Jill & Steven

October 12, 2013: The Duke Mansion

Photographs by Critsey Rowe Photography

Jill Bainbridge wanted her wedding to be elegant, with no frills, no nonsense … and no terrible bridesmaids gowns. The bride, who chose a fitted Ines Di Santo gown from Hayden Olivia Bridal, dressed her maids in timeless navy lace dresses by Diane von Furstenburg.

Her groom, Steven Taylor, was awed watching Jill walk down the aisle with her dad to Kathy Bartlett singing “How Beautiful” accompanied by pianist David Shoff. Father Michael Flynn helped the couple recite their traditional vows, and the bride’s cousin read from All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten before the bride’s uncle took over the keyboard to rock the couple back up the aisle to Jimi Hendrix.

While guests sipped cocktails, The Duke Mansion staff turned the romantic ceremony site into a sparkling wonderland of cascading gold lights and gold linens from Party Reflections. Sleeping Booty, a high-energy dance band with East Coast Entertainment, was so large, dinner was moved outdoors to make room for the band’s 12-person set-up—and a large dance floor. “They came out and danced with the crowd and did splits. People danced for four hours,” laughs Jill. Mission accomplished!