Global Brand Ambassador Matt Coppola  Professional Polo Player And Wellington Native Teams Up With Lifestyle Brand U.S. Polo Assn.

Story by Stacey Kovalsky | Photos by USPA Global Licensing

U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), has selected American polo player Matt Coppola as the multi-billion-dollar, sport-inspired brand’s newest global ambassador.

Now 26, Coppola has been playing professionally since he was 14 years old and played in the semifinals of the 2011 U.S. Open Polo Championship at the age of 16. Today, he is one of the highest handicapped American players.

As part of its authentic brand history and connection to the USPA, U.S. Polo Assn. selects polo players as brand ambassadors to shine the spotlight on the dynamic crop of young and talented players coming up through the ranks. The scope of Coppola’s year-long role as global brand ambassador is designed to help connect the brand and the sport through his outstanding performance on the field as one of the top American polo players.

Coppola will be outfitted in U.S. Polo Assn. apparel and gear both on and off the field. He will also post regularly about his polo-related and other daily activities on social media and will engage in media requests for interviews and campaigns. He may also conduct interviews or participate in events on behalf of the U.S. Polo Assn. brand.

“U.S. Polo Assn. is proud to welcome professional polo player Matt Coppola to our outstanding roster of global brand ambassadors for 2021,” said J. Michael Prince, president and CEO of USPA Global Licensing, which manages the U.S. Polo Assn. brand. “Coppola is an exceptional polo player who has come up the ranks quickly in the U.S. He is an excellent representation of what our brand is all about — sport-inspired, youthful, vibrant and fun.”

Coppola competed in the 2019, 2020 and 2021 Gauntlet of Polo competitions in Wellington and has triumphed in many of these prestigious tournaments. With a shooting accuracy of more than 70 percent, Coppola, who played for Las Monjitas, ranked second out of all the players in the 2019 Gauntlet and first for shooting accuracy in the U.S. Open Polo Championship.

In 2021, he played in the Gauntlet with Park Place, alongside Andre Borodin, Hilario Ulloa and Juan Britos, winning the prestigious C.V. Whitney Cup and making the finals of the U.S. Open Polo Championship. For this most notable championship, Coppola wore his branded U.S. Polo Assn. jersey and other player gear on and off the field. “I am honored to represent U.S. Polo Assn., with whom I have worked over the years through the brand’s sponsorship of the Gauntlet of Polo,” Coppola said. “As a professional polo player, it’s meaningful for me to represent a brand that’s authentically connected to polo and gives back to the sport and its players.”

Born and raised in Wellington by show jumper Jesse Coppola and professional polo player Tony Coppola, he developed a love for horses at a young age. Today, Coppola travels the United States and Argentina to play professional polo throughout the year and works with his father to help give racehorses a second career in polo. Coppola is also a graduating member of Team USPA, a prominent program developed and managed by the USPA to develop young American polo players for the highest levels of competition.

U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association, the nonprofit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States, and one of the oldest sports governing bodies, dating back to 1890. With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and worldwide distribution through some 1,100 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores, department stores, sporting goods channels, independent retailers and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel for men, women and children, as well as accessories, footwear, travel and home goods in 180 countries worldwide. Recently ranked the fifth-largest sports licensor in License Global magazine’s 2020 list of “Top 150 Global Licensors,” U.S. Polo Assn. is named alongside such iconic sports brands as the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball.

To learn more about Coppola and to see him play, visit www.globalpolo.com. Learn more about the U.S. Polo Assn. brand at www.uspoloassnglobal.com.

‘A SALUTE TO OUR HEROES’ RETURNS TO HONOR LOCAL HEROES NOV. 12

Although the Wellington Community Foundation hosted a very successful virtual fundraising event last November during the height of the pandemic, it is now time for the return to in-person festivities. Now in its sixth year, the tradition will continue as the Wellington Community Foundation honors Wellington heroes. “A Salute to Our Heroes” returns to the Wellington National Golf Club on Friday, Nov. 12 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The foundation’s mission continues to grow and remains the solid steps toward helping their neighbors. With nearly $100,000 earmarked for assistance in the upcoming 2022 budget year, the foundation’s board members have dedicated themselves to raising the much-needed funds. This includes sponsorships, which this year again features the Diamond Sponsorship of Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith; Emerald Sponsorship of Tom & Regis Wenham; and Ruby Sponsorship of Wellington Regional Medical Center. Table sponsors also make up a big part of the night, and to date include Seacoast National Bank, Dr. & Mrs. Edward Becker, Mr. & Mrs. Jim Sackett, Palm Beach Urology Associates and Wellington The Magazine/the Town-Crier newspaper.

