News

Aug 28, 2023

The Grooms Wore Custom Armani Tuxes at This Destination Wedding on Necker Island

By Alexandra Macon Wesley Vultaggio and Michael McCarty first struck up

By Alexandra Macon

Wesley Vultaggio and Michael McCarty first struck up conversation at a Brooklyn apartment party in 2019, right before the pandemic. "We were both invited by friends of friends," Wesley remembers. "If anyone knows me, I rarely go to a party like that. Michael lived in L.A. at that point and was only in town for work, so it was pure kismet that we crossed paths."

The couple's connection, however, was both immediate and electric. "After the party, we met up at the Boom Boom Room, and we were glued to each other all night on the dance floor. He asked me what I did, and I said ‘I make drinks,’ " Wesley, the chief creative officer and co-owner of Arizona Beverages, remembers. "Michael [who works in biotech] came to our first date two days later thinking I was a bartender. The rest is history."

For Michael, the attraction at the party was equally instantaneous. "As soon as Wes walked in, I said to my friend ‘holy actual cannoli,’ " Michael jokes. "In retrospect, the clichés all hit. I non-creepily stalked him as he went to make himself a drink, introduced myself, and showed him that to make a vodka soda, you simply mix vodka with soda—and voilà!"

With that initial spark in mind, Michael asked his friend to buddy up with Wesley so he could attempt to play it coy and keep it cool. "Wes and I danced the night away, and when I was getting ready to leave, I asked him if he wanted to get my number," Michael remembers. "He said ‘nope!’ so I defeatedly headed towards the elevators to get out of there. I didn't make it three steps before I was pulled back by Wesley saying he was just kidding and he would love to get my number. We exchanged, and that night at 2:22 a.m., I texted him: Hey bartender. "

Two days later, they went on their first date at Lure in Soho. "It was the best—and last—first date I had ever had," Michael says. "The chemistry, conversation, and connection were all off the charts. I said this in my vows, but I knew on that date that Wes would be my husband."

Wesley proposed to Michael in Capri in July 2021. He arrived a few days earlier than Michael to scope out all of the most romantic places with his friends before popping the big question. The problem? All of the "good" options involved a boat, which Michael's motion sickness made difficult. "Every time I was ready to ask, he looked a bit green," Wesley remembers. "I opted to play it safe and did it on the balcony of our room at J.K. Place, overlooking the Mediterranean and the most beautiful summer sunset. We celebrated that night under the lemon trees of Da Paolino, both euphoric and high on life and love."

Funnily enough, Michael had told all of his family and friends that there was a 50 percent chance he might get engaged on the trip to Italy. "I wouldn't say I knew for sure, but I was not completely blindsided," he jokes. "One of the strongest aspects of our relationship has always been communication, so we had discussed getting married and starting a family." When Wesley pulled out the ring box on the deck of their room overlooking the Mediterranean, however, it was shaped exactly like a deck of cards, leading Michael to think he was suggesting a game of gin rummy. "Then Wes said ‘No, I’m asking you to marry me!’ and I said ‘Yes! A million times yes,’" Michael laughs. "Our friends Brian Atwood and Dr. Jake Deutsch were waiting downstairs with the Champagne and were both already crying tears of happiness."

The couple wanted an intimate destination wedding near the beach, and following plenty of research, they landed on Sir Richard Branson's private islands Necker and Moskito in the British Virgin Islands. The year prior, Wesley had booked a 40th birthday trip to Moskito Island, but because of COVID, had to cancel—so the location was already on the couple's radar. "We did a deep dive on islands around the world, from Brando Island in Tahiti to Capri in the Amalfi Coast, but were always pulled towards Necker," Michael says. "We had a couple of conversations with them and the best dates they could offer us were November 2023, which was too far off for us. Three days later, they called and said they had a cancellation in May, and did we want it? Obviously the answer was a resounding ‘Yes!’"

Soon after settling on Necker and Moskito for the location, they were introduced to event planner Chris Hessney of Hessney & Co. through a friend, and were immediately drawn to his laid back, unpretentious vibe. "We knew we didn't want the typical ‘wedding planner’ as our vision was to have the most un-produced yet tastefully decadent weekend with our closest friends and family—like the ultimate tropical vacation that also happens to be a wedding," Wesley says. "It wasn't an easy task, as we learned early on pulling off a chic, less-is-more aesthetic on a remote private island takes way more production than one would think. We ended up sending three containers’ worth of decor to the BVIs in order to pull off four days of events, including a Slim Aarons–inspired beach party, a jazz-club-meets-the-tropics night, and of course, our incredible ceremony and after-party. In the end, Chris and his team—along with the incredible Necker and Moskito staff—did the impossible. We were blown away."

