Wedding

Diamond Mills Hotel & Saugerties Steamboat Co.

Fall

Our Wedding

It was 2017. Jordan had just moved to Brooklyn from Washington, D.C., after accepting a new job offer. Julianne had just moved in with her childhood best friend to their Manhattan apartment, after graduating from college. They were both young, ambitious and thriving for adventure - so, of course the best place for them to find each other was by swiping right. After spending weeks talking on the phone, Jordan finally asked Julianne to join him for dinner at one of the top-rated sushi restaurants in Midtown. Their first date went so well, that they decided to travel to the East Village for vegan icecream. They spent the rest of the night on a stoop infront of McSorely's laughing, debating existentialism, and talking about their travel aspirations, until the subway was about to stop running. After a year of dating, Jordan and Julianne moved-in together to the Upper East Side. Then, after Julianne completed graduate school, the couple moved to their haunted apartment in Queens. They didn't stay there very long before buying their first house in New Jersey.

Part 1: New York City

If waking up in a new country, to the smell of freshly baked European bread, to the sound of tropical birds singing, or to the taste of salt water misting your face sounds appealing, then you need to travel with Jordan and Julianne! Since they've been together, they have traveled the world, from traveling by camel through the Sahara Desert of Morocco, to ziplining through the cloud forest of Costa Rica. Their favorite trip, however, was hiking Machu Pichu in Peru, and ending their day at one of the world's best restaurants, Mil. Traveling, culture and food are important to Jordan and Julianne, and they are hoping to incorporate these themes into their Big Day.

Part 2: The World

In March 2022, Jordan and Julianne planned a trip to Costa Rica. The trip started off stressful. At 3am, the morning of their flight, they got a notice from their airline that their flight plans had changed, which would cause them to miss their connecting flight. Jordan spent hours on the phone with different agents, trying his best to book them on a flight that would have them land in Costa Rica the same day. Somehow, he was able to switch our airline and get them checked into their San Jose hotel just before midnight! The next day, tired and sleep deprived, the pair drove 2.5 hours from the capital to the Arenal Volcano. The scenery was serene, with vibrantly-colored tropical birds singing, blue morphos butterflies sipping nectar, an active volcano piping white smoke from its summit, and draping vines of dense forest covering the terrain. Jordan told Julianne that he booked a botanical garden tour, nearby, at the base of the volcano, and took her there. At the entrance of the garden, awaited their tour guide. (Little did Julianne know that Jordan had been working with this tour guide for weeks to plan the proposal.) The tour guide welcomed the couple into the garden and gave a brief tour of the flora, "We have over 100 types of orchids. These are birds-of-paradise, etc." The guide then told Jordan and Julianne that since the garden reopened due to Covid-related closure, they had a photographer taking pictures for a marketing campaign. The guide asked Jordan and Julianne if it would be okay if they appeared in some pictures. (Julianne didn't think this was suspicious at all since a similar situation had happened to them during a previous vacation in Peru. Jordan had actually hired this photographer to capture the event.) The couple agreed to be photographed. Then, the guide walked the couple towards the front of the garden where there was an arch covered in black-eyed susans. While walking over, Julianne turned to Jordan and said, "I think something's happening." Jordan looked at her and said, "Something is happening." He then got down on one knee and asked Julianne to marry him.

Part 3: The Proposal

Our Story

Beacon, NY 2022

Costa Rica Engagement 2022

Photos

Ceremony Champagne &amp; sparkling water upon arrival

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Cocktail Hour Passed hors d'oeuvres, Hudson Valley table, fire pit, &amp; yard games!

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Reception Eat, dance &amp; party!

6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Sparkler Send-Off Good night!

10:00 PM

Event Timeline

Q + A

The Diamond Mills Hotel is a boutique and luxury hotel that offers elegant accommodations in the Hudson Valley, with restaurant and room views overlooking a beautiful waterfall. This hotel is associated with the venue.***Please note that the wedding ceremony begins at 4:00pm, and this hotel has a 3:00pm check-in time. Keep in mind that this hotel is about a 5 minute drive from the wedding venue.*** A 2-night minimum stay is required for bookings. Bookings must be completed no later than August 13, 2023 to secure a discounted rate. Check-in starts at 3:00pm and check-out is before 11:00am. Guests are responsible for hotel charges. Please refer to: "Rocco-Schwartz Wedding" when making this booking to secure the discounted rate by calling the venue. To book your room you may also use this website: <a href="https://secure.webrez.com/hotel/1071/?package_id=249779&amp;date_from=20231013&amp;date_to=20231015" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://secure.webrez.com/hotel/1071/?package_id=249779&amp;date_from=20231013&amp;date_to=20231015</a> Sorry, pets are not permitted at this hotel!

