Gorgeous wedding alert! Laurel and Jack’s Long Island Jewish wedding at The Muttontown Club, once a private Gilded Age estate, is truly a knockout. They wanted the day to feel warm, whimsical, ethereal, and romantic – and did they ever, incorporating tons of candles, lush florals, and a soft, classic color palette.
From the start, Laurel and Jack knew they wanted a hand-calligraphed and painted ketubah, and they found the perfect artist to bring their dreams to life in Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elena Berlo of Once Upon a Paper. Elena worked with the couple to create a unique piece of art that they proudly hang in their living room as a reminder of their special day and their commitment to each other. Don’t miss it in the wonderful photos from Jonathan Scott!
This day was full of so many wonderful details, but we’ll leave it to Laurel – who looked radiant in her halter-top lace gown from Oscar de la Renta – to tell you the rest…
How We Met
Laurel, the bride: Connected by mutual friends, our first date took place on a blustery summer night in August 2019. The thought of venturing into a rainstorm was made far more palatable by the anticipation of finally meeting – but little did we know that the company would prove far more enchanting than we could have imagined. Three hours flew by in what felt like minutes, leaving each of us eager to know more. From childhood memories in New York to college experiences and beyond, we discovered we had always been moving within each other’s orbit, unbeknownst to us.
The sense of familiarity was uncanny, also magnetic. Sharing stories about family and friends only deepened the desire to learn more about this wonderful new person that came into our lives. The night ended with a moonlit walk along the East River, watching the din of a summer night’s traffic scurry by. Little did we know in that moment on a night in the City That Never Sleeps, this would be the start of a beautiful, enduring relationship.
Venue
While we live in California, we both felt it made the most sense to do our wedding back East near our families. We chose a venue on Long Island near where I grew up because of its rich history, and it felt incredibly meaningful to add our own chapter and become part of something that will last long after our wedding day.
What is now known as The Muttontown Club was once a private estate known as The Chimneys, designed by Horace Trumbauer, a prominent American architect of the Gilded Age. The moment we stepped inside, the space felt both grand and inviting—a rare blend of regality and warmth that perfectly captured the vision for our wedding day. Each visit revealed more of its charms: a luminous sunroom, a canopied patio and a thoughtfully designed layout that allows guests to wander through rooms that each tell their own story, creating an experience that is both intimate and captivating. We knew there was no place more perfect for our wedding.
Theme
It was incredibly important to us to shape the aesthetic and atmosphere of our wedding ourselves, so we chose to plan the celebration while enlisting a coordinator solely for the day-of details. We wanted the evening to feel warm, whimsical, ethereal and deeply romantic. With the expertise of Adrian B Event Design, we transformed the ballroom into a candlelit reverie, overflowing with lush florals. We embraced a classic palette of green and white, softened by just a whisper of blush, creating a look that feels timeless and elegant. Every detail, from the bridesmaid dresses to the wedding invitations—and even our early thank-you notes for engagement gifts—followed this color story, weaving the night together into a cohesive, thoughtfully curated vision.
Invitation/Stationery
We worked with Inklinations for our wedding invitations, and Annie was absolutely incredible to collaborate with. She brought our vision to life with engraved cotton invitations from Bella Figura, featuring blush-painted edges and a custom floral design on the inner envelope. The outer white and inner green envelopes were hand-calligraphed by Annie herself, adding a truly personal and elegant touch. She also calligraphed all of the place cards for our wedding reception, and her professionalism, creativity, and warmth made the entire process a joy.
Dress
I found my dream wedding dress at Oscar de la Renta. I had always envisioned myself in lace and have long been drawn to the elegance of a high neckline and halter silhouette, so I was immediately captivated when the design was previewed as part of the Fall 2023 collection. At the time, the gown was traveling in a trunk show in Dallas, coinciding with my mom’s visit to Los Angeles for dress shopping. The extraordinary team at Oscar de la Renta went above and beyond to overnight the sample to the Los Angeles studio, ensuring it arrived in time for her visit and turning the experience into a moment I will always cherish.
Accessories
Veil: Oscar de la Renta. After-party Dress: Zimmermann. Earrings: David Yurman. Engagement Ring and Wedding Bands: Sophie’s Creations.
Shoes
Shoes: Gianvito Rossi from Saks. After-party Shoes: Aquazurra from Saks.
The handsome groom
Tuxedo, shirt, bow tie and accessories: Zegna. Shoes: Allen Edmonds.
