Stephanie & George | The Rockleigh | Rockleigh, NJ

"Fall In Love"

We met when we were 15 years old. George was having a party and his sister, Christina, invited me and some friends. I’ll always remember when I first saw him, sitting on the couch with his friends, acting cool. I instantly had a crush. Both being 100 percent Greek, sharing mutual friends, and with similar family dynamics, we quickly became close. Our families soon blended, everyone becoming friends and mixing celebrations of birthdays and holidays.

We realized we liked each other, but worried about losing this friendship. Almost 15 years later, the spark between us still effortlessly ignited, and George drove across Manhattan to share a New Year’s Eve kiss with me. We never looked back.

We visited The Rockleigh and fell in love. It is gorgeous, with new, modern furniture and color tones. Jeff Spivack, senior events manager, was so helpful, attentive, and willing to go above and beyond to make us happy. We brought our vision to the space and he brought everything else. The entire team did not miss a beat on the day of our wedding, working with us and for us splendidly. They ensured everything went smoothly, from the right photo shoot location on site being prepared, to the drinks in our hands always being filled.

Our ceremony was very special to us. It took place in Ascension Greek Orthodox Church, where we are both members, where I was baptized, and where George and his family have a special connection to the priest, Father Chris Pappas. It was so special to have him perform our ceremony along with His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. In the Greek culture, you have a best man and/or maid of honor who performs a ring and crowning ceremony as well as takes your first steps with you as husband and wife. For us, this was my cousin, Chris Konidaris, who is also one of George's closest friends. Having him able to fly in from Greece during the pandemic and be with us to celebrate and be our Koumbaro, or best man, was so special.

We wanted to bring a touch of Greece to our wedding. Our design team did the most amazing job bringing that Mediterranean-Grecian flare with a large focal point of bougainvillea flowers, blue and white tablecloths, and gold accents. A jazz saxophonist played modern tunes while cocktails flowed for our guests to enjoy. Highlights were the passed lamb chops, ceviche of rock shrimp, a hand-carved ice luge, a taste of Italy station, a Mexicana station, a raw seafood bar, sushi, and even more!

We sought a very clean and classic color-scape. We chose white florals and natural greens with metallic accents. Lush linens played off the metallic tones and coordinated candles and chargers. Forals draped the fireplace in the room and on the bar. It was a complete break from the hot pink and blue cocktail hour vibe. There was a beautiful draped backdrop for the music that picked up the different lighting throughout the night. We had a custom hand-drawn watercolor print of florals laid over the dance floor to pull everything together.

We started the evening with traditional Greek dancing and Greek music, which then transitioned over to our other band, who brought so much fun and energy to the party. They even had one of their singers learn a Greek pop song and integrated that into their set. To end the night, we went back into some modern and fun Greek music.

Our dinner began with a first course of Napoleon of beefsteak tomato with portobello mushroom and buffalo mozzarella. Entrée options were black truffle-rubbed filet mignon in a morel mushroom cognac cream reduction, crispy skin L.I. striped bass, and herb-crusted French-cut chicken breast in a Madeira wine sauce. We opted for a simple cake, and were thrilled to be able to enjoy the meal because everything was 10/10.

From day one, our wedding planner worked endlessly to make sure our day was perfect, bringing us to the best vendors who really understood us and our vision. Our designer hit it out of the park, bringing our dream vision to life. Our photographers captured our love and the magic of our wedding day. Most importantly, our parents, Rita and Alex Sfaelos and Steve and Olga Tenedios, made this dream day happen. Even though the road to get to our wedding day was long, they kept our spirits high and stayed positive for us. Their unwavering love means the world to us, but during this crazy time of wedding planning we really needed it!

The Rockleigh, Rockleigh NJ
201.768.7171, therockleigh.net