Ali Calamari & Justin Givens
Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York
June 22, 2013
Long before it was acceptable to bring up wedding locations,” screenwriter Ali Calamari, 32, recalls, “I already had my venue picked out—Oheka Castle. I was the girl who planned to walk down the aisle to the Princess Bride theme,” she says. Her boyfriend, Justin, a 31-year-old lawyer, proposed in August of 2012, and Ali got her castle wedding. With 32 guestrooms, the historic Long Island estate was an inspiration for The Great Gatsby, one of the couple’s favorite books and a model for their elegant Jazz Age reception. Among the twenties details were a first-dance fox-trot and an Art Deco wedding cake. Illustrator Coralie Bickford-Smith’s gilded book covers for the Penguin Classics Fitzgerald series inspired the invitations and table numbers. Guests were encouraged to dress in Gatsby-esque attire. “We were nervous that people would get costumey,” says Ali. “But everyone looked stunning. Admiring all the gorgeous beaded gowns and tuxedos was one of my favorite parts of the wedding.”
The Details:
Flowers: In Full Bloom
Catering & cake: Oheka Castle
Dress and headpiece: Jenny Packham
Hair: Michelle St. Darling
Makeup: The House of Makeup
Music: Oh La La and 45 Riots
Invitations: Bella Figura
Photography: Chellise Michael Photography
“Long before it was acceptable to bring up wedding locations, I already had my venue picked out.” Photo: Chellise Michael Photography
“I wanted a twenties-inspired dress with sleeves, and found the Jenny Packham Willow gown through a Google search. I knew immediately that this was it.” Photo: Chellise Michael Photography
“I’m so glad we decided to do a first look before the ceremony, because we were able to take a low-key walk around the castle grounds”instead of stressing over our vows or trying to remember the steps to our first dance.” Photo: Chellise Michael Photography
“We’re both pretty literary, so we wanted antique books involved in the wedding. All of our invitations, save-the-dates, and table numbers were inspired by book covers of Fitzgerald’s work.” Photo: Chellise Michael Photography
“I ended up creating a Pinterest board of Jazz Age outfit inspiration for guests. Thankfully, no one wore a flapper dress.” Photo: Chellise Michael Photography
