Catherine & Jeff | VIP Country Club | New Rochelle, NY

"Glamour & Romance"

Jeff and I met through a string of chance connections. My friend invited me to tag along to a party she had been invited to. The party was held at another friend’s house, who happened to be roommates with Jeff. That night, we barely spoke, our most notable interchange being when he introduced me to other guests by the wrong name. This awkward but funny moment was his way into my heart. The next day he Facebook messaged me, promising to never forget my name again. He asked if I’d like to go on a date with him. I was intrigued because we hadn’t spoken much, but he seemed really sure about wanting to date me.

Our first date was at a pizza place near my house. We talked about family, traveling, and life in general. I decided to go on a second date after that and we’ve been inseparable ever since. Just under three years later, we were engaged in the same place we had our first date. Jeff rented the place out and planned a party to celebrate my inevitable ‘yes,’ with family flying in from all over the country. Since it was Fourth of July weekend, we went down to the water after the party and saw fireworks all night. It was an incredibly thoughtful and beautiful engagement.

We chose VIP Country Club for its luxurious ambiance, incredible food, and absolutely gorgeous ballroom. They offered a variety of options to create the glamour and romance we dreamed of. After attending a wedding there, I knew they would keep the day running smoothly and execute everything to perfection. Truly, they did not disappoint! Every detail we mentioned, down to displaying a quote across the fireplace, was diligently followed. Thomas Esposito, the general manager, helped us plan each aspect of our day to ensure we captured and conveyed the meaning of the night to our guests. He helped us plan our food, music, photos, timeline, and more.

We had our Greek Orthodox ceremony at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. It was important that my Greek roots were highlighted throughout the day, beginning with a procession into the church with a live band. This tradition is from the village where my family originated, and was a fun start for our guests.

Since many of our guests came from out of town, it was a priority to us to properly wine and dine them. Our cocktail hour included six different food stations, a plethora of hors d’oeuvres, and a whole roast pig. Alyssa, our bridal attendant, was able to arrange a private moment for us to enjoy the cocktail hour food and be alone together to take it all in. For our reception, the ballroom was romantically decorated with lush flowers, each table twinkling with accent candles. High bunches of white hydrangeas and light pink roses sat atop glass vases on each table, bringing extra depth to the room and attracting the eye to the intricate, detailed ceilings.

Dinner was restaurant style, and we loved that our guests were given the choice of five dishes, table side. We offered medallions of Angus beef tenders, French breast of Hudson Valley chicken, and herb-crusted red snapper. The special of the evening was lamb. For music, we incorporated my heritage by hiring a Greek band to play alongside our DJ. The band played traditional Greek music, while the DJ mixed in our favorite hit songs. On the dance floor, with everyone dancing to both kinds of music, felt like the ultimate blending of our families. Throughout the night, Alyssa was available at a moment’s notice to ensure we didn’t want for anything.

Dessert was a fantastically displayed Viennese hour hosted outside on the veranda. We had a crêpe station, an ice cream bar, baked donuts, and baklava! We sent our guests home with a custom bottle of olive oil from the olive trees in my family’s village, as well as the customary Greek wedding candy, koufeta.

Exceeding our expectations, VIP Country Club helped make our day absolutely perfect! First and foremost, we want to thank our parents for helping us make this day possible, and a huge thank you to VIP for turning our vision into a reality. I can confidently recommend this venue to any bride and groom!

VIP Country Club, New Rochelle, NY
914.235.1500, vipcountryclub.com