Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… It was magical. Every single moment. We’ve lived in New York for 10 years, so it was only fitting to celebrate our wedding day in our amazing city. Modern, chic and totally glam. The ceremony took place at the Tribeca Rooftop. We rented steel grey chairs, had an all white piece of fabric suspended from the ceiling as our chuppa, and plexiglass columns surrounded us, all topped with vibrant fucshia centerpieces. It was a modern and romantic as I could’ve ever imagined. For the cocktail hour up on the roof, I wanted an outdoor but still modern feel. Grasses held each guests table card, and decor consisted of simple yet exotic plants and flowers. The reception was a vision — deep eggplant linens, steel grey chairs, vibrant fushcia centerpieces in vintage mercury glass, with candlelight everywhere. It was simply the best. And the dress — of course it had some bling, we are in NYC!! Delicate strips of organza mixed with tiny sequins and sea pearls. Glamorous and truly a show stopper. And of course the blue stilettos from Pierre Hardy. The groom and all groomsman wore John Varvatos leather converse along with their tuxes — an amazing look I must say!! The night was a total dance party, from start to finish — complete with the bride and groom crowd surfing! The band was completely off the hook. Eddie’s Pizza Truck was there late night with 2 slices for each guest as they left the reception.

Wedding Planner: Annie Lee of Daughter of Design / Flowers + Event Design: Barb Salzman, Hatch Creative Studio / Photographer: Shawn Connell of Christian Oth Studios / Venue: Tribeca Rooftop / Dress:  Monique Lhuillier via Mark Ingram / Shoes: Pierre Hardy / Makeup: Nam Vo / Hair: Jeff Chastain / Jewelry + Rings: Kwiat / Groom’s Tux: John Varvatos / Groom’s Shoes: John Varvatos for Converse / Pizza: Eddie’s Pizza Truck / Stationery, Invitations, Programs + Menu Cards: Cheree Berry / Cinematography: Tweed Weddings

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Post tags: Annie Lee, Barb Salzman, Cheree Berry, Christian Oth Studios, Daughter of Design, Eddie's Pizza Truck, Hatch Creative Studio, Jeff Chastain, John Varvatos, John Varvatos for Converse, Kwiat, Mark Ingram, Monique Lhuillier, Nam Vo, New York, New York City, Pierre Hardy, Shawn Connell, Tribeca Rooftop
Post categories: The Blog, Traditional Elegance

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From the Bride… We had a very short engagement. We had been dating for almost 7 years- there was no need to wait! 6 months was all it took to plan a spectacular black tie affair! The planning process was so much fun for me. I have my own design company, Suite Paperie, a design house that creates custom invitations and paper goods for weddings and events. And I have many connections in the industry, so I hired my friends and colleagues to help me out!

The first person I approached was a no brainer for me: Barb from Hatch Creative Studio had to do my flowers and décor. I worked with Barb during my summers in college, and it was so important to me to have someone I trusted to bring my creative visions to life. After hours of poring over inspiration, sketches and visits to the flower market, Barb and her team surpassed all my expectations and wildest dreams on the day of the wedding. She took my love for vintage and my vision for a Victorian atmosphere, and spun them together to create a garden-like atmosphere that was jaw dropping. Our chuppah was undoubtedly my favorite piece that Hatch created. Created from a sketch I made, a spectacular (and giant) chuppah was created using 3 different draped fabrics and a crystal chandelier. The combination of off-white and peach laces, chiffon and cotton draped to perfection and uplit by amber lights was breathtaking!

Ian and I felt very strongly about having artsy photography. We wanted those romantic and dramatic shots using natural light. I turned to none other than the SMP little black book, and came across the wonderfully talented Craig Paulson. From the moment we met Jean and Tanya, we knew they were the right photographers for us. They are so enthusiastic and talented – we immediately signed on. Jean and Tanya totally exceeded our expectations with the shots they got (over 1500!). They captured every single moment and emotion, and we didn’t even realize they were there!  We couldn’t speak more highly of these amazing ladies. Hire them!

