Project Wedding Blog

I was looking through all my old emails and came across this gem of a wedding. I just love the bride and groom’s unique style…

We hosted 158 of our nearest and dearest over Memorial Day Weekend of 2008. 4 days of events culminated in our wedding reception on the seaside terrace of the gorgeous Round Hill Resort in Jamaica.

• Bride: Valery Rose Joseph, Freelance Fashion Writer & Jazz Singer
• Groom: Chauncey Julius Upson , Hedge Fund Portfolio Manager & Jazz Saxophonist
• Live in: Prospect Heights Brooklyn, NY
• wedding location: Round Hill Resort, Montego Bay, Jamaica, West Indies
• wedding date: May 24th, 2008
• wedding vendors: Planner: JoAnn Gregoli, Elegant Occasions; Photographer: Cappy Hotchkiss; Save the Date: Ceci New York; Invitation: Oslo Press; Band: Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings; DJ’s: Quantic & Queen Majesty; Afterparty & Brunch locations: Linda Smith Villas; Grooms suit: Etro; Brides dresses: Alice Temperley (cocktails), Catherine Walker (ceremony)
  

We met at a cocktail party thrown by a mutual friend.  At first I was unimpressed with his Wall Street credentials, but then he tried a different tack–he invited me to the upcoming show of the 10 piece Jazz/Afrobeat band that he lead. That got my attention! A banker who likes Afrobeat and plays the sax? This was interesting!

As a couple, Chauncey and I became known for our parties–the loft apartment we shared in Fort Greene Brooklyn saw many spirited affairs–so when we became engaged on a trip to Copenhagen after seven years of dating, we knew we had to do something very memorable for our wedding!

So…though ours is a Brooklyn romance through and through, we decided to get married in one of our  favorite places in the world– Jamaica. We had spent many wonderful times on the island during our relationship–and knew we wanted to share Jamaica’s unique spirit with our family and friends. After a quick visit to the Round Hill Resort in Montego Bay, we knew its particular mix of old school glamour and relaxed luxury would be perfect for our wedding.
Once the venue was chosen, as a fashion writer and musician, my two biggest concerns were our ensembles and the music. We knew immediately who to tap for the latter: our close friend Ian is a member of the incomparable Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings–and we begged them to take time off from their busy touring schedules for our wedding. Our ensembles took a bit longer to find: Chauncey found the perfect modern seersucker suit at Etro in Milan; my dresses, hat, and birdcage veil were all found in London. I just love the irreverent quirkiness of British bridal fashion–they suit my personality to a T.

We weren’t afraid to do things a bit differently. We had no attendants, we had the cocktail hour before the ceremony, we eschewed the aisle and were married in the round as our guests watched from their dinner tables–and yet it all worked perfectly! The day was everything we wanted it to be–a great party at the core–and I think our personalities really shone through.

In the end our wedding was a celebration of everything we love most: friends, family, music, and pampering our guests. I would marry Chauncey again and again just to have all the people we love reunited  in paradise for one more day.