There is so much about this wedding (captured by Billy Farrel and Caroline Owens Photography) I am obsessed with. SO much. Let’s start with the gowns though, shall we? Because as a person who just can’t get enough of a good party dress, this wedding is SO up my alley. Tibi (how much do you love them!) custom made the bride’s gorgeous dress, and the bridesmaids got to pick their own fabulous frock from from the Tibi Spring 2011 collection. And that’s just the tip of the why-I-am-obsessed-with-this-wedding iceberg, this gorgeous couple also got married at the church where their little one goes to preschool. Fab dresses and cute kiddos? I’m done. Check out the full gallery for even more reasons to obsess over this fête!
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From the Bride… I wanted to marry Paul the minute I met him. It was definitely love at first sight. Then we got a big surprise before we had time to plan anything: a baby. So I decided to wait until my baby weight was gone and our lives were a little calmer before we tied the knot. I also knew I wanted to do the big white dress shindig for us. I thought we deserved a real celebration with our friends and family even though it was not the traditional route — plenty of people told us “just to go to City Hall.” We ended up waiting until our son, Franklin, was two-and-a-half and able to be in the ceremony. My personal theme was “big yet simple fun.” We picked Trinity Wall Street because it is where our son goes to preschool, and it is probably one of the most striking churches I have ever seen. Although we are paper lovers we decided to send our invitations through Paperless Post. I luckily had the designer Amy Smilovic of Tibi offer to design for me a custom gown. My nine bridesmaids too all got to choose their favorite dress from the Tibi Spring 2011 Collection. I had each of them in something different — they are all beautiful and unique people. I wanted them in my wedding as themselves not as identical shapes. Paul opted for a gray Jil Sander suit. After all these picks, a color palette of gray, yellow and white came naturally. Then we kept the rest simple. My favorite flowers (lily of the valley and peonies) from the church florist Kevin Curry. Our favorite cake (Lemon Yummy) and cupcakes from our favorite bakery, Sugar Sweet Sunshine, near our old apartment. Lavender would be thrown as we left and our favorite music on our iPod was playing. Our reception space at The Andaz Hotel was so modern and striking we barely needed additional décor.
Because of the size of our wedding we ended up having to use both the Wall & Water Restaurant and the Bar Seven Five which is joined by a magnificent white staircase and perfect for pictures. We created two signature cocktails with Stoli Elit and I bought vintage postcards online (from both London and New York, our hometowns) for guests to write wishes on instead of a guestbook. All the other bits and bobs I scoured for on Etsy, very successfully. I have to say we have amazingly talented friends, and we used their expertise in almost everything, including photography, cinematography, registry, makeup and gowns. We wouldn’t have been able to stay on budget on our wedding without them. On the big day, our son was a complete comedian during the ceremony; he had me carry him down the aisle and played with his toy cars at our feet in the church. Between him and our fabulous priest, the ceremony had everyone crying with laughter. My dress and my beautiful bridesmaids looked better than I could have ever imagined. The reception was just a perfect afternoon — the Andaz did everything so beautifully. Everyone seemed so relaxed and happy. Yummy cocktails, light bites and plenty of yellow cupcakes. For us it really was the most perfect day. We left in a New York City taxi the next morning to head off for our honeymoon to St. Lucia. Bliss.
Ceremony + Reception Photography: Billy Farrell for Izola Weddings / Bridal Suite Photography: Caroline Owens Photography / Ceremony: Trinity Wall Street in New York, New York / Reception: Bar Seven Five + Wall & Water at the Andaz Wall Street in New York, New York / Floral Design: Kevin Currie Floral Design / Day-Of Coordination: Kimberly Scott Events / Officiant: The Rev. Mark Bozzuti-Jones / Wedding Invitations: Paperless Post / Wedding Cake & Cupcakes: Sugar Sweet Sunshine / Beverages: Elit by Stolichnaya, Provided by William Grant & Sons / Wedding Dress, Veil + Shoes: Tibi / Bride’s Earrings: Cartier / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Tibi / Bridal Party Hair: Vince Smith / Makeup: Jessa Blades of Blades Natural Beauty / Bridal Suite: Andaz Wall Street / Flower Girl + Page Boy Attire: Kristin Klonoski of Astrophel & Stella / Flower Girl Wreath: TutusChic Boutique / Groom’s Suit: Jil Sander / Groom’s Hair: Joey Silvestera of Blackstones / Rings: Tiffany & Co.