Interview by Maxwell Alexander
Max: Hi Judy! Thanks for the amazing cover photo shoot and congrats on your wedding! I’ve known you and Paul since grad school at FIT, but how did you guys first meet?
Judy: Hi Max, and thank you for thinking of us and our wedding. We both are honored to be featured in the Hudson Valley Style Magazine. Paul and I first met the summer of 2010 during The Nautical Mile Festival in Freeport, NY. I was out with my girlfriends celebrating my birthday when a friend introduced us. We spent the whole night talking, laughing and enjoying each others company. Towards the end of the night, Paul was a gentleman and walked me to my car. The following day we went jet skiing and I received a concussion after our heads collided. That moment was when we knew it was love at first concussion 🙂 After texting back and forth for about a week or so we went on our first date, June 12, 2010. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. We had lunch on the water which turned into dinner/drinks. I will always remember and cherish that day! Every year for our anniversary we go back for lunch and relive that day!
Max: I personally attended your wedding and must say it was amazing! A lot of logistics and hundreds of guests from around the World. How long, and how many people does it take to plan a wedding of this magnitude?
Judy: We are glad you were able to celebrate with us and had a great time! Unlike most couples, our engagement was 2 years, which is longer than the usual. Our wedding planning started back in December of 2015 when we booked The Royal Manor as our venue. From there I would say all the pieces started to slowly come together gracefully. Our wedding team consisted of us two and once in a while our parents jumped in to either get us back on track or reel us back to reality. Like every couple planning a wedding, we had some hiccups along the way but with the support of our families and friends we ended up with an amazing and unforgettable day!
Max: We have something in common: We are both designers with a science background and now you are a practicing Architect. How does that influence your personal and professional style?
Judy: In the past couple of years I grew as an architect and my style has become more modern and contemporary. Modern architecture has something for everyone; it is unique, warm, inviting and open creations of structural beauty. I tend to express my personal and professional style through simplicity, clean lines, interiors that allow the structure to speak for itself and take center stage and forgo unnecessary design details. One of my idols who created exquisite and unique modern designs is Frank Lloyd Wright. He along with many other architects, myself included, have anything but cookie-cutter style.
Max: What is your definition of Hudson Valley Style in Architecture?
Judy: Hudson Valley Style to me is a mixture between traditional and modern, nature and science… After visiting Hudson Valley a few times, I found that there are numerous examples of successful meshing of these two, seemingly opposing, styles together into one cohesive design. Hudson Valley Style in Architecture also illustrates perfect harmony, it gracefully transitions design from interior to exterior and then again across all the various beautiful outdoor spaces, creating function, balance and prodigious style.