The Wellington Community Foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization committed to benefiting Wellington residents by supporting and improving their quality of life, particularly for children, seniors and veterans.

WCF Chair Tom Wenham explained that all the necessary protocols have been taken to ensure a safe event for all who attend. He is happy how the event is shaping up to be bigger, better and even more fun than originally thought just a few months ago.

“Our goal is to make sure that everyone feels comfortable,” Wenham said. “With respect for those who wish to wear a mask at this special event, complimentary, event-inspired masks will be provided to all attendees. The choice to wear the mask is yours.”

He reminded potential attendees of the more laid-back nature of the event. “It is cocktails, dinner and a dance. It’s red, white and blue jeans, with the emphasis on jeans,” Wenham said. “It is a casual event. There’s no need to get dressed up. Just choose something red, white and blue, and get ready for a good time.”

Board Member Mickey Smith echoed that sentiment. “This event is just plain, laid-back fun,” he said. “An added bonus is the fact that all the money raised will stay right here in Wellington to help our children, seniors and veterans. It’s truly a win-win situation.”

The Red, White & Blue Jeans event is the one of the most anticipated events on Wellington’s annual calendar. It is a must-attend event for anyone who wants to see Wellington prosper.

Tickets are $100 per person, and table sponsorships are $1,250 and include one table and eight tickets. For additional information, or to charge your tickets by phone, call Tom Wenham at (561) 333-9843 or visit www.wellingtoncommunityfoundation.org.

Serving Wellington’s Veteran Community
Wellington’s American Legion Post 390 Provides
Social Outlet And Crucial Services For Veterans

Story by Deborah Welky | Photos by Denise Fleischman

Wellington is a community that is home to many veterans, and one of the primary organizations providing services and representation for those veterans is Wellington’s American Legion Post 390.

When American troops returned home from World War I, the U.S. Congress chartered a new organization, the American Legion, to be made up of and serve veterans who fought overseas in the Great War. Since then, successive waves of veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have found camaraderie and support through their local American Legion posts.

Wellington Post 390 was founded in 2008 by a handful of local veterans, including David Knapp, Tom Wenham, Brian Munsterteiger, David Benedict Schaffer, Peter Granata, Allen Ziker, James Napuli, Thomas Diocson, Thomas Clapp, Dorothy Mitchell, Justin Marcoux, Jeffrey Rhody, Dr. Carmine A. Priore, David Vazquez Sr., William Bischoff and Jamia Webb. David Knapp served as the post’s first commander, followed by former Wellington Mayor Tom Wenham.

A long line of local veteran leaders has worked hard to keep the post going and growing since that time. The post’s current commander is Jay Froehlich, who took over in July 2021.

In the beginning, the group met at various locations including, a local fire station and the old Wellington Community Center. It now meets monthly at the new Wellington Community Center, where it holds meetings at 6 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month.

When its charter was approved, Wellington Post 390 started out with just 24 members. It has since grown to nearly 100, including a strong core of active members, and a larger number of people who join the post for special events, such as Wellington’s annual observances of Veterans Day in November and Memorial Day in May.

“Getting members is not that hard,” longtime post leader John Isola said. “Getting members to do something, that’s where the work is.”

Isola ought to know. For the past 10 years, he has spearheaded fundraising for the group. With a background as a successful fundraiser for an athletic group in New York, the former firefighter knows how to rally the troops. And with all the support that the American Legion provides to veterans, families of veterans and the overall community, an active membership is key.

One popular fundraiser is a golf tournament held in September that typically brings in $6,000 in registration fees and $5,000 in raffles and other income. “I always check out the post’s new members to see if we find any golfers in the mix,” Isola said.

This year, Isola managed to up those figures to $6,700 in registrations and $5,500 in raffles. Of that income, approximately $2,000 is distributed annually among the sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters of Wellington’s veterans, firefighters and police officers who apply for the American Legion scholarship through their high school. If you know any graduating senior who may qualify, be sure to let them know.

“So far, in 10 years, the most scholarship applicants we ever had was four. The least we ever had was one. They all got scholarships,” Isola said. “We’ve never really had to eliminate anybody.”

