Real Wedding: Dana & David
When Dave Miller proposed to Dana LeVine, their pet dog, Calhoun, came over to check out the action. Calhoun had been racing up and down the beach at Ocracoke Island in North Carolina when Dave bent over to pick up a shell in the sand. Wrapped around the shell was an engagement ring. He dropped to one knee, and Calhoun came running over and sat expectantly beside them, as though waiting to hear what Dana would say. When Dana said yes, Calhoun scampered off again, satisfied.
Dana and Dave aren’t your typical couple. In the decade they have been involved, they’ve lived in six different places, together and separately, including Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Connecticut, and North Carolina. But ever since their first meeting — when they were both students at Yale — Dana and Dave have shared a strong connection, never going a single day without talking to each other. After years of living apart, they finally settled together in North Carolina, and Dave didn’t waste any time asking Dana to be his wife.
It’s no surprise that this offbeat couple planned a wedding full of unique details — and no surprise that they chose to incorporate animals into their ceremony. (In addition to being the proud mama of Calhoun, Dana is a veterinarian.) Choosing a location for their wedding was easy: though Dana and Dave call North Carolina home, Dana grew up in New York, and her family still lives there. The North Fork, with its pristine beaches and rolling vineyards, seemed like the perfect spot to introduce their friends and families to the best of Dana’s hometown. They were delighted to discover The Old Field, the only location on the North Fork with both a beach and vineyard, giving them the best of both worlds.
Much love and thought went into the details for the wedding celebration. A friend who is almost a second mother to Dana wove the chuppah for the wedding ceremony, while another friend who is a rabbi in New York City performed the service. Other friends pitched in to provide violin and piano music for the ceremony. One of the musicians, who also makes jewelry, created a special wedding necklace and earrings for Dana, and another friend sewed a wedding purse to match her gown. Calhoun walked proudly down the aisle as ring bearer, with Dana’s and Dave’s wedding rings tied to her decorated collar. The couple wrote the evening’s menu on chalkboards for each table, comparing handwriting as they worked.
Dana used rocks her mother and late grandmother had collected over the years from the Port Jefferson beach instead of place cards, hand-stamping each of them with funky animal stamps to indicate the table and writing out each person’s name on the stones.
Because of their commitment to all animals, Dana and Dave made a donation in their guests’ names to the Wake County, North Carolina, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in their new North Carolina hometown. Each guest took home a wheatgrass planting tagged with a note to let them know about the donation.
The couple also wanted to highlight the best of Long Island in their wedding, incorporating local wildflowers and herbs into their décor and choosing local foods, including a ragout of local vegetables served over polenta, Long Island duck breast, and fresh local berries for their wedding menu.
As Dana and Dave took to the dance floor with practiced ease — they’d taken lessons together, a tenth anniversary gift from Dana to her soon-to-be husband — the band played “Homeward Bound,” a perfect reflection of the couple’s long-term commitment through geographical challenges and their joy in coming together at last.Calhoun, who joined the celebration in her flower-bedecked collar and took a turn around the dance floor with Dana during the reception, surely approved.
Dana & Dave's Advice
1) Make the most of your destination wedding by using local flowers, herbs, and cuisine. It adds a certain homey feel to the celebration.
2) Get your family involved in the planning process. It’s a fun way to add that extra personal touch while keeping everyone really involved.
{Other Professionals}
Cake: Tate's Bake Shop, Thyme & Again
Catering & Coordination: Thyme & Again
Entertainment: Gene Casey And The Lone Sharks
Event Rentals: Classic Party Rentals
Floral Design: Sag Harbor Florist
Hair & Makeup: New Beginnings
Photography: Michael Cody
Tent Rental: The New York Tent Company