Jodi & Joseph | Hilton Pearl River | Pearl River, NY

"Exceptional Experience"

Jodi: Joey and I were set up by one of my best friends, Katie, who met him at a friend’s wedding. We spent late nights talking on the phone before going out for drinks. I had such a good time, I invited him to my friend’s joint bachelor/bachelorette party. After that, my Man of Honor met him and our story began. Now I’m a key account manager with Alkermes, Inc, and Joey is VP at Fidelity Prime Services.

Joey: I planned a trip to Hawaii and was going to propose on top of a volcano at sunset the second day of the trip. However, Jodi decided she wanted to do the tour the last day. I knew she’d be wondering all week if I was proposing. After what felt like weeks, the day came, we took the tour and just as the sun was setting, I proposed. 

Jodi:After a dream proposal, we began planning the wedding. Hilton Pearl River was the first place we visited and I was so enamored by what I saw that I started crying! I was so happy to have an awesome location, stunning amenities, and a hotel all in one place. Abbey Rochford, the senior events manager, provided an exceptional experience. She was always there when we needed her, was beyond professional, and was kind and patient throughout the entire process. She perfected a balance of wise suggestions and enthusiasm for our unique wishes. 

Joey: We spent less money than we planned and received way more than we could’ve imagined! I travel often for work and am familiar with the superior quality of Hilton establishments. I was amazed by the exceptional service from top to bottom. Having them on our team was amazing!

Jodi: We were married on Friday by Joey’s cousin, Bishop Lagranegro. It was a special, intimate ceremony followed by our BBQ rehearsal dinner in the beautiful garden room, Le Jardin. The next morning the guys went golfing, the girls got ready, and we took photos before our outdoor ceremony. I loved having two ceremonies. We were able to get our nerves out and focus on the meaning of the weekend. 

Joey: Cocktail hour was spectacular! We had mashed potatoes, lamb chops, pasta, smoked salmon, a caviar bar, a Tuscan table, martinis, and more. Everything we wanted was available. Every bite was better than the last. My favorite was the fresh rack of lamb and pastrami. 

Jodi: Our reception looked breathtaking. We used tall wispy tree branches with candles hanging down and alternating high and low centerpieces in a white, ivory, and green palette. Our florist was amazing and delivered a masterpiece that looked spectacular, timeless, and elegant. Our DJ provided colored uplighting that changed throughout the night. Joey’s mom assembled bags of Jordan almonds at each setting.

Joey: Our music was awesome. The lead singer is a friend of mine, and we knew we would have a blast singing along to 80’s classics. Jodi wanted a DJ for pop hits. We hired both and they worked together so well, transitioning flawlessly and giving our guests a dynamic experience.

Jodi:We grew up in Italian families and feeding people is love. After a first course of wild mushroom ravioli and a red and gold beet salad, our guests received their entrée. As something special for our guests, Abbey worked with us to provide a 16 oz ribeye as our steak option for dinner. I ate our fish option, a Chilean sea bass on an onion tart, which was out of this world. Many of our guests had wonderful things to say about the French cut chicken breast with potatoes au gratin! Dessert was a duet of chocolate torte and gourmet raspberry cheesecake, accompanied by individual apple cobblers. They added two pieces of bacon on top at Joey’s request. We chose a four-tier Italian rainbow cookie wedding cake that was out of this world. The Hilton also does a “sweet farewell” of churros and chocolate chip cookies that we used as our favors. 

Joey: I’m lucky to have best friends of over 20 years as my groomsmen, thank you to them and my family. Thank you to my mother, I owe her everything and everything I am is thanks to her.

Jodi: Thank you to my parents, family, and friends. We wouldn’t be who we are and couldn’t have done this without them. Thank you to Abbey and the entire staff at the Hilton Pearl River, to Derek Rubino, our maître d’, and to all our vendors for giving us the most incredible wedding imaginable.

Hilton Pearl River, Pearl River, NY
845.735.9000, www.hiltonpearlriver.com