by Kerry Wilkie
Photos by Santa Cruz Photography
There are certain nights you dream about while building a brand, and then there are nights that exceed every expectation you ever had for it. The official hamptonBRIDE Montauk Launch Party at The Montauk Yacht Club was one of those moments for us.
When we created hamptonBRIDE, our vision was always bigger than simply building a wedding platform. We wanted to create a true community for the East End wedding industry. A space where vendors could collaborate, where creativity could be celebrated, and where couples could discover the incredible talent that exists out here. Looking around the room that night and seeing over one hundred wedding professionals gathered together on the waterfront in Montauk felt incredibly surreal.
From the very beginning, we knew we did not want this launch party to feel like a typical networking event. Couples today are craving experiences, especially when it comes to wedding weekends, and we wanted hamptonBRIDE to create our own elevated interpretation of that energy. The entire evening was intentionally designed to feel immersive, interactive, and memorable from the moment guests arrived.
The setting could not have been more perfect. The Montauk Yacht Club gave us the most beautiful coastal backdrop imaginable, while Alba Spiaggia introduced guests to signature cocktails and bites that immediately set the tone for the evening. There was this effortless elegance throughout the property that made everyone instantly settle into the experience.
One of the biggest highlights for us was watching guests walk into the Welcome Market designed by NOFO Events founder Danielle Danowski. She completely understood our vision from the start. We wanted guests to feel like they were stepping into the beginning of a luxury wedding weekend, where every detail felt personal, elevated, and thoughtfully curated.
The market quickly became one of the most photographed moments of the night. Guests explored shelves filled with beautiful East End finds from Montauk Hair Co., Jamagansett, Amagansett Sea Salt, Dearly Beloved, Color Our Town, Eccentric Bagel, Angelbaked NYC, Dylan’s Candy Bar, The Treatery, East End Sticker Vend, and custom hamptonBRIDE merchandise woven throughout the display.
One moment that truly stood out was seeing everyone completely starstruck over Abbey Kowalec of Angelbaked NYC. Guests were genuinely fan-girling over her intricate hand-painted Montauk-inspired cookies. Knowing that Abbey has created edible art for iconic brands like Cartier and Dior made having her at our launch feel even more special. Her cookie collection quickly became one of the most talked-about details of the evening.
The experiential moments throughout the night kept unfolding everywhere guests turned. Hamptons Ink arrived with their tattoo bus and gave guests a permanent memory from the event, while Sadie Bean Designs engraved luggage tags live throughout the evening. Dylan’s Candy Bar created a nostalgic candy display that instantly brought everyone back to childhood, and Dearly Beloved debuted the most beautiful branded gelato cart complete with custom spoons, signage, and four incredible gelato flavors.
Another standout detail was Hampton Ice, whose custom ice sculpture and crystal-clear filtered ice elevated every cocktail experience throughout the evening. It was one of those details guests constantly stopped to photograph.
The atmosphere was then tied together so beautifully by Laurel Florals, the Montauk-based floral studio whose whimsical coastal floral installations completely transformed the space. Every arrangement felt soft, elevated, and perfectly reflective of the East End aesthetic that continues to inspire so many weddings here. Musician Evan Miller completed the ambiance with acoustic renditions that created exactly the kind of relaxed but elevated energy we hoped guests would feel throughout the night.
Capturing every moment of the evening were AV Content Ltd. and Santa Cruz Photography, whose teams documented the night beautifully through candid moments, layered details, and the energy that unfolded naturally throughout the event. Having creative partners who understood how to capture the feeling of the evening was incredibly important to us.
One of the most meaningful parts of the evening for us was officially announcing the launch of the hamptonBRIDE Podcast, now streaming on Spotify and hosted by seasoned East End photographer Janelle Brooke. The podcast is something we are incredibly excited about because it gives us another platform to spotlight the people, stories, creativity, and conversations shaping the East End wedding industry.
We are also incredibly grateful to Dan’s Papers, The Montauk Sun, and DJ Chef of Eats & Beats for covering the event and helping us share the energy of the evening beyond The Montauk Yacht Club. Having the support of media and creators who genuinely understand the East End community made the night feel even more meaningful.
Most of all, we wanted this night to feel like a celebration for the vendor community itself. So many of these professionals spend the wedding season making sure everyone else feels taken care of, and we loved having the opportunity to create an evening where they could simply show up, experience something beautiful, and feel celebrated themselves before the season officially begins.
Watching everyone connect, laugh, photograph details, and genuinely enjoy themselves reminded us exactly why we started hamptonBRIDE in the first place and reinforced the kind of community we are continuing to build together across the East End.
