Jane Cox, a physician assistant in NYC, and Austin Cox, a U.S. Air National Guard F-16 fighter pilot and a commercial pilot, matched on Bumble, when she was living in Chicago and he was flying through O’Hare (as a passenger). “We matched, and before we even exchanged messages, Austin flew back to his military base in Minnesota. We spoke on the phone for a month before Austin returned to Chicago to bring me on a date,” she says. “Jane is terrified of flying, so I find it fitting that our relationship technically started in an airport,” he adds.
After a little more than a year of dating, Austin proposed, and they decided to marry at Jane’s family’s farm in the Hudson Valley. To help plan and design a summer wedding that would be a simple extension of the natural beauty of the area, they hired 42 North.
On the big day, Jane wore a gorgeous Carolina Herrera gown with a sentimental touch sewed into the train. “My mom gave me a handkerchief that my great-grandmother had embroidered with my grandmother’s name at her wedding, and then my grandmother embroidered with my mom’s name, and finally, my mom embroidered with my name. We sewed it into the train of my dress. It was uplifting to have a team of strong women join me (in-spirit) as I walked down the aisle,” the bride says.
For the ceremony, Austin wore his U.S. Air Force officer mess dress and changed into a custom suit by Alton Lane for the reception. “Prior to the ceremony, Jane gave me an amazing pair of WWII replica aircraft propeller cufflinks. The propellers even rotated!” the groom says. Jane also had a quick-change moment and put on a vintage 1950s House of Bianchi design to dance the night away.
On a hot day in July (so hot, in fact, that the string quartet had to sit inside the house, so their instruments weren’t damaged), Jane walked down the aisle toward Austin and her aunt, who officiated the ceremony. At the end, Jane’s mother, who is a judge, led the couple through their declaration of intent, ring exchange, and pronouncement of marriage. “I couldn’t have been happier. Jane was the most beautiful bride. Everything felt right. It was a beautiful, sunny day outside, and I was surrounded by my favorite people. I was too excited to be nervous,” the groom says.
For the tented dinner reception, Mezze Catering had the daunting task of cooking for 200 guests out of a satellite kitchen built in the middle of a field with temperatures looming at 100 degrees—they executed it flawlessly. As guests found their seats, they were was greeted by pre-set charcuterie boards with antique blue and white china plates. Then, a summer salad was served and followed by mains of halibut and filet mignon.
After dinner, the dance floor remained packed, as the band played a mix of current hits and classics. The newlyweds had their first dance to “Fly Me to the Moon.” “Aviation is a big part of our lives, and Frank is just so romantic! It felt like the right choice,” Jane says.
Reluctantly, guests accepted that the reception was ending around midnight. The bride and groom closed out the special day swimming under the stars with a small group of friends and family
