REAL WEDDINGS

Inspirational Stories From Real Long Island Weddings

Long Island Real Wedding Jennifer & Frank

03.03.2018

By Angela Ash
Photography By Tony Lante Photography

Bride and Groom standing separately next to a vintage white barn.

In 2010, Frank and Jennifer met at what they thought would be a regular birthday party for a mutual friend. When it came time to leave the party, Jennifer sat on Frank’s lap in the taxi to “make extra room.” They stayed in touch and became good friends, but it was nearly a year before they realized that this taxi ride was the beginning of such a significant relationship.


Nearly five years later on Saturday, October 1st, 2016, Frank and Jennifer made plans with Frank’s sister, Cristina, and her husband, Joe, to go into the city. While they were en route, Cristina “canceled” their plans, and they decided to go on alone. While walking across the Brooklyn Bridge it was a little chilly and Frank took off his jacket and asked a tourist if they could take a photo. As she backed up to snap the shot, Frank dropped to one knee, and Jennifer answered with a resounding “YES!”

 

And just like that, less than two years later, Frank and Jennifer sent out save the-date bookmarks, utilizing photos from their engagement shoot with Tony Lante Photography. The invitations were a classic taupe with a chandelier design.

 

The ceremony was held at Saint Isidore Church in Riverhead, New York. The procession included seven bridesmaids and nine groomsmen, along with one flower girl. Jennifer’s father escorted her down the aisle to “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” and Jennifer’s godmother played all the procession songs on the violin. Father Gregory Rannazzisi, a close friend of Frank’s, officiated the ceremony.

 

Jennifer was dressed in an A-line Anna Campbell dress, handmade in Melbourne, Australia. Her white cathedral style veil was from Village Bridal & Boutique, and to complete the look she wore silver Badgley Mischka shoes. Her jewelry was made by her father-in-law, and her bouquet consisted of cascading orchids with white and ivory roses and eucalyptus.

 

The bridesmaids wore different styles of Bill Levkoff dresses in petal pink, champagne, and cashmere. The maid of honor wore a Hayley Paige pink dress with rhinestone straps. The groomsmen wore navy-blue suits, while Frank wore a darker blue and all with white polka-dot and navy-blue ties.

 

The wedding reception was at Giorgio’s, for 215 guests. The 19th-century French style inspired their “Phantom of the Opera” vs. “Beauty and the Beast” theme. The color scheme included pink and ivory, plus gold and white accents. The style was minimalistic, with different centerpieces of cylinder candles, Sahara roses, and eucalyptus, along with repurposed books as table numbers.

 

The favors were olive oil with rosemary, all shipped from Frank’s family olive farm in Italy. The cocktail hour included short ribs, along with sushi and mashed potato bars, followed by the full reception menu of filet mignon, pistachio crusted salmon, parmesan-crusted chicken, and Long Island Duck. Signature cocktails included a twist on both the Cape Cod and the Old Fashioned. The wedding cake was 4 tiers, each tier with a different mix of vanilla cake, chocolate fudge, chocolate cake and vanilla pudding, topped with vanilla buttercream.

 

The first dance was “Sparks” by Coldplay, followed by an evening full of dancing, along with a custom photo slideshow. In addition to the DJ from Vivo Entertainment, the couple also hired a Frank Sinatra singer. Frank is a first-generation Italian, so they were sure to incorporate classics like “Ti Amo” by Umberto Tozzi and “L’Italiano” by Toto Cutugno. They arrived and departed in a coach bus from M&V Limousines.

 

Four months later, Frank and Jennifer took an 11-day European cruise for their honeymoon. They went on to Italy, France, Spain, and Gibraltar. For other couples who are quickly approaching their wedding days, Frank and Jennifer suggest that they do their best to live in the moment, forget about what could go wrong and just breathe.

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In 2010, Frank and Jennifer met at what they thought would be a regular birthday party for a mutual friend. When it came time to leave the party, Jennifer sat on Frank’s lap in the taxi to “make extra room.” They stayed in touch and became good friends, but it was nearly a year before they realized that this taxi ride was the beginning of such a significant relationship.


Nearly five years later on Saturday, October 1st, 2016, Frank and Jennifer made plans with Frank’s sister, Cristina, and her husband, Joe, to go into the city. While they were en route, Cristina “canceled” their plans, and they decided to go on alone. While walking across the Brooklyn Bridge it was a little chilly and Frank took off his jacket and asked a tourist if they could take a photo. As she backed up to snap the shot, Frank dropped to one knee, and Jennifer answered with a resounding “YES!”

 

And just like that, less than two years later, Frank and Jennifer sent out save the-date bookmarks, utilizing photos from their engagement shoot with Tony Lante Photography. The invitations were a classic taupe with a chandelier design.

 

The ceremony was held at Saint Isidore Church in Riverhead, New York. The procession included seven bridesmaids and nine groomsmen, along with one flower girl. Jennifer’s father escorted her down the aisle to “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” and Jennifer’s godmother played all the procession songs on the violin. Father Gregory Rannazzisi, a close friend of Frank’s, officiated the ceremony.

 

Jennifer was dressed in an A-line Anna Campbell dress, handmade in Melbourne, Australia. Her white cathedral style veil was from Village Bridal & Boutique, and to complete the look she wore silver Badgley Mischka shoes. Her jewelry was made by her father-in-law, and her bouquet consisted of cascading orchids with white and ivory roses and eucalyptus.

 

The bridesmaids wore different styles of Bill Levkoff dresses in petal pink, champagne, and cashmere. The maid of honor wore a Hayley Paige pink dress with rhinestone straps. The groomsmen wore navy-blue suits, while Frank wore a darker blue and all with white polka-dot and navy-blue ties.

 

The wedding reception was at Giorgio’s, for 215 guests. The 19th-century French style inspired their “Phantom of the Opera” vs. “Beauty and the Beast” theme. The color scheme included pink and ivory, plus gold and white accents. The style was minimalistic, with different centerpieces of cylinder candles, Sahara roses, and eucalyptus, along with repurposed books as table numbers.

 

The favors were olive oil with rosemary, all shipped from Frank’s family olive farm in Italy. The cocktail hour included short ribs, along with sushi and mashed potato bars, followed by the full reception menu of filet mignon, pistachio crusted salmon, parmesan-crusted chicken, and Long Island Duck. Signature cocktails included a twist on both the Cape Cod and the Old Fashioned. The wedding cake was 4 tiers, each tier with a different mix of vanilla cake, chocolate fudge, chocolate cake and vanilla pudding, topped with vanilla buttercream.

 

The first dance was “Sparks” by Coldplay, followed by an evening full of dancing, along with a custom photo slideshow. In addition to the DJ from Vivo Entertainment, the couple also hired a Frank Sinatra singer. Frank is a first-generation Italian, so they were sure to incorporate classics like “Ti Amo” by Umberto Tozzi and “L’Italiano” by Toto Cutugno. They arrived and departed in a coach bus from M&V Limousines.

 

Four months later, Frank and Jennifer took an 11-day European cruise for their honeymoon. They went on to Italy, France, Spain, and Gibraltar. For other couples who are quickly approaching their wedding days, Frank and Jennifer suggest that they do their best to live in the moment, forget about what could go wrong and just breathe.

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