With an oncoming hurricane, some logistics had to be reworked a bit for this Brooklyn bash but the smiles and fun loving energy never, ever faded. Cynthia Chung went along with the wild ride, capturing all the laughter that this Bride and Groom brought with them – see our favorite moments below and more in our Vault right here!
From Cynthia Chung Photography… New York City got hit with some high winds that weekend because of Hurricane Joaquin but nothing stopped us. With a high energy and fun bridal party, a stylish bride and groom, nothing could dampen our day. We geared up and breezed through Grand Central and had the ceremony indoors at an adorable restaurant – which had an awesome vibe of comfort and cozy. Add in some crazy swing dancing, dinosaur wedding favors, dang delicious dinner, drinks and cupcakes – well, it was definitely a night to remember!!
From the Bride… Miles and I met in Brooklyn, and it’s where our life and love have grown together, so it was the only place we could see ourselves getting married that felt true to both of us. Our vision for our wedding was to have a good party, with good food, good music, and all of our favorite people by our side. Or as I deemed it “just north of an elopement”. What unfolded from that was an intimate affair with a vintage vibe and a lot of sentimental value throughout.
From the beginning the plan was to have a ceremony at a waterfront park in Brooklyn, officiated by one of my best friends, followed by a reception at Le Barricou, a restaurant that was a long-standing date night spot for Miles and I. And then to top it off, a stellar jazz band, because we often enjoy live music together in the city and wanted to share that with our guests. Of course… it wouldn’t have been OUR wedding if things had gone according to plan. Fast forward to the big day, a hurricane might be hitting New York, it’s windy and rainy, and we’re making a last minute relocation of our ceremony to the back of Le Barricou. Stressful… but as my mom put it, I was born during a hurricane and here I was getting married during a hurricane… so “there’s your sign”!
Lucky for us, Le Barricou was incredibly accommodating, and also happens to have a lovely skylight in their back room we could be married beneath. Before we knew it, we were mass texting our guests to show up an hour late at a new location, and the huge balloons that were supposed to serve as markers in the park had now become our altar decorations. And Cynthia, our most wonderful photographer, was quick on her feet in suggesting Grand Central as an alternate place for our photos, where she so patiently guided our quirky and wild bridal party through the masses like the pro she is. I’m so thankful for the people who rallied around us to make the last minute changes and decisions we had to make possible!
Like many brides do, I spent a lot of time on Pinterest – me against the internet – pining after pretty details, but also not wanting to do a ton of DIY projects. In the end we kept it simple. I made menus that had a mad-lib on the back which proved fun for our guests, a friend illustrated a cute wedding map for us, and we spray painted tiny dinosaurs gold to use on escort cards that doubled as favors (because Miles and I have dinosaur nicknames for each other). Beyond that, we relied on the decor of the restaurant and good company to set the mood for our reception, which was perfect for us.
And just like that, we were married! I’m confident that it was the combination of beauty and chaos that made it the PERFECT DAY. In the end, everything came together even better than we’d imagined, curveballs and all, and we wouldn’t have had it any other way!
Photography: Cynthia Chung Photography | Floral Design: Stems Brooklyn | Wedding Dress: Theia | Cupcakes: Heavenly Crumbs | Bride's Shoes: Anthropologie | Hair: Foxy Salon | Band: Dennis Lichtman and Friends | Groom's Attire: J.Crew | Venue: Le Barricou | Bridal Boutique: Lovely Bridal Shop | Wedding Map Illustrations: The Paper Gnome