This elegant black + white affair kept tradition strong, while also incorporating beautiful modern details, like all-white florals with tons of texture, chic olive oil wedding favors, and gorgeous Jenny Yoo Bridesmaids’ gowns in a dramatic black chiffon. Lucky for us, 4 Eyes Photography captured it all, and shared it with us in the gallery here, so we can all soak up this fete’s sleek and elegant inspiration.
From the beautiful Bride… I met Jeremy within weeks of moving back to Saratoga. After spending nine years in Manhattan and having my father almost pass away of a stroke, I knew it was time for a change—it was time to move “home.” I met Jeremy within weeks of moving home. It was Friday night. It had been a hard week. It was the biggest dive bar in town. There was a lot working against Jeremy that night, but I had the best night I could remember in a long time. Since he didn’t have my phone number, two days later he asked me out on a real date via Facebook. He said the offer was “non-negotiable,” so I met him, and we have been together every day since. Better still—my dad loves him.
I had a feeling the proposal was coming, but he still caught me off guard. It was the week after Labor Day and we drove down to Greenport for a vacation. We couldn’t check into our hotel until 3pm, so we decided to take a wine tour at Raphael Vineyard and Winery. It was a chilly, rainy day, so we were the only ones on the tour. In fact, we virtually had the entire vineyard and winery to ourselves! Following the tour, we could walked down to the vineyard to take pictures. I’m usually the one taking the pictures, but somehow Jeremy talked me into handing the camera over so he could take a few of me. I remember walking through the grapes in the misty air, feeling so grateful for Jeremy and that day. When I turned around he was on one knee.
Having grown up in Saratoga, and now having our home, offices and church within a 10-block radius of downtown, we wanted our family and closest friends to experience downtown Saratoga and all of its incredible offerings. The beautiful historic Canfield Casino in Congress Park blended the history of our beloved town, along with the downtown location we desired. Plus, since our dogs couldn’t be with us at the reception, the location reminded us all of the walks we had taken them on in the park and made us feel closer to them.
My style has always been clean, natural and minimalistic. Since the venue itself is very ornate, I wanted to keep the integrity of the venue while staying true to my personal style by keeping the color palette white and monochromatic. White, glass vases filled with single arrangements of white tulips, ranunculus, nerine lilies and mini calla lilies on top of white crinkle linens kept the look clean and updated. Additionally, it was it was really important to me incorporate personal touches to the décor so that the day felt personal. We had Q&A napkins during cocktail hour so that guests could get to know quirky facts about us, a specialty cocktail, “The Non-negotiable,” paying tribute to the date that made all of the difference, and a sprig of rosemary on each place setting, serving as a symbol of love and a nod to our love for nature.
In some respects tradition is important to us, while on the other hand, we are not at all traditional. While we had a full catholic mass and a sit down reception, the traditions ended there. I was completely against being announced at the reception (or anything else that drew attention to me), but came up with the perfect workaround that left me feeling comfortable and our guests being amused—Jeremy announced the bridal party! He had the time of his life, and it was one of my favorite parts of the reception! Also, I was completely against cutting a cake cutting, but knew our mother’s really wanted it, so I let them cut the cake. Guests couldn’t stop laughing as they fed each other the cake!
Since our favorite times are with family and friends around the dinner table, we thought it was only fitting to provide guests with individual bottles of Saratoga Olive Oil to enjoy at home with their loved ones !
Photography: 4Eyes Photography | Event Design: Fleurtacious Designs | Floral Design: Fleurtacious Designs | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Invitations: JennyCDesign | Stationery: LG Creative Group | Ceremony Venue: St Clements Roman Catholic | Reception Venue: Canfield Casino | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Jewelry: Jenny Packham | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Jenny Yoo | Favors: Saratoga Olive Oil | Accomodations: Pavillion Grand Hotel