Gwendolyn Tetirick and James Flexner were organizing a romantic Italian wedding for September 2021 but, like so many other couples, the pandemic threw a wrench in those plans. Rather than stress about it, the couple decided to push back their Lake Como nuptials for a year and focus on something smaller and closer to home. Gwendolyn had long dreamed of eloping and immediately recognized this as an opportunity to have a small, intimate wedding.
And so, on July 30, 2021, Gwendolyn and James tied the knot at Sepiessa Point, which was the very first place they visited on their first trip to the Island together. Afterward, they celebrated at the West Tisbury home of the groom’s parents surrounded by fewer than twenty of their nearest and dearest.
The bride works in fashion and brought that sense into her bridal look. “I tried on a ton of white dresses! But I didn’t feel like me. I felt like a bride. I wanted to feel more like myself,” Gwendolyn explained.
Knowing she’d have a long, uneven walk down the aisle at Sepiessa Point, she didn’t want a dress that she’d be tripping over. She landed on a nude Oscar de la Renta midi dress with jewel embellishments. That beautiful walk down the aisle turned out to be one of her favorite moments of the day. “It was just so perfectly romantic,” she said.
James concurred: “I will never forget seeing Gwendolyn walk down the aisle. I was really glad it was a small group; it felt like we were alone.”
After a brief ceremony officiated by a good friend of the couple, they retreated to the groom’s family home for dinner under the stars. With the help of her mother-in-law, Gwendolyn brought a vision to life.
“I didn’t want to overdecorate a place that’s so beautiful,” she said. But she did allow herself some small extravagances to achieve a “secret garden” feel for the dinner. Miniature chandeliers sourced in New York City, where the couple lives, were strung from a tree branch and brought intimacy to the setting. Blooms from the Island and white orchids from New York lined the table.
After a dinner the bride says she will never forget, prepared by V. Jaime Hamlin and Sons, guests lingered at the table until after dark and enjoyed cocktails on the porch. “We’ve had drinks and conversations on that porch hundreds of times,” Gwendolyn said. “It felt like being home.”
Details
Date: July 30, 2021
Ceremony + Reception: Private Home
Photographer: Larisa Stinga
Caterer: V. Jaime Hamlin and Sons Catering & Party Design
Flowers: Morrice Florist
Party Supplies: Big Sky Tent and Party Rentals
Hair: Talita Destefani Beauty Lounge
Guest Gifts: Salt Rock Chocolate Co.
Rehearsal Dinner: Atria
Their Best Advice: Go smaller and be out in nature. “Towns are lovely, but I think the Island’s best feature is the bucolic beauty of woods and fields.”
