Martina & Tito
“Our dog wore a tuxedo for the wedding, and received his own round of applause. ”
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
This month Martina & Tito tell us about their wedding at Full Moon Resort. What started as a whim, became something much more lasting. With plenty of unique touches (check out these fur wraps on the bridesmaids), see how they put together their “rustic-ish” late fall wedding in the Catskills
How did you two meet? Tell us your story
We met each other online, and went on our first date that same evening. I messaged Tito first, even though his profile was essentially blank. I guess I just liked his face.
We agreed to meet at a midtown bar at around 11PM, since we both had stuff to do until late and because I had already assessed that he didn't seem that likely to murder me. Tito was caught on the subway (so he says) and was around 45 minutes late. He kept texting me to get me to stay where I was waiting at a bar. I was nursing "a" glass of red wine, so I was fine to wait. When I finally saw him in person, my first thought was "Oh, it's you. You're early."
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
I was not looking for a serious relationship at that time, so when he came into the bar and I instantly knew he would be a part of my life, I had to do a mental about-face. We clicked right away, having the same sense of humor and lack of appropriate social filter. The bar closed so we pretended we were going to go home, but instead went to another bar and made out for a while. I saw him every other day after that, and then every day. I even took a bus out to nowhere Pennsylvania to stay with him in a dirty casino where he was doing a show (he's a comedian) after like a week of knowing him.
He said "I love you" about 3.5 weeks in because I'm very lovable. He went to see his family for a week, and then I said it when he got back. Marriage was basically a foregone conclusion after that.
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
How was planning? What did you focus on first?
Both of us hate planning. Wedding planning is ultimately very nitpicky and boring.
The band was the most important thing to us. I grew up singing, and Tito played the guitar in high school to try to get girls. (It didn't work.)
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
We watched a million YouTube videos of wedding bands, and SpeechLess was clearly the best of the bunch. We were pretty pumped that they were available on our date. The band is the MOST IMPORTANT part of the wedding. If the band sucks, the wedding sucks. If you have to prioritize anything, prioritize the band.
We [chose] Full Moon Resort in the Catskills. It was like a giant summer camp (even though we got married at the frigid end of November), and all the guests stayed overnight in this absolutely idyllic setting. It allowed us to create our own wedding bubble.
When we toured the place, we knew it was perfect. It wasn't too formal, and their whole property was geared toward people just having fun. They had an onsite dive-bar for the after party. It made things easier that everybody could just stay on the property the whole time. It was a very special place, and their food was amazing.
We got married in a barn, and moved to a pavilion. The whole thing was rustic-ish, with a bit of formality.
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
The ceremony was fantastic. Our officiant was amazing, and made the whole ceremony run perfectly. We wrote our own vows. Tito's were better than mine. We kept trying to kiss each other before we were allowed. Our dog was at the ceremony in a tuxedo, and received his own round of applause. Our flower girl decided to go down the aisle twice.
Our florist, Jim at Elderberry Design and Flowers, really hit it out of the park. I gave him some general vibes and he ran with it, making me seem much better at design than I am.
We missed the Cocktail Hour because we had to take pictures, but I'm told it was great.
The reception was a blast. It was all music and dancing. The band's energy filled the space and everybody danced the whole night. There were no awkward pauses or dull moments. We tried to pick songs that everybody knows, so that people would be excited about dancing to them. We went for cross-generational classics. We just wanted people to have fun. Everybody danced the whole time, so it worked well! Our first dance song and exit songs were particular to us, and I don't think anybody knew them, but guests just stand and watch during those so it doesn't matter.
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
THE SOUNDTRACK
Walked down the aisle to… Here Comes The Sun / The Beatles
Walked back up the aisle to… Million Years / Alex Ebert
First dance song… May I Have This Dance / Francis and the Lights
Father/daughter song… What a Wonderful World / Louis Armstrong
Mother/son song… What a Wonderful World / Louis Armstrong
Photo courtesy of Jamie Levine Photography
THE VENDORS
Venue / Full Moon Resort
Catering / Full Moon Resort
Coordinator / Morgan Keator
Photography / Jamie Levine Photography
Music / SpeechLess
Flowers / Elderberry Design & Flowers
THANK YOU Martina & Tito for sharing your story with us. You guys are hilarious and awesome and it was a blast working with you. Thank you for all your kind words and we know we’ll party with you again soon!
If you are a couple we’ve worked with and would like to be featured, please email booking@speechlessmusic.com
With a culinary background and an eye on etiquette, Peral Farquharson brings every part of her unique identity to her business, Designed by Delsie. Pearl talks to us about the mistakes she sees couples make when planning their wedding, and her take on navigating tricky family dynamics.