After a chance meeting at Ward III in Tribeca, Kaitlyn Quail, head of public relations & influencer strategy for a global fashion company, and Tarek Mohamed, a VP at a private equity firm, ended up dating for two years before he proposed on The High Line. “The crowd of people was all around us cheering, taking photos and videos,” Kaitlyn remembers. “It felt like I had just won the Super Bowl.”
When it came to wedding planning, Kaitlyn started on Pinterest and noticed that her preferred color palette was soft and her aesthetic leaned toward rustic-chic. She came across Hudson Valley’s Cedar Lakes Estate online, and it “felt perfect for many reasons.” Everyone stayed in luxury cabins and all events took place on the property. To help plan everything, the couple hired Loli Events.
For her summer wedding, Kaitlyn found her dress pretty quickly. During a visit to Kleinfeld with her mother, aunt, cousins, and sister, the bride-to-be fell in love with an Isabelle Armstrong gown. “The moment I tried the dress on, my entire family couldn’t hold back their tears,” she remembers. “We all knew this was it!”
On the morning of June 22, 2019, the bride got ready with her childhood best friend and hairstylist Steven Picciano and a makeup artist from Willow House.”My favorite accessory I wore that day was my grandmother’s wedding band—it’s something that I used to always try on and wear around the house as a little girl,” Kaitlyn explains. “Although my grandmother couldn’t be there, I felt that I was carrying around so many special memories we’ve shared together all day long.”
The groom wore a custom tuxedo from My.Suit, and Kaitlyn worked with Brideside to find a variation of bridesmaid dresses that worked well with her color palette.
An hour before the ceremony, guests were invited to the mountain top to enjoy the views, cocktails, and company. There was also a petal bar, so people could prepare for the flower toss after service.
Kaitlyn’s biggest fear was reciting her own vows in front of everyone. “My dad and I had a plan. Every time I was nervous or felt like I was going to tear up, I had to think of fried chicken,” she explains. “Because who cries over fried chicken? Well, that is what I think got me through walking down the aisle with my dad and seeing my handsome, soon-to-be husband waiting for me at the end.”
After the two said, “I do,” they entered their reception space, decorated with florals by Oleander Curated, for a moment alone. Then, they made their official entrance, and the delicious dinner was served, followed by a Milk Bar cake, sundae bar, and s’mores.
For entertainment, Around Town Entertainment kept everyone on the dance floor all night. The newlyweds had their first dance to John Mayer’s cover of “XO,” and after the reception, guests headed to the estate’s Tree House for an exciting after-party. Drinks and comfort food, like soft pretzels, Philly cheese steaks, and grilled cheeses, were served, and the music didn’t stop until 3:00 a.m.
After their Hudson Valley wedding, the new Mr. and Mrs. headed to Montauk for a mini-moon full of reminiscing. They then spent a full honeymoon in Mykonos and Santorini.