Years after Cara Cara Head Designer Dana Greechan and Patrick Menter decided to part ways after a relationship in college, fate drew them back together, when they bumped into each other on the Times Square subway platform during rush hour in 2018. “We took the long road to each other, fitting because I always preferred the scenic route,” she smiles.
Four years later, Patrick proposed—he was in a tux, while she was in a towel. “We had plans for dinner that night, and I, of course, was running late from work. Pat arrived at my apartment while I was still in the shower and couldn’t wait any longer so he popped the question immediately when I got out,” Dana laughs.
“We both have family connections to Montauk, so it felt like the perfect place to bring everyone together,” she explains of her wedding’s location. “For the aesthetic, we both love Wes Anderson movies and we were just completely inspired by The Grand Budapest Hotel in particular.” The couple chose The Church of St. Therese of Lisieux for the day-of. Jack & Grace Events planned the weekend out East, and Isabelle Selby Photography captured it all on camera.
The bride donned three equally elegant looks on her wedding day. “The theme for the wedding was ‘whimsical Wes Anderson with a classic twist.’ I channeled my grandmother’s duchess satin wedding dress and pillbox hat veil and wore vintage gloves,” Dana notes. The bride wore Gigi Burris’s Laura hat and Bandanna veiling—the perfect combo of vintage and contemporary flair—with a Jesus Peiro dress. Alexandre Birman shoes completed the ceremony ensemble.
London designer Hermione de Paula created her second look. Dana stunned in a third and final look for the after-party—a vintage 1970s sequin shift that she found at Deep Blue Vintage in Montauk.
Dana designed custom Cara Cara dresses of different styles for her wedding party. “It was a whimsical multi-print that is one of my favorites from the collection. I made a cummerbund and bowtie in the same print for my bridesman, Sam,” she shares. Patrick and his brothers—“best man” and “better man”—matched in sharp black tuxedos complemented by Tom Ford bow ties.
On June 10, 2023, Dana and her bridesmaids popped Champagne in Petite Plume robes while Divina Vargas applied the bride’s bold red lip and styled her hair into relaxed waves. Then, Dana locked arms with her father and met Patrick before the altar. “I know for both of us, we felt nothing but gratitude for each other and for all our friends and family who gathered on that day to support us and all of those who have shown us love and support in the past and for those who will in the future,” she recalls.
Following the ceremony, everyone happily tossed flower petals as the newlyweds escaped in a vintage Ford Bronco to the Montauk Brewing Co. for a quick sip. The next stop was the bluff for a photo op before Harvest—Dana’s favorite restaurant—and a brief stroll on the dock with cameras rolling, of course.
Once they arrived at 360° East at Montauk Downs, the couple shared a few final moments alone ahead of the reception in a faux hotel lobby complete with trolleys and luggage, befitting of The Grand Budapest Hotel theme. “We created a vintage living room with the help of my family and planner. We worked in photos of our family as a surprise,” the bride explains. Guests were met with vintage hotel keys with custom tags that served as place cards—a nod to the groom’s family business.
During cocktail hour, everyone enjoyed a raw bar and a vintage photo booth, as local musician Annie Trezza added to the ambiance of it all. Along with a custom invitation suite, JH Mintz also created sweet cocktail napkins that featured the couple’s Bernedoodle.
Inside the reception space, beautiful custom tablecloths draped the tables. “I made custom linens out of the whimsical green print. I was very happy with how they turned out. Strawberry Fields did an amazing job with the flowers and transforming the room,” Dana shares. “[We] wanted to keep everything green like a whimsical forest.” In place of a guest book, guests left personal messages on a vintage telephone.
Dana and Patrick shared their first dance to “I Hope That I Don’t Fall in Love with You” by Tom Waits. Soon after, everyone joined in, and the party began. “My all-time favorite, the David Higgins Band, kept everyone dancing all night. Montauk Brewery beers were on tap, and everything from oysters, clams, and shrimp to hot pretzels and grilled cheeses provided the dancing fuel throughout the night,” the bride recalls. Montauk-favorite DJ Biggie de Black Rhino welcomed everyone at the after-party at Salivar’s Clam & Chowder House. “The memories of dancing the night away with our friends and family is something we will cherish forever.”
