Erik Ekroth can do no wrong in my eyes. His eye for photography always makes me swoon, and when he is shooting a wedding like this one at The New York Botanical Garden filled to the brim with some of the most stunning florals I’ve ever laid eyes on from Surroundings Flowers - I drop everything. Because a wedding this lovely deserves some serious time to soak in every last gorgeous image, and you can do just that right here.

From the Bride… Max and I attended the same university but experienced two different sides of campus, literally. After graduation, a dear mutual friend connected us in London. This began our love story. Our relationship encompassed some long distances over the years! Los Angeles-London, London-Austria and finally New York-London. Many email exchanges were sent and long phone calls made at exact times of day. It allowed us to have a slow, old-fashioned courtship. When we got engaged in 2011 on a stunning beach in Bali, we knew our love would endure throughout the unpredictable events that life may bring, just as promised by marriage.

I wanted a summer wedding as it’s my favorite season of the year. We decided that New York City would be the ideal, central location to gather our international family and friends. The criteria that was important to us was as follows: a personal ceremony incorporating my Chinese and his Austrian roots, great food and fun for our guests, and no drama. Also, we adore nature, but that seemed nearly impossible to incorporate into a city wedding. When we found the New York Botanical Garden, we instantly knew it had the right combination. Abigail Kirsch would deliver a modern menu and dedicated service and the gardens would be the natural, airy setting we desired.

We had about six months to plan our wedding. I relied heavily upon my iPad to gather all my inspirations in one place. Our color theme was fresh green and white, with pops of summer pinks and oranges. The inspiration behind the flowers was to create an elegant arrangement with an organic shape incorporating my favorites such as orchids, calla lilies, peonies, and garden roses. Diane Wagner helped to realize my vision of a slightly formal yet relaxed vibe through the fluid feeling of the flowers gently spilling out of their vases.

Our favors had “please enjoy” written on them. This message had a secret meaning for us. While in Bali on our engagement moon, the hospitality staff would bow and say to us “please enjoy” at every meal. We were tickled by the simplicity and graciousness of these two words together and wanted to pass the sentiment on.

I wanted to celebrate the individuality of my bridesmaids with different dresses. One of my attendants lived in Los Angeles and was pregnant at the time, so I chose the dresses with each bridesmaid separately over the course of a few months. Silk chiffon fabric was the unifying element. Each bridesmaid had her own color and flower, and then her flower was mixed into my bouquet to represent her imprint upon my life.

Our officiant, Reverend Macomb, was chosen because she is a specialist in interfaith and intercultural weddings. We wanted to honor Max’s Catholic heritage and celebrate my family’s Christian beliefs, while remembering the Buddhist roots of my grandparents and incorporating my meditation practice. Our ceremony ran longer than planned but it stayed true to the heart of us and I’ll never forget it. The weather forecast for our wedding day had been sunny all week but when we awoke on the day, the sky was dark and stormy. Would you believe the sky cleared entirely, twenty minutes before the ceremony? The sun lit up and the sky was a crystal blue.

My father-in-law, a world renowned opera singer, absolutely delighted us and our 176 guests by singing several Cole Porter songs during our reception. Another beautiful and talented friend sang our first dance, an intimate and heartfelt rendition of Eva Cassidy’s version of “Fields of Gold”. Our DJ was incredible and kept the dance floor packed. In fact, we received many compliments about the wonderful energy of all our vendors.

Many married friends told me that the celebration would fly by. I set an intention to be fully present and savor each moment as soon as the wedding weekend kicked off at the rehearsal dinner. My advice to any bride is to do your homework, choose your top three must haves, and don’t sweat the rest. Gaze into your beloved’s eyes as you say your vows and “please enjoy”.

