1. Real Weddings

Danielle & Gregory: A Formal Wedding in Bronx, NY

After first meeting as high-schoolers, Greg Shalov proposed to Danielle Bockman on a trip to Napa Valley, sneaking her off to an isolated corner of on

After first meeting as high-schoolers, Greg Shalov proposed to Danielle Bockman on a trip to Napa Valley, sneaking her off to an isolated corner of one of the vineyards for a picnic. A shocked and delighted Danie, as Greg calls her, accepted, and they set a wedding date about eleven months away. THE BRIDE Danielle Bockman THE GROOM Greg Shalov THE DATE June 25 Danielle Bockman and Gregory Shalov first met while vacationing (separately, of course) in the Dominican Republic. They were delighted to find that they were both were high school students in New York, she at Riverdale Country School and he at The Dalton School. They exchanged phone numbers and managed to keep in touch for a few months, but the immediate demands of their high school lives prevented them from talking often and their friendship gradually faded. Incredibly, fate gave them another chance. One year later, back on spring break, they again met while vacationing separately, this time in the Turks and Caicos Islands. This time, both very happy to have found each other again, they kept in touch. After high school, they each headed to college in Ohio, she at Kenyon College and he at Oberlin College, where they maintained their relationship. They returned to New York after graduating, and Danielle began law school while Greg pursued a career in leveraged buyouts. Danielle was swamped with the workload of a first year law student but had the support of both of their families. We are so lucky, she says, because Greg's mom loves to plan and she is very good at it. She would do all the research and then let us choose what we liked -- it was wonderful.

The Bridal Bouquet
The Bridesmaid Looks
Cocktails were served on the terrace, where summer breezes wafted scents from the garden over the guests.
The Couple
The couple laughs that the most difficult part of preparing for their wedding was the series of dance classes that had been given to Danielle as a birthday gift. We can't dance, says Greg, and so after a couple of classes we decided that we would concentrate on learning just one song for our first dance, to Harry Connick Jr. singing 'It Had to Be You.' They practiced in their small, one-bedroom apartment, their spins a bit more restrained than they were on the dance floor, until they had the routine perfected.
Finding a wedding dress was a similar cinch. Danielle says, I always knew I wanted a Vera Wang wedding gown, ever since I was little and I would walk by the salon in New York. She finally visited the salon as a bride with her mother and her future mother-in-law, and found the dress of her dreams that very same day.
The ceremony was planned to be outdoors at Wave Hill, and the couple knew that they needed to decide whether a tent should be erected. We watched the Weather Channel constantly for a week before the wedding day, Greg admits. Early reports were iffy, but Danielle stubbornly refused to consider setting up a tent so certain was she that it would not rain on her wedding day. She was right. The weather was gorgeous, warm and clear, perfect for an open-air ceremony. The service, performed by a judge, was not religious but did include traditions from Greg's Jewish family background: He stepped on a glass at the end of the ceremony, and he wore a yarmulke pinned inside his tuxedo. The couple exchanged the vows they had written for each other.
The Couple
The Escort Cards
The Reception Decor
Danielle and Gregory's biggest decision, of course, was choosing a site for the ceremony and reception. Both wanted to be married in a garden setting but found the city's two big botanical gardens to be too impersonal. Then they visited Wave Hill in the Bronx and fell in love. The historic mansion is close to Danielle's old school, is full of charm and warmth, and is surrounded by lovely gardens and views of the Hudson River.
Afterward, everyone retreated into the mansion for dinner and dancing as the sun set. Tables were identified not by numbers but by different types of herbs, with sprigs of the corresponding plants tucked into napkins and pressed herbs adorning the table markers.
The Cake