We were brought together in October 2011 when OkCupid told Peter that Leah was his best match in New York City. He went to her page and rated it 5 stars. She sent him an e-mail. We bonded over a mutual love for Monty Python and awful puns.
We went on our first date on the first day of November, 2011. Peter brought Leah a teddy bear. Leah insisted they go to Starbucks, so she could decide whether Peter was a serial killer. He wasn't. Little did we know, it would be our last first date!
We continued to get to know each other – walks in Central Park, hotdogs and skeeball on the boardwalk at Coney Island, a viewing of The Artist. Leah introduced Peter to Japanese food. Peter introduced Leah to his family's house upstate. We explored Cape Ann on our first vacation. We moved into a new apartment together and celebrated our one-year anniversary. We spent Thanksgiving and Christmas together and, in the new year, we flew to Miami.
On February 13, 2013, Peter asked Leah to accompany him to Grand Central Terminal, to pick up an old IRT sign to hold for Peter's brother Tom. We arrived in the Main Concourse, and Leah began looking around for Tom. Tom texted Peter: “I see you. Do it!” By the time Leah turned around, Peter was down on one knee! Peter asked: “Will you marry me?” Leah said of course.
Now we're getting married. The future has many surprises in store for us, twists and turns and new adventures. We ask you to join us on May 3, 2014 to celebrate our joining together as one and to wish us well as we set off on life's greatest adventure.
Our ceremony will take place at the private garden of the Cortlandt Colonial. The address is 714 Old Albany Post Road, Cortlandt Manor, New York 10567 [Directions]. We will begin seating our guests at 11:00 a.m.
Our wedding party includes the parents of the Bride, Peter and Laurie Rabinowitz, and the parents of the Groom, Peter and Colleen Lenz. The Maid of Honor is Meredith Wynne-Morton, the Bride’s friend from college. The bridesmaids are Jennifer Ying, the Bride's friend from law school, and Jessica Spinosa, the Groom's cousin. The Best Man is Thomas Lenz, the Groom’s brother. The groomsmen are Matthew Rabinowitz, the Bride's brother, and AJ Venkat, Jessica's boyfriend.
Our ceremony is dedicated to those who cannot be with us physically, but who are always with us in our thoughts-Leah’s Zaida and Grandma, Sam Rabinowitz and Agnes Fine; and Peter’s Grandparents, Ernest and Theresa Lenz.
The officiant for our ceremony is Cantor Kerry Ben-David. The Cantor has been performing weddings, including interfaith weddings, for over 25 years. He is also a trained singer, and a graduate of Juilliard!
Our wedding ceremony will incorporate elements from both Jewish and Catholic traditions. Before the ceremony, the Bride and Groom will sign a ketubah, a Jewish wedding “contract.” The ceremony will be held under a gazebo, which represents a chuppah, a wedding canopy hearkening back to the tent of Abraham from the Old Testament. To unite our two families and heritages, the mothers of the Bride and Groom will light a unity candle. At the end of the ceremony, the Groom will “break the glass,” probably the best-known custom in a Jewish wedding.
Cocktail hour will be held in the Cortlandt Colonial’s garden patio, and will begin at 12:00 p.m. Our reception will be held at the ballroom of the Cortlandt Colonial, and be held from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
On this website, and throughout our reception, you may notice decorations in raspberry, jade green and orange. These are our three wedding colors. Raspberry represents pink, Leah’s favorite color. Orange is Peter’s favorite color. Jade green mirrors the ceiling of the main room in Grand Central Terminal, where Peter popped the question!
You may also notice our logo, which incorporates our names with the infinity symbol. The infinity represents our promise to each other of eternal love. It also references the Tiffany infinity necklace that Peter gave Leah as a very special surprise.
While a champagne toast is traditional, it isn’t really our vibe. Instead, we invite you to join us in a Leah and Peter original -- an egg cream toast. An egg cream is an old Brooklyn favorite, and is very simple: milk, chocolate syrup, and a carbonated drink like seltzer or ginger ale. (And don’t worry, we will have an open bar for our guests to enjoy throughout the reception!)
The DJ for our reception is Brian Swatek. We hope our guests will join us for some slow dances, cutting loose on the dance floor, and just a few cheesy favorites, like the chicken dance! If you’d like to request a song, please email us (you’ll also be able to request songs during the reception if you’d like).
The photographers for our wedding are Charlie and Wendy McCarthy of Weefan Photography, and our videographer is Kurt Hauptfuehrer. While you are welcome to take your own pictures, we kindly request that you not interfere with Charlie, Wendy and Kurt. We also hope you will indulge us by posing for pictures and spending a few moments offering your well-wishes on camera.
For the convenience of our guests, we have registered at Bed Bath & Beyond, and Amazon. If you would like to honor us with a gift we hope that these two registries will make this more convenient. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
The Cortland Colonial is located at 714 Old Albany Post Road in Cortlandt Manor, NY, close to the Highland Ave. exit of the Bear Mountain Parkway.
Cortland Colonial directions page
Discounted Group Rate link at the Peekskill Holiday Inn Express
A complimentary bus will run from the Holiday Inn Express to the Cortland Colonial and return the day of our wedding.