Best friends since 1997 when they met in the seventh grade at Herricks Middle School in Albertson, NY, Jason and Lisa spent their days laughing at inside jokes and confiding in each other. But it wasn’t until after middle and high school that they realized what they had was true love! With that revelation, Jason wooed Lisa, and on December 28, 2003, they became a couple.
Friends for so long, they were finally able to focus on the fact that they had fallen for each other, and on their first real date earlier that December, Lisa knew Jason was “the one.” During this time, they were both at New York University where Jason majored in Recorded Music and Lisa in Medieval & Renaissance Studies. Following college, Jason began working in the music industry and Lisa continued on to law school at Hofstra University.
With her May graduation and 25th birthday in June on the horizon, Lisa had a feeling a proposal would come soon. But, since Jason, an accomplished musician, was a very private person, she never thought it would be in a public forum. However, Jason shocked everyone on Christmas Eve in 2009.
During a Christmas celebration with both families present, Lisa opened what she thought was a vacation as an early anniversary gift from Jason. Instead, inside of the box was a framed poem by Jason…which he then read to Lisa, proposing at the end. The moment was captured on video and is now a YouTube hit!
Since Lisa was still in law school at the time of the engagement and they both dreamed of a fall wedding, they decided to wait until November of 2011 to say “I Do.” For the next 23 months, Lisa and Jason, along with both sets of parents and siblings, particularly Lisa’s sisters Jillian and Courtney, planned the wedding together. The theme was “Regal Elegance” with warm fall undertones. It was Lisa’s mission to stay away from a “leaves everywhere” feel!
Jason and Lisa saved as much money as they could, and with the help of their parents (who housed and fed them during this time), it was all possible. Many late night hours of DIY projects as well as hours of dress, headpiece and veil shopping came together on November 4, 2011.
When Lisa imagined herself on her wedding day, it was wearing a ballgown, headpiece and veil. Finally, after trying on close to 100 dresses, Lisa found “the one” at Bridal Reflections. By Eve of Milady, it was a gorgeous duchess satin ballgown with lace overlay and gold and silver beading and threading throughout. Thirty years earlier in 1981, Lisa’s mom had also worn a stunning lace Eve of Milady gown, so she thought it was fate when her daughter chose the same designer!
Dress chosen, Lisa could focus on accessories. She’d heard musings about Bridal Styles Boutique on wedding websites like liweddings.com and decided to head there since she knew exactly where it was – right around the corner from her grandmother’s house!
Lisa, her godmother Stephanie, mother and sister Jillian loved the store the second they walked in. Before coming to Bridal Styles, everything Lisa tried had fallen short of what she had envisioned for her wedding day. In short order, everyone had decided on a custom piece for Lisa to wear that complemented her dress and veil as well as her theme of “Regal Elegance.” It even harmonized with the bracelet and earrings Lisa had purchased. Making the moment even more special, Lisa’s godmother purchased the headpiece for her as a gift, which is now greatly cherished!
Lisa and Jason’s ceremony at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in East Northport was followed by a reception at the Crest Hollow Country Club. One vendor Lisa could not have done without was her Day of Coordinator, Leane Kondenar of Above and Beyond Events. Lisa’s sister, Jillian, had “gifted” Leane to her so that on her wedding day someone else would be “in charge.” Thanks to Leane, everything, including a few mishaps, were handled seamlessly.
Since Jason is a musician, the day’s music was very important to both of them, so as a surprise for their guests, they wrote and recorded their own wedding song! For the rest of the evening, their band, Code Bleu, kept everyone entertained. Code Bleu’s musicianship was so remarkable that Jason and Lisa are itching to plan another event just so Code Bleu can perform!
Of all of the advice Jason and Lisa received while planning, the best was to make sure they stayed together at the wedding. At a reception, it’s easy to be pulled in different directions. But they made a plan and an effort to stay together, holding hands, for 99% of the night and it really worked out! There are very few pictures where the newlyweds are not together, which is just the way they wanted it to be.
Best wishes, Lisa and Jason, and thank you for sharing your day with us!
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