Real Wedding by James Abel
James is back to share some incredible ideas behind one of his favorite real weddings…
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These days when it comes to weddings you can get as creative as you want to. It’s perfectly acceptable to make your wedding as unique as you are.
When NYC restauranteur David Massoni and his fiance Rachel Bergman came to us to plan their October wedding, we decided to do a true New York wedding with a non-traditional twist. She was from Michigan, he hailed from Maryland, but New York is their home so we wanted to showcase who they are as a couple. The planning of this wedding was a balance between utilizing New York as a backdrop for the event and pulling together the details that were most important to the client.
all photos by Whitney Old
The ceremony was held on the water with views of the Statue of Liberty in the distance. With food and wine being so important to David, we allocated more of the budget to the menu. We decided to have a Sunday morning brunch at a park venue. This allowed us to keep the feeling of the event intimate and elegant. We kept the decorations simple because the setting was spectacular — the venue had large windows overlooking the New York harbor and the park proved the perfect spot for wedding photographs.
The flower arrangements for this wedding are amazing and completely unique. I love how the nest is incorporated into the bouquet! It is the perfect blend of natural beauty and symbolism.
Love the bird's nest idea, so beautiful! Any idea who the dress is by?
Is the birds nest arrangement what the bridesmaids carried? So incredibly interesting! And I love seeing things that aren't so matchy matchy and without looking out of place. This is what I am working on now - trying to pull things together without looking like I have no personality and could only decide on one flower or item.
Looks great!
Ohh. I love the idea of a Sunday brunch wedding. Can you share the menu?
They made a Sunday brunch look very beautiful. Not only is it a great idea, but it would save a lot of money. Having a wedding on a Sunday or Friday can save you several thousands.
Her gown is by Jim Hjelm. And yes, the bouquet with the bird's nest is what the bridesmaids carried.
I attended this wedding. The wedding was absolutely beautiful. The flower arrangements were wonderful. James has wonderful design skills. This is the nicest wedding (besides my own) that I have ever attended.
The food was absolutely delicious and the view was breath taking.
I love the short centerpieces. Anyone know what kind of branches those are?
Yes, that's kiwi vine.