A Winter-Themed Wedding at Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York

Tracy High and Wayne “Roman” Johnson, Jr. are proof that helping others and doing good deeds always comes full circle. The two met at a charity even in New York City in 2012. During their first conversation, Tracy could tell that Roman was a kind, mature man; and Roman knew Tracy was caring and thoughtful. “We were both intrigued and wanted to know more,” Tracy says. “After our first date, we talked to each other on the telephone until sunrise.”

The couple was on a December vacation in Santa Fe when Roman decided to pop the question during a walk down Canyon Road. “As we strolled by the art galleries, Roman bent down on one knee, in the snow, and told me he could not imagine living life without me,” Tracy describes. “It was all so spontaneous that he didn’t even have a ring picked out.” The absence of an engagement ring turned out to work in the bride-to-be’s favor, as she later had the opportunity to pick out the exact ring she wanted.

Being very “hands on” people, Tracy and Roman decided to plan the wedding themselves, leading to a whirlwind of a wedding planning process. Good fortune also seems to have been on their side–Tracy fell in love with the first dress she saw during a trip to the dress boutique, so it only took 30 minutes to find a wedding dress.

 “The first venue we visited was perfect for us and our vision of the day, so we booked it on the spot,” she adds. “We also selected our event design team, band and DJ after our first meetings with them. We were so very lucky that everything came together so seamlessly.”

Since the nuptials were taking place in a castle, the grounds were majestic and each of the many rooms was furnished in a distinctive, yet classic style. The bride and groom felt like they were transported back in time to a different era. To complete the magical ambiance, fragrant flowers were interlaced with crystal garlands and placed throughout the castle. The wedding also had a winter theme, brought to life by lit snowflakes on the ceiling of the main hall–the perfect complement to a crisp, wintry evening outside.

The wedding ceremony was a traditional black tie event which took place at 6pm. Midnight, however, marked the bride’s 40th birthday. By 12:01am, the reception party turned into a lavish birthday celebration, complete with a second cake and a “Happy Birthday” song from 400 guests. The newlyweds loved watching the formal sit-down dinner change into a huge birthday bash before their eyes, and they partied with their guests into the wee hours of the morning. Fortunately, they had booked exclusive use of the castle, so they were able to host several overnight guests.

“Our wedding was truly magical, and we were so excited to formally join our lives together and celebrate our joy with family and friends,” Tracy says. “We could not have dreamed of a more perfect way to start our new lives!”