Though Melanie and Scott planned to have their first date in New York City, the pandemic forced them to stay back home with their respective families in Florida and Ohio for a month and a half. Fitting the times, they got to know one another on Zoom in the meantime. When they flew back to New York in June, the couple spent the summer together – “in a very empty city,” notes Melanie. “It was an incredible way to start our relationship and explore NYC together.” 

When Scott had to move to Dallas for his career, he realized Melanie was The One. “Mel supported me moving even though it meant we would be dating long distance for a few months… When she would come visit, often weeks at a time, I knew,” he confirms. Scott proposed in the gardens of the Dallas Arboretum during Mother’s Day Weekend. “He had our families waiting around the corner… It was a perfect surprise!” remembers Melanie. 

Before long, the pair began wedding planning, choosing to get married at a luxury Palm Beach resort in the bride’s home state of Florida. Planning the nuptials from afar was more stressful than they anticipated. “There are so many details, and as I’m sure any bride can imagine, you just want everyone to have the best time!” Melanie shares, adding that she worked closely with Heather Lowenthal to make the process seamless. “Hire a planner that you love and get along with; you’ll spend much more time with them than you think,” she suggests. “Posh Parties was fantastic!” 

Attendees found their seats facing the ocean for the poolside spring ceremony. “I wanted it to feel very ‘Florida’ and pastel!” describes the bride. Multicolored garden roses, peonies, tulips, and more blooms in soft shades of pink, yellow, and blue lined the aisle and adorned the stunning four-post chuppah. 

The bride was gorgeous in a sleek gown featuring a cowl neck and back, as well as a pearl-dotted veil, as she processed to “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles – the same song her sister and sister-in-law chose for their walks down the aisle. Melanie’s brother officiated the interfaith nuptialsincorporating Christian and Jewish elements. “There was something so special about him knowing us so intimately. He’s also hilarious, which helped,” she smiles. 

“Hire a planner that you love and get along with – you’ll spend much more time with them than you think. Posh Parties was fantastic!”

Though Melanie and Scott loved the idea of a fully alfresco wedding, they weren’t able to find an outdoor venue in South Florida to support their 250-person guest count, so the couple’s floral designers agreed to bring the outdoors inside. The ballroom was transformed with tropical greenery and lush, airy blooms in pink, orange, blue, purple, and yellow that continued the Palm Beach-inspired design. “They also put up chandeliers over all of our rounds, and it really transported you out of the ballroom,” adds the bride of the groom’s favorite décor detail. 

Before loved ones entered the magnificent space, Melanie surprised her groom with a private first dance – just the two of them. “The band learned and played ‘Hello It’s Me’ by Todd Rundgren – a song that we love but didn’t think would be the best fit for our official first dance,” explains Scott. “It gave us such a wonderful minute alone before the reception!” affirms the bride. 

When attendees entered the ballroom after finding their table assignments on a cane escort-card display, they enjoyed a sit-down dinner, followed by plenty of dancing. The groom helped curate the set list with the live band to keep the energy high and ensure everyone stayed on the geometric-patterned dance floor. “We had music playing all night long and tried to keep our guests on the dance floor intermittently throughout dinner and speeches,” he confirms. 

The bride reminisces of their dream celebration: “I absolutely loved everything about it. It truly was the best weekend of our lives!”

This real wedding was originally published in the Winter 2025 issue of Inside Weddings magazine. 

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