The post’s other primary fundraiser is the 200 Club, which brings in $5,400 and distributes a total of $3,800 in cash prizes annually among those who “joined” the club by purchasing one of the 216 $25 tickets sold. With monthly drawings and winning tickets tossed back in for another chance, excitement among members stays high from January through December. The top prize is $125 per month, upped to $250 for December. But if you to join the 200 Club, get in early. By February, all the tickets are sold.

“We never had any money until I started the golf tournament,” Isola said. “If you spend more money than you make, you’ve got a problem.”

Together with some dues money that comes back to the local post from the state, Post 390 also uses its money to provide medication and housing for veterans, to keep potentially homeless veterans in their homes, to help out the families of veterans, and to support Boys State, where students are sent to Tallahassee to see their government at work.

But not everything that Post 390 does costs money. Current Commander Jay Froehlich is very proud of the post’s involvement in the schools, educating children and youth about keeping patriotism alive. Also crucial is its ongoing services for veterans in need.

“Our main focus is to help veterans get the help they need through the Veterans Administration,” Froehlich said. “We also participate in Veterans Court, where we take over the prosecution of minor criminal action stuff to get veterans back on the right track. We do so many things, it’s amazing. Between the children and the youth — the funds that we disperse to them — the dollar amounts are phenomenal. Through fundraisers, dues and contributions, we’ve been able to help veterans stay in their homes, to help with their medical bills, to help get them going — and we don’t even operate out of a building.”

Some American Legion posts, usually much older posts, have their own buildings with meeting rooms, storage rooms and often a bar. “They can serve dinner,” Froehlich said. “It’s more of a social thing.”

That would be a far-off dream for Wellington’s post, since building a building today would cost millions. Instead, Post 390 keeps its focus on supporting Wellington’s veteran community.

Froehlich also acknowledged the work done by the post’s auxiliary unit.

“It used to be called the women’s auxiliary,” he explained. “But women now serve our country, too. Now any spouse — male or female — and their children, can join.”

Whether or not they are a member of the American Legion, Wenham is seeking out former veterans to get them some of the recognition they so richly deserve.

Banners hung along Forest Hill Blvd. currently honor Wellington veterans with their name and photo in a program called Wellington Heroes.

“A granddaughter of one of our community residents was in a small town in Pennsylvania and saw these American Heroes banners on light poles,” Wenham said. “She took a picture and brought it back, hoping we could do the same here.”

If you are a U.S. veteran or know one who would like to be recognized on a banner, bring a photo of the veteran, preferably in uniform, to Wenham at the Wellington Community Foundation office in the original Wellington Mall.

“Last Memorial Day, we had about 12 to 14 banners up around the amphitheater down by the Wellington Veterans Memorial,” Wenham said. “Since last Memorial Day, we’ve had four or five more veterans apply, and those new banners are ready to be put up this coming Nov. 11, Veterans Day. We’d like to have more so we can rotate them on the poles throughout the year.”

For more information about the Wellington Heroes program, call Wenham at (561) 333-9843. To help Isola with his fundraising efforts, call (561) 795-2721.

For more information on Wellington’s American Legion Post 390, visit www.alpost390.com.

 Palm Beach Brides 2021 Tell Us Your Story 

From this day forward, my heart is your home. My soul can be your refuge. When you are weak, you can turn to me. When the way is not clear, you can turn to me. I can be a promise and a prayer and will always be there, continuous and complete. Reach out to me, and my heart shall be your home.

Tell Us Your Story – Sara & James

“It’s hard to choose a favorite highlight from our wedding, but our vows were really important. I really wanted to keep the ceremony about our commitment to one another and God. We wrote our own vows, and the words we exchanged are something we will cherish forever. As well as leaving in a helicopter! That was also a highlight!”

Said I Do
February 29, 2020

Photography by
Mary McCarty

Location
The Wanderers Club

Newlyweds Sara and James “J.C.” Solomon became engaged at the Wanderers Club in Wellington —the same place where they later held their wedding. “We were having Easter brunch with both of our families at the club, and we went down to the putting green before brunch while waiting for our table, and J.C. putted a ball into a hole,” Sara recalled. “When I went to grab it, the ring was in the hole! He’s a big golfer, so it was fitting for us.”

Their story, however, began one day at work. “I was a stenographer, and he was an attorney working on the case,” she said, adding that she knew he was the one right at their first date. “I vividly remember thinking, ‘I’m having dinner with my husband,’” she said.

J.C. knew after Sara met his family. “My mom came downstairs the morning after she met her and said, ‘Oh my gosh. I love her.’ My mom never really said she liked anyone I dated!” he explained.

