Jamie Siskin and Andrew Goldstein's Wedding
Jamie Siskin and Andrew Goldstein met at an upscale burger joint in 2011–over a decadent truffle burger. She had grown sour on truffles after a bad experience a few years earlier; he was a burger savant (and a member of the Gotham Burger Social Club, a monthly patty-reviewing collective) and committed to helping her expand her already adventurous palate. One delicious bite and she was hooked–countless emails were exchanged, foodie adventures enjoyed and after endless experimental burgers later, Andrew proposed.
This would be and was the perfect New York first date–except, that infamous first burger was a prop burger and the impromptu meet-cute was a staged demo for a food segment. Yes, even a stunt burger left over from a demo can be topped with rich, truffley goodness. The burger demo was Jamie's first shoot as a food publicist (she's now the VP of digital and culture for downtown food and lifestyle PR firm, BeccaPR) and potentially Andrew's millionth–he was seasoned TV writer and producer with credits ranging from MTV's Boiling Points to countless food shows to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Their instant chemistry and a job switch that left Andrew in need of endless food talent to book for a new morning show had them emailing daily, and after a successful second shoot, it was an equally-indulgent celebratory burger at The Spotted Pig that sealed the deal. After four years of dating, moving in together and a puppy named Dusty, Andrew proposed on the beach in Westhampton, in front of Jamie's parents home, almost a year ago today. "It was just us, and it was perfect," the bride recalled.
John Dolan
A wedding in the Hamptons, where they got engaged and spent their summers, seemed the perfect fit. And finding a location that was equal parts modern, chic and flexible for the area's temperamental weather proved easier than they anticipated. "We watched [The Parrish Art Museum] go up over the past few years and immediately fell in love with the incredible architecture, the landscape and the vineyard it's set on. We loved that our guests were going to be able to explore the museum during cocktail hour and that the terrace was perfect for our reception–rain or shine," Jamie explained. "Our ceremony site was perfectly situated under the [museum's] geometric pillars and looked out over the vineyard. We knew it was the place we wanted to get married the second we saw it." The reception space at the museum was a blank slate in the middle of a rustic vineyard–it was "dramatic, earthy and natural–while also being minimalist and modern." Without having to pipe and drape and add stereotypically event-esque touches to the space to make it work for them, the couple was sold.
Jamie's mother, Jane Siskin, has been in fashion for decades and most recently launched the it-girl favorite contemporary womenswear line, Cinq à Sept. Once Jamie had chosen her Monique Lhuillier gown, there was no one better to design the bridesmaids dresses and the MOH dress than her mother. "We chose blush to compliment the blush tones of [my] bridal gown, and as a reference to [my] rose gold engagement ring," the bride said. The design team at Cinq à Sept also made a lace top to go over the Jamie's gown for the ceremony, which she accessorized with Tabitha Simmons shoes, and her rehearsal dinner dress, which is pictured above. For the big day, the mother of the bride selected a printed look from Temperley London, with touches of all the colors in the wedding's blush, indigo and ivory palette.
John Dolan
John Dolan
John Dolan
The ceremony at the museum turned out to be their second. "We got married legally on Friday, at the Town Hall in Westhampton, and one of Andrew's oldest friends from summer camp, Michael Landsburg, performed the Jewish ceremony on Sunday. (Fun fact: Internet-ordained ministers cannot legally perform marriage ceremonies in Suffolk County). The service at The Parrish was celebratory, light and fun," explained the couple. Underneath a Putnam & Putnam-decorated floral arch overlooking the vineyards, the couple exchanged vows in their Jewish ceremony. As a mid-ceremony surprise, in addition to the tradition of sharing wine from a kiddish cup, their friend and officiant presented the couple with a chocolate chip cookie (an ode to their favorite snack) for them to each take a bite of as not only a religious union, but a union that was unique to them as a couple.
John Dolan
The details outside of the menu were not lost on the couple, who each specialize in planning and producing events and shoots to the very last detail. Working with superstar vendors was the first step–the couple enlisted Duke + Van Deusen to help them orchestrate the affair and Putnam & Putnam for jaw-dropping design that brought the lush outdoors in seamlessly–and then some. Invites were crafted with Bella Figura, with deep navy calligraphy by Sarah Hanna. Invites were edged in rose gold foil–another call to Jamie's ring. Menus and escort cards were packaged with craft paper, a nod to the couple's desire for a truly laid-back vibe with a sophisticated polish.
