A Formal Silver, Gray, and Chartreuse Destination Wedding in the Bahamas

September 20, 2011

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Susan and James

They fell for each other while living on one glamorous island (Manhattan) and got married on another (Paradise Island in the Bahamas). So it made sense that the wedding of Susan Magrino and James Dunning combine classic New York City elegance with the dreaminess of the jewel-toned Caribbean -- black-tie hues (silver and white) and magical colors (chartreuse and chocolate brown). The couple chose the island because it was a special place for them: They had gone on several trips to the Bahamas, and Jim had proposed there.

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The Invitations

In keeping with the island location, the engraved invitations are blind embossed with a tropical tree.

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The Bouquet

Martha, a close friend of the bride, created the bride's wired bouquet from lush white cattleya orchids; it is both handmade and sophisticated.

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Getting ready

Susan's nephew Stetson gets a hand from Jim's son David.

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Programs

Programs are set out in a woven box decorated with a fresh orchid.

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Flowers

The maid of honor's bouquet was a pink-tinged variation on the bride's: white cymbidium orchids, tied with a silver-gray ribbon.

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Details

Boutonnieres and corsages are also stylishly clad in silver-gray ribbons: Susan's mother wore orchids that matched the maid of honor's bouquet, and Jim, his sons, and ushers wore dendrobiums.

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The Ceremony

A bagpiper signals the start of the ceremony.

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The Ceremony

Susan's sister Allyn holds the train of the gown as their mother escorts Susan down the aisle.

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The Ceremony

Susan Magrino and James D. Dunning Jr. are married in the stone-terraced gardens of the Ocean Club in the Bahamas on October 2, 2004.

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Newlyweds

Susan and Jim ride from the ceremony to the reception in a beribboned golf cart.

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Newlyweds

The newlyweds pause for a picture; Susan's dress is by Evalina Schmidtke Couture; Jim's tuxedo, by Hickey Freeman.

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Mother

Susan with her mother, Mary Cross.

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Martha

Susan and Martha have been close friends and colleagues for almost twenty-two years; they met when Susan, who was working at a publishing company, was assigned to promote one of Martha's books.

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The Best Men

Jim with his best men, sons David (left) and James.

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Details

To hold the seating cards, teak boards were cut to the width of the table and then given deep, angled slits; envelopes calligraphed with brown ink enclose table numbers, and chartreuse cymbidium and cattleya orchids floating in glass bowls are placed between the rows.

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The Reception

At Dune, a restaurant at the Ocean Club, a cotton table runnersets off groupings of porcelain and glass sea urchins, as well as orchids.

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Details

Understated menu cards outlined with a brown border are tied to the napkins with slender silver ribbons; a starfish-and-seashell motif swims gracefully underneath the menu text.

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The Menu

As an appetizer, ribbons of tuna curl on a bed of avocado.

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The Menu

The menu, infused with Asian flavors, includes lobster with Thai herbs.

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The Cake

This airy and moist vanilla sponge cake has a thin layer of apricot jam inside and is covered with buttercream; piped dots and fresh cattleyas lend elegance. The cake board was cut from teak (the cake itself rests on a cardboard layer).

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Dessert

Petits fours, white-chocolate dipped strawberries, and handcrafted chocolates were served alongside the wedding cake.

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Details

Instead of signing a guest book, friends and family are invited to write their good wishes for the couple on cards drawn from woven-pandan boxes. The notes are then placed in a large seashell-filled vase tied with a vintage silver ribbon.

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The Favors

For favors, paper boxes contain ocean-themed treasures--seashell soaps and natural sea sponges; the brown-and-white labels, decorated with a ribbon and the same starfish-and-seashell motif that appeared on the menu cards, were printed from a computer and affixed with double-sided tape.

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Small Gifts

Tiny versions of the favor boxes were placed on guests' pillows; chocolate dragees are nestled inside.

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Sources

Location and Reception Dinner: One & Only Ocean Club, Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Dune, Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas
Event and Floral Design: Michelle White, Floral Arts, Nassau, Bahamas
Gown: Evalina Schmidtke Couture at Bergdorf Goodman
Engagement Ring: Smithwick Dillon, from Bergdorf Goodman
Groomsmen Tuxedos: Hickey Freeman, from Richards of Greenwich, 203-622-0551.
Photography: Donna Newman Photography; Patrick McMullan Photography
Calligraphy: Gail Brill Design, 866-481-2056.
Invitations: hand-engraved in Venetian script, by Mrs. John L. Strong

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