Nantucket Wedding - Katie & Dan - WellWed - Spring / Summer 2011

{logo design above} betsywhite.com {photography} Claudia Kronenberg {reception site} galley beach

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nantucket, massachusetts

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Just before Thanksgiving in 2009, Katie Cook and Dan Suozzi went out to dinner, eager to spend a little time alone before the holiday festivities began. Katie, however, had no idea that Dan was planning to make this a dinner she would remember forever. A longtime friend of the restaurant’s owner, he had arranged for the room to be empty by the time they finished their meal. After the last of the customers had gone, Dan asked Katie to close her eyes. “He took a ring he had given me, which I wore on my right ring finger, and slipped it onto my left hand, asking, ‘Will you marry me?’” she says. In actuality, while her eyes were closed, Dan switched the inexpensive ring with a diamond engagement ring. “It took me a few minutes to look down at my hand and realize that the proposal was real, at which time I gasped, ‘Yes!’” says Katie. The couple didn’t have to go far to share the good news — Dan had invited their families and friends to a restaurant right next door.

Katie and Dan met through a mutual friend at Duke University, but it wasn’t until they both moved to New York City and found themselves at many of the same social events that they began to date. They agree that their attraction to each other was magnetic and undeniable. “We both knew very early on that we were destined to be married one day,” Katie says simply.

At the beginning of their relationship, Katie traveled to Nantucket with Dan and fell in love with the island. Her mother happened to be looking for a summer rental at the time, and at Katie’s suggestion, she rented a home just outside the main town. Her family has since spent every summer there, so naturally, it was the perfect spot for the wedding. “Throughout our relationship, Nantucket was a place we both loved and had great memories of together,” says Katie.

“We both knew very early on that we were destined to be married one day,” Katie says simply.

Because many of the guests would be traveling long distances to attend, the couple planned three days worth of activities for everyone to enjoy. The groomsmen got a chance to show their competitive sides at a golf match, winning trophies for “Longest Drive,” “Closest to the Pin,” and “Biggest Loser” (for the player with the highest score) — honors they proudly presented at the rehearsal dinner.

Katie’s grandparents were unable to attend the wedding, so the couple made special arrangements for them to “host” a cocktail party that weekend. “We had a photo displayed of their wedding day and handed out candy almonds, which our grandfather always

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Cake: Jodi’s Cakes jodiscakes.com Coordination: Unique Nantucket Events uniquenantucket.com Event Rentals: Placesetters, Inc. placesetters-inc.com Favors: Nico and Lala nicoandlala.com Floral Design: SoirÉe Floral soireefloral.com Hair & Makeup: RJ Miller Salon rjmillersalons.com Invitations: sally fogarty, Parties & Paper

Katie and Dan wanted to make the wedding unique with the clever use of personal details. They had worked carefully with their reverend to select the readings and music, and as they exited the church, Katie’s cousin surprised her by playing the bagpipes. Instead of just a single wedding cake, Katie indulged her powerful sweet tooth by turning the cake table into a decadent dessert bar, complete with jars of candy and delicious cupcakes.

While the wedding went as smoothly as they could have hoped, a few days later, the bride and groom were surprised to receive an e-mail from a wedding crasher. “I’m 72 and my wife is 65,” the e-mail read, “but we were party crashers! I had the opportunity to dance with lots of your beautiful young guests and had a wonderful time. The reception was fantastic, and we wish you and your lovely bride all the happiness in the world.” Looking back, Katie and Dan can’t help but laugh about their uninvited guests. Some celebrations are so much fun, they simply can’t be missed.

Photography: Claudia Kronenberg claudiak.com Reception Site: Galley Beach galleybeach.net Transportation: Cranberry Transportation cranberrytransportation.com Videography: Nantucket Event Media nantucketeventmedia.com

Katie & Dan’s Advice

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gave us as kids and are a tradition at Italian weddings,” says Katie. Katie's godmother also read a poem that her grandfather had read many times to his children and grandchildren.

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