1. Real Weddings

A Beach Wedding in Montauk, NY

Michael says on the first day of his new job, he walked into the office and found the woman he was meant to be with, it just took a while to convince

Michael says on the first day of his new job, he walked into the office and found the woman he was meant to be with, it just took a while to convince her of it. Meanwhile, when Gabrielle first met Michael, he annoyed her. After several attempts to talk to her and many months of traveling together for work, Gabrielle was still annoyed with Michael as he became smitten with her. But, a company outing to Montauk changed everything. Aware that Gabrielle had never seen a sunrise, Michael woke her at 5 a.m. to watch the morning begin -- it took lots of convincing! Afterwards, Gabrielle says the gesture earned him “a brownie point.” The Bride Gabrielle Aronas, a senior marketing manager The Groom Michael Hernández, a community outreach manager The Date September 19 Six years of dating later, while on a trip to Vancouver, the two rented bicycles to ride around Stanley Park. After Gabrielle climbed a tree for a photo op, Michael proposed with the ring he had custom made.

The ceremony began at 6:30 a.m. on a cliff in Camp Hero State Park. As the bride’s parents escorted her down the aisle, the sun was rising.
Michael loves pie, so in lieu of a wedding cake, the couple chose several different pies including raspberry rhubarb and blackberry plum from a local farm.
Gabrielle and Michael wanted a casual but elegant wedding, so they picked muted colors that seemed fitting for the seaside town of Montauk: a sandy brown and a breezy blue.
For a nontraditional spin on escort cards, the couple gathered smooth stones from the beach and wrote the guest’s first name on one side and the table name on the other.
Michael’s boutonniere consisted of scabiosa and ranunculus, which matched Gabrielle’s bouquet and nicely complimented his tan-colored suit.
In addition to an array of pie flavors, pastel-colored macaroons nestled on Israeli couscous, evoking the look of sand.
Tented Reception Area
Wedding Favor Boxes
Each table held a glass lantern filled with little pebbles and a candle.
Gabrielle put her own bouquet together using flowers from the Manhattan’s flower district: ranunculus, scabiosa, and Queen Anne’s Lace.
It was important to Gabrielle and Michael that the menu offered seasonal and local ingredients. They offered pine nut-crusted striped bass, Portuguese braised short ribs, and more.
The favors doubled as place cards at each table, donning the guest’s name and a tagline that read, “Thanks for adding flavor to our lives.” Inside each tin was sea salt for guests to use in the kitchen.