Nuptials at Hearst Castle Are the Talk of the Town

Tenney Hearst Espy and Joseph Siringo Jr. tie the knot with an opulent black-tie affair

Words by ANUSH J. BENLIYAN
Photography by JOSE VILLA

Newlyweds Joseph Siringo Jr., in a Michael Andrews Bespoke tuxedo, and Tenney Hearst Espy, wearing an Elie Saab gown and a vintage Verdura pearl necklace that her late grandfather had gifted to her mother.

Joseph Siringo Jr. first professed his love to Tenney Hearst Espy at her family’s wooded Northern California estate, the place nearest and dearest to her heart. In that moment, they knew they were meant for each other. Just over a year later, in the same spot, Joey proposed with an unboxed ring he pulled from his swim trunk pocket. “I was in a cover-up and Birkenstocks,” Tenney says. “It was so perfectly simple and beautiful and a moment I will never forget.”

For their October 2024 nuptials, the New York City–based couple tapped designer and planner Gregory Blake Sams Events and went in a decidedly grander direction, opting for a spectacular multiday affair at Hearst Castle in San Simeon, in honor of Tenney’s heritage. “I have always felt incredibly proud of my family’s history and legacy,” says Tenney, whose great-great-grandfather was newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst. “I wanted everyone to experience the beauty of the coast, the rustic nature of the ranch, and the beautiful castle.”

The festivities kicked off at the beachfront stucco warehouse — designed by Julia Morgan, Hearst Castle’s trailblazing architect — where the pair’s celestial-themed candlelit rehearsal dinner was coincidentally graced with a supermoon. Next on the itinerary was a Western-chic welcome party at the Hearst Ranch dairy barn, where Tenney paired a crystal-embroidered Oscar de la Renta dress with her favorite Lucchese cowboy boots.

The wedding day began with a picturesque black-tie ceremony on the castle grounds overlooking the coastline. Tenney’s father and stepfather walked her down the aisle. As her brother, Jack Espy, officiated, a gospel choir surprised the 200 guests with a cover of Whitney Houston’s “Higher Love.” After the vows, the newlyweds and their crowd proceeded to the Neptune Pool, where cocktails were served amid the colonnades and Italian relief sculptures and synchronized swimmers performed in the Vermont marble–lined pool.

Dinner was served down some steps from the landmark mansion, followed by dancing in front of the castle. Through it all, Old Hollywood glamour was rich in the air. “I wanted it to feel like we were at one of William Randolph’s incredible parties back in the ’20s,” Tenney says. “We truly felt his presence.”

The wedding party enjoyed a dip in Hearst Castle’s Neptune Pool before the festivities began.

Aside from her wedding gown, the bride donned a Rami Al Ali dress, a Norma Kamali swimsuit, and a sequin-and-feather Oscar de la Renta frock.

PLANNING AND DESIGN Gregory Blake Sams Events • PHOTOGRAPHY Jose Villa • CATERING Paula LeDuc Fine Catering • FLORAL AND DESIGN Kathleen Deery Design • VIDEOGRAPHY Storybox Cinema • STATIONERY Yonder Design • ENTERTAINMENT Élan Artists • BEAUTY Team Hair & Makeup • RENTALS Hensley Event Resources, Theoni Collection, Found Rental Co., BBJ La Tavola • CUSTOM FABRICATION TTS Studios • LAMPSHADES Sorella Glenn • LIGHTING Technical Event Company