Buffalo native Jenny hadn’t even been in Miami a week for her medical residency before she and Daniel connected on a dating app. “I wasn't really even unpacked yet,” Jenny laughs.
After a three-hour date, the two became inseparable. “We didn't have any expectations going into the date and when we left, we were both very excited about the possibilities,” Jenny says.
After getting engaged in July 2022, the pair began planning their wedding for the following summer and enlisted the help of boutique event planner Kellyann Scarlett of The Scarlett Agency for their big day, which Jenny wanted to take place in her hometown.
One of Jenny and Daniel’s non-negotiables was to have a reception venue that showcased the architecture of downtown Buffalo. “They loved the Art Deco, somewhat Baroque feel of Hotel Lafayette,” Kellyann says. “Once they saw it, they kind of knew almost instantly that's what they wanted to go with.”
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With most guests coming in from out of town on both sides, the couple’s intention was to curate an entire Queen City experience for them.
"Jenny really wanted guests to walk in—starting with the rehearsal dinner, which featured a curated Buffalo themed gifting station—and get a sense of what this beautiful city is all about,” Kellyann says.
Day-of details
After a church ceremony at St. Mark’s in North Buffalo, guests were invited to gather at the elegant Bittersweet Piano Lounge in Hotel Lafayette before heading into the cocktail hour held in an adjacent room, complete with a string quartet and oyster bar.
“My main flower colors were white and yellow, and so I wanted it to be very elegant, almost ‘Beauty and the Beast’-esque,” Jenny says. “I kept a very simple color palette with that, and then I wanted everything to look very lush.”
In the hotel’s main grand ballroom, the reception featured lavish arrangements by William’s Florist atop Harlow stands adorning each table and windowsill. “Because [the ballroom] had such a high ceiling, I wanted to make sure there was a lot of height to the flowers so that it really elongated the space,” Jenny says.
Halfway through the evening, the doors opened to a bourbon lounge in an adjoining, secluded room. Dimly lit with sprawling candles and the scent of cedarwood, guests enjoyed top-shelf bourbon, a martini bar, and a candied bacon spread.
“Danny and I both like a good party, but we also like having that lounge aspect where you can just sit in a dark room having a drink and a conversation,” Jenny says.
The reception featured a bourbon lounge, as well as hand-rolled cigars by Buffalo Cigars.
Bringing a bit of Miami heat to Buffalo, the couple also organized Buffalo Cigars to hand-roll their signature smokes for guests to enjoy. “We kind of wanted to make it a Buffalo and Miami melting pot, literally a marrying of the two,” Jenny says.
“It was most of the guests' first time in Buffalo and they left with a really good opinion of the city, they really enjoyed it,” Daniel says. “It was just a beautiful day that was a great reflection of us.”
The Dream Team
Who helped the couple make it happen
Wedding planner / The Scarlett Agency
Cake / Blue Eyed Baker
Florist / William’s Florist
Venue / The Hotel at The Lafayette
Cigar bar / Buffalo Cigar
Signage / Sincerely Melissa
Jenny surprised Daniel on the wedding day with a vintage Rolls-Royce rental. “I think it was particularly really nice to have after the ceremony,” Jenny says. “Obviously, we want to spend time with our friends and family, but it was really nice to just sit down together, have a glass of champagne with one another and say, ‘Wow, okay well, we just did that.’”