I started an inspiration folder on my desktop where I organized and stored images I loved. I found myself pulling images with warm tones, antique décor and regal finishes. After sorting through hundreds of pulled inspiration photos, I named my wedding theme “Victorian garden.” I wanted my flowers to be loose and have a fresh garden feel with a mix of peach, pale pinks and purples with leafy green accents. Since I was designing all the paper goods, I focused on the escort table a lot. I wanted the table to be a show-stopper, a statement piece! Our escort cards were all hand written and adorned with a cream lace on the bottom of each card. The table was set up to perfection using vintage mirrored trays and mercury glass vases filled with fresh blooms. The save the dates, invitation suite, programs, and escort cards were super important to me- as they were a reflection of my business! I wanted every guest to feel the love that I put into designing these paper goods.

For our invitations I teamed up with letterpress printer extraordinaire, Kevin Cox of Jazyrain Letterpress. He printed our gold and purple design onto Crane’s 220# lettra paper (super thick and yummy), with matching RSVP and envelope printed in gold. We designed a pattern using elements from the invitation to use as the envelope liners. Vintage stamps and computer printed calligraphy adorned each envelope to complete the suite. Our programs were 8 page booklets, written and assembled with lots of love! We explained all of the traditions of an orthodox Jewish wedding, shared our story and paid much respect to our families, friends and loved ones. Each program was adorned with a gold foil doily and wrapped with either a champagne or wine-colored satin ribbon.

The place we chose, The Pearl River Hilton in Pearl River, NY was perfect. We wanted a hotel where our friends and family could stay- make a whole weekend out of the affair! The space itself is gorgeous and has a Victorian feel to it. Gorgeous molding, lighting fixtures marble and carpets. Gerry, the coordinator at the hotel was beyond a pleasure to work with and helped make our 270 person wedding flow seamlessly. Les from Northern Valley Affairs worked with us endlessly on our menu until it was absolutely perfect. Guests are still raving about the wonderful food! Kosher caterers don’t get much better than this.

Wedding Photography: Jean Spencer + Tanya Salazar of Craig Paulson Photography / Catering: Northern Valley Affairs / Flowers + Décor: Barb of Hatch Creative Studio / Wedding Invitations + Paper Goods: Suite Paperie, Inc. (The Bride) / Wedding Venue: Pearl River Hilton, Gerry Burns / Bride + Bridesmaid Hair: Chris Brescia + Donna Hernandez / Makeup: Sadah Saltzman / Letterpress Printing: Kevin Cox of Jazyrain Letterpress / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo

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Post tags: Anemones, Ballroom, Ballroom Wedding, Black, Chris Brescia, Craig Paulson, Donna Hernandez, Hatch Creative Studio, Jazyrain Letterpress, New York Weddings, Northern Valley Affairs, Pearl River Hilton, Sadah Saltzman, Suite Paperie Inc., Traditional Wedding, White
Post categories: New York Weddings, Traditional Elegance

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride…Our wedding was an unusual yet classic homage to NYC with guests being transported from the church (Old St. Pat’s in Nolita) to the reception site (Smackmellon Studios in Dumbo) via a 2 hour NYC Big Apple tour bus, programs and illustrated pins  incorporating sayings on life and love from New Yorkers both fictional and real, a Royal Tenenbaum themed photo booth to complement photos from our wedding party’s Royal Tenenbaum themed photo shoot hosted months prior to the wedding and NYC foodie favorite Joey Capanero of Little Owl catering it. So over all, a thoroughly NYC wedding with a lot of personal touches.

I really wanted our guests to feel pampered and also to get a sense of our relationship. We are OBSESSIVE about fashion, food, design, music and film so all those elements were key influences on our wedding.  Our invite included a fabric label dress code instructing guests to wear “greige” attire as well as a letter pressed map highlighting special restaurants and shops we frequented during our courtship. We had a traditional Catholic Ceremony to honor or parents but I had a Brooklyn children’s choir called Highbridge Voices sing elementary Catholic school songs that John and I both remembered as kids.

Royal Tenenbaums was the movie my husband and I bonded over on our first date so I had our wedding party take photos dressed as characters from the film and hosted a photo shoot shot by one of the bridesmaids who is also a photographer.  I framed the photos and these were then used as part of the reception décor.  I wanted our guests to join in the fun so we had a photobooth that mimicked The Royal Tenenbaums set along with key props.  Guests really enjoyed this! The escort card lockets (one of my favorite elements) echo one of the first gifts John every gave me while the jewelry boxes featured on tables are all vintage modeled after my mom’s art deco jewelry boxes I remember as a child, the vintage postcards on which guests were instructed to leave a note are of Cuba (where my parents are from), Philly (where my husband is from and NYC (where we make our home).

