Jamie & Joshua | Hilton Pearl River | Pearl River, NY

“Traditional & Elegant”

We met in English class our freshman year at Indiana University. A few weeks in, Josh came up to me and told me how he liked the way I said "paragraph" (alluding to my slight New York accent). We joke that it was the pickup line of the century.

From then on, we were best friends. We hung out with the same group, studied together, and went to parties together. It wasn't until junior year, however, that we began officially dating. Our families joke to this day that they always knew we weren’t “just friends.” Our first official date was going to see “A Star Is Born” at the Bloomington AMC, after which we spent the rest of the night talking and laughing together. That was the start of our romance.

Family is one of the most important things in our lives, so for the proposal Josh made sure all our family was there. It was May 21st, the day before my birthday, and he had a full day of activities planned. The first stop was Morgan Street Food Hall in downtown Raleigh, NC, where we would grab their new “signature drink” before the fun began. Josh ran to the bar, told the bartender he was about to propose and needed a special drink. “Just make it look pretty.”

When he came back with our drinks one by one, our parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews started filing in, each giving me a single rose. Of course, at this point, I knew exactly what was about to happen. By the time I had a full bouquet, he was down on one knee. It was truly the perfect moment.

I wanted our wedding at the Hilton Pearl River the second I saw it in a magazine. It looked like the most beautiful place with nature surrounding the premises and an elegant interior. We knew it would be perfect for us when we met the incredible staff, starting with Abbey Rochford. She makes everything easy and stress-free. Working with the venue was seamless, even while planning it from North Carolina. Abbey was flexible and knowledgeable. No question was left unanswered, no concern left unaddressed.

Since a majority of our guests were from out of town, we decided to do everything at the hotel: rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception, and farewell brunch. At first, we were concerned with doing everything in one place. Would it seem monotonous? The same food? Same look and feel? But Abbey made sure the rehearsal dinner was its own event with a different menu in the property’s Le Jardin room, which gave it a beautiful garden feel, completely separating it from where the ceremony and reception would be, in the Conservatory and ballroom respectively.

Our ceremony was very traditional and elegant. We had a white linen aisle with columns of flowers lining the way to our absolutely stunning, flower-covered chuppah. The Conservatory room, where it was held, is simply breathtaking, with its beautiful, tall ceilings and cloudy sky-painted dome in the center.

People are still commenting on how incredible the cocktail hour was. “We’ve never seen anything like it” and “The food was absolutely amazing.” Our favorite dishes were the ravioli and general Tso’s chicken. Josh and I still talk about how it was the best we’d ever had. There were so many options, some guests thought the cocktail hour was the dinner itself!

For ballroom décor, we had a very simple traditional look. We had tall floral centerpieces surrounded by tea light candles on round tables. The ballroom is stunning, with tall, ornate walls and ceilings and huge crystal chandeliers. Our band, Hank Lane’s Ovation, made the night successful by keeping everyone on the dance floor.

For entrées, we opted for broiled filet mignon in a red wine demi-glaze with whipped Yukon gold potatoes, honey miso-gazed salmon with toasted farrah and greens, and French cut chicken breast in a port wine sauce with mushrooms. The waitstaff went to each table to ask their selections and Josh and I were going around to each table to thank everyone. We made it to two tables before Derek Rubino, our banquet manager, made sure we sat down and enjoyed dinner as well.

Our wedding cake was also outstanding. We did a very simple and traditional look with vanilla cake and chocolate mousse. A Little Cake organized everything with the Hilton Pearl River. We churros, warm chocolate chip cookies, and warm pretzels as a final farewell to our guests. Everyone really enjoyed being able to take some food up to their hotel room as they left the ballroom. After the most incredible night of fun and dancing, Josh and I also returned to our bridal suite, only to be surprised with the room covered with candles, flowers, a bottle of champagne, and leftover food and cake!

To the Hilton Pearl River and all our vendors, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the effort, dedication, and care you put in so that we could have the wedding of our dreams. It was truly a night to remember because of you.A big thank you to our parents for making this weekend possible and to all our guests who traveled near and far to celebrate with us.

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