy set the tone for the weekend and the party ended with a blood moon rising over the water, which was pretty spectacular.
Photo: Hannah Thomson11/48I found my ceremony dress at Carolina Herrera. It felt timeless and I fell in love with its Chantilly lace bodice, open back, and long, cinematic train. The corresponding veil was spectacular—I wish there were other occasions to wear it! For dinner and dancing, I changed into a simple lace gown by Dolce & Gabbana. It felt easy, elegant, and very me.
Photo: Hannah Thomson12/48I had always imagined wearing a timeless dress with buttons all the way down the back.
Photo: Hannah Thomson13/48My mother surprised me with these magnificent pearl and diamond floating chandelier earrings by Yoko London as a wedding present.
Photo: Hannah Thomson14/48I was so happy to be surrounded by my wonderful bridesmaids, who never fail to make me laugh.
Photo: Hannah Thomson15/48The night before the rehearsal dinner, Maxi gave me the most beautiful pale blue sapphire ring from the 1930s. I have worn it every day since.
Photo: Hannah Thomson16/48I didn’t want to spend one second of the wedding thinking about my feet and so I went for fun, fringed Castañer espadrilles.
Maxi couldn’t have selected a more perfect engagement ring for me. He found the 1950s Harry Winston emerald cut ring in Palm Beach, where we met, which adds to its meaning, and he hid it in our apartment for six months before proposing!
Photo: Hannah Thomson17/48I asked that my bridesmaids each select their own dresses with the direction that they should be pale, romantic, and floral. I wanted everyone’s individual style to come through, and for my friends to feel beautiful and like themselves.
Photo: Hannah Thomson18/48Annie of Sag Harbor Florist created fragrant bouquets of freesia, gardenia, and snowberry for my bridesmaids.
Photo: Hannah Thomson19/48I bought Castañer espadrilles as a present for all of my bridesmaids, to lend cohesion to their overall look. Ordered from Spain a mere three days before the wedding, we weren’t sure that they would make it, but thankfully, they arrived the night before—right in the nick of time!
Photo: Hannah Thomson20/48I couldn’t help but include all of my very best friends in my bridal party, which resulted in a preposterous group of 15! My stunning bridesmaids, pictured here, from left: Maggy Schultz, Sasha Whittle, Tania Isacoff, Gabriella Stoudemire, Isabella Di Stefano, Katarina Feder, Sophia Moehlmann, me, Elizabeth Edelman, Ciara Ramirez, Katie Schecter, Emilie Ghilaga, Andrea Whittle, Mallory Neidich, Daisy Johnson, and Hannah Bronfman.
Photo: Hannah Thomson21/48Maxi wore a navy three-button suit he had made by Mario Camplone, his favorite tailor in Rome, and a blue basket-weave tie by Hermès. The groom and his groomsmen, pictured here, from left: Maxi, Peter Pritchard, Sam Friedland, Alex Levin, Brendan Fallis, Luke Silver-Greenberg, and Morgan Silver-Greenberg.
Photo: Hannah Thomson22/48For his groomsmen, Maxi instituted a strict no-socks policy.
Photo: Hannah Thomson23/48The ceremony took place on the lawn down by the pond. The focal point of the lawn is three majestic linden trees, and we arranged the ceremony to take place in their shadow, to shield everyone from the late-afternoon sun. We created a meandering aisle with potted seasonal wildflowers that led to a simple arch covered in tropical leaves and lavender clematis.
Photo: Hannah Thomson24/48This photograph was taken right before the ceremony as Maxi and I saw each other for the first time on our wedding day. It was wonderful to have a moment that was ours alone, before sharing in the ceremony with our family and friends.
Photo: Hannah Thomson25/48I adored the charming crown made for my little sister and flower girl, Alice.
Photo: Hannah Thomson26/48My bridesmaid Hannah Bronfman and Maxi’s groomsman Brendan Fallis. We had two couples within our wedding party and decided that each should walk down the aisle together. Hannah asked me to select her dress for the wedding and I picked this pale yellow silk georgette gown by Tod’s, because I knew it would look beautiful with her summer glow.
Photo: Hannah Thomson27/48This is one of my favorite photos from the wedding. Alice, my little sister and flower girl, was carried down the aisle by my dear friend, Katie Schecter.
