I’ve seen a lot of gorgeous Art Deco inspired weddings in my day, but never one done quite like this. And by “quite like this,” I mean a non-stop dance party featuring beautiful blooms from La Fleur Event And Floral Design, a crazy awesome 501 Union setting, champagne towers and golden confetti. Yes, golden confetti. Kelly Kollar captured every fabulous moment… and the gallery? A must-see.
From Kelly Kollar Photography… I knew as soon as I met Ava, and heard about her plans to create an Art Deco inspired wedding celebration, that her’s would be a wedding to remember! She didn’t disappoint… from her stunning Zac Posen gown to the champagne towers and glitter confetti drop, Ava and Josh’s wedding was one of the most creative and stylish I’ve seen so far.
From The Bride… For six months, my hairstylist Joey was pushing me to go out with one of his clients. After reluctantly giving in, Josh and I went on our first date in the fall of 2009 at the downstairs wine bar at Peasant in Nolita. We dated on and off, were friends for a few years, and gave it another shot in December of 2011. We were engaged a year and a half later and have spent everyday together since that December night.
As an event producer, my job takes me on site visits from time to time. In July 2013, my boss sent me to the Boom Boom Room at the top of the Standard Hotel on an “emergency” site visit. Little did I know Josh would be there waiting on one knee with our favorite champagne, a bouquet of gardenias (my favorite) and, of course, a ring. Getting engaged in the Boom Boom Room was the perfect place. Josh knew this was one of my favorite rooms in NYC with an incredible view and art deco design. We spent that weekend at the hotel and started planning our wedding.
Most of our friends and family live on the East Coast, so a New York wedding made most sense. We went to look at the Green Building in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. After looking at the space, we were invited to also look at their sister venue, 501 Union, across the street. The space was still under construction and wasn’t slated to open until fall 2013. 501 Union is a beautiful open-air space with modern, yet art deco inspired geometric lighting fixtures with palm tree wallpaper. Once I saw the beams in the outdoor ceremony room, I immediately envisioned a hanging arrangement from the ceiling. We also wanted to create a more intimate environment and loved the idea of a space that could accommodate long farm tables with family style meals to help our guests co-mingle. Although we were in the early stages of our search, I knew this was our venue. I ideally wanted to create a relaxed, chic art deco inspired atmosphere with champagne and lush greenery.
I was never a huge wedding person, but once my time arrived all the details started to matter. There were three non-negotiables for the wedding; I wanted to have a beautiful dress, flowing cocktails, and a full-on dance party. Once I found my dress, I thought it would be a great idea to place champagne towers on the tables. Not only did it fit into my theme, it also played into our intimate “get people together” environment. I sourced tiered lucite towers and had the caterer fill each row with coupes, sporadically alternated between champagne and our signature pink cocktail. The towers were accented with greenery and placed on every other table, allowing for convenient cocktail consumption. As for the dance party, I decided that confetti would bond everyone on the dance floor… and it worked!
Luckily, I had an amazing creative team that enhanced my vision and took it to the next level. My florist, Dawn, handled all bridal party florals and table arrangements. Dawn took the “art deco, Miami chic champagne, drug lord party” theme and ran with it. She conceptualized palm tree centerpieces, along with exquisite, overflowing greenery and florals for the tables. She also hand-selected all the bouquets and created adorable floral halos for the flower girls. Bonika, who specializes in aerial displays, helped craft and strategize the hanging floral pieces for the ceremony room. After numerous visits to the floral market, we combined neutral understated florals with hanging greenery creating an organic, romantic environment. In order to keep the structures fresh and un-wilted, Bonika worked overtime creating four hanging installations the day of. Both Dawn and Bonika executed flawlessly and I couldn’t have been happier with their work.
As for the dance party, our DJ, David Hollands set the tone post-ceremony with an hour of Reggae classics from the 70’s and 80’s, transitioning into a balance of old and new school dance, with the occasional indie track. Once the sun set, the confetti machine became a focal point, as the guests were showered with glitter gold confetti from all directions. Our flower girls were picking confetti off the ground and throwing it in the air making sure no one left uncovered in confetti. It was definitely one of the evening’s highlights.
At the night’s conclusion, guests were given an individual bag of Gimme! coffee as a departing gifts along with a berocca cocktail for the road. Josh and I were both thrilled with how the day turned out. We chose amazing vendors and cannot be thankful enough for their creative energies and execution. It was a perfect day!
Photography: Kelly Kollar Photography | Florist: La Fleur Event And Floral Design | Wedding Dress: Zac Posen | Catering: Foremost Caterers | DJ: David Hollands | Ceremony & Reception: 501 Union | Chuppah: Chuppah Studio | Day Of Coordinator: Stephanie Yeh | Floral Installations: Bonika Caroline | Getting Ready: The Broome Hotel | Groom's Tuxedo: Ralph Lauren | Make-up/Hair: Michiko Boorberg | Photography - Assistance: Tanya Salazar Photography
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