Inside Weddings

 

Real Wedding

View From The Top
Dana Cufffaro & Jason Morgenstern
October 23, 2005
New York, NY
Issue Cover ImageFeatured in
Inside Weddings
Fall 2006


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Beauty
Christina, Kimara Ahnert,, Make-up
Evelyn Calderon, Butterfly Studio, Hair

Bridal Designer
Amsale

Bridal Salon
Kleinfeld Bridal

Bridesmaids
Vera Wang

Cakes
Tribeca Rooftop

Consultant
Josh Brooks & Jung Lee, Fete

Entertainment
Marianne Bennett Entertainment

Favors
Reserva Dominica, rolled cigars

Floral & Event Design
VSF Flowers

Formalwear
John Varvatos

Headpieces & Veils
Kleinfeld Bridal

Ice Sculpture
Okamoto Studio

Invitations
Claudia Calhoun
Janet Korzynski, Calligrapher

Lighting Designer
Aion Entertainment

Lingerie
Bergdorf Goodman

Mother's Gown
Donald Deal

Photographers
Shawn Connell, Christian Oth Photography

Registries
Bloomingdale's

Rehearsal Dinner
Osteria Stella

Shoes
Manolo Blahnik
Party Rental Ltd.

Transportation
Carey Limo

Venues
Tribeca Rooftop, New York City
 
Image Details
You never know when––or where––you might meet Mr. Right. For Dana Cuffaro, it was while she was doing laundry one Sunday evening in the basement of the apartment building where she and Jason Morgenstern both lived. Instead of asking Dana if he could borrow some fabric softener or if she had change for a dollar, Jason struck up a conversation by complimenting her footwear. “He said ‘I like your shoes.’ We still laugh about that,” says Dana. Nonetheless, his line worked, and just days before her 26th birthday Jason asked Dana (and her shoes) to spend forever with him.

As proud New Yorkers, Dana and Jason wanted to host their wedding in a place that celebrated their hometown as well as their personality as a couple. They decided on the Tribeca Rooftop because of its impressive outdoor views of the Manhattan skyline and the flexibility its indoor loft space allowed them. “It felt like ‘us’ and was pretty much a blank canvas we could make our own,” remembers the bride. So with the help of their families and the talented design team of Josh Brooks and Jung Lee from Fête, Dana and Jason realized their dream of a modern affair that treated each person like the guest of honor.

Dana and Jason brought a true sense of themselves to the ceremony by having fun with the music. Instead of going with more expected wedding selections, the bride and groom supplied the entertainers with their favorite songs––“Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles and “Overjoyed” by Stevie Wonder––which the musicians set to classical arrangements. When Jason, according to Jewish traditions, broke the glass at the end of the ceremony, a moving version of Coldplay’s “Clocks” announced the dramatic moment.

For the reception, Brooks and Jung executed the couple’s desire for a sophisticated, culinary-focused party by transforming the venue’s open space into what felt like a chic New York restaurant. During the cocktail hour, large terraced ice sculptures displayed a spectacular raw bar, and chefs prepared sushi to order. A Tuscan antipasti table paid tribute to Dana’s Italian heritage while mini grilled cheese sandwiches and burgers kept the menu young and hip. Servers even passed around sip-sized portions of the mother-of-the-bride’s own recipe for pumpkin and butternut squash soup in shot glasses.

Dinner, which included a choice of black cod with spinach orzo or filet mignon with French fries accompanied by tiny bottles of ketchup, was elegantly presented at rectangular feasting tables of varying lengths. A menu personalized with each guest’s name welcomed diners to their seats and acted as both a dinner guide and a seating guide. “We felt it eliminated that awkward moment when people get to their table and can’t decide where to sit,” says Dana. Like a true restaurant experience, a selection of breads and cruets of herb-infused olive oil graced each table.

Two shades of platinum linens dressed the surfaces of the tables and chairs and kept the aesthetic simple and sleek. Drawing the eye upward were tall centerpieces––created to bring a bit of the outdoors in––of branches bearing cymbidium orchids and hanging frosted votives. “The luminary trees reflected the nighttime view of Manhattan the couple loved,” explains Brooks. Cymbidium orchids in low pewter containers, mixed with even more candles, completed each long table design.

A gentleman hand-rolling cigars (a favorite of the groom) encouraged guests to enjoy the dramatic rooftop surroundings, and for those who preferred to celebrate inside on the dance floor, energizing snacks of warm cookies and shots of milk were passed throughout the crowd. This was in addition to the earlier dessert course of wedding cake and personal pots of chocolate fondue, served with homemade marshmallows, biscotti, Rice Krispie treats, and fruit. “The menu was very important to us,” asserts Dana. “It was all the little details that made our wedding so unique.”