One Couple Brought New York City to Nantucket for Their Black-Tie Beach Wedding

Yahoo

4 days ago

In November of 2020, Connor Kuratek made a decision that would change his life forever: After living in Washington, D.C., he decided to move back to New York City, where he would be able to continue his work at the United Nations and be closer to family. What he didn't know was that his move would also make it possible for him to meet his future husband, Peter McConaghy. The pair matched on a dating app, but after quickly replying to Peter's first message, Connor's subsequent note went unanswered. Luckily, Connor wasn't going to be ignored: He followed up again a few weeks later and the two made plans to meet for their first date. Ongoing COVID restrictions in New York City meant that they had to dine outdoors, but they wrapped themselves up in marathon tarps and bonded over their shared love of travel and family. After that, they were inseparable.
In June of 2023, the couple took a trip to London and planned a joint engagement where they'd each be responsible for some facet of the day. 'Connor was going to plan the when and where and I was going to do the official proposal,' Peter explains. When a blistering heat wave threw a wrench in Connor's river boat plans, Peter took over and proposed in the English gardens at sunset at Cliveden House, just outside of London. They celebrated by calling their closest loved ones and enjoying a traditional English roast dinner.
Though their relationship in New York City, the couple chose to tie the knot on another island: Nantucket, where Connor was born and raised. But, as they say, you can take the New Yorker out of New York, but you can't take New York out of the New Yorker, so the grooms made sure to imbue their wedding with plenty of nods to the Big Apple. "Our vision was a New York wedding on Nantucket, not a Nantucket wedding with New Yorkers," the grooms explain. "While Connor is from Nantucket, New York is our home, so we wanted to honor the New York connection while celebrating the Nantucket beauty."
On September 7, 2024, Connor and Peter were joined by 135 guests to celebrate their wedding with a ceremony at Sankaty Head Beach Club followed by a reception at Sankaty Head Golf Club, where Connor's father once served as general manager. 'Sankaty symbolizes everything wonderful about family and togetherness for Connor as it has hosted numerous birthdays, weddings, celebrations, and reunions over the years,' Peter says. To bring their "New York on Nantucket" wedding theme to life, the grooms decided on black-tie celebration set against the locale's dramatic coastal cliffs. They worked with Maggie Stewart Events to design a celebration with white and green florals, heartfelt touches like handwritten notes for each guest, and disco balls at the after-party. Here, see every beautiful photo, captured by Julia Wade.
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For Connor, choosing his wedding attire was easy. He lived near a Brunello Cucinelli store when he first graduated from college and was always drawn to the designer's simple elegance. 'I remember always walking by and saying, 'One day, I'll be able to wear those clothes,'" he explains. He chose a cream tuxedo jacket and black pants from the designer, which he paired with a black bow tie and silk loafers.
Inspired by Jeremy Strong's look at the 2024 Met Gala, Peter wore a custom cream tuxedo with an off-white bouffant style bow tie from Alan David NYC. 'I envisioned something elegant, richly textured, and striking in an all-off-white palette—a nod to classic bridal whites with a modern twist,' he notes. 'I wanted the ensemble to be unforgettable, something I'd wear just once, with guests captivated by its sophistication and the subtle harmony of varied white tones.'
Both men wore Cartier watches down the aisle, gifts from Connor's work colleagues. 'That was an amazing gift and added such an elegant touch to the whole affair,' he says. Along with his watch, Peter accessorized with a black diamond David Yurman bracelet that he received as a gift from Connor the morning of their wedding day.
Though the couple did have their own wedding parties, which were comprised of their siblings and friends, they chose not to ask anyone to dress in matching attire. "We wanted people to feel comfortable and be able to show their personality, so we just asked them to keep with the overall black-tie theme," the grooms note.
They also asked a few young relatives to play important parts in the celebration: Peter's niece and Connor's nephew served as their 'flower children,' wearing flower crowns and waving wands for their walk down the aisle. 'Connor's nephew lost his crown at the last moment which caused some tears,' Peter remembers. 'But they all ended up killing it!'
Connor and Peter spent their wedding morning getting ready together, so they didn't have a traditional first look. Instead, they went on a light run, got dressed, and posed for pre-ceremony portraits. 'We do everything together and we didn't want to be apart that morning,' Connor says.
