Jamie Singer Soros Married Robert Soros in a Field of Roses at The Glass House
Jamie Singer Soros and Robert Soros were introduced by a friend at a dinner party. “We sat next to each other and found out we were both Hungarian and shared the same dry sense of humor that comes with being Hungarian,” Jamie, the CEO and co-founder of the private visual messaging platform Ussie says of how she and Robert, a financier, first got to know each other. The two started dating shortly thereafter. “I had always told Robert I wanted an intimate proposal—no surprise party, no flash mob, no marching band, no parents with video cameras in the bushes. It just so happened that he got the ring right before quarantine, so he proposed to me at home in a way that felt very in line with our relationship: genuine, intimate, just us, with some inside jokes.”
After the engagement, the two began planning their wedding for November of 2020 in Napa. The pandemic, however, interfered. “We had been planning a 250 person wedding,” Jamie explains. “In May, I finally came to terms with the fact that it wasn’t going to happen.”
For Jamie, being a “COVID bride” ended up providing a lot of unexpected clarity on a number of levels. “Suddenly, it was no longer about the flowers, the music, or the cake—but instead about the urgency of wanting to be husband and wife,” Jamie says. “One of my friends sent me a quote from When Harry Met Sally that captured my feelings so well: ‘When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.’”
With that in mind, Jamie and Robert decided they didn’t want to wait. They canceled Napa and instead chose to host a small ceremony and lunch with a pared-down guest list made up of only family and a handful of friends. Once they’d cut back the number of guests, the first order of business was searching for an outdoor location.
“Napa had been a sentimental location for us, so finding a venue that was meaningful to our relationship was a challenge,” Jamie admits. “Robert and I love contemporary art and architecture, so I wanted a location that spoke to that. The Glass House, an icon of American modernism in New Canaan, CT, that was built by famed architect Philip Johnson, fit the vision.”
There hadn’t been a wedding at The Glass House since the 1970s—when Andy Warhol and his dachshund were present—so this wasn’t a readily available option. But, the venue was able to make a one-time exception for the couple as their events calendar had been cleared due to the pandemic. “It was a rare bit of good fortune in an otherwise challenging time,” Jamie notes. “Planning during a pandemic was emotionally difficult because I knew so many of the people we wanted to celebrate with were not going to be able to attend. But, I decided the best way forward was to focus on the things I could control and fully enjoy them.”
Jamie chose red roses—a classic symbol of romance and the flower that Robert always gave to her to commemorate important relationship milestones—to be a continuous reference throughout the wedding. “I wanted to be respectful of the minimal beauty of The Glass House while making it feel like a special day,” she explains. “I envisioned creating a dramatic field of red roses that would feel impactful and that guests could walk through or experience from afar.”
Although Jamie had a very clear vision in her head of what she wanted her wedding to look like, getting someone to help execute was crucial. This is where Sophie Pape of S Projects stepped in. She was able to take Jamie’s ideas and make them all come together. “On top of that, she was a riot to work with and, at times, I swear I thought she had ESP,” Jamie jokes. “Sophie made everything happen in record time, including sourcing a tent that would match the shape of the Glass House and a mirrored table and Ghost chairs that disappeared into the landscape.”
It was important to Jamie and Robert that everyone would feel safe during the wedding, so many of their aesthetic and logistical decisions stemmed from that desire. “We tested everyone that morning outside the venue,” Jamie says. “Everyone wore masks except while eating. We separated out the seating by pods and had all food pre-plated under glass cloches to minimize waiter interaction. There was no dancing except for our first dance and my dance with my father. What unfolded was a magical day of incredible conversation, strolling through the fields and art installations, a feeling of connection, love, joy and gratitude during a time when that felt foreign.”
The couple enlisted Raúl Àvila to do the flowers. “He is hands-down the best florist ever,” Jamie says. “Anyone who can take the request of ‘I want a field of long stem roses’ and make it happen deserves major accolades.”
Because of the pandemic, fashion ended up being harder to source than flowers. By late May, all of Jamie’s dress appointments in New York City had been cancelled, and the stores didn’t have any clear plans to reopen. But then, “A friend introduced me to Micaela Erlanger—the celebrity stylist who lucky for me recently expanded her business into the luxury bridal sphere,” Jamie explains. “I like to think of Micaela as my young, cool fairy godmother who saved me from pandemic wedding despair. She makes miracles happen, is an absolute joy to work with, and her sense of style is just impeccable.”
Micaela was able to translate Jamie’s dress ideas into a list of suggested designers. They landed on Ralph Russo for their feminine silhouettes and incredibly detailed work. “Tamara Ralph designed the dreamiest dress for me,” Jamie says. “The first time I tried it on I had my mom and everyone on Zoom—and when I saw my dress, I burst into tears. For the second fitting, I was able to bring my mom with me, and she got to see my dress in person. It was incredibly emotional for us and one of my favorite parts of the planning process.”
The look included a veil and a chiffon cape in case it got cold. The dress itself had the words “Let’s Fall in Love” inscribed in the lace—lyrics from Jamie and Robert’s first dance song by Cole Porter, sung by Ella Fitzgerald.
The bride’s makeup was done by Carolina Gonzalez and her hair was by DJ Quintero. “Their vibe kept me calm,” Jamie says. “Carolina is a master at makeup and the way she applies it is an art form. She delivered on my request to look pretty and natural. DJ’s signature look is super feminine, glamorous hair that still looks carefree. I wanted my hair up to show the back of my dress. DJ did a beautiful bun that worked with multiple outfit changes.”
