On Harry and Jessica's wedding website, they gave directions to the sleepy country town of Stuyvesant Falls, New York, and directions to the "powers that be:" there will be "No rain. Absolutely no rain." for their wedding day. Indeed, there had been no rain for 10 hot August days previous to the 13th, with temperatures climbing each day into the humid 80's.

Jess and Harry took those hot days into consideration in the design of their elegant wedding, at the beautiful country home of Jess's parents, Theresa and Todd Parsons. A lemonade stand was set up to greet the guests, under the graceful branches of a century-old beech tree on the front lawn. Paper parasols - in pastel greens, yellows, pinks and purples - were on hand to shield the guests from too much sun.

Guests could easily have imagined themselves in the deep south, so stately and beautiful is the Parson's old manor house and barns, so elegant its lawns, pond, and huge shade trees. Tiki torches lined the pond, and glass lanterns were placed throughout the perennial gardens. On one lawn overlooking the pond, a graceful archway (made of grapevine that Jess's mother had harvested) stood, ready to frame the ceremony. In the reception tent, the tables were set, each with a country bouquet of the summer's bounty: dahlias, cosmos, and garden roses in antique country bottles.

As ominous clouds gathered minutes before the guests were due, you could sense a new energy and spirit gather, too. It was going to rain - absolutely pour - and it was going to be fine. The parasols came in handy for the processional, as the wedding party joined the guests in the reception tent.

The pastor added some flood references to his comments, which were greeted with smiles from Jess and Harry. Not only did the wedding party look stunning, under the branches and white lights that graced the tent's ceiling, but they were surrounded, circled by family and friends, gathered closely together to see them married. The rain was dramatic, but brief. The heat remained, turning the beautiful setting even more dramatic with a white mist rising from the lawns. The deep-south feel of things transformed into a tropical rain forest, with the smell of flowers and the glow of the tiki torches shining through the mist. In this magical setting the guests stayed, and danced to the bluegrass sounds of the Stillwater Partners, late into the night.

Service Providers:

Wedding Planning and Design: Lisa Light, Ltd.
Catering: Bezalel Gables
Rehearsal Photography: Gina Renzi
Wedding Photography: Anya Hitzenberger
Rentals: Columbia Tent
Transportation: Premier Limo and the Hudson Trolley
Hair & Makeup: Patricia Luccardi
Music: Gwen Gould Ensembles, Stillwater Partners, Jtd Productions
Interpreter for the deaf: Sabrina Seeger