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Dancing and Feasting
While guests were enjoying cocktails and conversation, the Terrace Room was being transformed into a lavish banquet hall. Round dining tables were covered in crisp white tablecloths and adorned with ornate silverware, candles and vases of varying heights, full of tulips, calla lilies and hyacinths. Above, massive chandeliers, accented with emerald- and cobalt-colored crystals, emitted a soft, ambient glow. |
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| “We were going for table settings that not only evoked drama and romance, but were also intimate,” says Lainie. After the couple’s first dance—to “The Luckiest,” by Ben Folds Five—friends and family gathered for the hora, a celebratory dance in which guests join hands, circle the bride and groom, and lift them up on chairs. Josh, Lainie and even the couple’s parents were hoisted into the air while the band played “Hava Negila,” a song whose literal translation is “let us rejoice.” And rejoice they did—during the reception, Lainie’s mom gave a speech in which she thanked the whole Rafofsky family for making Josh the man he is. Josh’s mom followed, reciting a poem that she had written for the occasion. Meanwhile, guests enjoyed a scrumptious multicourse dinner of asparagus risotto, mixed salad with Dijon vinaigrette, and a choice of grilled salmon with a ginger teriyaki glaze or herb-crusted filet mignon. |
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In addition to a three-tiered, chocolate mousse-filled wedding cake, pastry chef Jasmine Bojic prepared a crisp phyllo pastry with berries and macadamia-flavored ice cream for each guest. “The food was absolutely delicious,” says Josh.“Our guests couldn’t stop raving about it.”
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 The party lasted well into the night. Guests took breaks from dancing and feasting to wander through Tavern on the Green’s other majestic rooms and its outdoor garden, filled with gigantic animal-shaped topiaries. Before leaving, guests were lavished with one last treat: miniature keepsake bottles of wine, a Chardonnay-Pinot Grigio blend, courtesy of Luna di Luna wines. “Our wedding was an utter fairy tale,” says Josh. “Lainie and I could not have imagined or wished for a more exciting way to celebrate our union.”
What’s next for the couple? A honeymoon in Jamaica, yet another of their contest prizes. Read all about their getaway in the September/ October 2003 issue of Bridal Guide. And, look for the entry form for our new “Bride of the Year” contest in the January/February 2004 issue. Just think: Your match-made-inheaven could make headlines, too!
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PHOTOGRAPHY: CAPPY HOTCHKISS
TEXT: MARIA ZUKIN
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