Mrs. August: Why Rainbows Made This BOLI’s Beach Wedding Special

In Brides of Long Island’s Monthly “Mrs.” series, we profile some of our members’ unforgettable weddings. This month, Dominique talks about the must-haves on her wedding day.

Dominique and Dylan grew up just a few towns apart on Long Island, and were on the same swim team when they were in elementary school. And even though they ran in the same circles as they grew up – both swimming and lifeguarding – the pair didn’t start dating until the Covid pandemic. After nine months of planning, they had their dream beach wedding this past May before Dominique started her surgical residency.

A Long-Distance Love

Even though the pair grew up on Long Island, Dominique says their relationship was mainly long-distance. Dylan was living in Colorado, while Dominique was in medical school in Buffalo. In September 2024, Dylan took Dominique up the same mountain in Aspen they went to during her first and proposed. “Basically, on our four-year anniversary, we took the gondola up the mountain, and he proposed at the top,” Dominique says.

MORE: 5 Reasons to Have a Short Engagement

Planning a Wedding and Residency

Knowing she wanted to get married before starting her surgery residency, Dominique and Dylan started planning a month after they got engaged. “I was planning my wedding, interviewing for a residency and going through orientation at the same time,” she says. The shorter amount of time to plan made it easy for Dominique and Dylan to make decisions quickly.

The first vendor they secured was their venue. “I’m very proactive, and I knew we wanted to get married on the beach,” she says. “So, I started calling all the venues on Long Island on the water.” The first place they called was Pavilion at Sunken Meadow, a BOLI Preferred Vendor. “We loved that we could literally get married right on the beach there,” she says. “And they had a couple of the weekends we were considering for our May wedding.”

Once they booked Sunken Meadow Pavilion, the rest of the vendors fell into place. Photography was really important to the couple, so they booked a good friend of Dylan’s from Colorado. “We loved working with him,” she says. “He’s extremely talented, and also laid back. He got some amazing shots on our wedding day, and we didn’t even realize he was there!” Another important vendor was the DJ. They booked Absolute Entertainment, a BOLI Preferred Vendor, and were thrilled when their dance floor was packed the whole night. “I don’t think there was one person not on the dance floor!”

MORE: Get Your Party Started with Absolute Entertainment

A Beach Affair With a Rainbow Surprise

In keeping with the laid back beach vibe, Dominique and Dylan kept their colors to seafoam green and light tan. “I let my bridesmaids pick their own dresses,” she says. “I didn’t want to stress. We also didn’t want anything too formal since it was a beach wedding.”

They had Dylan’s family dog be the ring bearer. “We’re obsessed with her! She’s such a good dog, and everyone loved watching her come down the aisle,” she says.

Dominique’s favorite moment of the day though, was during her first dance. Even though the weather was beautiful during their ceremony, it started pouring when it came time for their first dance. However when the rain stopped, two rainbows came out over the water. “My dad passed away in 2016, and seeing those rainbows made me feel like my dad was there watching over us,” she says.

Dominique says all of her vendors went above and beyond for her wedding day. “The food at Sunken Meadow was so good,” she says. “Everyone is still talking about it.” She adds that the staff made everything seamless throughout planning and on her wedding day. Stephanie at Flowers on Broadway was incredible when it came to Dominique’s flowers. “She was able to bring my floral vision to life and she was open to making changes if needed,” she says. “She was so flexible, and each bouquet was stunning.”

MORE: The Best Wedding Venues in Suffolk County

Have Your Cake

Dominique says she used the search bar a lot on the BOLI Facebook page. “The last two weeks leading up to our wedding, I was scouring the page looking for other Sunken Meadow brides to get ideas on their decorations and first look locations,” she says.

Now that she’s looking back on her big day, she wants other brides not to stress over every single detail. “For me, I tried to keep it laid back,” she says. “I found that the more I tried to micromanage every little thing, the more things weren’t working out.” She suggests letting certain little things go, so you can focus on the bigger picture and enjoy your day. She also urges brides to have their cake! “Unfortunately, I was so busy with my friends and family taking pictures and enjoying ourselves, I didn’t get a piece of cake! So make sure you get cake!”

Vendors:
Venue: Pavilion at Sunken Meadow, a BOLI Preferred Vendor
Photographer: Robert Barranco Photography
DJ: Absolute Entertainment, a BOLI Preferred Vendor
Florist: Flowers on Broadway
Hair/Makeup: EDA Hair and Beauty
Dress: North Fork Bridal Shoppe, a BOLI Preferred Vendor
Transportation: Mark of Elegance, a BOLI Preferred Vendor