Hello KDHamptons readers. Well, my summer in the Hamptons has ended with some big news I’d love to share with you.…I got married on August 29th. Dr. Mark Kot and I tied the knot at our sweet friend Rita Schrager’s beautiful Southampton home, Casa Cuba. We decided to host the intimate affair with our closest friends and family and kept all the details top secret! Little did we know, there would be an unwelcome surprise guest at our wedding…..named Hurricane Irene!

Originally, the date was set for Sunday August 28th, which turned out to be the day the eye of the storm was meant to touch down in Southampton! We decided not to cancel, and hope that if we moved everything forward by a day, we may have a chance of pulling it all off. Magically, by Monday morning the storm had passed, but Irene had left behind a major mess to reckon with. Eight giant trees lay fallen across the property at Casa Cuba, including a giant oak tree that blocked the entry gate!

The ceremony was officiated by the honorable Ed Burke of Southampton.

Surprisingly, I actually had to laugh when I set my eyes on the scene. There hasn’t been a hurricane in the Hamptons of this magnitude since 1938! Was somebody trying to send me a message? We perservered, called in some major reinforcements, and by early afternoon the sun was shining bright in a clear blue sky. I was so touched that Sophie Elgort [daughter of my old friend and legendary Vogue lensman, Arthur Elgort] forged her way out from NYC to be our photographer, and fabulous Fabiola Sevilla navigated the back road detours from East Hampton to Water Mill to beautify the wedding party.

I wore a vintage diamond evening watch that Mark gave me as my “something old” and my sister’s wedding veil as my “something borrowed. My beautiful 1920’s engagement ring and diamond band are from Fred Leighton estate jewelers.

Topiaire owner Erin Meaney created the most gorgeous floral arrangements of yellow garden roses, white polo roses, and selaginella mosses placed in white porcelain vases.

The only remaining worry was that the power was still out, but my fearless chef Andrew Buffalino [above left] forged on to prepare our wedding dinner without power, and against the clock as the light was sure to fade in the kitchen at sunset! In anticipation, we strategically placed 150 different candles around the house and property [including hanging lanterns in the trees!] to curtail the cloak of darkness.

Guests arrived at 6pm and were greeted with a pink champagne toast and elegant hors d’oeuvres by the pool [above]. At 6:45 sharp, I took hold of my cala lilies, held on to my handsome Dad’s big arm, and he walked me down the green grassy aisle. Mark and I were married under a golden saturated sunset, and it was the most special moment of my life…

After the ceremony, every candle was illuminated and we all sat down to one long breathtaking table strewn with candelabras, roses, and delicate mosses which Erin Meaney of Topiaire, Southampton had arranged. Amazingly, Andrew’s five-star team served a totally formal, gastronomic dinner which blew my guests away. Still without power, Rita’s daughter Ava debuted her first ballad for us on her iPod and Doc & I shared our “first dance.”

The whole night felt so perfect. Somehow the drama of the morning only ended up enhancing the experience of the evening, and we would not have wanted it any other way! Thank you so much to my friends and family for all their love and support. Most of all, thank you to Mark for giving my heart a home.

Below are some of my favorite images from my wedding diary:

The bride steals a kiss from the ring bearer! (pictured left to right) Kim Hopkins, Mark and his daughter Lily Kot, Brady Hopkins with his daddy Steve.

*Photos by Sophie Elgort, www.sophieelgort.com