BBHO Winter 2011 : Page 80
EsthEr stEinfEld & doug frEEdman S ep te m b e r 4 , 20 1 1 A Fine Time! After years of living parallel lives, two Houstonians finally cross paths, fall in love and set their wedding night to music. | By Angela Pennington | Photography by Adam Nyholt | They both grew up in Houston, attending the same high school and worshipping at the same synagogue, but it wasn’t until seven years ago that mutual friends introduced Esther Steinfeld, 28, and Doug Freedman, 32. With so much in common, the couple had plenty to talk about, and soon began a relationship that culminated in a surprise engagement six years later. Freedman presented his best friend with a radiant-cut stone in a private room at Ciao Bello, complete with a sea of flowers and candles, not to mention a movie he made from inspiring When Harry Met Sally clips and personal photos. After an intimate celebration with loved ones, who waited downstairs, the family capped off the evening with a grand engagement party for 150. 80 s p r i ng / su mme r 2 0 1 2
A Fine Time!
Angela Pennington
After years of living parallel lives, two Houstonians finally cross paths, fall in love and set their wedding night to music.<br /> <br /> They both grew up in Houston, attending the same high school and worshipping at the same synagogue, but it wasn’t until seven years ago that mutual friends introduced Esther Steinfeld, 28, and Doug Freedman, 32.<br /> <br /> With so much in common, the couple had plenty to talk about, and soon began a relationship that culminated in a surprise engagement six years later.<br /> <br /> Freedman presented his best friend with a radiant-cut stone in a private room at Ciao Bello, complete with a sea of flowers and candles, not to mention a movie he made from inspiring When Harry Met Sally clips and personal photos. After an intimate celebration with loved ones, who waited downstairs, the family capped off the evening with a grand engagement party for 150.<br /> <br /> Over the next year, the couple worked with wedding planner Bobbi Asarch to create an unforgettable, winter-white affair for 450.While the groom, a commercial real estate developer with United Equities, was firm in his requests for “good booze and a good band,” the bride’s wish list had only one item: the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” for her walk down the aisle. With an almost blank slate, Asarch stepped in, securing The Omni Houston Hotel and fine-tuning the details of the lavish reception. “Bobbi was so calming,” Steinfeld remembers of the planner, who helped fill the shoes of the bride’s mother, who passed away 10 years ago.<br /> <br /> In fact, both families stepped up, from Freedman’s mother, who executed the rehearsal dinner for hundreds of guests at Tony’s, to Steinfeld’s father, who accompanied her to every dress appointment, all 200 of them. “I knew it was her mom she really wanted to have there,” says the father of the bride, owner of blinds.com, where his daughter is public relations manager.“But seeing Esther in her wedding dress was a stunning vision I will never forget.”<br /> <br /> The winner: A strapless Monique Lhuillier from Casa de Novia Bridal Couture, along with glittering sky-high Louboutins and dropstyle earrings from the groom’s family. As a tribute to her late mother, Steinfeld carried a childhood mother-daughter photo in a locket pinned to her bouquet.<br /> <br /> Plants ’n Petals crafted a custom chuppah from steel, milk glass and white flowers galore as well as a gallery of all-white floral masterpieces in the Omni ballroom. To encourage guests to wander throughout the sprawling space, each table showcased a unique centerpiece.<br /> <br /> Surprises seemed to be the theme of the evening, and from the clandestine “You’re My Best Friend” serenade Freedman arranged for His bride to a wild family flash mob, planner Asarch was on her toes to keep everything hush-hush. “I was a nervous wreck!” she says.“Everyone had a little secret, and I was the only one who knew them all,” she laughs.<br /> <br /> Omni chefs prepared Mediterranean, Asian and American food stations that kept guests well fed, and Freedman’s parents (part owners of James Coney Island) treated everyone to a late-night snack—but not before guests indulged in a five-tier confection by Susie’s Cakes. Rather than a groom’s cake, Freedman served up his favorite dessert—peanut butter truffles from Dessert Gallery.<br /> <br /> While some couples let the band take the spotlight, this dynamic duo choreographed a score of musical numbers, and didn’t sit once during five hours of revelry. The father of the bride even led his barbershop quartet in an a cappella rendition of “Susie’s Fella,” appropriately adapted for “Esther’s Fella.” By the time midnight rolled around, more than 300 guests were still on their feet, easily persuading the band to play another hour.<br /> <br /> To commemorate the evening, guests took home Songs in the Key of F, a wedding CD soundtrack. Meanwhile, photographer Adam Nyholt gave the couple their own party favor—an iPod of the day’s photos—to enjoy on their Hawaiian honeymoon. The newlyweds returned home 10 days later to begin their new life together—close to their families. And with parents as supportive as these, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
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