New York Weddings

First of all, we want to applaud Hannah and John for embracing the rich, warm seasonal colors of autumn! From Orchard Cove Photography, this brilliant celebration at The Central Park Boathouse is a glorious reminder that fall weddings are spectacular!!

We previewed their wedding yesterday morning, on the Little Black Book Blog … the ceremony taking place at The Church of the Heavenly Rest and their reception at New York’s Central Park Boathouse.

From the beautiful bride … I think our wedding could be described with two words – Romantic…and FALL! Everything from the church to the reception was meant to make people feel like they were in the middle of a beautiful, bountiful fall day. From huge branches in the church, to small arrangements of cabbage roses, dalias, pears, pumpkins and berries on candlelit tables, we wanted to convey warmth and love.

At the boathouse, our goal was to “bring the park inside.” We had large trees everywhere that had beautiful colored leaves that began falling in the middle of the evening! Each long table had small bouquets of flowers and a cornucopia of fall elements strewn everywhere. Every table was different, giving it a natural and not-over-planned look. The lighting was created mostly by dozens of small tea lights and votive candles that seemed to be everywhere, from the table where we had a Polaroid camera and album for our guests, to the cookie table that appeared after dinner! Even our cake, done by the unequaled Sylvia Weinstock, had tumbling berries, flowers and branches cascading down it. The whole effect was spectacularly romantic, warm and autumnal.

We also wanted to add some unexpected touches. My bridesmaids, in beautiful Amsale dresses, were given big, dramatic, jeweled necklaces from Roberta Freyman’s shop. I picked out a different necklace for each girl, and they made such a great statement as they walked down the aisle – the exact opposite of Park Avenue pearls!

My own attire had a touch of the unique as well. My dress was all lace, in a soft antique-ivory from Rivini. My veil was a wonderful family heirloom – over 120 years old and custom lace, it had been worn by almost every woman in my family, and every bride’s initials were woven into the lace. It certainly looked different than any of the veils on the market today, and wearing such a beautiful antique made my entire look soft, romantic, and completely timeless.

One of my favorite moments was when the doors opened and we walked into our dining room at The Boathouse, filled with gorgeous decorations and everyone we loved, and stepped onto the dance floor, it was just us. For the first time that day, we both started to really breathe, and realize that we had done it! We were married, and we were dancing to our favorite song (Everything by Michael Buble). John and I had tried to do what can loosely be termed “practicing” in the weeks leading up to the wedding. We were a little nervous about remembering what we had decided to do – but in the end, none of it mattered. He twirled me into his arms, and I closed my eyes and realized that the night, and our lives, were just beginning.

One of John’s favorite photographs is from the very end of the evening. Everyone was given rose petals to throw at us as we exited the reception area and headed out toward our vintage New York taxi cab. We said goodbye to our parents, and everyone joyfully threw their little handfuls of petals. One of his groomsmen had absconded with the huge box of petals that everyone had taken their handfuls from. In a moment that was perfectly funny and unplanned, he summarily dumped the entire box on our heads. It was so fitting for him, and for us – as we’re never ones to do anything exactly by the book.

See more of Hannah & John’s wedding on Orchard Cove’s Blog and in our gallery!

A little advice from the bride and groom …

When John and I first got engaged, we spent some time figuring out what was REALLY important to us, those things that we felt really strongly about, together, and those things we didn’t want to lose sight of in all the wedding madness. This is such an important thing to do, and I think the best advice I can offer. There are so many options, and opinions, swirling around you as you plan a wedding, there will inevitably be compromises you have to make. And that’s ok! Not everything will happen exactly as you had pictured it. Because it’s not just you planning this event….it’s your friends, your family (especially your family).

But, if you decide together on the (few) things you will fight for – it makes giving in and making allowances in other areas so much easier and less stressful. It’s akin to picking your battles – but doing it at the very beginning. You absolutely can’t control everything, but you can control how you react to the ups and downs, and feel good about when you fight, and when you concede.

The other thing I would say is talk to each other…all the time. So often girls feel like anything wedding related goes in one ear and out the other for their fiancees. But the wedding isn’t just one person’s…and it should represent both of you. No matter what you envisioned when you were 9 years old, the final day should make everyone feel like they are celebrating YOU BOTH. And making sure that you both are equally involved and aware of everything going on can only lead to good things. Not only will you both feel attached to the event, but you’ll both know and understand the stress that each is under, and can comfort each other so much better. It can definitely be a stressful, and emotional time, and a time when you’ll need your best friend more than ever!

Finally, I’ll say that it’s critical to remember why you’re doing this in the first place. John was so good about countering every worry I had with the simple truth that “it doesn’t really matter. What’s important is that at the end of the day we’ll be married.” It sounds silly, but keeping each other grounded throughout the engagement and wedding planning process is so important, and keeps you remembering that this is truly supposed to be one of the happiest times of your life!

Photography – Orchard Cove Photography / Ceremony Venue – The Church of the Heavenly Rest / Reception Venue – Central Park Boathouse / Event Planning – Elizabeth Allen / Hannah’s Dress – Rivini via Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier / Bridesmaid’s Dresses – Amsale / Hannah’s Hair – Aldo Giacomello / Hannah’s Makeup – Kimara Ahnert / Cake – Sylvia Weinstock / Dresser – Couture by Vassa / Florist – Lewis Miller Designs / Lighting – Levy Lighting / Music – Ludlow Street Band (Hank Lane Music)

This New York City wedding is one of the most unique events I have ever seen.  No wonder with Hatch Creative Studio at the design helm.  The innovative and personal touches they created with Daughter of Design are going to cause some extreme jaw-dropping reactions.  This cutting-edge team was rounded out with artists Belathée Photography and Studio Z Films.  Enjoy even more traditional meets urban chic inspiration in the full gallery!

