Special to the Journal
In what is being hailed as one of New England’s most elegant weddings of the year, two members of the local legal and business universe, Hailey Jenkins and Anthony D’Ambrosio, were married Saturday, July 19, in a private ceremony at the groom’s parents historic Queen Ann Victorian home situated on four oceanfront acres in Beverly Farms.
The celebration blended old-world elegance with modern sophistication, and all played out in front of a sweeping vista of the Atlantic Ocean. Some 200 guests gathered on the home’s manicured lawn, along the Cape Ann coast, enjoyed curated menus and other designer details throughout the evening.
Among the attendees were a who’s who of Massachusetts business, legal, and political powerbrokers. Guests included Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll; former Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Justice David Lowey; former Massport CEO, Pfizer vice president, and gubernatorial chief of staff Virginia Buckingham; Massachusetts Trial Court Administrator and former Revere mayor and Chelsea city manager Thomas Ambrosino; LPL Financial founder Bill Dwyer; Constitution Capital Partners CEO Dan Cahill; Aptiv CEO Kevin Clark; Link Ventures CEO Dave Blundin, State Representative Jeffrey Turco; Revere Mayor Patrick Keefe, Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria and other officials.
The groom’s father, Gerry D’Ambrosio, is a prominent Boston attorney who provides counsel on some of the largest, complex economic development projects in the Commonwealth and sits on numerous boards including the Governor’s Judicial Nominating Commission.
The wedding site has a rich history dating back to the 19th Century. The home, a 9,000 square foot historical manor, was initially built on the promontory overlooking the ocean in 1845 as a summer residence for Boston investment banker and entrepreneur Henry C. Lee.
The wedding was officiated by Reverend Patrick O’Connor, formerly of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Winthrop, currently assigned to Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Rhode Island.
The former Miss Hailey Jenkins wore a show-stopping Italian Stretch Mikado, cat eye neckline, basque waist pleated and gathered ball gown with signature bow accents, from The Park View by Sareh Nouri. It was worn with a custom off-shoulder ceremony wrap, a cathedral length ribbon-trimmed veil with a blusher, diamond drop earrings and a pair of Christian Louboutin vintage Empira Lace booties. The groom’s attire was by Frank’s Custom Tailoring of Boston.
The wedding planner was Just a Girl Events, led by Charlene DeLuca, who has more than three decades of experience in Boston, Newport, and New York City.
The couple exchanged vows beneath a sculptural composition of hydrangeas of varying heights, up to six-plus feet, vary in height, that overlooked the ocean. The floral creations were by American Stems, a bespoke floral studio in Harwich Port.
The prominent floral designer Kelsey Harris continued the hydrangea theme to a 50-foot aisle that led guests through a mass of blooms to the site of the ceremony. It was extended, also, to the head table, where a cascading meadow of flowers spilled from either end, and to the bars.
Guests were seated under a 45’ by 84’ sailcloth, tri-top tent with a complete flooring system, erected by Seacoast Tent Rentals of Plaistow, N.H. Much of the tented platform was elevated several feet from the ground, complete with railings, stairs, and ramps.
Cake Ann of Gloucester provided the massive three-tiered vanilla berry wedding cake with vanilla simple syrup.
Timothy S. Hopkins Catering of Essex created a menu featuring coastal New England and American favorites. Hors d’oeuvres included lobster rolls, crab cakes, yellowfin tuna, and a full raw bar. Entrees were halibut and filet of Angus beef, and the dessert station featured delectable petit confections, sable cookies, and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Hopkins additionally provided the wedding party and guests a late-night snack of black Angus sliders, fried chicken, and homemade potato chips. Guests enjoyed three full open bars for the duration of the evening. There was an after-dinner cigar station as well.
The Fenway String Quartet performed the ceremonial music. A pre-recorded voice note from the bride to the groom was played over the string section as she walked down the aisle.
The wedding band was Hot Mess, a best of Boston, nine-piece ensemble with five lead vocalists, a horn section, and choreography complete with costume changes. The band incorporated traditional Italian music to reflect the heritage of the groom’s family and also provided a surprise mash-up of Tim McGraw’s “My Little Girl” and Krystal Keith’s “Daddy Dance With Me” for the father-daughter dance. The bride’s father, Jim Jenkins, loves both songs so much he couldn’t choose just one. The music and wedding party concluded at 1AM.
The newlyweds reside on Revere Beach as Hailey departs the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office to start a new position with the Trial Court, and Anthony enters his first year at Harvard Business School.