Photography: Angelica Glass Photography / Event + Floral Design: Hatch Creative Studio / Wedding Planner: Soraya Jollon / Ceremony Venue: St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral / Reception Venue: Smack Mellon Gallery / Catering: Joey Capanero of the little owl / Children’s Choir: Highbridge Voices

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Angelica Glass Photography, Brooklyn, Hatch Creative Studio, Highbridge Voices, New York City, NY, NYC, Smack Mellon Gallery, Soraya Jollon, St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, The Little Owl
Post categories: Brooklyn Weddings, Contemporary, New York Weddings

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride…We wanted our personalities to be reflected in every bit of the wedding and were really focused on the details. We made alot of the visuals for the ceremony and the reception ourselves.  Mike is also an art director/designer and created our invitations, programs, thank you cards for the table and a custom seating tree.  I  wanted everything to have a very modern vintage style from the dress and veil to the flowers and decor. We worked with Barb Salzman of Hatch Creative Studio Event and Floral Design and she transformed the Ace Hotel space by complementing the dark laquered walls with mercury glass, candles, vases filled with gorgeous white flowers and elegant black feathers.  The tables were long farmhouse style and made of rustic wood.  She found table runners with a silver backdrop that had similar green swirls that were used on our invitation.  The space has a wall of old speakers piled on top of each other that created a unique backdrop. She utilized the various layers to place flowers and candles which illuminated the room.

I found my dress at a custom dress shop that was coincidentally located directly across the street from the church where we got married.  It was the first dress I saw and fell in love with it immediately.  Christina, the dress designer, makes each dress by hand and was really open to some ideas I had on how I wanted the shoulder piece to look. She really understood my vision and created a dress that fit like a glove, looked impecable and wasn’t a fortune!  I chose a french birdcage veil for the ceremony that was on a separate comb from a feathered headpiece so I could remove the veil after the ceremony but keep the feathers.  I had three of my best friends as maids of honor and they all wore a black dress of their choosing. To make them stand out, each selected a black feather facinator to wear in their hair. My bouquet was also created by Hatch and featured all white English Garden roses and Rannaculous with black and white dotted feathers sprinkled throughout.  It was wrapped in black lace with a vintage brooch.  The maids of honor also had white flower bouquets featuring long black feathers with a different vintage brooch on the stems.   Mike’s boutinniere included a white flower and black and white dotted feather to match my bouquet.  The three groomsmen also wore a white flower with black feather to match the maids of honor bouquets.

Since we were on a budget and weddings in NYC can be extremely expensive, we designed alot of the details and special moments ourselves and found talented vendors on etsy to bring the unique touches to life. Mike created a seating tree where guests could find their table number but also see how everyone was connected to the bride and groom (i.e. friend of Mike, aunt of Lauren etc.). We provided a list of ‘our favorites’ in NYC for guest gift bags giving them our go-to spots such as brunch, shopping and even take out joints to enjoy while in town. Since art and painting are such an important part of our life instead of doing a traditional guest book we made a guest wedding canvas where they could leave messages via paint pens. We had a double decker tour bus take the entire wedding from the church to the Ace Hotel for the recpetion with a driving tour through our favorite neighborhoods. A friend of ours is a pastry chef and cake designer.  We asked her to create our wedding cake and she designed a master piece inspired by our invitation that tasted even better than it looked.  We also got a custom cake topper created by a vendor on etsy and she brought little details to life to make the figures resemble us down to a feather headpiece and Mike’s five o’clock shadow! I had a special hanger created by a vendor on etsy that had my new last name spelled out in wire which I used to hang my dress on the day of the wedding. It made for a great photo op! For a bit of tradition, we included framed pictures of our parents and grandparents weddings on a table in the reception room to honor them and remember those who had passed on. For my something blue, I wore teal blue shoes, for my something old I wore my grandmother’s ring and for something borrowed I used a hankerchief.

