Lauren Hendel, the senior social media manager at Veronica Beard, and Will Frew were set up by mutual friends and met at a bar on the Lower East Side. “I had recently moved to New York, and my buddy said that I had to meet Lauren. From the first night we met, everything seemed so easy and natural. There was no question that we should be together,” Will says. Four years of dating later, and he got down on one knee on a walk by the Hudson River. “After a few false starts and lots of nerves, I found the perfect spot along the water and was able to ask Lauren to marry me. Our french bulldog is named Hudson after the river where we got engaged,” he explains.
Lauren had always pictured herself getting ready on the big day at her parents’ home on Long Island and married in her family church. It was an easy choice for the two, and they agreed on wanting an airy, open venue for their summer reception. A family friend mentioned that the clubhouse at Huntington Crescent Club was being renovated, and based on renderings and views of the golf course, they were sold. To help plan everything, the bride and her mother took the coordinating reins. “She is very detail-oriented and has amazing taste; I knew I was in good hands,” Lauren says of her mom.
As a big believer in “less is more” when it comes to her personal style, the bride went to Mark Ingram to find a minimal, tailored gown. The team led her to a Carolina Herrera dress from Wes Gordon’s first collection for the label. “I couldn’t believe its construction and stunning simplicity—eight panels of silk mikado formed clean lines and a long trail of buttons down the back,” Lauren says. She completed the look with a floral embroidered veil also from Carolina Herrera, and the floral motif was used throughout the day, from the embossed invitations to the cake decoration. And her “something borrowed” was a beautiful sapphire bracelet her father had given her mother for their 10th wedding anniversary.
Her beauty look was natural with her hair pulled back in a neat bun. “My bridal glow was a result of a strict skincare regimen developed with Dr. Melissa Levin at Entière Dermatology and lots of hot yoga sessions at Vera Yoga,” she explains.
The groom looked handsome in a custom tuxedo from Alton Lane and Del Toro velvet smoking slippers with a red stripe on the heel. “He got so many compliments on them!” Lauren says. Bridesmaids, a mix of childhood friends and teammates from the Providence College volleyball team, all wore light grey Amsale dresses with a bateau neckline and low back. And Will gifted his groomsmen personalized Ray-Ban wayfarer glasses, which also made for the perfect dance floor accessory.
On June 22nd, it was a perfect 75 degrees and sunny. Lauren and her father walked down the church aisle to “Canon in D,” played by a string quartet and met Will at the altar. “The moment I saw her walking down the aisle, I started to lose it. Lauren was a rock for me, though, whose smile and confidence helped me to keep it together,” the groom says. Once the two were officially wed, guests cheered upon their exit, and the two jumped into a vintage Rolls-Royce, decorated with a “Just Married” banner, to make their way to the reception.
After the cocktail hour on the back patio of the clubhouse, everyone took their seats in the ballroom, where tables were decorated with raw silk linens, gold beaded chargers, and a mix of high and low floral arrangements by AvaFlora, featuring a rare Prairie Moon peony.
The newlyweds entered to “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” by Stevie Wonder, which immediately led into their first dance to “Let’s Stay Together,”by Al Green. After a delicious dinner, the father-daughter and mother-son dances provided sweet moments before their ten-piece band, Ignition, got the party started. “In true Long Island fashion, the night ended with everyone singing and swaying to Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man,’” the bride remembers.
Once the reception came to an end, the after-party began on the back patio. “Given that my father is an owner and operator of McDonald’s franchises, cheeseburgers, french fries, and chicken McNuggets were an obvious choice for late night snacks,” the bride says. And, at that point, she’d changed into a flirty lace dress by Rachel Zoe, so she could full enjoy nightcaps, cigars, and fast-food with everyone.
