A Glorious Cocktail Hour
They decided on an hour and a half cocktail hour, with a martini bar, vodka bar, mojito bar, and an eight-foot ice bar. “We had lobster tails, shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon, and clams and oysters on the half shell.”
They also had a Chinese “take-out” station, a New York steakhouse station, a pasta station, hand-rolled sushi, and fine wines paired with a great selection of cheeses. “We had Italian chefs making fresh mozzarella and a few genuine Sicilian dishes for Tom’s family members who had traveled from Italy.”
Dinner was followed by an Italian Viennese display with chocolate fountains, homemade zeppole, Belgian waffles, gelato, cakes, pies, pastries, “and a gorgeous multi-tiered fondant wedding cake, decorated with crystals and rhinestone flowers, that was made by Tom’s cousins, who own Palermo’s Bakery.”
For the after party, the tented ceremony space was converted into an intimate area with white lounge furniture, high top tables, a DJ, extreme dance lighting, a cigar roller, a photo booth, and a candy bar.
Wired for Fun
Technology has been a big part of the Florentine Gardens since they added their new Grand Ballroom in 2002, “and New Year’s Eve is a great night to showcase everything. We had a live feed throughout the wedding, so families and friends who could not attend could enjoy the festivities."