Diamond Mills Hotel

The beautiful brand new&nbsp;Holiday Inn Express and Suites Saugerties, New York, is conveniently located on&nbsp;NYS Thruway Exit 20&nbsp;in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains. Home of Woodstock '94 which was held in our Backyard.&nbsp; There is no minimum night-stay requirement. Bookings must be completed no later than August 13, 2023 to secure a discounted rate. Check-in starts at 3:00pm and check-out is before 11:00am. Guests are responsible for hotel charges. *Please note that the wedding ceremony begins at 4:00pm, and this hotel has a 3:00pm check-in time. Keep in mind that this hotel is about a 10 minute drive from the wedding venue.* Please refer to: "Rocco-Schwartz Wedding" when calling to make this booking to secure the discounted rate. This discounted rate only applies to the night of October 14, 2023. Sorry, pets are not permitted at this hotel!

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Saugerties - Hudson Valley, an IHG Hotel

We do not have a room block for this Bed &amp; Breakfast, but we think this is a really unique place to stay (and it's close-by)! If you love historic and unique places, this is the hotel for you! Experience the rustic simplicity of over a hundred years ago at the Saugerties Lighthouse Bed &amp; Breakfast.&nbsp;Open Thursday through Sunday nights year-round, the bed-and-breakfast is a unique place to relax and enjoy the seasons of the Hudson River Valley. Surrounded by water on a remote shoal, the Lighthouse is reached by walking a gentle half-mile trail. Popular activities include picnicking, bird-watching, fishing, photography, and relaxing by the riverside. There is no air-conditioning in summertime, but the breezy location cools the rooms with the aid of a vintage fan. It is heated in wintertime. Note: Access to the bed &amp; breakfast sometimes floods, but there are communal wellies for guests to use!

Saugerties Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast

We highly encourage guests to seek out unique airbnb's! There are many cool and affordable home rentals in Saugerties, Rhinebeck, Catskills and Woodstock that are worth checking out!

AirBnb (Saugerties or Woodstock Areas)

Hotel/Lodging 

The Town of Saugerties is filled with&nbsp;antiques, boutiques, museums and restaurants. This small town was featured in the New York Times for its adaptable environment and all that it has to offer.&nbsp;Also, Woodstock&nbsp;is a short drive from the venue and is home to many local musicians and artists. In the fall, there is the&nbsp;Garlic Festival and the beautiful Mum Festival. The Garlic Festival has been featured in the "USA Today" as a top regional food festival in the United States. Also, during this time of year, take a walk over the&nbsp;Hudson River&nbsp;and look at the fall foliage. Our wedding will be held on the peak Fall "foliage" weekend in the Hudson Valley.

Woodstock sits at the heart of 700,000 acres of wilderness. The Catskill Park, otherwise known as the Catskill Forest Preserve, is a New York State Park that spans four counties in the state. Teeming with wildlife (like black bears, deer, birds, fish, and even bobcats and cougars), the trails that vein Catskill Park are always a surprise. Most locals in Woodstock love to explore&nbsp;Overlook Mountain, the rounded-topped mountain that looms protectively in the distance. It's the southernmost peak of the Catskill range, capping at more than 3,000 feet. The views, as you can glean from the mountain's name, are stunning.

Hiking in the Catskills

Opus 40 is a large environmental sculpture in Saugerties, New York, created by sculptor and quarryman Harvey Fite. It comprises a sprawling series of dry-stone ramps, pedestals and platforms covering 6.5 acres of a bluestone quarry.

Opus 40

Long before whispers of the 1969 music festival, Woodstock had been eyed as a utopian art colony. In fact, its artsy roots can be traced back as early as the early 1900s.It started with The Byrdcliffe colony, which was founded in 1903 (and still exists today) and was a woodsy retreat where artists were invited to come and simply create. Ever since then Woodstock has been a beacon for the wildly creative. Fun fact: Bob Dylan even had a home at Byrdcliffe. Today, there is no shortage of art throughout the community, whether it's the museums and galleries along Tinker Street (the main drag), the&nbsp;Woodstock Artists Association and Museum, and the classes and seminars visitors can still take at the&nbsp;Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild.

Woodstock Art Galleries

Yes! Our venue is also used as a kayak dock! There are a few kayak rentals in the area, and the views along the creek are beautiful - especially in the Fall!

Kayaking

In the tradition in which it was born, theHudson Valley Garlic Festival™ continues to bea fun celebration of the harvest of what garlic aficionados lovingly refer to as the Stinking Rose. You need to try the garlic icecream!

Hudson Valley Garlic Festival

Come and enjoy the beauty of Fall flowers, view wildlife shows, attend a petting zoo, admire art, and check out the local food and craft vendors. The Mum Queen and Court will also be in attendance! This event is FREE and open to the public.

Saugerties Mum Festival