The couple's outdoor wedding ceremony paid homage to the natural beauty of Nantucket. Chairs were arranged on the venue's ocean-front lawn, and the aisle was lined with white, blue, and green floral arrangements that contained a mix of hydrangeas, calla lilies, delphinium, and plumed grasses. To avoid blocking the view of the water, their spaces at the head of the aisle were framed with trees.
The couple hired live violinist Violin Viv to perform ahead of and during the ceremony. As guests arrived, they were greeted by the soft music and flutes of champagne.
Each groom was accompanied down the aisle by both their mother and father. 'They have both been married for 41 and 42 years so they are our greatest inspiration.' The couple chose songs that reminded them of college years before they met for the processional, including Keane's 'Somewhere Only We Know.'
Connor and Peter wrote their own vows, and both men ended up including stories of their struggles finding love as young gay men in the 90s. 'We flew a pride flag at the ceremony, our officiant acknowledged the struggle of those who had come before us to marry the ones we love (i.e., the Supreme Court ruling), and we wanted to make sure we played lots of classic 'gay pop' songs,' Connor says.
When they had their first kiss as a married couple, they had rainbow colored canons launch behind them. They celebrated back up the aisle to 'Pink Pony Club' by Chapel Roan.
Related: 72 Sweet LGBTQ+ Wedding Photos from Real Couples
One of the most memorable moments for the couple was immediately after the ceremony. 'Julia Wade took us down to the beach and we held each other hugging and crying tears of joy for what we just did,' Connor says. 'We also practiced our first dance on the beach, loafers off, and feelings of love and excitement washing over us.'
The newlyweds hopped into a vintage Jeep for a ride around the island and posed for pictures at the lighthouse and at Alter Rock, the highest point on Nantucket.
Like any good Nantucket wedding, the couple had a raw bar at their cocktail hour for guests to enjoy. They also offered appetizers like tuna tacos, bacon wrapped dates, and tartar bites. Family and friends also sipped on the couple's two signature cocktails: the 'Nomad' paid homage to their Manhattan neighborhood, while the 'Rocky' was a nod to the Canadian Rockies, where Peter grew up. Drinks were served with cocktail napkins featuring a custom illustration of the happy couple.
Cocktail hour entertainment was carefully selected: The couple hired a bagpiper as a fun way to honor Peter's Irish heritage.
Before heading into the reception, guests found their escort cards displayed among lush white flower and blue flower arrangements tucked into various vessels. Hydrangeas, ranunculus, delphinium, and more were all used in the setup.
The reception was held in a sailcloth tent, where the entrance was decorated with ferns and trees in white planters. Inside, the tent's poles were wrapped in greenery and modern chandeliers hung from above.
A mix of long and round reception tables were dressed with white floor-length linens from BBJ La Tavola and surrounded by dark mahogany chairs. The centerpieces included low white arrangements of roses, hydrangeas, anemones, and more which were interspersed between tall arrangements of roses, delphinium, greenery, and more in glass vases; an assortment of white tea candles and pillar candles in glass hurricanes added warmth and a soft glow to the tables.
As each guest took their assigned seat, they were met with a surprise personalization. 'We wrote handwritten notes to each and every single one of our guests waiting on their place-setting before dinner,' Peter says. 'It was beautiful to see people tearing, and we really wanted to make sure we made our guests feel as special as they were making us feel.'
As Swifties, it was no surprise to guests that Connor and Peter chose Taylor Swift's 'Invisible String' as their first dance song. 'We loved this song because it's about two people finding each other later in life but having been connected the entire time,' Peter says. The couple hired a band from Boston and asked them to play modern music and throw-backs from their college days, which kept guests on the dance floor.
The grooms say they aren't big fans of wedding cake, so they opted for an ice cream sundae bar instead instead of a traditional tiered confection for dessert. As to not miss out on the classic photo op, they sliced into a small cutting cake for pictures.
The couple spent their honeymoon exploring islands in Indonesia. To couples planning their own weddings right now, they recommend trusting the process. 'It will all come together and be completely perfect in all its imperfections," the grooms says.Wedding Photographer Julia Wade
Wedding Planning and Design Maggie Stewart Events
Ceremony Venue Sankaty Head Beach Club
Reception Venue Sankaty Head Golf Club
Flowers Flowers on Chestnut
Invitations and Paper Products Parchment
Music Violin Viv, The Sultans
Guest Book Assouline Paris Coffee Table Book
Rentals BBJ La TavolaUp Next: The Ultimate Wedding-Planning Checklist and Timeline
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