Now what is the point of having poolside nuptials if you’re not going to jump in at midnight rocking out to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer”? I L-O-V-E a couple who can throw all caution to the wind and have an impromptu dip in their wedding garb! Definitely a pair that I want to party with! Their colorful Miami Beach celebration, photographed by Emily Harris Photography, is full of light-hearted, pretty-as-can-be, modern details. Of coure, Hello Tenfold would kick off the darling design motif with their killer paper goods! Jump into the full gallery to see the rest!
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From the Bride… From the moment we got engaged at home in Brooklyn, we knew that we wanted to have our wedding in Miami Beach—not only an amazing location for a semi-destination wedding/weekend getaway, but also Michael’s hometown! With the help of an uncle in the hospitality business, we quickly settled on the National Hotel on Collins Avenue, just the second venue we visited. With its art deco feel, beachfront location, and amazing 205 foot long pool lined with striped cabanas, palm trees, and hot pink bougainvillea, we were instantly smitten. Planning from so far away was a challenge at times, but all of our incredible vendors made things easier, and frequent trips to Florida definitely helped us through one of the snowiest winters in New York City history—in January we flew down to run the Miami Half Marathon and then the next day had a meeting with our day-of-coordinator, our flower trial, and our menu tasting, all just hours before hopping on a plane!
Although we both adore the beach, we decided we didn’t want a “seashells-and-palm trees” theme wedding, so we worked with Ellie from Hello Tenfold on custom invitations and day of stationery that reflected the orchids growing everywhere around Miami and the stripes of the National’s poolside cabanas. My Melissa Sweet gown also incorporated both clean, architectural lines and romantic flowers, highlighting the motifs of the day. My pink Kate Spade shoes matched the bridesmaids’ hot pink calla lily bouquets, while my mother’s sapphire ring–a gift from my father on their 25th wedding anniversary–served as my something old, blue, and borrowed. Our simple ceremony decor included a draped chuppah with garlands of dendrobium orchids and petals along the aisle; for our centerpieces, we went with lots of candles and glass vase arrangements full of hydrangeas, pink cymbidiums, and hypericum berries. We met during our sophomore year of college, so we dressed up our sweetheart table with a Middlebury College banner and served beers from the Magic Hat Brewery in Burlington, Vermont. To bring our guests into our lives today, we served cookies as favors that were shipped from a bakery down the street from us in Brooklyn where we buy treats and delicious iced coffee every Saturday morning. We brought in whimsical details like calligraphy escort card envelopes, “Mr.” and “Mrs.” signs for the backs of our chairs, and wooden cake toppers fashioned to look like us in our spiffy wedding day attire. Poolside luminaries and strings of globe lights illuminated the dance floor all night!
After a year of planning, our wedding day was absolutely positively everything we’d hoped for and more: a tearful but joyful ceremony by the pool as the sun set behind the hotel’s tower, an impromptu serenade of “L-O-V-E” from the best man, and a rocking dance floor, all topped off with a midnight dip in the pool as Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” blasted through the night! My dress may have been a *little* worse for wear the next day (what’s dry cleaning for, after all?), but in those moments–being carried around the pool by my new husband, laughing with all of our friends and family and talking about the day–I have never felt more completely and totally grateful, lucky, and content in my entire life. We couldn’t think of a more fun way to end our night, and a better way to begin our new future together!
Location + Catering: National Hotel / Wedding Photography: Emily Harris Photography / Day-of-Coordinator: The Absolute Event / Hair + Make-up: Makeup by Mirian Behar / Officiant: Rabbi Jonathan Kaplan / Wedding Gown: Melissa Sweet via Wedding Atelier / Bridesmaid Dresses, Groom and Groomsmen Attire: J.Crew / Floral Design, Lighting + Decor: Ocean Flowers and Decor / Wedding Videography: Blueshore Productions / DJ: DJ Luis Bode / Wedding Cake: Ana Paz / Cake Topper: Star House / Stationery: Hello Tenfold / Ketubah: Fresh Ketubah Design / Favors: One Girl Cookies