Photo: Hannah Thomson28/48Lizzie Edelman, one of my oldest and closest childhood friends and maid of honor. Together we picked this fairytale Gucci dress for her to wear.
Photo: Hannah Thomson29/48My wonderful mother Jane Soudavar walked me down the aisle while a string quartet played Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable.” The song is a favorite and reminds me of my grandparents, who I wanted to feel were there with me in spirit on the day. It was such a special moment, as I could feel the warmth of everyone we love in one place—we couldn’t stop smiling!
Photo: Hannah Thomson30/48Paul Rickenbach, the mayor of East Hampton, officiated the ceremony. Four of my bridesmaids read poems: Dante Alighieri’s “La Vita Nuova,” E.E. Cummings’s “I Carry Your Heart With Me,” “Pathways” by Rainer Maria Rilke, and a beautiful poem that my best friend, Mallory, wrote for Maxi and me for the occasion, which really brought the house down. We are framing a copy for our apartment.
Photo: Hannah Thomson31/48Bridesmaids and guests taking in the ceremony.
Photo: Allaire Bartel/Hannah Thomson Studio32/48We were incredibly lucky to have such gorgeous weather for the ceremony. It had apparently been pouring just 15 minutes away but there was never a drop of rain at the house!
Photo: Hannah Thomson33/48Our first kiss as husband and wife!
Photo: Hannah Thomson34/48We were walking on air as we left the ceremony, as the Beach Boys’s “God Only Knows” played in the distance.
Photo: Hannah Thomson35/48Our families: Sasha Whittle, Chris Whittle, Andrea Whittle, Priscilla Rattazzi, Maxi, me, Jane Soudavar, Sophia Moehlmann, Susan Moehlmann, and Claus Moehlmann. Leo, Maxi’s family’s golden retriever, came bounding down the hill with a big bow on his neck and stole the show.
Photo: Hannah Thomson36/48The wedding party making their way to post-ceremony cocktails.
Photo: Hannah Thomson37/48Alice joined us to greet our guests.
Photo: Hannah Thomson38/48The guests making their way into the tent for dinner.
Photo: Hannah Thomson39/48I wanted our flowers to be vibrant and romantic, and befitting of a garden party in East Hampton. We created rich arrangements with fresh textural greens and bright local blooms, and added striped cushions to the bamboo chairs for some flair.
Photo: Allaire Bartel/Hannah Thomson Studio40/48Nothing is quite so romantic as dusk on Georgica Pond.
Photo: Allaire Bartel/Hannah Thomson Studio41/48For our first dance, we chose Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Halfway through the song, we switched to the reggae version by UB40 and invited everyone to dance, which was a lot of fun.
Photo: Hannah Thomson42/48We kicked off dinner with some dancing, which really set off the gaiety of the evening.
Photo: Hannah Thomson43/48The best piece of advice we were given was to remember to step back and take in the celebration from afar together. At this point in the evening, I had changed into my Dolce & Gabbana dress, which was a bit easier to dance in!
Photo: Hannah Thomson44/48Our DJ, Nick Cohen, kept the dance floor completely packed for the entirety of the night under a canopy of tropical leaves and bougainvillea.
Photo: Hannah Thomson45/48We loved our delicious flower-covered wedding cake by Luckybird Bakery. We went with summery Meyer lemon cake with berry-filled crème fraîche frosting.
Photo: Hannah Thomson46/48Toward the end of dinner, Katie Schecter, my dear friend who is an incredibly talented musician, sang and played a reprise of “Dream a Little Dream of Me” on her guitar, and Maxi and I danced, before being joined by our wedding party. It was a pretty dreamy moment.
Photo: Allaire Bartel/Hannah Thomson Studio47/48The wedding tent aglow.
Photo: Hannah Thomson48/48Just after midnight, the party moved from the tent to the main house, where we had cleared the living room so it could act as a dance floor and created a lounge area on the porch. I had changed into my final dress of the evening, a sheer lace look by Huishan Zhang.
At one point, a group of us went for a swim in the pool, and a handful of guests took kayaks and paddleboards to the beach. At about 4:30 a.m., the party had, for the most part, wound down, and as Maxi and I crossed the lawn to the guesthouse to go to sleep, we could hear our friends’ laughter echoing in the distance. It was the perfect ending to a perfect night.
