Charlotte & Michael | Castle Hotel & Spa | Tarrytown, NY

"Historic Character"

Charlotte: I was traveling through a rainforest in Costa Rica with a friend when Mike and I matched on Bumble. When I got home we went to a cocktail bar for drinks. I lived and worked in Manhattan and Mike worked close by but lived in Connecticut. He would drive on the weekends to visit and by our fourth date we were exclusive! The following year we flew to the UK to visit my family and they flew here to meet Mike’s family. It was great to have our families connect so naturally.

Mike: Charlotte loves rooftop bars, so I took her to one of her favorites at the Standard Hotel. We went to lunch as if it was a casual day in the city before going up to the rooftop. Down on one knee, I proposed with the Empire State Building in the background. Afterward we walked around the city for a photoshoot on the High Line with the photographer I’d hired, then went to dinner before the final surprise; drinks with friends to celebrate!

Charlotte: Mike found Castle Hotel and Spa and I immediately loved its character. Being from England, a sense of history was important to me. We met with Yoriko Ueno-Sawh, the events planner, who was kind, flexible, and a genuinely good person. This beautiful, historic, and peaceful space close to Manhattan left us feeling so excited.

Mike: During planning, the staff was very accommodating, ensuring they had the right liquor and glassware we’d requested. They even helped to arrange a keg of beer from a local brewery. It was clear the staff cared about our wedding as much as we did.  They even let us fly the Union Jack flag from the ramparts, to represent Charlotte’s home country.

Charlotte: We held our ceremony in the stunning castle gardens. With the colorful fall foliage as our backdrop and the string quartet playing, we felt like we were in a fairy tale. Our officiant, Alice, was wonderful. She walked everyone through our love story. As part of the ceremony we had community vows, where Alice asked our guests “Do you promise to always offer Charlotte and Mike your love, your encouragement, and your support?” Everyone cheered and said, “We Do!” It was a warm ceremony, not overly serious, but perfectly sentimental.

Mike: Our cocktail hour, also in the castle gardens, continued as the string quartet played old classics and modern hits. We had a corn hole set engraved with an American and a Union Jack flag, as well as a giant lawn chess board. All the food, including the antipasto station, the carving station, and the passed hors d’oeuvres, was phenomenal. Everyone ate well, enjoyed the signature drinks, and joyfully mingled before dinner.

Charlotte:To coordinate our reception decor with the castle and fall season, our colors were burgundy, deep pinks, creams, and green foliage. The stained glass windows in the Great Hall were a focal point. We complemented the room’s natural elegance with understated and sophisticated decor. We had low lighting and cream colored linens and candles everywhere. After our bridal party introductions, Mike and I waved from a balcony which made us feel like a royal couple. It was heartwarming to think that all this effort was for us. 

Mike: Dinner began with an arugula and endive salad followed by a burrata appetizer. Entrée choices were roasted salmon or pan-roasted filet mignon, and our passed desserts were Italian classics including cannolis, tiramisu shooters, and panna cotta. Our “Glazey River” wedding cake was a delicious vanilla cake with hazelnut buttercream, praline crunch, and a bittersweet chocolate glaze. We can’t recommend the boutique cake store enough!

Charlotte: For the final part of the evening, we transitioned into the Caramai Ballroom to dance, where we had a six-piece band. The male and female singer had amazing duets and performed a vast range of music. They played top 40s, 90’s, and 2000’s rock, plus British classics from The Beatles and the Spice Girls. We also created a speakeasy in the Library, with custom menus like those from our first date and with our signature drinks, “Mike’s Old Fashioned” and “Charlotte’s Vodka Martini.” Everyone went home with little bottles of my homemade apple cinnamon bourbon and fall spice-infused vodka printed with our names and wedding date.

Charlotte & Mike: Many thanks to Charlotte’s dressmaker for the ultimate couture experience! Thank you to our family and bridal party who traveled from the UK and all over the US to make our wedding such a beautiful and unforgettable day!

Castle Hotel & Spa, Tarrytown, NY
914.524.6366, www.castlehotelandspa.com