John Dolan
Another move that drove home an easygoing feel was the couple's choice in photographer John Dolan, who employs a more documentary, candid and genuine style of shooting than most classic wedding-day shooters. A focus on the intimate moments shared between the couple and with their family and friends kept the photos of the wedding as true to the moments they captured as possible–without fluff, fuss or force. An impromptu photo session with John during their cocktail hour helped Jamie and Andrew capture moments that still felt effortless and easy rather than uncharacteristically posed.
John Dolan
John Dolan
Food, understandably, was of utmost importance–as was the overall experience for the couple and their guests. The pressure was on–with their both loving and working in food–for the event to deliver on style and taste. The Putnams created one-of-a-kind indigo table linens and napkins as well as the ribbon that tied the bride's bouquet in collaboration with Erin Considine. "Our overall goal was making our guests feel comfortable and enabling them to have as much fun as possible–so we removed anything that we felt could be interpreted as formal or fussy, Jamie said. Low centerpieces to encourage conversation and keep tables feeling intimate as well as minimal silverware and stemless glasses kept the vibe laid-back. Small restaurant-like touches, like a communal bread basket and family style side dishes were used to keep guests feeling like they were dining at one of the couple's favorite NYC spots–or at the best version of one of their at-home dinner parties.
John Dolan
John Dolan
The goal of the cocktail and dinner menu was comfort and fun–and meeting the expectations of the guests who were all too excited to eat the food Jamie and Andrew loved. "We immediately fell in love with Sonnier & Castle's food and their incredibly beautiful, yet simple presentations," Jamie explained. "We went way over the top with the menu"–which included nostalgic hors d'oeuvres like upscale buffalo chicken meatballs, all-beef pigs in a blanket and truffled baked potatoes, a tuscan table of breads, veggies, charcuterie and spreads at cocktail hour and a seated dinner of fall burrata salad, short rib and/or black bass paired with irresistible sides and a dessert array of cookies and wedding cake peppered with nostalgic touches like a snowball dessert with marshmallow fluff and a brownie parfait. "We wanted there to be something for everyone," said the couple. They considered their menu an "end of summer" celebration, and themed the menu as such. At the cocktail hour, guests were welcomed with a drink–a choice of either an Aperol Spritz or a cold rosé.
John Dolan
John Dolan
Cocktail hour in the gallery setting, a reception on the terrace and an after party in the theatre allowed the couple to create limitless food experiences for their guests. "For dinner, we opted for French service, having servers offer each guest a bit of fish and/or short rib and had all side dishes served family style. For dessert, in addition to wedding cake (which was made by my pastry school classmate and decorated by Putnam & Putnam) we had the folks from Dreesen's Donuts (an East Hampton favorite) frying fresh donuts inside of the party. They also had a truck parked outside for guests to take some donuts home," said the bride. The most fun food, however, was during the after party—"Andrew is from Philadelphia, so Philly-style soft pretzels were shipped in and passed around the dance floor, in addition to mini Shake Shack-style burgers, mini bacon, egg & cheese sandwiches on biscuits and French toast sticks."
To bring warmth and a lush feel into the minimalistic gallery space, the couple enlisted Putnam's help to deck the space with blooms and whimsical touches. A floral installation floated over the dance floor, and arches of blooms were placed at key entry points to the venue. A hand-cut indigo, white and metallic silver paper fringe background in the same palette as their linens was hung for a photo booth, which was flanked by vintage lounge furniture from Rent Patina. For the after party, disco ball clusters of all different sizes were installed over the dance floor for a focal point in the Parrish's theatre.
John Dolan
Music, in addition to the menu, was incredibly important to the couple for an even more sentimental reason. The groom's late father, Louis Goldstein was a sax player in a wedding band by night and a forensic psychologist by day. For the couple's first dance, Andrew had a 20+ year old recording of his dad playing Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are" remastered. "The band played the recording through the end of Louis' sax solo and then picked up and took over. It was perfect." The band, City of Six of Generation Events, played for the rest of the night and kept the entire room on their feet: "they are the most incredible band I've ever heard (but I'm obviously biased)–everyone was up dancing the entire night," the bride recalled.
John Dolan
John Dolan
The.End.
Carrie Goldberg is HarpersBAZAAR.com’s Weddings & Travel Director. She oversees the site’s BAZAAR Bride channel, travel & dining content, and styles fashion and bridal editorials for BAZAAR.com. When she’s not traveling, she spends her free time in her hometown–New York City–where there is no shortage of new places to shop, eat, drink, see and explore.
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