Photos: Nato Tuke
Ali Cohen, the daughter of Shannon and Wayne Cohen, grew up in Bedford. Sam Fisher approached Ali at a party when the two were freshmen at the University of Michigan with the line ‘What’s a girl like you doing standing alone?’ …and the two have been together ever since.
“Sam is from Ashburn, Virginia, had only been to New York twice in his life, and thought it was the worst place in the world because he’d been to Times Square,” Ali exclaims. “But I convinced him to try it after we graduated from college…and we've loved every minute of it! We did the whole New York thing, including living with friends in crowded apartments. …And then when Covid hit, we escaped Manhattan together, first coming to my parents in Bedford for a while, and then going to Sam’s parents’ in Ashburn. In 2021, we got our own apartment in the West Village. Sam proposed to me on May 27, 2023, on the most beautiful blue sky day on the Westside Highway, on the pier closest to our first apartment.”
“We chose The Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn for the wedding,” Ali explains, “because we liked the raw beauty of the spaces that would allow us - and when I say us I really mean the amazing team from La Maison Fête - to create the feeling of a fabulously intimate dinner party for all of our closest family and friends.” Deanna Marano from La Maison Fête shared, “I absolutely loved working with Ali on her wedding! I’ve had the pleasure of working with the Cohen family on events over the years, making it all the more meaningful to plan Ali's wedding. She had a unique vision for using red as the central color, which brought an unexpected vibrancy and elegance to every detail. It was both a fun and inspiring choice that made her wedding truly stand out, creating a stunning atmosphere that was both bold and beautiful.”
Significance
Ali wore diamond earrings created from her late biological mother’s ring, and Sam wore a wedding band made from his late grandfather’s wedding ring.
The evening started
outside in the courtyard, adorned with light colored whimsical florals to create the feeling of being in a rose garden. Ali walked down the aisle wearing her Mom’s wedding dress, which had been given a new life by talented Bedford tailor, Isa Kriegeskotte, and her best friend’s veil as the ‘something borrowed’. Ali had three maids-of-honor: her younger sister, Sofia; Abigail Shepard, a best friend from back in Bedford Village Elementary, and; Anna Fiolek, a friend from college. Another Bedford native, Anabel Bannon, served as one of Ali’s six bridesmaids. Sam had Ali’s little brother, Max Cohen, and his best friend from Michigan, Nick Kost, as his best men, and the couple were married by Jason Blumhardt, who was one of Sam’s fraternity brothers and is one of Sam and Ali’s best friends. Ali’s older brother, Mike, and Sam’s older sister, Amanda, stood by their sides as they were married.
The evening transitioned to the indoor space with lots of exposed brick, filled with deep red florals, and the tables were embellished with beautiful custom menus, escort cards and table numbers created by Bedfordite, Happy Menocal. A lively sit-down dinner was accompanied by a DJ, and highlighted with a beautiful raspberry-covered cake and some incredible speeches from siblings and each of Ali’s and Sam’s dads.
The couple shared their first dance to the acoustic version of Sam Smith's Latch, which immediately transitioned into the EDM version, welcoming friends and family to join!
“We wanted the night to center around great people and great music. We used this amazing DJ called Shaun Pazel, who was a friend-of-a-friend, who really lived up to his billing as the ‘anti-wedding DJ’. We had a two-hour long dinner with him prior to the wedding to make sure that he really understood our vibe, and he absolutely nailed it!” Sam shared. The couple took dance lessons to prepare for their first dance to the acoustic version of Sam Smith’s Latch…before transitioning into the EDM version and kicking off a vibrant night of dancing.
“Sam’s biggest request for the whole wedding was that he wanted to be out partying all night with our friends, so the after-party was also critical,” Ali smiles. “We brought all our friends to El Nico for more drinks and dancing…and then, at 3 A.M. we went back with our respective wedding parties to a giant suite at the hotel where we were staying, and kept the party going until the sunrise!”
The couple spent a long weekend right after the wedding mini-mooning at the Inness resort in upstate New York, and are planning their honeymoon in South Africa this December. They still live in the West Village… but Ali says Bedford is where the couple would like to raise a family!
As featured in the September/October 2024 issue of Bedford & New Canaan Magazine