The ceremony was held on Feb. 29, 2020, in the Wanderers Club ballroom, followed by a tented reception on the driving range. Sara wore a wedding dress designed by Galia Lahav Couture and was attended by her sister, Stephanie Czajkowski, as maid of honor. T.J. Solomon served as best man. The wedding was photographed by Mary McCarty with video from Starfish Studios. “For our first dance, our band did a special rendition of both our parents’ first dance songs — ‘Just the Way You Are’ by Billy Joel and ‘Have I Told You Lately’ by Rod Stewart. It was so special!” Sara said

The day was filled with special details, among them the handkerchief Sara carried. “It was given to me by J.C.’s nonna (his grandmother), and it was from his great-nonna,” she said. “It’s white and has a blue trim, so that was my something blue. It dried many happy tears that day.”

Nonna also provided the wedding favors. “JC’s 92-year-old grandmother homemade 400 of her Italian love knot cookies for our guests all by hand, all by herself, and we individually packaged them with a ‘momma’s cookie’ sticker. I’ll never forget how excited she was when she saw them all wrapped up nicely with her ‘name’ on them.”

Sara also loved the wedding photos of each of their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents at the lounge by the bar. “We have an amazing history of marriage in both of our families, and we really wanted to honor the lineage of people who have taught us what a successful marriage looks like,” she said.

Sara surprised everyone in attendance by singing “Living on Love” by Alan Jackson to thank her parents as they danced. “It was one of the songs my dad used to have me sing as a kid. The song was also so fitting for the evening,” she said.

The day ended, however, with just the bride and groom. “We had the room cleared out at the end of the night, and J.C. and I had one final dance alone before we left,” Sara said. “I’ll never forget those moments, just him and I, fully soaking in the beauty that was around us.”

Tell Us Your Story  Christie & Kyle

“Our day was filled with special touches. We had a close friend of ours play the guitar while I walked down the aisle. The most memorable part of our wedding was the exchanging of our vows. We wrote our own, and it was a really special and intimate moment. I feel so blessed that we got to enjoy our fairytale wedding!”

Said I Do
June 9, 2018

Photography by
The Camera Wedding

Location
International Polo Club Palm Beach

The wedding story of Christie and Kyle Finch began on the dance floor at a local bar and culminated at a beautiful celebration held at the picturesque International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington.

Christie and Kyle met through a mutual friend at a local bar. “I knew he was the one after our first kiss on the dance floor,” Christie recalled.

The happy couple became engaged while celebrating another milestone together. Kyle proposed to Christie in front of their family and friends at his own birthday celebration.

“We all sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to him, and when he blew out the candles on the cake, everyone asked what he wished for,” Christie explained. “He then he got down on one knee. I was caught totally off guard.”

The ceremony and reception were both held at the International Polo Club Palm Beach, with its many scenic, equestrian-themed sites, and a staff used to making sure that all the details come across with impeccable precision.

Aside from being the premier polo destination in the world, the 250-acre International Polo Club Palm Beach is known locally as a popular wedding venue. The IPC team is highly skilled at putting together these picture-perfect special events, creating new ways to make them exciting, fun and memorable.

That was certainly the case with Christie and Kyle. The bride wore a lovely dress she purchased from Bacio Bacio Bridal Salon in Wellington, just one of the many local vendors that helped Christie and Kyle create a day to remember for a lifetime.

As she walked down the aisle on June 9, 2018, Christie was attended to by her sister Lauren Warren. Kyle’s close friend Brandon Cox served as his best man. To make sure they would remember this special day forever, photography and videography were provided by the Camera Wedding. They enjoyed their first dance as husband and wife to the popular wedding song “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran.

It was a day filled with special touches, and none more so than when Christie was making her way down the aisle to meet Kyle at the other end. “We had a close friend of ours play the guitar while I walked down the aisle,” she recalled.

Although the entire day was special, some magical moments stood out.

“The most memorable part of our wedding was the exchanging of our vows. We wrote our own, and it was a really special and intimate moment,” Christie shared. “I feel so blessed that we got to enjoy our fairytale wedding!”

That is, of course, the goal of any wedding, and at the International Polo Club Palm Beach, the expert team was able to help Christie and Kyle turn their dreams into reality, making sure that their love shined through during this very memorable day.