Wedding Photography: Erik Ekroth | Wedding Venue: The New York Botanical Garden | Officiant: Reverend Susanna Macomb | Floral Design: Diane Wagner of Surroundings Flowers | String Trio: Venus Ensembles | Catering: Abigail Kirsch | Invitations: Bella Figura | Wedding Dress: Badgley Mischka Bridal | Bride’s Shoes: Manolo Blahnik | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: BCBG (orange gown), Jill Stuart (green gown), Aidan Mattox (floral gown) | Groom’s Suit: Roberto Revilla Bespoke | Bride’s Earrings + Rings: Kwiat | Makeup: Nam Vo | Hair: Jennifer Brent | Band: Claire Fuller | DJ: DJ Vida Ventura of Scratch Weddings

For more information on how Little Black Book Members are chosen click here.
Badgley Mischka and Kwiat are members of our Look Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.

Imagine a parade of the prettiest never-seen-before gowns by the most sought after designers in the world, and you’ve pretty much imagined New York Bridal Market. It’s where the artists of lace and satin display this year’s works of art, and this year did not disappoint, it wowed. We have Jillian Modern Photography to thank for giving us the prettiest of peeks into this mecca of bridal couture, so be sure to check out each gallery for a look into all the lovely (from backstage and beyond) from Oscar de la Renta, Angel Sanchez, Ines di Santo, Reem Acra and Rivini.

First we have the oh so fabulous Oscar. Or more formally known as Oscar de la Renta. I’ve swooned over every dress he’s ever put on his runways, and this collection is no different. It’s bridal perfection, and I suppose I expect nothing less from the genius behind the designs. See the full gallery here.

And then there is Angel Sanchez who literally made me stop in my tracks with this year’s collection. It’s got major wow factor, yet still classic and clean all at the same time. The result is one seriously stunning collection, and it’s all waiting for you right here in the full gallery.

Next up is Ines di Santo, and I could give a standing ovation to each one of the gorgeous gowns that paraded down this runway. They will make every Bride feel like the most beautiful girl in the room, and honestly, what’s better than that? See even more right here.

Reem Acra produces the pretty year after year, and this year? Even more so. The collection sparkles and dazzles, with gowns that make a statement yet are sophisticated all at the same time. It’s a powerful combination, and you can see it all right here.

And last but certainly not least is Rivini. Pure style perfection with gowns that I wouldn’t mind slipping into. Purely feminine and purely lovely, each gown that made its way down the runway couldn’t be more gorgeous. See it all here.

It’s all pure bridal eye candy, and we can’t thank Jillian from Jillian Modern Photography enough for giving us this backstage look into all the lovely! xoxo

Photography: Jillian Modern Photography | Designers: Oscar de la Renta, Angel Sanchez, Ines di Santo, Reem Acra + Rivini

 

Rivini is a member of our Look Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.

Caroline Frost Photography always produces the pretty. That’s just a known fact. And when she gets to capture a couple this lovely? That’s when we all get to be dazzled by a plethora of prettiness. Add a cute little pup and some amazing light in Central Park, and lovelies, it just doesn’t get better. See it all here.

From the Bride… We first thought of having an engagement photo shoot because our wedding would be celebrated in Brazil, where I came from, and we could not take our little dog Luigi with us. By having photos with him, we could make Luigi part of our engagement and wedding celebration.

When Caroline asked us to choose the location and what we wanted for our photos, we had no doubt, we immediately thought of Central Park. We used to live a few blocks from the east side of Central Park and since I arrived in New York in August of 2011 that place has been my getaway of the madness and speed of the city. Also, Luigi’s favorite place to go for a walk was in Central Park and he knew by heart how to get there. Eventually that became our favorite place too, where the three of us shared so many great moments together. Since we used to do a lot of picnicking in the park during the summer, we chose our trusty picnic blanket that Breyten and I bought when we were still living in London to use in the photos. To represent the celebration of our love and our family, we decided balloons would be a lot of fun.

All of the props, our photogenic Luigi, and the beautiful weather made it such a special experience for us that we barely felt like we were being photographed. I guess the images portray that. I was amazed by how our photographer Caroline Frost Shea, who met us for the first time on the day of the photo shoot, could capture so precisely how meaningful that park is to us, how happy we felt in that moment and how much love we three have for each other.

Photography: Caroline Frost Photography |Location: Central Park | White Dress + Necklace: Anthropologie | Metalic Dress: All Saints | Shoes: Arezzo (Brazil) +  Sigerson Morrison

For more information on how Little Black Book Members are chosen click here.