Michaela Pecoraro and Garrett Garber first met as high schoolers, but it wasn’t until they reconnected after both graduating college, when they began a serious relationship. After three-and-a-half years together, Garrett proposed during their first European trip together. “I had an idea it was happening but had no idea when,” Michaela shares. They started the trip in Paris. “I grew up visiting my grandmother in Avignon and had been many times with my dad. It was such a special visit for us, as it was my first time in Paris being fully in love.” Before dinner, Garrett was eager to stop by the Jardin des Tuileries. His nerves grew as they walked to the gardens, and all of a sudden, he was down on one knee with a beautiful ring.
“We were engaged forever—four years!” Michaela exclaims. The two already planned on a long engagement, but a year into it, she got a job at Glossier, and they made the move to New York City. . .three months before the pandemic arrived. After a year in the city, they urgently began their serious wedding venue search and even made their way to Sicily to scout out places. However, a spontaneous trip to The Crow’s Nest in Montauk made them fall in love with the locale for their nuptials.
For the overall aesthetic, Michaela centered a lot of the design choices around her favorite flower, the dancing lady orchid. “When I was growing up, my mom always had about twenty orchids throughout the house, and I remember going greenhouse to greenhouse to find the most unique type,” the bride recalls. “I used this flower as the theme for our stationery, and I carried a bouquet of nearly just this type of orchid [by Flowers by Ford].”
Although hesitant to hire a wedding planner for an intimate occasion, Michaela is so thankful to Kateri Jude for easing her nerves ten-fold. The bride adds, “We wanted the wedding to feel very organic and natural to the setting, with neutral colors.” Jill Delevan set the tone for the weekend with an airy invitation suite.
When looking for her wedding dress, Michaela turned to classic inspiration: Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy. To aid in this search, the bride enlisted the help of Over The Moon’s Styling Services, which “made the entire dress process so seamless, even when it wasn’t!” Michaela exclaims. About nine months out, Michaela fell in love with a Lela Rose design and worked with the label and Anny Choi to customize the Tides dress with elements of other gowns.
On the day-of, the bride got ready with Elite Bridal Beauty, who gave Michaela a natural makeup look and waved her healthy tresses—courtesy of Spoke & Weal. For jewelry, Michaela went to Beekman New York to rent five-carat teardrop diamond earrings. She completed her bridal look with Manolo Blahnik Hangisis. And after cutting her cake, she changed into a two-piece feathered set from Happy Isles.
On August 20, 2022, Garrett’s cousin officiated the show and sweet ocean-side ceremony. The bride walked down the aisle to “Kiss Me,” and once announced as married, the newlyweds promenaded back up the lawn to “This Must Be The Place.” “As I walked down, a monarch butterfly literally led me to Garrett, and we like to think that was a piece of his late father with us,” Michaela shares. “It was very special.”
Following the service, cocktails were served by the water, and then everyone was led to dinner at The Crow’s Nest’s long table, in the middle of the natural grass, filled with flowers and candles. Heartfelt and humorous speeches kept everyone on their toes during the meal. “It was really hilarious when word got out that Paul McCartney and Robert De Niro were at our wedding venue having dinner,” Michaela reveals. “Definitely a story we will tell our kids!”
The after-party kicked off at the dive bar, Montauket. “However, it winded down rather quickly, and the party moved to the house we rented for the weekend and ended up with everyone jumping in the pool!” the bride exclaims. “[It was] one of my favorite memories of the weekend.”
