Garden Chic: The Love Story
Some wedding venues are discovered. Others have been part of the story all along.
For Bella and Eric, their wedding setting was far more than a beautiful property on the North Fork. The family home had been woven into Bella’s story for as long as she could remember. Her grandparents made their home there, creating a place where generations of family memories would unfold, and where Bella would one day begin a new chapter of her own.
As her relationship with Eric grew, the house became part of their story too. It was the destination of their first trip together, where he met her extended family, and the place Eric would choose for one of their most important moments: his proposal.
When the idea of marrying there came up, it felt instantly right: personal, unexpected and impossible to replicate anywhere else.
A Love Story Years in the Making
Bella and Eric had known of each other for nearly their entire lives without ever really knowing each other at all. They grew up in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, where Bella was close friends with Eric’s younger sister, and their paths crossed countless times without much more than that.
Then, in June 2023, Bella’s sister Andrea ran into Eric at Shop Rite and insisted she reach out to him. A few days later, Bella followed him on Instagram. A few likes and DMs later, they discovered that after years of crossing paths, all they really needed was the right introduction.
The Weekend Begins
The celebration started well before Bella walked down the aisle.
Eric’s family rented a home just half a mile from the wedding property, creating a gathering place for breakfasts, barbecues and time together as friends and family arrived on the North Fork.
The night before the wedding, Eric’s mother, Traci, hosted a welcome party at Bedell Cellars. Guests gathered overlooking the vineyards with local wine and a barbecue dinner that felt perfectly suited to a summer evening on the North Fork.
At the end of the night, a surprise ice cream truck arrived, serving soft serve and giving everyone one last reason to linger. Even a passing lightning storm overhead couldn’t interrupt the mood. In fact, it only added to the magic of the evening.
From Family Home to Secret Garden
Transforming a private home into a wedding venue meant imagining every detail from the ground up. Planner Vita Giannone worked closely with Bella and her mother, Jodi, taking Bella’s vision and considering how it would live within the property, from the placement of the tent and ceremony to the rentals, design and flow of the celebration. For Bella, Vita became an essential part of the process, someone who listened, collaborated and understood exactly what she was trying to create. She brought a sense of ease to the countless moving pieces, allowing Bella and her family to enjoy the experience while knowing every detail was being thoughtfully considered. Together, they transformed familiar spaces into something entirely new, while preserving the beauty and character that made the property so personal to Bella.
The creative direction was beautifully clear: garden chic.
Bella wanted the design to feel at home in its surroundings. Garden roses and calla lilies brought romance to the existing greenery, while cascading amaranthus hung dramatically from the trees, creating the whimsical, almost storybook setting she had envisioned. Olive green, natural wood and earthy tones echoed the landscape, and fairy lights woven throughout gave the garden a soft glow as evening fell.
Perhaps that was what made the transformation so meaningful. Long before anyone imagined a wedding here, Bella’s grandparents had poured years of love and intention into the property. Without knowing it, they had created the setting that would one day become the backdrop to Bella’s own wedding.
Against the softness of the garden, Bella kept her bridal look strikingly clean. Her gown was classic with an architectural edge, featuring sleek boning and symmetry that subtly echoed her emerald cut engagement ring. Her beauty choices were personal too. Caitlyn Macomber had been her mother’s North Fork hairstylist for years, making her an especially meaningful presence that morning. She created Bella’s polished slicked back bun, while Jessica Vetri of Outer Skin Beauty kept her makeup fresh, dewy and “skin forward.”
Eric wore a timeless black tuxedo.
Their goal, Bella says, was to look like a “wedding-cake bride and groom,” and they absolutely nailed it!
Where Generations Came Together
The ceremony unfolded at the back of the property beneath towering trees and surrounded by tall grasses. Wooden fans and sun umbrellas awaited guests, while amaranthus suspended overhead transformed a familiar corner of the property into a hidden garden. As guests settled in, the songs Bella and Eric had chosen for the processional were performed live by a string ensemble. The strings added so beautifully to the whimsical garden atmosphere they were trying to create and it made the ceremony feel incredibly romantic.
One of the most meaningful details was also one of the most personal.
Bella’s grandmother had made her own wedding gown. For Bella’s wedding, the train from that dress was draped over a tree near the ceremony space, creating a quiet connection between two wedding days generations apart. Inside the barn, framed wedding photographs of Bella’s grandparents and other family members continued the story, carrying their family history into another part of the celebration.
Then Bella’s brother Matt stepped forward to officiate.
Neither Bella nor Eric knew what he planned to say. What followed was funny, sentimental and entirely personal, weaving together their relationship, their families and the significance of the property itself. It became one of the most talked about moments of the wedding and one of Bella and Eric’s favorites.
Dinner, Dancing & a Few Surprises
Following the ceremony, guests moved into a grand oval sailcloth tent, where a birch and white checkered dance floor brought a crisp, graphic edge to the softness of the surrounding garden.
Inside, every detail had been considered. Layered linens, carefully chosen tabletop pieces and fluted wood bars added warmth and texture, creating a reception space that felt polished and sophisticated while still beautifully connected to the landscape.
The details throughout the reception revealed more of Bella and Eric’s personalities.
Bella designed much of the wedding paper herself. Table cards paired sleek olive typography with a watercolor fig, a nod to the fig tree her father lovingly tends on the property.
Their signature cocktails were equally personal. The Shady Lemonady, a gin cocktail named for their cat, came complete with an illustration of Shady wearing a tuxedo. For Eric, a Deadhead, the second cocktail could only be the Cherry Garcia.
Then came a guest no one was expecting.