After a wonderful reception, the couple headed to a relaxing Caribbean honeymoon at the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

Tell Us Your Story Veronica & Javier

“God was so amazing to bring Javier at the right moment and during the hardest time of my life. My daughter, my sister, my mom and I contracted Covid-19 early this year. Javi was next to me all this time. He was living in Naples and used to drive back and forth. Even though we developed our relationship in such a short time, we always knew that we were meant for each other.”

Said I Do
September 3, 2021

Photography by
Matt Story

Location
Wellington National Golf Club

Veronica and Javier Munoz were married on Sept. 3, 2021, but their story dates back more than 15 years. “We met in 2005 at my place of work, a bank in Palm Beach Gardens. Veronica was my client. While assisting her, I also learned that she was from the same town in Peru that I was from and that she also worked in home financing,” Javier recalled. “Throughout the years, we got to know and trust each other with mutual business clients. Life took its turns, and shortly thereafter I moved to Naples for a job promotion. Despite the distance and time, we remained in touch.”

They reconnected more recently, this time as friends, not business acquaintances. Veronica particularly recalled a trip to the South Florida Fairgrounds. “We had such a wonderful time with our two daughters (one from each) watching a laser show,” she said. “Then we came back home and talked and talked for hours until dawn! We had so much fun and discovered that we had so many things in common.”

They became engaged during a June trip to New York. “We had planned a family vacation that began in Niagara Falls,” Javier said. “The trip was so exciting, and it was also the first time that we’d be spending so much time together, so we were actually a bit nervous. Our daughters, Adriana and Isabella, helped us plan it, select the engagement ring and lay out the whole event. Once we reached the top floor of the Empire State Building, the girls pulled out a large sign I had brought with me, which read, ‘Veronica, will you marry me?’ She said yes, and everyone around us started to clap!”

The ceremony and reception were held at the Wellington National Golf Club with photography and video by Matt Story. Veronica’s cousin Maritza Arbocco served as maid of honor, while Javier’s son Christian was the best man.

“We planned our wedding in just a month and a week with help from our loved ones and the awesome staff at Wellington National,” Veronica said. “We had friends and family who came from different places and abroad, and even though we had a reduced number of guests due to the current situation, we had such a special wedding day and truly danced the night away!”

Veronica wore a dress she had found and saved to one day wear at her wedding. “I immediately fell in love with my dress when I saw it,” she said. “I actually bought it three years ago and knew then that this was the dress I would be wearing the day of my wedding.”

They danced to the Blue Danube Waltz, as well as a mix of “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran and “Dios Asi Lo Quiso” by Juan Luis Guerra. Wonderful memories from the day include arriving in style in a 1957 Rolls Royce and enjoying a fun conga line on the dance floor. “But most memorably, Javi surprised me by taking me to dance the national dance from Peru, called Marinera — a couple’s dance with handkerchiefs, hats and colorful costumes,” Veronica recalled.

Next up will be a delayed honeymoon. The couple hopes to visit Italy next year.

Tell Us Your Story – Casey & Rachelle

While the reception was still in high gear, and the guests were dancing, we took a moment to step back and take in the moment. Seeing all the people who had flown or drove into town during the pandemic to be there for our special day and share in our love and joy was so emotional and almost overwhelming To this day, we get a little misty thinking about.

Said I Do
June 20, 2020

Photography by
Jack Bates Photography

Location
The Ben

Rachelle Cucca and Casey Williams were married on June 20, 2020, with a ceremony and reception at The Ben, Autograph Collection in West Palm Beach. It was the culmination of a long courtship that began in high school. “We met at a mutual friend’s house at a party in high school,” Rachelle recalled. “Although we flirted that night, we didn’t start dating until months later.”

Now years later, Rachelle couldn’t say exactly when she knew they would get married. “We never had an ‘ah-ha’ moment or some epiphany,” she said. “After three years of loving each other, we realized we were meant to be together forever.”

A romantic evening on the Intracoastal Waterway provided the backdrop for Casey’s proposal. Rachelle had always told Casey she wanted her family there whenever he proposed. To keep it a secret, she was invited to Bricktops, now the River House, under the guise of an anniversary party for Casey’s parents.

Casey asked Rachelle to take a walk on the dock while they waited for guests. Right there on the dock by the Intracoastal, he got down on one knee and proposed. She was surprised, cried and said, “Yes!” — not knowing that both families were inside watching from the window. A beautiful surprise celebration followed.

At the wedding ceremony, the bride wore a lovely dress by Justin Alexander Signature. Rachelle’s sister Jacquelyn Cucca was her maid of honor. Casey’s childhood friend Korey Klimezky was his best man. Still images and videography were done by Jack Bates Photography. They enjoyed their first dance to “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran.