Bridesmaids
Our bridesmaids wore different shades of forest green, with each of them selecting a style that suited her personally, creating a look that was both unique and beautifully cohesive. Our flower girl wore a beautiful white dress with a forest green sash. The groomsmen wore classic tuxedos, which paired perfectly with the bridesmaids’ dresses and added a timeless elegance to the wedding party. The varying shades of green complemented the lush florals and décor, creating a sense of harmony and romance throughout the ceremony.
Our mothers also coordinated in stunning silver-toned gowns. I had the joy of helping choose my mother’s Naeem Khan dress, which I absolutely adored—it was a subtle and meaningful nod to another Naeem Khan gown I had loved for myself but ultimately didn’t wear.
Ceremony & Chuppah
There were several elements of our ceremony that had special and personal touches.
We were honors to have two rabbis participate in this joyous celebration — one from my college Chabad and the other from the synagogue where my family is currently members. This brought together the communities that have shaped my life.
Adding to the magic, the extraordinary Israeli singer, Guy Goresh, flew in from Los Angeles to perform a series of Hebrew ballads while I walked down the aisle and throughout the ceremony as we stood under the Chuppah with our families. Guy also performed later during the celebration and got the party started!
We envisioned the Chuppah to feel lush and organic, a reflection of the life we hope to build together. The flowers were intentionally asymmetrical, a gentle reminder that life doesn’t need to be perfect to create a home filled with harmony.
The Chuppah was covered with a tallis belonging to my grandfather, Jack, a Holocaust survivor – a deeply personal and meaningful touch that connected the ceremony to family, history and legacy.
Last, but certainly not least, we wrote and shared our own vows – always my favorite part of a wedding. We wanted our guests to witness and share in our love story, making the moment intimate and heartfelt.
Ketubah
Having our Ketubah hand-calligraphed and painted was very important to us – a way to make a sacred symbol of our love truly one-of-a-kind. Finding an artist who could bring this vision to life was not easy, but we were incredibly lucky to discover Elena at Once Upon a Paper.
Elena worked with us to create a piece that is as unique as our relationship, a beautiful piece work of art that captures both the beauty of our vows and significance of the moment. Today, it hangs in our dining room, a reminder of that special day and a lasting homage to a seminal moment in our lives.
Our music choice
Our wedding featured both a live band, Brooklyn Sound of Hank Lane Music, and the talented Israeli singer, Guy Goresh. Brooklyn Sound brought so much energy and joy, effortlessly getting everyone on the dance floor, especially during “Shout”, our ultimate party favorite. Guy Goresh brought a beautiful touch of culture and meaning, seamlessly incorporating both modern and historical Jewish music that made the day even more personal and heartfelt. We felt our music had the perfect blend of romance, culture, and celebration.
For our first dance, we shared the intimate moment of swaying to “2 Become 1” by the Spice Girls, a song that had always been a dream of mine to dance to on my wedding day. We made our grand entrance to “It’s My House” by Diana Ross, which was Jack’s choice, as it’s his favorite pump-up song to get ready to at home—bringing a playful, joyful energy to the start of the celebration.
Flowers
Although we had over 200 guests at our wedding, we wanted the ballroom to feel intimate, warm and romantic. The room was enveloped in lush green and white florals, featuring orchids, white and blush roses, hydrangeas and sprigs of gypsophila. Hidden among the flowers were candelabras that cast a soft, glowing light, creating a sense of warmth and enchantment.
The true showstopper was the dome at the center of the room, where chandeliers intertwined with hanging florals above the custom black-and-white wrapped dance floor we designed. This stunning centerpiece brought the space to life, drawing everyone’s eyes and hearts to the heart of the celebration. The Adrian B design team executed our vision flawlessly, transforming the room exactly as we had imagined and making it a perfect reflection of the romance and joy of our wedding day.
For my bouquet, I carried a stunning arrangement in the same theme, with orchids cascading down, while the bridesmaids carried smaller bouquets in a similar style. We opted to forgo boutonnieres for Jack and the groomsmen (except for our ring bearers!), as they felt a bit dated.
Photographer and videographer
We chose Jonathan Scott as our wedding photographer after surveying numerous photographers, because we felt confident his work would capture timeless moments with a modern lens. Even from Miami, he quickly became part of our story. Through Zooms and calls, we built a rapport that made the day feel effortless. Jonathan’s honest and blunt approach ensured that no fleeting moment would be missed, while his guidance let us relax and laugh. On the day, Jonathan moved seamlessly with the flow of the celebration, capturing not just events, but the energy, emotion, and love that made it ours.