Wesley and Michael both had an existing relationship with Armani, so they went to the brand for custom looks. "Mr. Armani has been crafting couture suits for men longer than most, and we love his elegant, sophisticated, and timeless aesthetic," Wesley says. "Our stylist Yanuel Garcia worked closely with Vincenzo at [Armani] Privé, which allowed us a world of possibilities with access to fabrics that are customarily used for women's couture. After a few design meetings and what felt like a hundred fittings, we came up with what we needed for both day and evening events." For accessories, they went with a combination of new and vintage, including old Rolexes from the collection of Wesley's brother Spencer and wedding bands designed by their friend Matthew Harris of Mateo New York.

In the lead-up to the wedding, somehow, Michael managed to keep the plan for the ceremony under wraps from Wesley. "It was pure magic," Wesley says. "Michael planned the whole thing from start to finish and kept it a secret from me until the minute I walked down the aisle." The black-tie ceremony began just as the sun started to set over the ocean, and the aesthetic was minimal, tropical, and masculine. "I wanted it to be the emotional peak of the weekend," Michael says. "We had many different events planned throughout the four days that were very celebratory and had amazing food, music, and energy, but I really wanted to center the weekend around our love. To bring everyone into the right headspace, we had our two friends who officiated the ceremony, Elena Scott and Todd Hawkins, do what they called a "vibe check," where they made sure everyone was centered and had put their phones away—something we were very adamant about."

To really set the mood, a string quartet played a stripped down rendition of "Can't Help Falling in Love" as guests filed in to take their seats. For the procession, the couple's fathers were waiting at the front, before their siblings and spouses walked down the aisle, with nieces and nephews as ring-bearers and flower girls. After that, Michael entered with his mom and gave her to his dad, before Wesley did the same with his mother. Once they were at the "altar," Todd and Elenea recounted their friendships with both Wesley and Michael.

"According to them both, it was obvious from the beginning that we were ‘the one,’ " Michael says. "I had asked Wes for us to do our own vows—as a testament to our love, and since our relationship is one-of-a-kind, I didn't want to do traditional vows. Wes went first and gave two minutes of the most beautiful, sweet, loving vows and promises I could have imagined; when I attempted to follow up I couldn't get through the first word, ‘Wesley,’ without breaking down."

"I even said ‘I can't do this,’ referring to not being able to breathe or speak, before ripping out my pocket square and using it as a handkerchief, and getting my composure back," Michael remembers. "I recited my vows and promises to him, and there was not a dry eye in the house—even our friends who didn't think it was possible for them to shed a tear were in sobs. After our vows, we exchanged our rings, were announced as Mr. and Mr. McCarty Vultaggio, and had our first kiss as husbands. As soon as our lips touched, a gospel choir burst into their rendition of ‘I Say a Little Prayer.’" After a few cheers, the couple processed out for pictures, while a gospel choir performed a rendition of Taylor Swift's "Out of the Woods"—in Michael's words, "the first Taylor Swift song I was able to get Wesley to love."

"It was the most surreal, out-of-body feeling," Wesley says. "Pure elation and intense excitement." "I felt so much love from our families and friends," Michael continues. "I felt pure happiness and bliss, holding Wes's hand in front of everyone, and being able to make vows and promises to each other that will last a lifetime. A lot of the emotion from the ceremony came from the feeling of finding true love and our guests watching us make lifelong commitments to each other."

After the ceremony, dinner was kicked off with a beautiful rendition of Beyoncé's "1+1." Guests were seated at tables in the sand under a canopy of palm trees as the newlyweds danced to "Il Mondo." Each place setting had a personalized card that featured various excerpts from the beginnings of the couple's text exchanges. "When we stumbled upon them a few months ago, we realized that the notion that either of us had kept it cool was most certainly not the case," Michael laughs. "We had both brought our A+ game to our texts in those first few days. Wes even—jokingly—asked me to move in on day three! It was amazing to have all of our guests have that window into the fall of 2019 and the beginning of our relationship."

When dinner was over, the couple—and of course, all their friends and family—"partied their faces off" until sunrise at the newly-minted Club McV, courtesy of DJ Pascal Moscheni. "Our wedding was the wedding of the century," Michael says. "I thought I would want to go back and do it all again, but it was so perfect, and Wes and I had the time of our lives—it was the best kick-off to our lives together."

Lemurs are all over the Necker and Moskito Islands. Here we are getting up close and personal. —Wesley

Our day party on Palm Beach had a lunch setup that was casually stylish. —Wesley

More fun in the lemur cage. —Wesley

Once we came up with our logo for the wedding, we thought it should go everywhere. —Wesley

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My sister Jackie Cook and niece Cameron enjoying the Caribbean sun. —Michael

Local musicians setting a perfect island-party vibe. —Wesley

Stealing a kiss on our way to swim. —Michael

A delicious Mediterranean seaside menu inspired by our favorite vacation spots. —Wesley

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