Photographer: 4Eyes Photography / Flowers + Event Design: Hatch Creative Studio / Invitations: Mike Dreeland / Ceremony: St. Patrick’s Cathedral / Reception: Ace Hotel / Cake + Desserts: The Sweet Peace / Wedding Topper: Milk Tea / Wedding Gown: Custom, Blue, 248 Mott Street, New York, NY (212-228-7744) / Veil and Headpiece: Elen Henderson Collection / Custom Dress Hanger: Aressa

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Post tags: 4Eyes Photography, Ace Hotel, Aressa, Elen Henderson Collection, Hatch Creative Studio, Mike Dreeland, Milk Tea, New York City, St. Patricks Cathedral, The Sweet Peace, Vintage
Post categories: New York Weddings, Traditional Elegance

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From the Bride…We fell in love with the venue because it was a beautiful all white space, and we wanted to embrace the stark whiteness of it, the blank canvas, but add some accents and warmth.  Lots of little candles everywhere.  We wanted to express the beauty of the urban environment, and take advantage of the rawness of the studio space in a cool industrial chic way.  But still beautiful, and a little unexpected. We wanted our guests to feel a sense of delight.  We wanted the venue to feel very New York, but “our” New York.

On the roof of the venue (Studio 450) there are two giant water towers, and water towers became a design element that we used in our Save The Date, Invitations, Website, our ‘logo,’ and embossed by hand on the cover of our programs. It’s hard to explain why we like watertowers so much — style, functionality, and unexpected beauty.  They invite you to look up, and once you do, you see the city in an entirely new way.  There’s a metaphor in there for marriage somewhere!

The paper chain idea was to make a beautiful mess of paper chains behind the ceremony space. We like the symbolism of the chains, joining links, as we join our lives together, as a couple, but also with our family and community. But we also liked the idea of taking a very common and humble material like paper and transforming it into something unique and beautiful.  Barb and Nelson took this little seed of an idea, and transformed it into an incredible installation that far exceeded our expectations.  It wasn’t just a backdrop for our ceremony … it became part of our ceremony.  It became a representation of our community, and all the different friendships and relationships that had collectively brought us to this moment in our lives. What started as design idea has now taken on a life of its own.  After getting married we formed a production company together: Paper Chain Productions.  The name now represents to us not only our wedding, but our partnership, our connected community of friends and family, and the idea that you can build something beautiful and inspiring, from a simple scrap of paper.

We were engaged for a year and a half, which is a super long time to be in the ‘planning stage’ of a wedding.  By the time the wedding rolled around, we felt pretty planned out!  So we decided it would be fun to have a moment of ‘planned spontaneity’ during our wedding ceremony, and we invited our lovely and fearless friends to help us execute it. Two days before the wedding we sent out an email to a group of our friends, asking them to participate in an impromptu performance smack in the middle of our ceremony.  We didn’t know what to call it at the time, but a ‘flash mob’ comes close.  We didn’t ask anybody to rehearse, and we had no idea how many of our friends would actually participate, let alone if the idea would work.  But that wasn’t the point.  The point was to do something fun, and utterly in the moment.  It was wonderful, and is one of our favorite memories of the day.  At the end of the readings, a friend stood up in his chair, and belted out “It don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that swing.” Followed by 15 or so of our friends standing up and joining in “Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah!”  This happened twice, and the entire thing lasted maybe 30 seconds.  It was perfect. Looking out to see our friends and relatives bravely standing up and “doo-wah-ing” and dancing their hearts out, seeing the surprised and delighted looks on every one else’s faces, and hearing the explosion of laughter…it was such a sweet release, and connected everyone with each other for the more serious moments that followed.

Wedding Planner: Just About Married, Rebecca Joyce / Event + Floral Design: Hatch Creative Studio / Wedding Photography: Dave Robbins Photography / Photo Booth: We Love Photobooths / Invitation Design: Mother of the Bride / Officiant: Friend of the Groom / Ceremony + Reception Venue: STUDIO 450 / Lighting: Lightworks Interactive / Catering: Marcey Brownstein Catering + Events / Wedding Cake Decor: Hatch Creative Studio / Hair + Make-up: Face Time Beauty Concierge / Wedding Dress: Saja Wedding / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Ring Box: Bride’s Great Great Grandfather’s Snuff Box / Logo + Map Design: Mark Stinson (Groom’s Step-Brother)

