Yarden and Joel married at The Estate at Florentine Gardens in River Vale, New Jersey on a warm evening at the end of August, with 275 guests, a chuppah under the trees as night fell, and a ballroom that turned into one long hora. She wore a vintage Vera Wang gown in soft pleated bands of ivory, and he matched her in an ivory dinner jacket. From the first look in the gardens to the last song, the whole day felt like them.

Getting Ready

The morning started with the details: her shoes and jewelry set out with deep red orchids, and the gown hung beside a carved marble fireplace. Laura Artusa did Yarden’s hair and Katie Forecast her makeup, soft and luminous in the window light. Joel dressed down the hall, fastening his bow tie and pulling on the ivory jacket, then headed out to the gate with his groomsmen.

Yarden’s bridal shoes and jewelry laid out with deep red orchids and dried florals on a white table
Yarden’s vintage Vera Wang gown hanging on an iron screen beside a carved marble fireplace and blush florals
Yarden in a grey silk robe on a gold chair, her gown hanging on the wall behind her
Yarden in her strapless gown looking back over her shoulder in soft window light
Black and white portrait of Joel fastening his bow tie in suspenders and a pleated tuxedo shirt
Joel in an ivory dinner jacket and black bow tie against a white paneled wall
Joel in his ivory dinner jacket with his groomsmen in black tuxedos at the stone gate posts of Florentine Gardens

A First Look in the Gardens

Florentine Gardens is built for this moment. Yarden came down the garden path between the clipped hedges and flower beds, and the two of them didn’t let go of each other for a long time. We took our time afterward, just the two of them, before the rest of the day began.

Yarden walks toward Joel on the garden path for their first look at The Estate at Florentine Gardens
Yarden reaches Joel on the garden path for their first look, hedges and flower beds all around
Yarden and Joel hold each other tightly in the gardens moments after their first look
Joel in a white kippah kisses Yarden’s forehead in the formal gardens

Portraits Around the Estate

The estate gives you a different backdrop every few steps: the formal gardens with the manor behind them, a stone bench, a tall black iron gate, the courtyard, wrought-iron doors, and a grand staircase that was made for a cathedral veil. Yarden’s gown moved beautifully through all of it.

Yarden and Joel kiss on the garden path with the white Florentine Gardens manor and flower beds behind them
Black and white photo of Yarden and Joel seated together on a stone garden bench, her gown spread across the path
Yarden and Joel kiss in front of a tall black iron gate at Florentine Gardens
Joel holds Yarden close in front of the black iron gate, her pleated ivory gown catching the light
Yarden and Joel walk hand in hand across the stone courtyard in front of the estate
Yarden and Joel at the estate’s wrought-iron doors, her cathedral veil pooling on the steps
Yarden on the grand staircase with her veil trailing down the steps as Joel waits below

Family & Bridal Party

With a family this close, the portraits took the better part of the afternoon, and every minute was worth it. Then came the bridal party under the white pergola colonnade: bridesmaids in black, groomsmen who could not resist lifting Joel into the air, and one very happy bride.

Yarden with a bridesmaid in a navy sequined gown in the gardens, holding her red and green bouquet
Joel’s groomsmen lift him into the air on the pergola walk
Yarden with her bridesmaids in black gowns under the white pergola colonnade at Florentine Gardens
Black and white photo of Yarden leaning back with her bouquet raised as the bridal party cheers

Tisch, Ketubah & Bedeken

As guests arrived, Joel sat at the tisch surrounded by family and rabbis, and the ketubah was signed. Then the room moved to Yarden for the bedeken, full of blessings and embraces from everyone they love.

Joel at the tisch in his ivory dinner jacket, surrounded by family and rabbis in black hats
The ketubah signing, with Joel and the rabbis gathered around the table
A family member bends to bless Yarden at the bedeken as guests press in around her
Joel embraces family at the bedeken while Yarden, veiled, looks on

A Chuppah at Dusk

The ceremony moved outside as the light faded. Guests lined the garden aisle under trees strung with lights, the wedding party walked the processional, and Yarden came to the chuppah with her bouquet of deep red blooms. Yana Team Decor built a canopy so lush it felt like part of the garden. By the time the ceremony ended, it was night.

Guests line the garden aisle as the wedding party walks toward the chuppah under the trees
Two groomsmen in black tuxedos walk the processional past the estate gate
Yarden, veiled and holding her red bouquet, walks to the chuppah escorted by family
Under the chuppah, a rabbi in a black hat reads as Yarden and Joel stand together with their families
Yarden smiles beneath her veil beside Joel under the chuppah
Joel kisses Yarden, her veil lifted and bouquet in hand, as guests celebrate around them
Family crowds around the couple beneath the floral canopy of the chuppah as night falls
Yarden and Joel walk out through their guests after the ceremony, the garden lit for evening

Night Portraits

After the ceremony we stole a few minutes with the two of them while the garden was still lit: back under the floral chuppah, between the stone columns, and on the staircase on the way into the ballroom. A single light and a veil did the rest.

Black and white photo of Yarden and Joel descending the curved staircase hand in hand
Yarden and Joel beneath the lush green and white floral chuppah at night
Yarden and Joel embrace at night, warm backlight tracing their faces
Joel kisses Yarden’s hand as she sits between the stone columns at night
Yarden and Joel silhouetted through her veil against a single warm light

Into the Ballroom

Then the doors opened and the ballroom took over. Alex & Amir had the room on its feet from the first song, the hora went on and on, and the dance floor stayed full well past midnight. Genadeen Caterers fed 275 people beautifully, Rivka Holzer kept every piece of the day moving, and somewhere in between came the hamotzi, a first dance, and the cake.

Joel leads Yarden into the hora as the ballroom fills with guests
Yarden spins in the center of the hora, guests dancing around her
Joel dances with his friends in the middle of the hora
Guests throw their hands up on a packed dance floor
The hamotzi, as the challah is cut beside Yarden and Joel
Yarden and Joel share their first dance in the white ballroom
Yarden dances with her arms raised as her friends celebrate around her
Yarden and Joel laugh as they cut their wedding cake

The Vendor Team

Planning a wedding at the estate? Read our Florentine Gardens wedding guide, or tell us about your date. To Yarden and Joel, thank you for letting us be part of it. Mazel tov!