Real Wedding: Tami & PJ
Pittsford, New York
Artist: Greg Kalamar, Band: Soul System, Cake: Premier Pastry, Catering: Joe Prattico, Gown: Priscilla of Boston, Lighting Balloon Effects International
For the lucky few, love at first sight is more than a myth, it’s a reality. Tami Moat and PJ Wilmot knew they had encountered something exciting after catching glimpses of each other at a pub where Tami worked during college. PJ came in one night with some friends, tired from playing golf at a nearby country club and not expecting to meet the love of his life. “We hit it off instantly, and upon his return a week later we began dating,” says Tami. Turns out love at first sight runs in families; PJ’s parents had met years earlier in a bar right down the street.
It was only a matter of time before the couple took the plunge with an engagement. On vacation in Naples, Florida, for PJ’s birthday, the couple was strolling the beach together hand in hand when PJ noticed a perfect sand dollar at their feet: “I knew this was my moment, so as Tami bent down to pick up the sand dollar, I quickly fell on one knee and proposed.” Tami accepted, giving PJ the best birthday gift he could ever imagine. They left to go on a sunset cruise to the Gulf of Mexico that evening, and “Many hugs, kisses, tears, and champagne were shared by all,” says PJ.
Both Tami and PJ knew they wanted to be married in New York and could think of no better place than PJ’s parent's country home in Pittsford. “Growing up, it was always a place where all were welcome and felt instantly at home. This is the same experience we wanted for our guests on our wedding day,” says Tami. The couple chose to hold the celebration under a tent in a beautiful open field on the property, with a romantic color scheme of pale yellow, coral, and pinks.
As the sun shone in, Tami walked down a beautiful aisle scattered with yellow and white rose petals, with a monogram “W” at the altar created with white rose heads. The white petals had been placed underneath the yellow, causing them to be whimsically revealed as the bridal party walked. Carrying on with the monogram theme, guests sipped from monogrammed water bottles and also tried peach Bellini cocktails, the bride’s favorite. Perhaps the guests’ most memorable element of the ceremony was a tree that the bride and groom had inscribed with their initials, encircled with a heart.
As guests approached the reception, they were welcomed with vintage windowpanes that held the escort cards as well as vignettes of natural elements and flowers. “It was as if items were pulled out of their family home. It made for a welcome setting for the guests,” says Tami. Friends and family relaxed in a shabby-chic lounge area with sofas and vintage coffee tables, and the dance floor was surrounded by a frame covered in curly willow. The couple also chose to hang flickering star lanterns above the dance area, making the guests feel as if they were dancing directly under the stars.
As the sun set over the field, chandeliers cast a romantic glow and candlelight shone on the wedding party’s long harvest table, which had tall floral arrangements dripping with natural grasses, amaranthus, English garden roses, hydrangea, and pheasant feathers from the property. Soon, guests were surprised with an enchanting fireworks display bursting overhead, something the couple had been particularly excited about. At the end of the evening, the newlyweds left the celebration surrounded by thousands of twinkling lights strung in the trees and along the grounds, but they made sure to savor the moment before leaving. “This was a magical moment for PJ and me. We lingered there for what seemed like hours before we walked the short distance home hand in hand to start the next chapter in our lives.”