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Post tags: Dave Robbins Photography, Face Time Beauty Concierge, Hatch Creative Studio, Just About Married, Lightworks Interactive, Marcey Brownstein Catering + Events, Mark Stinson, Modern Style, New York Weddings, Saja Wedding, Stuart Weitzman, Studio 450, We Love Photobooths
Post categories: Contemporary, The Blog

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From the Bride… Mark and I are originally from half a world apart from each other (Mark is from Nevada and I am from Hong Kong), so from the beginning of our wedding planning we knew that most of our guests would be out of town, and even out of the country! The priority for us was to have our guests feel that they are an important part of the wedding. Having lived hectic lives in New York City, we wanted a wedding that wasn’t exactly in Manhattan. Our vision was inspired by a late summer night in the garden, picnic with old books under large trees, and rustic country elements. Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Westchester NY, a 40 minute drive from Manhattan, couldn’t make a better choice for us. Ultimately, we just wanted a small celebration with 72 guests, eating the most amazing farm fresh food and enjoying an intimate night with everyone. The goal for us was to create one-of-a-kind wedding elements that our guests could take home as keepsakes and treasure after the wedding.

Instead of hiring a wedding planner, I did my own planning and utilized Etsy as a source for most of my wedding vendors (I have 30+ etsy transactions as proof!). With this, not only was I able to create keepsake items by hand (save-the-date, ceremony programs, menu envelopes), but our wedding budget opened up for a few splurges that we would cherish forever, such as our one of a kind vintage hanky invitations, an old time jazz band, my Monique Lhuillier gown, and an amazing floral and decor designer to help realize our vision of a rustic style wedding.

On the day of our wedding, window panes in the atrium were filled with rows of hanging single bud flowers in vintage medicine bottles. The outdoor seating aisle was lined with flower filled garden lanterns. Vintage lace decorated gates led to a pathway of vintage picnic blankets with books and flowers heaped on atop. We said our vows under a vintage reclaimed chuppa. The escort card area that separated the ceremony and cocktail spaces was created with reclaimed wooden containers, bottles and jars with wedding favors (egglings) wrapped in drawstring hemp bags, adorned with hand-sewn lace. Pig and sheep figurines, sourced from ebay, were spray painted in cream and used as place cards, placed on top of home-made kraft menu envelopes. The pig and the sheep theme also appeared on the wrapping envelopes of our wedding invitations. They are actually our Chinese zodiac signs, understood by only those who would have known!

Wedding Photography: Erik Ekroth / Floral & Decor Design: Hatch Creative Studio / Wedding Venue: Blue Hill at Stone Barns / Wedding Invitations: Bird & Banner / Wedding Band: John Ragusa Music / Wedding Cinematography: Barnaby Draper Studios / Makeup: Maral Balian of Warren Tricomi Salon / Hair: Stacy Pitt / Wedding Cupcakes: Billy’s Bakery / Calligraphy: Heather Burns of Perch Papiers / Vintage Postage Stamps: Verde Studio / Wooden Table Numbers: Liz Artistry / Wooden Guest Book: Bragging Bags / Wedding Program Design & Assemby: The Bride / Wedding Program Printing: Baumbirdy / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Bride’s Hair Piece: Jenny Packham / Bridesmaid Dresses: Sarah Seven + CLF by Claire La Faye / Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Custom / Groom’s Cufflinks & Stud Set: David Yurman / Groom’s Bow Tie: Brioni / Groomsmen Ties: The Hill-Side / Pocket Square: Vintage / Wedding Favors: Eggling

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Barn, Barnaby Draper Studios, Baumbirdy, Billy's Bakery, Bird and Banner, Blue Hill At Stone Barns, Bragging Bags, Brioni, Christian Louboutin, CLF by Claire La Faye, David Yurman, Eggling, Erik Ekroth Photography, Hanky Invitations, Hatch Creative Studio, Jenny Packham, John Ragusa Music, Lanterns, Liz Artistry, Monique Lhuillier, New York Weddings, NY, Outdoor Ceremony, Perch Papiers, Pocantico Hills, Rustic Elements, Sarah Seven, Soft Color Palette, Stacy Pitt, The Hill-Side, Verde Studio, Vintage Touches, Warren Tricomi Salon, Westchester, Window Panes
Post categories: New York Weddings, Whimsical

see it all here!

