Lawyers Leigh Katz and David Joseph Robles met at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, when she was a summer associate. They both happened to go to Vanderbilt—she for law school and he for his undergrad—and kept in touch once she went back to finish her studies. The two were together for about two years, before he proposed during a hike in Hudson Valley.
Since the two were familiar with Nashville, they thought of no better place to get married. “Our wedding was a celebration of a mix of Latin, Jewish, and Southern cultures,” Leigh explains. “David is Cuban and Colombian, I was raised Jewish, and my mom was raised in the South.”
To accommodate everything, they found the perfect venue in The Estate at Autumn Crest. “Even though we were on a farm, I wanted the feel of the wedding to be more ‘elegant garden party,’ which I think we accomplished under our clear-top tent with lots of lush greenery brought in!” Leigh says. The bride planned most of the weekend herself with logistics help from Summer Sheldon of Social Ambitions Events.
For her trip down the aisle, the bride always knew she wanted a full skirt but not a ballroom gown. Leigh ended up choosing the Miranda dress by Amsale Nouvelle, which she spotted online and fell in love, with when she put it on.
“I had so many friends that told me they were so indecisive about wedding dresses and let the process drag on for too long, so we ended up buying it the day I tried it and cancelled all of my other appointments!” she says. To make it more manageable to walk on grass with, she was able to also take out a lot of the tulle and make other minor adjustments.
On the morning-of, Leigh got ready with her bridesmaids, and Aña Monique perfected a glowing makeup look with pink hues. Then came the time to walk down the aisle on the field, near the barn fence and say, “I do.”
David was waiting for her in a custom bespoke tuxedo from Michael Andrews Bespoke with mother-of-pearl cufflinks and velvet loafers. The groom’s good friend from college, Peyton, who happens to also live in their building, officiated the ceremony under a chuppah that the bride’s family built. And to honor the groom’s Latin culture, David’s sister read the poem “Busco a alguien” by a South American writer.
There was also a very sentimental moment during the service to honor someone that couldn’t attend the wedding. “My father passed away when I was in college, so finding time and the right words to honor him were really important to me,” Leigh explains. “Peyton eloquently pointed out the similarities in David’s and my father’s personalities—that was really touching.”
After the two were finally announced as husband and wife, they led their guests through the house to the back patio for the cocktail hour. Under the dinner tent, people found rosemary sprigs at their seats, which smelled amazing, and sat underneath twinkling strung lights.
During the delicious and local meal, Leigh was presented with a family tradition. “While I go by my middle name, my first name, Catherine, is actually a tradition in my family—I’m a fifth-generation Catherine,” she says. “On your wedding day you receive the ‘Catherine Vase,’ so my mom invited up my grandma to present it to me; it was such a special moment.”
After that touching event, the energy level was high all night long. The A-Town A-List kept things lively—there was even a crowd surfer at one point. Of course, the horah was a fast-paced moment too. And when the band took breaks, David played salsa music, and he enjoyed a special moment on the dance floor with his mother.
The newlyweds asked the band if they could learn the song “Shallow” from A Star is Born, and when they played it, “everyone was singing along as if it was Lady Gaga and Bradley up there!” Leigh says. “Some of the best pictures from the night were during that song.”
Once the reception formally closed, the “hora loca”-themed after-party began in the house. Leigh had changed into a sequin party dress with tulle overlay by Amsale and white sneakers by then. And she joined everyone with light-up props in the cleared-out living room to dance her wedding night away.
