When Jessica Stoller invited friends to watch a New York Jets game at a local pub in October 2009, she knew Zachary Levin would show up. The two had never officially met, but she had heard a lot about the guy that roomed across the hall from her brother at Cornell University. She noticed him as soon as he arrived and was immediately impressed.
“We talked for most of the evening,” Jessica says, “and, though we didn’t exchange numbers that night, I knew we would see each other again.”
She knew talk of marriage was serious when Zachary asked her for input on a ring. Still, by the time he proposed at Sands Point Preserve on Long Island in October 2013, she admits the idea of getting married was a bit surreal.
“THOUGH WE DIDN’T EXCHANGE NUMBERS THAT NIGHT, I KNEW WE WOULD SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN”
“He had had a couple of opportunities to propose,” recalls Jessica, “so, it was always in the back of my mind. When it finally happened, it was so perfect and yet, I still could not see past being engaged.”
Her parents quickly brought her to reality. “Everyone immediately started asking when the wedding was, so I had to really start thinking about what we wanted to do,” she says.
Intent on not hosting a huge, impersonal affair, Jessica says Versailles, France quickly came to mind. The couple had vacationed there a few years earlier as part of their celebration for Zachary’s graduation from law school.
Jessica began researching her options online. Her mother hired a wedding planner in France to help coordinate the vendors.
It was mid-morning on a Tuesday when the couple made their vows during a traditional Jewish ceremony overlooking the ancient gardens that surround the estate.
Jessica wore a strapless, full gown by Reem Acra with a cathedral length veil that later doubled as a shawl.
After vows, the couple’s 60 guests enjoyed cocktails and chamber music by a violin quartet, followed by a sumptuous lunch and cake in the Grand Clemenceau Ballroom. Later, guests rejoined the party for dancing and drinks at the Trianon Palace, the historic Waldorf Astoria hotel located within walking distance of the Palace of Versailles.
“Everything was flawless, unbelievable and meaningful,” says Jessica. “Our family and friends truly enjoyed themselves and we couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
The day following their event, the newlyweds sped off to Morocco for a four-day mini-moon.
WEDDING TALENT
Location, Caterer and Lighting: Trianon Palace Versailles, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Versailles, France
Cake: Les Fées Pâtissières, Paris, France; Event Design and Planner, Lighting: Ooh la la! France Wedding Planner, Paris, France; Floral Design: L’Alchimiste, Viroflay, France; Linen and Rentals: Options, Paris, France
Wedding Dress: Reem Acra Veil: Kleinfeld, New York, NY; Groom’s Tuxedo: Hugo Boss; Photography: Julien Scussel, Paris, France
