Literary agent Elizabeth “Liz” Parker was set up on a blind date with Sarah Tallman, the executive director of product development at The Estee Edit, a new beauty line by Estee Lauder, by a business acquaintance of Liz’s who also happened to be a longtime friend of Sarah’s. “I was living in San Francisco at the time, working for a publishing house and had to travel to New York for a few days of meetings,” remembers Liz. “I reached out to literary agent Bill Clegg, and about ten minutes after meeting with him, he asked if I was seeing anyone. I met Sarah at Whiskey Park later that day, and the rest is history.”
The two dated for two years before there were two proposals. “Sarah’s birthday was coming up, and I knew I wanted to propose,” explains Liz. “But, I also knew I didn’t want to impose a lot of pomp and circumstance on her—so I settled on a letter, and presented it to her early one morning in Vail, where we were vacationing for a few days. I thought my letter was explicit and clear—I was even moved by my own words as I read over her shoulder—but it was not so for Sarah, who later told me she touched by the letter and the sentiment, but did not totally understand that she was being proposed to. Luckily, the ring I presented afterwards helped clear that up, and she nodded ‘yes.’”
A few months later, Sarah took the opportunity to propose to Liz. “How she managed to surprise someone already engaged is a testament to her wits and my gullibility,” laughs Liz. “But, Sarah lured me up to her office on the edge of Central Park, alleging our car was parked nearby. I unwittingly followed her through the park, mostly excited for the pizza we planned to get later, when Sarah turned around and offered a ring. I said ‘yes,’ and we finished our walk at Whiskey Park, where twenty of our closest family and friends were waiting with a surprise Champagne toast.”
There was a lot of back and forth when it came to settling on a wedding venue. “First we thought Vail in the summertime, then Palm Springs in early spring, eventually we decided an intimate dinner party in New York followed by a large reception in September would be the best way to celebrate our marriage,” says Liz. Sarah had a work event at the One Hotel in February and fell in love with the modern organic feel and laid-back, chic vibe. The aesthetic was a natural fit—and Sarah has a lot of experience doing flowers and has a love of interior design, tablescapes, and pulling together all of the little event details that a wedding entails, so this was the perfect project for her.
Liz knew she wanted to wear a jumpsuit from day one. “I envisioned it as white, lace, and strapless—luckily, Monique Lhuillier had one,” says Liz. She wanted her hair and makeup to be equal parts streamlined and whimsical.
Sarah, on the other hand, didn’t have a clue as to what her wedding day wardrobe would entail. Instead, while on a business trip to London, a red dress caught her eye while walking through Harvey Nichols after a beauty counter site visit. “I’d never heard of the designer,” Sarah admits. “But I tried the dress on and had to have it. It turns out Safiyaa is a newish designer out of the UK with a very strong relationship with Harvey Nichols so they were able to custom order it in ivory.” After Sarah worked with friend Anthony Luscia, the special projects editor of Martha Stewart Weddings, on a segment on modern wedding looks for Good Morning America, she knew she wanted to accessorize her look with a motorcycle jacket, one of the trends discussed on the air. “The search began,” says Sarah. “Ultimately, DVF was the winner!”
Both brides knew they wanted to wear matching shoes in different colors, so they scheduled an outing to Christian Louboutin in the West Village. They quickly settled on a 4-inch pump. Liz chose a bright fuchsia, while Sarah opted for nude. The couple’s longtime hair stylist, Johnny, styled both brides’ hair.
The ceremony took place in the Greenhouse Suite at the One Central Park Hotel, overlooking the Park and the corner of New York where Sarah and Liz met for the first time. There were twenty guests, all seated in the living room. The suite was overflowing with cherry blossoms, and there was a violinist playing. Votives offered soft light while the sun finally peaked out after a five-day hiatus.
Liz and Sarah arrived a few minutes late after taking pictures in the park. “My mom actually jokingly texted asking if we’d changed our minds and fled,” laughs Liz. Liz’s brother, Mike, officiated the ceremony. “The ceremony touched on how Sarah is the dreamer, and I am the doer,” says Liz. They walked down the aisle together to “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” by Elvis Presley, said vows they’d written themselves, and then made their way back down the aisle to “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.” The ceremony was followed by a Champagne toast before the group headed downtown to the Gramercy Tavern.
The reception was held in the private room of the Gramercy Tavern. The table boasted flower arrangements down the center in an ombre design scattered with pillar candles and mercury glass votives. Guests dined on poached lobster, baby gem lettuces, and beef tartare, followed by grilled Cobia, roasted duck breast, and leg of lamb. The cake—hot pink with a gold shell motif—was made by Archana Rao Calapa of Love Street Cakes. “Almost all of the of the twenty two guests made a toast, and many reflected that they’d never felt such love in a room before,” reflects Liz happily. Couples moved around the table to mingle; there was dancing between dinner and dessert. “[And then afterwards], we all went to the Cubby Hole of course,” laughs Liz.
