Long before designer and girl-about-town Harley Viera-Newton found herself at the center of a Sex and the City–style Vogue photo shoot for the final fitting of her three—that’s right, three!—Valentino wedding looks, she and Ross Schwartzman were just two DJs with gigs booked for the same weekend in Las Vegas. “We were both there for work,” recalls Harley of how she met her now-husband, Ross, who goes by the stage name DJ Ross One. “We were only friends for a while before we definitely realized there was something more there.”
Fast-forward five years, and Ross was invited to join Harley and her dad on their annual father-daughter fly fishing trip. They’ve taken this trip to Montana every summer for the past 15 years, and there’s always one specific river path that they hike at the end of a long day that leads to a waterfall. “When we reach it, we always hang there for a bit because it’s so beautiful and majestic,” says Harley. “It was at the end of one of these days, when Ross popped the question. He tricked me by luring me into the river, saying he wanted to take a photo of me in front of the waterfall. But then, out of nowhere, he got down on one knee!” Harley had no idea it was coming and quickly went into total shock. “I was wearing fishing waders and had Cheetos sticking out of my pocket!” she laughs. The ring was an absolutely stunning 1920s antique diamond from London’s Grays Antique Centre, one of Harley’s favorite stores.
Once back on the East Coast, the couple dove head first into the wedding planning process. “It was really important to Ross and me that our entire wedding weekend be very intimate and that each venue felt very ‘us,’ ” explains Harley. “We picked places that we’ve either loved forever or venues that already capture our aesthetic as they are. We didn’t want to build anything from scratch; we simply wanted to enhance existing venues with little special touches.” Harley called upon Lauren and Serena at Merriman Events to plan what ended up being an elegant yet low-key downtown New York City wedding that featured their beloved cats, Tarzan and Mo, prominently on the invitations that Ross actually drew himself, bar napkins, matches, menus, a Polaroid book for guests to put pics in, and even, as the toppers on the wedding cake.
The weekend started on Friday afternoon at City Hall. Harley and Ross dressed up to sign their paperwork—making things official—and to pose for photos in front of the kitschy backdrop set up for newlyweds inside the government building. Once everything was signed, sealed, and delivered, Harley hopped uptown for a celebratory tea with her female family members and a few of her best girlfriends at the Carlyle Hotel. Fittingly, she wore a white three-piece Chanel suit that she discovered at a vintage shop in Miami with Chanel kitten heels and a white leather circle bag on a chain for a ladylike look.
Saturday morning, there was an intimate ceremony in the garden-like backroom at Palma on Cornelia Street in the West Village. Fox Fodder Farm used different flowers in fun, bright colors arranged in bud vases of assorted sizes to bring the venue to life. “The arrangements were beautiful—they looked like they were handpicked from the garden,” says Harley. The ceremony started at 11:00 a.m., and natural light poured into the space as Harley’s father walked her down the aisle.
The bride wore a long-sleeved macramé lace column dress pulled from the Valentino archives—it was from Spring 2013, to be exact. She paired the dress with a Monvieve French lace veil and De Beers diamond drop earrings. “When it came time to pick a dress, it wasn’t even a question. I had my heart set on Valentino,” says Harley. “I know it’s something I will love for the rest of my life.”
Harley’s younger sister, Rio Viera-Newton, a beauty writer for The Strategist, officiated the intimate ceremony in the flirty String of Heart–print dress from the bride’s HVN line, worn by all of the bridesmaids. “Everyone was hysterically laughing one moment and sobbing the next. She absolutely blew us away,” says Harley. After the newlyweds kissed under a floral arch and confetti had been tossed for their walk back up the aisle, everyone gathered at tables for a casual Italian lunch served family-style.
Later that night, it was time for the main event: a black-tie dinner at One If by Land, Two If by Sea, often dubbed the most romantic restaurant in the city. Florals adorned glowing fireplaces and were entwined throughout the staircase bannister and up across the ceiling. Tapered candlesticks of varying sizes topped off tables and a leopard ice sculpture designated the location of the caviar bar.
For her big moment, Harley wore a second dramatic Valentino gown—one that she’d been obsessed with for years from the Pre-Fall 2013 collection. “I’ve always loved a bit of a cupcake gown, and this dress has just the right amount of volume with exquisite beaded flowers and latticing all over the tulle,” she says. “It was a total dream dress!” After dinner, guests were transported via trolley over to Omar’s for an epic after-party. For the last hurrah, Harley changed into a lace Valentino minidress from the 2017 Resort collection with a short skirt and slightly belled sleeves so she could really dance. She accessorized with large heart-shaped crystal Alessandra Rich earrings and a faux-feather coat from Happy Isles that really took the whole look up a notch.
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“My vision for this final part of the night was clear: hundreds of balloons, tequila shots everywhere, and lots of dancing,” laughs the bride. The couple’s three favorite DJs—Matt Creed, DJ Roctakon, and DJ Crooked—kept the party going all night. “Our first dance was to our favorite song of the year, ‘Unforgettable’ by French Montana,” remembers Harley. “All of our friends knew it was our song and cleared the floor when it came on.”
The next morning, the newlyweds woke up a little worse for wear—but basking in the afterglow of their perfect wedding weekend. They spent the morning reminiscing and sorting through all of the pictures that had been taken in the after-party photo booth. According to the bride, “It was the perfect hangover cure!”