In Brides of Long Island’s Monthly “Mrs.” series, we profile some of our members’ unforgettable weddings. This month, we spoke with Emily Palleschi about how she changed her venue six months before her wedding date.
(Photo courtesy of Emily Denny Photography)
When Emily Palleschi and her now-husband Jack were quarantined because he got COVID shortly after their engagement, Emily went right to work planning their wedding. Little did she know that about six months before the big day, her original venue would be changing caterers by the time her March 17 wedding date came around. But as luck would have it, not only was another Lessing’s venue available for their date, it was a venue she was happy to have!
A Pandemic Proposal
Emily and Jack met through mutual friends in 2014. They became official in 2015, and got engaged at the end of 2021. Jack proposed inside a terminal at JFK Airport as Emily was coming back from seeing her family in south Florida. “We started our relationship as long distance, and then I moved to New York,” she explains. “I was flying in from seeing my family during the holiday season to come home and spend the holidays with him.” She says it was a really special moment.
While part of the pandemic was in the rearview mirror, cases were ticking back up at the time. Shortly after their engagement, they had an engagement dinner with family, and Jack got COVID. “We were stuck in a bedroom for 10 days, but I never got sick,” Emily says. “I pretty much planned the entire wedding that week!”
(Photo courtesy of Emily Denny Photography)
Venue Swap
Emily says one of the reasons she chose Smithtown Landing Country Club was because they offered an all-inclusive vendor package. In addition, she liked that Lessing’s was the caterer. Since she had everything booked early for their March 17, 2023 wedding, Emily says the planning went very smoothly. That is, until late September, when she found out that Lessing’s would no longer be the caterer at Smithtown Landing as of January 2023. However, she says within days of finding out, and stressing out, Lessing’s contacted her with a list of venues that would be available for her wedding. “I know that Lessing’s is such a credible company that I wanted to keep my contract with them,” Emily says. “And they were really great with the transition.”
Emily says she got really lucky, as there were six different Lessing’s venues available on her date. And what did she choose? “It was a no-brainer when I knew I could just switch over to the Mansion at Oyster Bay (a BOLI preferred vendor).” She says everything she booked was honored at the new venue – including the pricing. Emily adds that she actually really lucked out, as some things that were included at the Mansion at Oyster Bay, such as a groom’s suite and breakfast, were not part of the package at Smithtown Landing. “We saved in a lot of areas [by switching],” she says.
(Photo courtesy of Emily Denny Photography)
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Honoring Her Grandparents
Emily and Jack’s wedding day was very family oriented. Emily’s father was the minister who married them. And her grandparents were their flower girl and ring bearer. “They’re the only set of grandparents that are still alive,” she says. “That was really special to me because I grew up with them in South Florida and I’m really, really close with them.”
A moment that stood out to Emily? “The anniversary dance!” she says. “That was special because I got to see all of the important couples in my life the day of the wedding.” She says she loved standing back with Jack and watching all of the married couples dancing together, eventually leaving her grandparents by themselves – as they have been married the longest.
(Photo courtesy of Emily Denny Photography)
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Keeping Planning Simple
Luck really was on Emily’s side during planning, as well as her big day on St. Patrick’s Day. She says all of her vendors were great, and she was grateful for Absolute Entertainment, a BOLI preferred vendor, for keeping the party going. She does feel planning her wedding during the off season helped a lot with keeping things simple as well.
Emily says what kept her stress level low was not giving herself too many options. “I think the best advice I heard was planning is only as stressful as you make it.” She says it’s important for brides to try and keep the planning simple. “Only include who you need to help you with certain things,” she says. “When you have too many outside opinions, it can really skew how you see your own day.”
(Photo courtesy of Emily Denny Photography)
Vendors:
Venue: The Mansion at Oyster Bay, a BOLI Preferred Vendor
Photographer: Emily Denny Photography
Videography: Park Avenue Studio, a BOLI Preferred Vendor
DJ: Absolute Entertainment, a BOLI Preferred Vendor
Florist: Tom’s Towers Flowers in West Islip, a BOLI Preferred Vendor
Hair: Beauty Mark Spa in Islip, a BOLI Preferred Vendor
Makeup: Beauty Mark Spa in Islip
Invitations: Minted
Dress: Allure #9802 Bridal Suite of Bay Shore
Bridesmaid Dresses: Azazie Kalea Style in Desert Rose
Cake: Cakes by Brittany
Tuxedos: Macy’s
Teeth Whitening: Smile Bar, a BOLI Preferred Vendor
