THE CEREMONY: Amanda is Jewish, so the couple incorporated Jewish traditions into their 5:30 p.m. ceremony, including the signing of the ketubah and the stomping of the glass. The bride’s 2-year-old nephew was the ring bearer. “He was not very willing,” Colin says. “He was throwing a tantrum.” Amanda’s two grandmothers and Colin’s paternal grandmother were the flower girls. “They practiced walking a long distance [before the wedding] because they didn’t want to use a walker or cane,” Amanda says. “They were really excited. I think they felt honored.”
THE THEME: Amanda chose an under-the-sea-themed wedding, something she had wanted since she was a child. They had a steel drum band and a sushi bar at the cocktail hour. Blue waving lights shimmered on the ballroom walls during the reception, which also featured a shipwreck bar. Their blue and white cake was topped with coral-shaped frosting.
THE RECEPTION: Amanda’s uncle defused the political tension by hiring a Donald Trump impersonator to surprise the couple and their guests at the reception. “The DJ made an announcement that President Trump was coming into the ballroom,” Colin says. The impersonator entered the ballroom to “Pomp and Circumstance” with two “secret service” agents in tow. “Everyone was able to have a laugh about it,” Colin says. After a night of dancing, including the hora, a circle dance typical to Jewish celebrations, the couple and their guests snacked on grilled cheese sandwiches from a Big Cheese food truck parked outside the hotel.
THE HONEYMOON: The couple spent 10 days in Rhodes, Greece. After five days of exploring ruins and tasting local olive oil and wine, they rented a car and drove to Lindos for swimming, scuba diving and horseback riding on the beach. “As soon as the horses went in the water they thought it was time to play,” Amanda says. “My horse decided to roll over.” The guides told Amanda to keep calm and stay on the horse, but she was spooked. “I jumped off.”
VENDORS: Bridal gown alterations, Rose Custom Tailor; cake, catering and dessert table, Trump International Hotel; ceremony music, String Theory; cocktail hour music, Oasis Island Sound; flowers, Amaryllis Floral & Event Design; hair and makeup, Kristina Kelley; invitations and programs, Sincerely Yours; lighting, Digital Lightning; photobooth, Parti Pics Photo Booths; photographer, Michael Bennett Kress Photography; reception music, The Source; videographer, Bowen Films; wedding planner, Michele Hodges.