Originally from different places in the US – (Dustin from a farm in Wisconsin, myself from a small town in Oregon) – we knew that getting married in the city where we met and currently live we be the most meaningful for us. Also considering the chain of events that occurred to lead us individually to New York City, and then to actually find each other here, was what we would like to call fate. Thus celebrating our “finding each other” in the Big Apple was a no-brainer! We chose to get married in October because the fall is our favorite time of year. Its when we met. When we moved in together. And when we got engaged (all in consecutive years, of course). So nostalgic and crisp! Dustin and I also wanted to have an incredibly intimate affair, with close family and friends – and all in one venue location. A cocktail party with drinks and food flowing all night was our vision of the perfect party. Dustin an architect, and myself an interior designer, we often times set our aesthetic standards high – maybe too high! We wanted to celebrate our love and our sacred union in beautiful and simple place – And not to mention, with a little “nod and wink to our country backgrounds” with a dash of rustic charm. Where would we find such a place in this concrete jungle?

After extensive searches we finally found The Nest Event Loft, home of Hatch Creative Studio located in the lovely Flatiron District: an ever-so-sweet loft space, studded with breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline, and perched on the 17th floor of a beautiful and charming old building. Chocolate hardwood floors, white everything, breezy window treatments, and charming vintage nick-nacks scattered about. Perfect! We had a very DIY mentality and truly created so many of the details from scratch – from the save-the-dates and invitations, to the planning itself. We wanted a very clean and sweet palette that agreed well with the transition from summer into fall – whites, charcoal gray, sweet peaches and pinks, all with a splash of buttery, glowing yellow. My gown from La Sposa, Dustin’s charcoal grey suit from Paul Smith, and our bridal party in J Crew, the attire was that of a semi-formal cocktail affair. I love Etsy with all of my heart, so I worked different artists and designers for all of my accessories including my veil by Fascinating Creations, earrings by Jurgita Handmade, and my garter by Pomp and Plumage. Makeup artist Taryn Potenza really finalized my look with a perfectly fresh face that I could have never done myself!

With an intimate 75 guests, we made sure everyone arrived a tad early to soak in the views and enjoy a glass of bubbly. Our sunset vows occurred at the gorgeous perimeter windows of the space as the sky turned orange. As I walked down the aisle to an acoustic guitar version of “In My Life” by the Beatles, the room felt so full of love. We planted a little tree with the soil from where each of us grew up as a symbol of our unity, sealed our vows, and let the party begin! Tinna Brenton Catering executed a fabulous evening of nonstop food and drink. The concept was “appetizer versions” of our favorite foods, with an ever-evolving menu throughout the night. As “all over the map” as it may seem, our favorite foods are American Comfort, Mexican, and French. Thus the evening featured everything from mashed potato martinis and mini burgers, to pulled pork tacos and chips ‘n guac, to stinky brie and rustic baguette. We cut our cake to Edith Piaf’s “La Vie En Rose”, ate ourselves silly, and danced the night away. With the Empire State Building illuminated in the background, it was perfect down to every little detail. Above all, our wedding philosophy was: It takes a village. To help contribute to the DIY effort, we had the honor of having so many amazing friends and family contribute to key elements – the readings during the ceremony, our beautiful flowers, our scrumptious carrot cake and cupcakes, our fabulous DJ, and our amazing photographer who caught every detail with such a wonderful eye. Even our “wedding” sign was made by Dustin’s sister from a piece of old barn wood that she found on the farm in Wisconsin. The day truly couldn’t have been possible without everyone’s love and support. Thank you to everyone for contributing to our wedded bliss!

Photography: Yasmin Khajavi Photography / Flowers: Becky Espirtiu / Ceremony & Reception Location: Nest Event Loft, home of Hatch Creative Studio / Invitations: DIY / Shoes: J.Crew / Dress: La Sposa / Groom’s suit: Paul Smith / Bridal Party: J.Crew / Veil: Fascinating Creations / Earrings: Jurgita Handmade / Garter: Pomp and Plumage / Make-up: Taryn Potenza / Catering: Tinna Brenton Catering

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 24 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Becky Espirtiu, Fascinating Creations, Hatch Creative Studio, J. Crew, Jurgita Handmade, La Sposa, Manhattan, Nest Event Loft, New York Weddings, Paul Smith, Pomp and Plumage, Taryn Potenza, Tinna Brenton Catering, Yasmin Khajavi Photography
Post categories: New York City Weddings, New York Weddings, Real Weddings, Whimsical

if you think it couldn’t possibly get any prettier, then you need to see the gallery!

