A Romantic, Contemporary Wedding at Onteora Mountain House in Boiceville, New York

For their early-summer wedding, Julia Sear (29 and a lawyer) and Lucas Momo (29 and a director of operational systems) whisked their friends and family off to the heart of New York's Catskill Mountains for a playful yet polished event with plenty of personal flair. “We wanted our guests to leave feeling like they knew even more about us as a couple and invigorated by lots of food, drink, music and love,” Julia says. “Our venue reflected these goals. It was a beautiful setting to have a party, and Luke and I spent a lot of time together in the Catskills when we started dating. We loved the idea of our guests enjoying the area of New York where we fell in love.” Wanting to put a contemporary twist on a classic aesthetic, the couple wove pops of pink, lilac and glitzy gold throughout the day’s details, from the twirl-worthy bridesmaid skirts to the cascading bouquets and showstopping stationery. The florists at Viridescent Floral Design used texture to dial up the drama for the ceremony, creating a semicircular arrangement of eucalyptus, sword fern, ruscus and plumosa to frame Julia and Lucas as they said their “I dos.” Gold lanterns trimmed with pink peonies infused the woodland setting with a sense of romance, while personalized proceedings—including reflections on the meaning of marriage from the couple’s parents—ensured that the evening took on an undeniably personal feel. After exchanging vows, the newlyweds ushered their guests indoors for dinner and dancing. Julia and Lucas served their favorite ciders and IPAs during cocktail hour, along with a signature French 75 cocktail, to get the party started. But the festivities truly shifted into high gear with the father-daughter dance. “My dad and I danced to ‘My Girl’ for about one minute before we surprised guests by busting out into Bob Seger’s ‘Old Time Rock & Roll,’ ” Julia says. “We motioned to have guests get on the dance floor, and the next thing we knew, a swarm of people were dancing together.” The couple also skipped the traditional wedding cake in favor of an ice cream bar, which went over big with guests. At the end of the night, guests took home bottles of lemon-and-rosemary-infused bourbon, which Lucas made himself. A tip from Julia: “No need to follow the rules—breaking tradition can be fun. Do what you and your partner want. The day is about joy, not checking off a box of what to do.” —Libby MacCarthy