Nicole &and Connor

When and how did the two of you meet, and what is most memorable about your first meeting?

Connor: One morning I was standing outside of the classroom talking to a mutual friend when Nicole caught my eye as she was stepping out of the elevator. Seeing Nicole walk off the elevator is the most memorable part of this meeting for me because I remember being overcome with this feeling like I needed to be with this person. As if it were kismet, Nicole walked towards me and our mutual friend and said hi. I think I made some corny joke about how by our third year of law school we were worn down and have no shame, so it was OK to take the elevator at this point. I guess it worked because she laughed. What began as a friendship / flirtation turned into something deeper when we finally went on a first date in December 2015.

Nicole: We met in our second year of law school. However, we didn’t start dating until our third year of law school, after sitting near each other in our Evidence class. We had lots of study and coffee dates in the library, and had our first official date in December after final exams. We stayed at the restaurant for four hours, went through two bottles of wine (oops!) and closed the restaurant down.

What is the most valuable thing that you have learned from each other?

Nicole: Connor is an incredibly caring person – he cares for his friends, his family and his loved ones and always puts everyone else first. He is unbelievably sweet, kind, thoughtful and devoted. One of the most important things that we’ve learned is the value of open and honest communication, and that those are the keys to understanding and love. What I’ve learned from him is an ability to stick up for what I believe in – Connor has an incredible moral compass. Lastly, we both just love to have fun with each other. There is nothing we love more than just laughing and spending time with each other.

Connor: If I have to pick just one valuable thing I’ve learned from Nicole it is how to be more proactive. As somebody who tends to procrastinate and overthink, I have tremendous respect for Nicole’s ability to organize herself and accomplish things quickly.

Nicole also has a great sense of style and she has really helped me step up my dressing game (which, admittedly, left a lot to be desired).

What wedding planning decision was the easiest one to make?

Nicole: The easiest decision to make was our venue (Troutbeck): We wanted a destination wedding without the hassle of getting a plane. We wanted to spread out the fun and celebrate with our family and friends all weekend long and spend quality time with guests.

Tied with our choice of locale was our decision to work with Matthew Robbins and Luis Otoya of Matthew Robbins Design. It was immediately evident that their foremost concern was my ease and happiness, and that, to me, was an unparalleled quality.

Oh! And what was also easy was my choice of letting my bridesmaids wear whatever they want. Each of them has beautiful taste and I wanted to make sure that they also felt their best.

Connor: Easiest (and most fun): Tastings

What wedding planning decision was the most difficult one to make?

Nicole: The most difficult decision was whether to tent our ceremony! Troutbeck has the most beautiful, intimate English garden covered in roses, hydrangeas and peonies. It’s breathtaking and I knew we had to have our ceremony there. The only problem was that upstate New York weather is notoriously tricky. WELL, the weather on Saturday was absolute perfection, until about an hour before the ceremony when clouds and thunder rolled in. LUCKILY, the rain held out for the entirety of our ceremony, and started about 15 minutes into our cocktail hour. The rain quickly cleared but we were SO lucky it didn’t downpour during our ceremony!

Connor: Hardest: Seating

What was a highlight of your wedding day?

Nicole:
The most incredible, momentous, beautiful part of our wedding was our ceremony. I tear up thinking about it. It was so special in so many ways. Our Rabbi married my parents over 30 years ago and has presided over numerous family occasions. His sermon was funny, soulful, spiritual and really encapsulated who we are. We also felt it was really important and meaningful to write our own vows – you learn so much about the couple, the bride and groom individually, and it brings a deeply soulful and personal element to an otherwise formal occasion. Standing in front of our friends and family, professing our love for one another, I think blew everyone away.

Quite possibly one of my FAVORITE parts of a Jewish wedding is the Hora. My family and I LIVE for it. Nothing brings the energy like an amazing Hora. I instructed our band (Soulsystem Orchestras) to stretch out the Hora, and they DID. It was incredible and lasted at least 25 minutes. Everyone was on the dance floor, both sets of parents went up in the chairs, our friends and family circled us and danced around us. It set the tone of the reception as high-energy. I remember being up in the hora chair, locking eyes with Connor, and thinking “this is just the best.”

Connor: Excluding the ceremony and reception, my highlight was my first look with Nicole. I always knew she would be beautiful in her dress but for that moment I was really speechless and so happy to finally see my wife in her wedding dress. She looked amazing.

What did you base your choice of location on?

Nicole: We fell in love with Troutbeck immediately – the scenery, the food, the rooms, the people, all the incredible settings on property… it was exactly what we were looking for. We were blown away by the beautiful settings, designed by Alexandra Champalimaud. We were in awe of the gorgeous outdoors – the beautiful garden area, the gazebo, the pool and grill, the tennis courts. Every detail was perfection.

Connor: We wanted something that was a weekend away but still accessible to drive or take a train from the city. We wanted a “camp” feel but with hotel accommodations and elevated food offerings. Troutbeck really was just the perfect combination of everything that we wanted.

What song did you dance to for your first dance? Why?

Connor: Dancing in the Moonlight by Toploader. We wanted something fun where we could really dance and have a good time. I’m really glad we opted for something uptempo and non-traditional.
I remember that first dance being such a rush of excitement and joy dancing with my (now) wife in front of everybody we know and love. This was definitely one of the highlights of the weekend for me.

Describe any specific family or cultural traditions that were important to you during your wedding.

My family is my foundation (I know Connor feels the same way), so it was important that they were with me for all the big moments. I loved getting ready with my Mom during the day. I also had a special “first look” with my dad and my brother – they rarely tear and they started crying when they saw me in my gown… which made me start crying! Walking down the aisle with my parents was also very emotional and surreal. I love the Jewish tradition that parents stand under the chuppah with the bride and groom – it was special that they be close by during those moments. Lastly, we used my grandfather’s tallit (prayer shawl) during the ceremony – he carried it with him through the war and everyone in my family has gotten married in it. We felt very privileged to incorporate that into our ceremony.

What was on your wedding day wish list?

Connor: I don’t imagine too many husbands have a wedding day wish list. I certainly didn’t have one. The only things I really cared about were: that Nicole and I were getting married, that we were (and are) happy, and that all our friends and family were there to celebrate with us. I got all of this (and more!)

Nicole: Very simple: to just have the BEST TIME EVER. We wanted everyone to relax, let loose, and just enjoy themselves fully. It was important that everyone felt included and taken care of and that we were able to spend quality time with our guests. The other big thing on my wish list was to try, as much as possible, to be present and soak in everything. It’s really hard though! The day is a total blur and goes by in a flash. The result was a total pinch myself moment of gratitude where I thought to myself, “Wow, I am so lucky and happy.”