Eli and I saw our wedding as a public expression of who we are as a couple. We chose to have a traditional Jewish ceremony, but spent a lot of time making it our own. We added our own vows and wrote our own translations for the seven blessings. The intimacy of the ceremony was incredibly special for us and brought all our guests together beautifully. It was especially important to me that I looked and felt like myself when I walked down the aisle. My wedding dress took awhile to find, but as soon as I tried this one on, I was crying. It was the most gorgeous second skin I’ve ever worn. When Eli saw me that day, I know that he saw the woman he chose to marry. We tried to bring in as many DIY touches as possible, though we discovered that takes a lot of time! Among the highlights: My brother made our wooden ring box by hand—he even sewed the tiny pillow inside; our chuppah was my mother’s beautiful handiwork, and included 64 sunrays (for our song, “When I’m 64”); I made the bridesmaid necklaces, with each of our birthstones wrapped into the back clasp; Eli sang to me, backed by the band and his college a cappella group (easily one of my favorite moments of the night); and our wedding was entirely gluten free and delectable to boot!

I imagine that every bride has a favorite idea for her wedding, and mine was the mailboxes (Barb’s gorgeous creation!) filled with personal notes that we wrote for each of our guests. Writing those notes was a wonderful reminder of why each person was there with us that night and we loved watching how thrilled the guests were when they saw them. The energy at the reception was electric from start to finish. We felt so warmly surrounded by all our family and friends. At the end of the night, I knew we’d thrown an amazing party when all of our guests started screaming for an encore! As we were driving back to the hotel, totally exhausted, we could not stop talking about the day. We wanted so much to keep the moment, to just hold it and have it for one second longer. I feel so blessed to have the memory, to have a wonderful husband, family, and friends, and to have so much love in my life.

And a note from the Groom … I just want to throw in a few additional details. One – the band was off the CHAIN. They were tight as hell and had obvious passion and joy while performing. Everyone was dancing – even my other computer programmer friends (which is, like, a feat). Two – my suit was made from LASERS. Yes, it’s true! Alton Lane measures you with a super-futuristic laser booth and creates a suit that fits like a glove. They also are patient with the fashion-inept. Two thumbs up. Three – some other handmade touches include the Save the Dates (taken by my co-worker), the amazing website (made by Nadia and myself, which includes a custom-built online RSVP thing), and a recording booth that guests could use to leave us a fun voice message (assembled by me and Nadia’s dad, and complete with mad fun prompt signs, made by a friend of Nadia’s). Four – if you’re reading this and are planning for your wedding, know that all of those ridiculous nights when you and your spouse-to-be are wringing your hands and bandying about questions like “should we use plum or sage for the ribbons on the gift bags?” actually do pay off. It was such a mind-bending pleasure to see all of the details that Nadia and I had agonized over come together into a coherent event that was much more than the sum of its parts. I hope that viewing our pictures is inspiring or useful to you in some way.

Venue: Wave Hill / Caterer: Great Performances / Cake: Sylvia Weinstock / Florist: Barb Salzman of Hatch Creative Studio / Photographer: Robert Sukrachand / Band: Urban Guerilla Orchestra (Elan Artists) / Makeup Artist: Victoria Moyer TheDown2EarthDiva@gmail.com or 484-716-4775 / Hairstylist: Courtney Benedetti / Day-of Event Planner: Annie Lee of Daughter of Design /  Stationery: Ceci New York / Save the Date: Hello!Lucky / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Groom’s Suit: Alton Lane / Ketubah: New Ketubah / Officiant: Rabbi Andy Bachman / Congregation: Beth Elohim

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Post tags: Alton Lane, Ceci New York, Courtney Benedetti, Daughter of Design, Hatch Creative Studio, Hello!Lucky, New Ketubah, New York Weddings, Robert Sukrachand, Sylvia Weinstock, Urban Guerilla Orchestra, Vera Wang, Wave Hil
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