Welcome to Isn’t It Romantic?, a week in which we will indulge our desire to shamelessly ogle lavish, beautiful weddings. Next up: Jacqueline Smyth and Peter Scialla.
Peter and Jacqueline met poolside in Las Vegas while they were on vacation. Peter, a charmer, asked Jacquline to remove her sunglasses so he could see her eyes. They started dating in New York, and as Jacqueline put it, “we both knew that we could become partners-in-crime for life.”
To set the tone for their eventual nuptials, Peter went all out. He told Jacqueline that he had a surprise for her, but they’d have to go to a hotel in midtown to get the tickets. He did have a surprise — but it wasn’t tickets. It was a private roof decorated with flowers, with a string trio playing Ed Sheeran. “It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” Jacqueline said.
In a word, it was big. Jacqueline said she and Peter both love “over-the-top surprises,” but wanted to make sure that everyone was welcome and included. The wedding was in late August in New York — on the “nicest day in history,” according to Jacqueline. The wedding weekend was held at a series of iconic locations: the Central Park boat house for the rehearsal dinner, a ceremony at St. Patrick’s Cathedral (right next to Saks on Fifth Avenue), a party at the New York Public Library, an after-party at the Rose Bar, and brunch the next day at the Plaza Hotel.
Dresses: Galia Lahav from Bridal Reflections 5th Avenue and Pnina Tornai Custom from Kleinfields NYC
Suit: Custom Tom Ford Tuxedo
Band: Marianne Bennet for Element Music
Flowers: David Beaumont Design
Hair: Bia Duka
Makeup: Bia Duka
Rings: Peter Marco, Beverly Hills
Planner: David Reinhard Events
Church: St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Venue: The New York Public Library
After Party: Rose Bar
Brunch: The Plaza (Palm Court)
Invitations: cecinewyork
Cake: Ron Ben Israel
Photo: Christian Oth
All of their family and friends stayed at the Plaza Hotel (where they also had brunch the day after the wedding). Jacqueline and her wedding party got ready at the hotel before heading to the Cathedral for the ceremony.
Photo: Christian Oth
“We wanted our wedding to feel like a series of unforgettable moments,” Jacqueline said. “We were going for the classic ceremony followed by an ultra-hip Cinderella ball.”
Photo: Christian Oth
They paid extra special attention to the details like the color of the carpet, and silverware. The flower girls had trains on their dresses while the boys wore pageboy caps and suspenders.
Photo: Christian Oth/Christian Oth Studio
After the ceremony, Jacqueline changed into a custom dress by Pnina Tornai, which she found at Kleinfeld’s in New York (another landmark).
Photo: Christian Oth
Remember Jacqueline’s desire to create unforgettable moments? They hosted magicians, live painters, and street pretzels and hot dogs to cap off the evening (in addition to an elegant seated dinner).
Photo: Darren Ornitz/Christian Oth Studio
The reception, which lasted until midnight, extended into an after-party at the Rose Bar which went until 4 a.m.