We chose Olmsted Films as our videographers after watching hundreds of wedding videos—not kidding! We knew we wanted a verbal-driven film that truly told our story, and Branden and Neil were the perfect duo for the job. With their strong background in film, they were able to weave our love story into a cinematic narrative, capturing not just the events of the day, but the emotion, humor and intimacy that made it ours.
They worked closely with us to deliver our dream wedding film, even finding a piece of timeless music that we can enjoy with our family for generations to come. Beyond their incredible skill, Branden and Neil were incredibly kind, responsive, and personable, making the entire process a joy from start to finish. We truly couldn’t have asked for a better team to preserve the memories of our day.
Food and cake
Our catering was provided by Esprit Events, and they did an incredible job bringing our vision to life. Laurel and I wanted to add a few personal touches to the menu, and some of our favorites included deviled eggs with red caviar as a nod to a Valentine’s Day meal in Portland, a Duck l’Orange salad in honor of our first trip to Paris, and crispy rice, which is one of my personal favorites. Jack’s favorites made an appearance too, with passed-around lamb chops, carving stations for both fish and meat, and even a shawarma spit station. Our wedding cake was designed to reflect a vintage style (think Priscilla Presley) , inspired by Laurel’s parents’ cake from 1980. Overall, the food was a perfect mix of personal touches, fun stations and meaningful nods to our memories – and delicious!
Extra Details
One of the most special moments of our wedding was having all of our parents speak. Hearing their words made the day feel so personal and heartfelt. Jack and I also gave a speech during the cake cutting, which added a fun and intimate touch. We honored tradition with the mother-son and father-daughter dances, which were not only meaningful but gave us a rare chance to connect with our parents one-on-one amid the whirlwind of the day.
Our first dance was another adventure—Jack and I took months of lessons at 3rd Street Dance in West Hollywood. It was such a fun way to prepare for the wedding together, and it turned our first dance into a moment we’ll never forget.
We added creative details everywhere, thanks to Lauren Q Design Studio. She designed a custom watercolor crest using our wedding flowers and colors, which appeared on menus, napkins, matchbook boxes, signage, a custom ice mold, welcome bags, and even the embroidery and lining of our custom kippot. These little touches made the weekend feel cohesive, elegant, and uniquely “us”; Lauren’s designs added a touch of elegance and whimsy that tied the whole celebration together.
Honeymoon
For our honeymoon, we embarked on a two-week adventure through Southeast Asia, exploring Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. We spent the majority of our time traveling throughout Vietnam, immersing ourselves in the culture, cuisine and breathtaking landscapes. From there, we spent a few nights in Cambodia to experience the awe-inspiring Angkor Wat, and ended with a night in Bangkok to break up the journey home. Each destination offered its own unique experiences, and the mix of adventure, history and relaxation made it the perfect way to celebrate the start of our married life together!
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
A wise person once told me: if the one thing your husband asks for during wedding planning is that the invitations not be in all cursive, then let him have it—because at that point, you’ve truly already won. All jokes aside, it’s true what they say: something will go wrong during the weekend. The best advice we received was to embrace the first hiccup, take a deep breath, and let it roll off your shoulders, trusting that everything else will fall beautifully into place. In the end, those small imperfections often make the day feel even more real, memorable and full of love.
LAUREL & JACK’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – Jonathan Scott
Videography – Olmsted Films
Ketubah – Once Upon a Paper {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Venue – The Muttontown Club
Bride’s dress & veil – Oscar de la Renta
After-party dress – Zimmermann
Earrings – David Yurman
Engagement ring and wedding bands – Sophie’s Creations
Bride’s shoes – Gianvito Rossi from Saks
After-party shoes – Aquazurra from Saks
Groom’s attire – Zegna and Allen Edmonds
Flowers – Adrian B Event Design
DJ – Brooklyn Sound of Hank Lane Music and Guy Goresh
Catering & cake – Esprit Events
Stationery/Invitation – Inklinations and Bella Figura
Crest design – Lauren Q Design Studio
If you’re a Jewish or Jew-ish bride-to-be, you’ll want to join Smashing The Glass’ Brides Club. Guided by the world’s number 1 Jewish wedding expert, Karen Cinnamon, Brides Club is the private community for Jewish and Jew-ish brides that removes wedstress and indecision and gives you what you need to plan with confidence during these uncertain times. Join our Brides Club here.
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