Dennis and Chelsea met by chance in January 2017 at a bar called “Time” in Philadelphia. Chelsea was there for one night only visiting a friend from college. Dennis had just arrived one week earlier from Germany to begin a semester as a visiting researcher. When Chelsea saw Dennis standing alone and looking a bit lost, she approached him and introduced herself. They hit it off, and she told him “If you’re ever in NYC, let me know.” He came to visit the next weekend!
Chelsea and Dennis got engaged in November 2020 during a scenic helicopter flight landing on Block Island, RI. With the gorgeous Mohegan bluffs towering above them, he proposed at the foot of the 140 steps leading down to the beach. Keep scrolling to see all of the incredible photos by Barrie Anne Photography of their wedding at Wolffer Estate. And make sure to click here for the full gallery of photos that you won’t want to miss!
Choosing a winery means they can come back and visit these memories whenever they want
When planning their wedding, Chelsea and Dennis knew that they wanted to get married somewhere outdoors that would be a fun destination for their guests to visit from near and far. They decided the perfect venue which incorporated all of their desires would be Wolffer Estate, a place where they had spent many leisurely summer nights in East Hampton drinking wine in the vineyard.
The estate lent itself to the yellows, blues, and whites of a Mediterranean vibe
Chelsea planned the wedding with the help of her mother Joan and taking inspiration from the Mediterranean. The main estate building at Wolffer is yellow with blue shutters, and it reminded Chelsea of a relaxed summer in Tuscany. In order to make the decor feel airy and light, Chelsea chose to incorporate hanging basket lighting (courtesy of Ambient Lighting) inspired by a trip to the Cyclades in Greece. She sourced hand-painted blue and white tiles which were used as place settings for guests.
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Citrus tones were the perfect Mediterranean pops of color in the florals
For florals, the bride chose to have florist, Roses & Rice, use coral, peach, and citrus tones to evoke the sweet beginning of summer and to serve as a complement to the blue and white decor. Blue candle sticks were paired with white matte ceramic candle holders, a representation of the white stucco buildings Greece is known for. As a favor, the couple gave mini bottles of limoncello inscribed with “Salute” – a nod to Chelsea’s Italian heritage.
The ceremony was personalized start to finish, from the music to the vows
The couple had a Jewish ceremony in the vineyard, officiated by Rabbi Stein of the Jewish Center of the Hamptons. The couple walked up the aisle to one of their favorite songs, “Better Together” by Jack Johnson, and shared their own personal vows with one another in front of their 160 guests from around the world.
Everything was in the details, including custom cocktails and hand-painted tiles
During cocktail hour, local favorites were served, including mini lobster rolls, fish tacos and oysters. Leading up to the wedding, the couple took dance lessons together in preparation for their performance of a choreographed first dance to Frankie Vallie’s, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” Later in the night, Chelsea’s parents, who were also married in June, shared a lovely dance to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.
This wedding was the epitome of “summer in a bottle”
Chelsea and Dennis could not have imagined a more perfect evening. While there were moments leading up to the wedding where they perhaps wished they had hired a wedding planner, it was so rewarding to see everything come together as they had envisioned, and they did not regret a thing. After a challenging two years, they felt very lucky to spend a beautiful evening surrounded by their closest friends and family.
