While Taylor Vella and Kevin Cocchi both attended Marist College, they didn’t connect until Kevin returned to campus after graduating for an alumni weekend. “My best friend, Samantha, who would later stand by my side as one of my maids of honor, introduced us at a day party,” Taylor recalls. “Kevin quickly found himself doing the drive way more often than he ever thought–not for classes or a walk down memory lane, but for what would later become our love story.”
After six years together, Kevin proposed on Sunset Beach in Shelter Island, Taylor’s home away from home. “He meticulously planned every detail and even created a timeline and instructions for our parents,” Taylor laughs. “We jokingly called it the ‘manifesto,’ which stuck so well it later earned a mention in my dad’s father of the bride speech.”
From the onset, the engaged couple knew they wanted their wedding to speak to their love for weekending out east. They set their sights on Gurney’s Montauk, a beloved escape that would set the perfect backdrop for their beachside soiree.
The couple worked with Denise Fasanello to bring her floral vision to life. “As an assistant project manager at my dad’s firm, I felt a strong urge to create something that felt unique and authentic to our style,” she shares. “My dad also played an important role in the design process and helped select all of our furniture and rental pieces.”
It would be a timeless, elevated affair–and Taylor wanted the attire to fit the bill. She turned to Over The Moon Style Director Grace Givens to curate three different looks for the weekend.
To set the tone at the rehearsal dinner at the Montauk Yacht Club, the bride wore a Harithand dress paired with gold accessories–including a Bottega Veneta clutch and Jenny Bird jewels–with heels from the newest Jimmy Choo Bridal Collection. “Our main focal point in the styling was something ethereal and sexy, but still super classic,” Taylor describes. “We had gone through many iterations, but the moment we found this Harithand piece, I knew it was the one.”
On the morning of the wedding, Taylor stepped into a silk Danielle Frankel robe, which she coined her “something blue.” For the ceremony, the bride proved that when you know, you know–wearing the first wedding dress she ever tried on. “I tried on some other Danielle Frankel styles I was eyeing,” Taylor recounts. “Friends and family tried talking me into keeping the other appointments, but I refused, cancelled them all, and bought the dress!” She paired the look with Manolo Blahnik heels and her grandmother’s watch, which her dad, an avid collector, had sweetly saved as a gift for her on her wedding day.
The fashion wouldn’t have been complete without something borrowed, which is when Patricia Voto of ONE OF entered the conversation. “With the help of the wonderful Grace, we decided to upcycle my mom’s wedding dress into a new design that felt like me,” Taylor says of her reception look. “The team at ONE OF made the ivory satin slip, and took the top beaded part of my mom’s dress to create a gorgeous corset to go right over it.”
On May 30, 2025, the couple’s ceremony began under a soft seaside fog overlooking the ocean. “Walking down the aisle with my dad was special, and having my mom meet us half way down to hand me off to Kevin was a momentous moment,” the bride says. “Afterwards, our friends told us they felt like we were floating in a dreamlike cloud.”
Thanks to the magic of Over The Moon Editor’s Pick Planner Danielle Elder of Classic Events, the reception transported guests to a modern-meets-Mediterranean oasis, complete with ethereal draping, glowy lighting, and European-inspired tablescapes. To help capture every moment, the couple worked with Over The Moon The List Photographer Twah Dougherty.
The celebration began with dinner and heartwarming speeches from Taylor’s father, Kevin’s best man, and both maids of honor. Guests raised their glasses with one of the three signature cocktails, which included the bride’s go-to order from Vine Street Cafe—where the couple celebrated their engagement. “The restaurant holds such a special place in my heart that I asked the owner, who has known me since I was little, to make multiple carafes, enough to serve my 200 guests,” Taylor explains.
It was after their first dance to “Wonderful Tonight” that a sea of swirling napkins filled the air—a joyful tradition that marked the beginning of a lively night. From that moment on, the dance floor was packed, thanks to the electric energy brought by Jarrel Entertainment.
The cake reveal doubled as the bride’s second look reveal, and guests watched as Taylor and Kevin topped the millefoglie with powdered sugar. Little did the couple know, Taylor’s mom had a sweet surprise up her sleeve for dessert. “Passed macaroons in the shape of oysters helped tie in the beachy feel, which was also created by our cake designer, The Cookie Shop,” Taylor shares. After the reception, a saxophonist led guests into a disco-themed after-party, where they danced until the sun came up.
The next day, instead of a traditional brunch, the couple hosted a day at Gurney’s Beach Club to keep the celebration going. “Friday was fun, but Saturday was FUN,” Taylor laughs. The bride wore a bikini and skirt set by Magda Butrym, paired with Chanel flip flops that her mom gifted her. And despite a rainy start to the morning, they decided to keep the party outside. “It was almost like we danced even harder to get the sun to come out, and even when we did, the crowd went wild.” Reflecting on it all, the bride concludes, “The best part was being surrounded by all our favorite people on the dance floor, celebrating, smiling, and just soaking it all in. It felt like magic.”
