Wedding | Coco & Grant

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We’ve known each other for half our existence, having first met in high school. After years of long distance between New York, D.C. and London, we finally settled in Brooklyn, where we've built a life surrounded by the best collection of people from every stage of our lives.

We both come from production backgrounds and thought planning a wedding would be fairly straightforward. Of course, it wasn’t, but it introduced us to talented vendors, gave us an excuse to spend more time upstate, and became a way to celebrate a relationship and community we’re endlessly grateful for.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

We’re lucky to spend a lot of time in the region with family and friends, especially in Hillsdale, and it felt special to collaborate with many of the local spots we already love.

We’ve also spent a lot of our lives on Amtrak. I grew up riding it between my parents’ homes, and it carried us through years of back-and-forth until one day on that same station bench, we decided it was finally time to live in the same place. So watching our friends step off the 6:46 pm train and cross the street to The Caboose on Friday night felt like a full-circle moment in the best way.

How many guests did you have?

Just under two hundred, more than half family, with many traveling from overseas. We were amazed that nearly everyone we invited came. It felt overwhelming in the best way.

Tell us about your outfits.

For Friday, I wore a vintage 2013 Calvin Klein runway piece I found on eBay after a last-minute dress hiccup. For Saturday, Olivia Deur created a beautiful gown and cape. And it helps to have an incredibly talented designer in your orbit when you need major alterations a week out — thank you, Paul Burgo. I also found a spectacular Sandy Liang sequin mini dress to wear after the reception.

Grant wore a brown Amomento suit on Friday and a custom double-breasted Martin Greenfield suit with a Bode shirt and tabi loafers on Saturday. Everything came together pretty last-minute by wedding standards, but you’d never know. 

What was the most important aspect of planning your wedding?

The guest experience was important, and so was not overspending on the small stuff. We wanted the weekend to feel thoughtful and welcoming, with affordable accommodation options, smooth transportation, and food everyone could enjoy. There were moments when it felt like the wedding had gotten away from what we’d originally envisioned, but a last-minute weather shift gave us permission to trust our instincts. We moved our ceremony to Friday night, where the sun set as we shared our vows surrounded by loved ones who quite literally encircled us. That change created a long, relaxed celebration on Saturday, tornado warnings included.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

Friday happened to be my grandmother Audrey’s 91st birthday, and we wanted to make sure she knew this was her celebration too. She’s so beloved by our community that we named each bar after her and served birthday cake.

The shift in ceremony plans made everything feel spontaneous and intimate. One of the dearest people in our lives officiated, and my childhood best friend and Grant’s dad ushered us down the aisle with their harp and flute. We finished our vows in complete darkness, having dropped Grant’s ring amid the shuffle of lamps and journals. We were so happy. And somehow, Elle and Zach from Kindred captured it all to perfection.

One of the highlights was a slideshow of home movies and photos projected over the dance floor, interwoven with clips from our favorite films (think Father of the Bride & 2001: A Space Odyssey). It was emotional to see our younger selves and relatives who are no longer with us in that space. It felt like little Coco and Grant, and our late grandparents, were right there with us.

Any tips for couples getting married? 

Don’t overthink the small details (we can’t remember what the napkins looked like). Laugh when things go sideways and try to stay present. We were a lot less anxious than we anticipated when the weekend arrived, and our joy ended up setting the tone in the best way.

Are there any vendors you’d like to tell us more about?

We were helped by so many wonderful people.

The food, drinks, outfits, HMUA, florals, and design were tremendous, and the photos by Kindred speak for themselves.

And while they’re not vendors, our family and friends deserve their own spotlight. Ten of them baked cakes to cover every dietary and flavor preference imaginable. Lilly and Anna Sophia organized every engagement and bridal detail under the sun. Grant’s twin and brother-in-law built our website. My co-founder at Metamorphosis, Chelsea, finessed all the design details with Grant, using Antonia Figueiredo's beautiful artwork.

There are countless others we could thank. Our people showed up in the most profound ways, from every walk of life and all over the map. They deserve a novel of 'Thank You's.'

Photographer: Kindred Weddings @kindredweddings | Planning: Good Graces Events @goodgracesevents | Florals & Styling: Kinda Formal @kindaformal | Friday (Ceremony) Location: The Caboose @thecaboosehudsonny | Friday Afters: Half Moon Hudson @halfmoonhudson | Saturday (Reception) Location: Taconic Ridge Farm @taconicridgefarm | Saturday Afters: Park House 1893

@parkerhouse1893 | Officiant: Abigail Glasgow | Rentals: Columbia Tent @columbiatentrentals | Makeup: Christine Cherbonnier @christinecherbonnier | Hair: Annie Montgomery Rush @anniemontgomeryrush | Saturday Catering: Promises Kept @promiseskepthvny | Saturday Bar Team: Hemlock @hemlockcatskill | Cake: made by family friends | Artwork: Antonia Figueiredo @af.illustrations | Design Elements: Metamorphosis @metamorphosis.thecollective | Website: David & Isabel – 77 Project | Friday Entertainment: Nathan Aguilar @nathan__aguilar | Saturday Entertainment: Dart Collective @dartcollective | Friday Dress Set: Vintage 2013 Runway Calvin Klein @calvinkein from @ebay | (Sat) Reception Gown & Cape: Olivia Deur Couture @olivia_deur_couture | Reception Second Look: Sandy Liang @sandyliang | Groom Looks: (Friday) Amomento suit @shop_amomento, (Saturday) Martin Greenfield Clothiers @greenfieldsuits & Bode @bode | Painted Ring Box: Chelsea Galinos

@chelsea_galinos