Daffy, a beverage toting donkey, appeared carrying Aperol Spritzes through the celebration. The surprise had been kept so well that even Eric had forgotten she was coming. Daffy quickly became one of the evening’s most talked about arrivals.
Food carried its own connection to Bella’s history on the North Fork. Her family had been going to Lombardi’s for lunch for as long as she could remember, so having them cater the wedding felt particularly personal. Cocktail hour quickly became a competition for favorite bites. The lobster rolls were a hit, but the chimichurri skirt steak tacos had guests actively searching for the next tray. Dinner followed with family style sides, creating the kind of meal that naturally brought everyone together.
For dessert, they skipped the traditional wedding cake.
An oversized tiramisu from North Fork Flour Shoppe took the place of a traditional wedding cake, with Bella and Eric adding the final dusting of cocoa themselves before scooping it into champagne coupes for their guests. Unexpected and interactive, it became one of the most memorable moments of the night and made for some of their favorite photographs.
One of Eric’s defining qualities is his taste in music. We were very excited to have our guests enjoy cocktail hour and dinner playlists that were undeniably him. The songlists were a fun mashup of wedding staples like Etta James’ “At Last” and personal favorites like Jerry Garcia’s “They Love Each Other”.As dinner gave way to dancing, the energy shifted with a mix of DJing and live saxophone and percussion, keeping the checkered dance floor full well into the night.
And when the reception ended, the celebration continued. Pizza and gelato trucks arrived for the after party, bringing a playful, late night finish to the evening.
One Last North Fork Gathering
In the days after the wedding, the pace shifted.
Bella and Eric’s families gathered by the pool and firepit, replaying the weekend and enjoying the kind of unplanned time together that often becomes just as memorable as the events themselves.
They came together for one final group dinner at Minnow. For Bella, it felt like the culmination of the entire weekend and of two families becoming one.
One Quiet Frame
Bella had been drawn to photographer Madison Fender for the editorial, timeless quality of her work. In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Madison took the time to understand not only the photographs Bella and Eric wanted, but how they wanted the day to feel. The result was a gallery that moved between composed portraits and completely unguarded moments.
Of all those images, there is one Bella would frame above the rest.
Taken before the ceremony, Bella and Eric stand alone among the woods and tall grasses, softened by a hazy afternoon light. “It looks like we’re the only two people on earth,” Bella says. “And in that moment, it felt that way.”
It’s the stillness of the photograph that Bella loves most. Before the ceremony began and the property filled with family, music, dinner and dancing, Madison captured the two of them alone in a landscape that had already become such an important part of their story.
For Bella, it’s the photograph that says everything.
A Place Made Their Own
Bella and Eric’s wedding was ultimately defined by the place they chose to have it. Not because it was a traditional venue, but because it wasn’t.
Over one weekend, a familiar family property became something entirely new. Gardens were transformed, dinner unfolded beneath a sailcloth tent, music carried across the lawn and the people closest to Bella and Eric filled a place already rich with meaning.
By the end of the weekend, the property held something it hadn’t before: the garden would return to being the family garden, but it would never feel quite the same again.
Advice from the Bride
For couples considering a private property wedding, Bella’s advice is simple: do it.
“The extra work is part of what makes the end result feel so personal. There’s nothing quite like sharing a place that means so much to you with all of the people you love.”
Her other essential? A planner you trust. A private property celebration comes with countless details that an established venue already has in place, and Bella credits Vita with making those moving pieces feel manageable. Having someone who understood both the vision and the logistics allowed Bella and Eric to enjoy the process rather than be consumed by it.
And for anyone planning an East End wedding, Bella says to embrace the setting rather than compete with it.
“Lean into where you are. Use the local food, work with people who know the area and let the landscape inspire you.”
For Bella and Eric, that approach shaped everything. The North Fork wasn’t simply where they held their wedding. It became part of how they created it.
Reflections from the Planner
When planner Vita Giannone first visited Bella’s family home, she immediately saw its potential. But it wasn’t only the property that stayed with her. She felt an instant connection with Bella’s parents, Jodi and Raphael, and once she met Bella and Eric, everything clicked.
“I instantly felt connected to them and knew this was going to be such a special family to work with,” Vita says. “I was genuinely excited to help bring their vision to life and create a day that felt completely their own.”
Surrounded by lush greenery and rolling farmland, the property already had so much character. Vita began imagining how the landscape itself could shape the celebration, while navigating the considerable planning required to transform a private home into a wedding venue.
A light Tuscan influence emerged naturally from the setting. Beneath the tent, a long serpentine table became a focal point, layered with lush florals, romantic place settings and candlelight.
Figs appeared throughout the design as a nod to the property’s prized fig tree, while a live prosciutto slicing station carried the Italian influence into the menu.
As daylight faded, string lights illuminated the grounds, soft lamplight created intimate moments outside the tent and candlelight warmed the reception from within.
For Vita, the beauty was in creating something extraordinary without losing what made the property so personal to Bella and her family. It is also exactly why she loves private property weddings.
“There is something incredibly rewarding about taking a blank canvas and transforming it into something magical for one unforgettable day. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Vendor Team
Vitas VIntage Events
McBurnie Tent Rental
Riverhead Flower Shop
Lauren Lombardi Events
Party Rental Ltd.
Inspire With Strings
Daffy the Donkey
Madison Fender Photography
JJ Film & Frames
AV Content
NoFo Events
Make Some Noise DJs
Pizza Passeggio
Hampton Hopper
North Fork Flour Shoppe
The Night Before
Bedell Cellars
The Catered Fork
