Wyatt Walker Todd Hodge and Samuel Gray Hodge met as students at Tulane University and immediately hit it off. After five and a half years together, Sam proposed while on one of their regular walks along Sagg Main Beach in Sagaponack. “We’d been dating for five years, so I knew it was coming in the near future,” Wyatt shares. “But we hadn’t discussed any details or timelines.” Sam had designed the ring with the help of Wyatt’s younger sister, Graceley. After she said yes, the couple returned to find both families gathered nearby with a Champagne toast.
Wyatt and Sam were married on June 8, 2024, at Maidstone Club in East Hampton. “I’ve always wanted to get married in East Hampton because it’s a special place to my family and me,” she says. “We’ve been spending summers there for years.” The club’s sweeping views of the water and golf course struck the ideal balance between coastal ease and traditional charm. “I fell in love with the ballroom,” she adds.
With the help of Jill Gordon Celebrate, the couple designed an ethereal ceremony outdoors, overlooking the golf course—captured beautifully by Pat Furey Photography.
As for her wedding wardrobe, Wyatt wore a beaded Liz Martinez style, found just two days after their engagement at Spina Bride. “I only tried on four gowns before I found THE dress,” she recalls. She chose a short lace dress during the same appointment for the after-party. Accessories were minimal: white satin kitten heels by Manolo Blahnik and diamond earrings from London Jewelers that echoed the beading of her dress. At the rehearsal dinner at the 1770 House, she wore a short Oscar de la Renta look with colorful, hand-beaded florals.
Sam wore a Ralph Lauren Purple Label tuxedo with a cream raw silk dinner jacket and Belgium loafers. Bridesmaids selected white dresses by Staud, while groomsmen wore black tuxedos.
On the day-of, a grounded horseshoe of florals framed the altar, leaving views of the pond open. “As a nod to my mom, I carried a bouquet of lily of the valley—the same flower that made up her wedding bouquet thirty years ago,” Wyatt says. Before the ceremony, she and Sam exchanged vows privately. “Sam and I wanted to keep this part of our love story between the two of us, and I’m so glad we did.”
The ceremony was officiated beautifully by her aunt, Whitney. “I was nervous to have so many eyes on me,” Wyatt admits. “But I was so excited to marry Sam that all the nerves disappeared when I started to walk down the aisle.” When it was all said and done, the newlyweds recessed with a New Orleans-style marching band in a nod to their time at Tulane.
Cocktail hour took place on the terrace before guests were escorted into the ballroom. Greenery and hanging glass globes softened the space with a fresh, spring-like feel. “We kept the decor light and airy,” Wyatt says. Tables were set with custom-embroidered napkins bearing the couple’s cipher, created by Alexa Pulitzer, who also designed their stationery. Guests danced to live music by The Nightowls, who performed the couple’s first dance—“Baby I’m Yours” by Arctic Monkeys. A cigar and neat bar were set up on the lawn. “My favorite part of the reception was dancing with my new husband and our family and friends of all generations.”
Everyone eventually made their way to Stephen’s Talkhouse, the couple’s favorite local bar, where the celebration continued with more dancing and live music.
The newlyweds left for Italy that Monday, beginning in Florence and continuing through Monteverdi Tuscany, Il San Pietro in Positano, and Capri before ending their trip in Rome.