It was a ceremony and reception filled with person touches. For example, the bride did not wear white, but her bridesmaids did. She also chose to walk down the aisle alone. Not wanting to miss any of their time with their guests, the bride and groom chose to take their photos — including bridal party and family — before the ceremony, so they could enjoy the cocktail hour on the rooftop of The Ben and its exquisite, panoramic views of downtown West Palm Beach, Palm Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.

“While the reception was still in high gear and the guests were dancing, we took a moment to step back and take in the moment,” Rachelle said. “Seeing all the people who had flown or drove into town during the pandemic to be there for our special day and share in our love and joy was so emotional and almost overwhelming. To this day we get a little misty thinking about.”

Near the end of the reception, Rachelle changed into her mother’s wedding dress from her second marriage, and she and the groom danced to her wedding song. It was especially touching because her mother lost her husband seven years earlier.

The happy couple have yet to go on a honeymoon, but perhaps in the future. “We boarded a plane the next morning after our wedding and reported to work for new jobs Monday morning,” Rachelle said.

Patricia Miele
International Polo Club Palm Beach

The center of the polo world each winter, the beautiful grounds of the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington are also available to host special events, such as picturesque weddings.

As the director of catering at the IPC, Patricia Miele and her team aim to make any event extraordinary, for any occasion, size or theme, including full bridal packages. The expert staff ensures a successful and stress-free event.

The IPC team is highly skilled at putting together many different events, including weddings, and creating new ways to make them exciting, fun and memorable. Over the past two years, the team at IPC have become experts at creating weddings that take into account the latest safety precautions.

“We go out of our way to ensure what has become the ‘new normal’ doesn’t make the event feel too different from past wedding experiences,” Miele said. “Since IPC hosted a full season of safe events during the pandemic, we are prepared to implement those types of things for any event or couple that wishes to.”

IPC offers extensive menu options that include exceptional desserts, a customized bar service, as well as stunning florals to create an enchanting ambiance. The talented teams of artists design original events within a budget and timeline that works for clients.

The venue offers a unique setting, between polo matches being played in the background, to the beautiful lush-landscaped grounds, to brides being brought to the venue in horse and carriage. Long popular with equestrians, the venue is ready to add some extra horsey flair for couples who want it, such as full-size horse figures made out of greenery that have proved quite popular.

The site offers a wide array of locations for a ceremony and reception. Among them are the Veuve Clicquot Pavilion with its indoor space and covered outdoor patio, the polo field, the pool patio, the 7th Chukker and the Mallet Grille. Depending upon the size of your event, the staff can recommend the perfect location. For example, the pavilion with its sunset terrace can fit up to 400 seated guests. The Mallet patio or poolside is ideal for more intimate events. This space can fit 100 seated guests or 150 for a cocktail-style event. The 7th Chukker and Championship Terrace can accommodate 50 seated guests or 100 for a cocktail-style event.

When it comes to the menu, IPC offers custom creations for all palates. Some current trends are casual meals, farm to table, nostalgia foods and dessert tables. A fancy plated meal is typical for a wedding reception. “We believe it is one of the best days of your life and should be all about having the time of your life,” Miele said.

The International Polo Club works to make sure that the love shines through during a bride and groom’s memorable day.

“Clients trust us for our meticulous planning, management and execution of successful special events. Events, regardless of the size, require experienced hands for both the creative and practical details. Creating a seamless and memorable event that aligns with your goals and reflects your personality is what we do,” Miele said. “The International Polo Club is closely monitoring all guidelines to ensure that we are continuously providing a safe environment for our clients and their guests.”

Miele has seen many creative adaptations added to weddings, some that may even continue well beyond the pandemic. “Weddings are now adding the virtual element to allow guests who are unable to attend to watch the ceremony and reception from afar,” she said. “These virtual weddings have become more popular and have added a personal touch when some guests cannot attend.”

The goal is to allow the happy couple to enjoy the celebration while IPC takes care of all the details.

“Couples and their guests are more eager than ever to celebrate love — and one of life’s biggest moments — together, especially after long periods of isolation,” Miele said. “The International Polo Club is looking forward to being a part of their big day as they say ‘I do’ to their new life together as a married couple.”

The International Polo Club Palm Beach is located at 3667 120th Avenue South in Wellington. For more info., call (561) 204-5687 or visit www.internationalpoloclub.com.