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

The party is far from over!  Take a looksie at the trendy highlights from Studio Z Films…

There are 2 sides of NYC. There’s the downtown, chic urban vibe and then there’s the uptown, traditional NYC. Monica and David’s personal style embody both and really reflected them in their wedding.  Guastavino’s was the perfect venue since it embodied both classic NY architecture with vaulted ceilings and also the hip, industrial side of NY with it’s exposed pipes and location under the belly of the Queensboro Bridge.

The invitations played on the traditional set with a monogram and elegant frame but with graffiti fonts and dripping and splattered spray paint effects. I think my favorite part of the invitation was the background wallpaper that repeated, “You are the work of my life and I am the work of yours.” That was David’s poeticim.  The escort card, the menus and the favor card all followed suit with the invitation design. In addition we took the monogram design and also created a large cling that went around one of the exposed pipes to make it as if we “tagged” the venue. The monogram was also splashed across a brick wall printed fabric that acted as the photobooth background. We supplied the photobooth with spray can props and other fun costumes and let people’s creativity take care of the rest!

For the ceremony a custom tree was built inside the venue’s large cave-like dome. Hanging exposed bulbs added a modern element to the tree as did the contemporary ghost chairs that the guests sat in. I’m always concerned about “how will the pictures look” and dislike when people hold folders or papers during the ceremony since it clashes with the soft decor. For Monica and David the officiant used a large piece of bark as his folder and for the couple’s personalized vows were also on smaller pieces of bark that were actually adhered to the tree trunk so that the officiant peeled it off the tree and handed each their vows during the ceremony. Later in the night the tree remained and became the backdrop for the bar. It created this outdoor-indoor feel that was perfect for this warm summer night.

The cocktail arrangements were comprised of mostly succulents, rocks, moss and tropical greens. There was a very minimalist, contemporary feel that went well with the  loft look of the cocktail hour space. Extra large succulents acted as the escort card holders so that the cards fanned out and were stuck between their petals for a unique presentation.   In line with unique presentations we weaved the menu cards between the dinner forks so that they stood up vertically. 6’  tall laurel branches which looked as if they are growing out of the center of the table were accented with a lush garden at the base of the branches. An assortment of unique succulents, kale and whimsical lavender flowers like allium and lavender added to the fun. The laurel branches were decorated with purple orchids and mercury hanging candle holders. The room was finished off with a purple glow that engulfed and saturated every corner of the reception.

Monica and David incorporated their individual cultures throughout the evening. Before the ceremony a traditional Chinese tea ceremony was held in honor of David’s background as were the Chinese drum and dragon dancers that surprised guests at the end of the cocktail hour and led the way up to the reception. After dinner the Halo Halo station which is a traditional Filipino dessert was set out next to the bar and as guests left they were each given a cracked pearl box favor that Monica’s mother had sent from the Philippines.

Monica and David are incredibly stylish and brilliantly creative, fun-loving people. I think their wedding was a true reflection of them and one that my staff still calls a favorite!

Venue: Guastavino’s / Coordination + Planning: Annie Lee of Daughter of Design / Photography: Belathee Photography / Videography: Studio Z Films / Event and Floral Designs: Barb Salzman of Hatch Creative Studio / Hair: Jeff Chastain Parlor / Halo Halo: Bistro Filipino / Lighting: BML – Blackbird / Band: Hank Lane’s Arthur Stuart / Invitations: Paper Monkey Press + Design / Photobooth: The StudioBooth

We have a quick preview of a special Saturday feature that we’re putting the finishing touches on from Amanda at Orchard Cove Photography! This beautiful fall wedding took place in New York City ~ with the ceremony at the stunning Church of the Heavenly Rest followed by a dinner reception at the Central Park Boathouse. Fall was in the air and sparkled in every aspect of the celebration!

Wedding cake by Sylvia Weinstock!

Walking down the aisle. I was so excited and nervous, and had been thinking about that moment for years. Everyone had told me to go slow, look around, and enjoy that moment. My mother walked me down the aisle, which was so meaningful. Not only because the last time she had walked down that aisle was for her own wedding 30 years earlier, but because she represented the other two men who should have been there, on my arm. The first was my father, and the second was my grandfather who had passed away not 2 weeks before that day, and who was a hugely important person in my life. Holding my mother’s hand and enjoying every moment of that walk down an absurdly long aisle, and seeing John at the end – is absolutely a moment that I will never forget.

We have the rest of the story from this gorgeous day all set for tomorrow morning.

‘Til then, we just had to give you a quick look at the necklaces Hannah gave her bridesmaids from the Roberta Freymann collection!

See you bright and early tomorrow with the full feature! For those who want MORE right now … head on over to Orchard Cove’s Blog!!

Photography – Orchard Cove Photography / Ceremony Venue – The Church of the Heavenly Rest / Hannah’s Dress – Rivini via Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier Cake – Sylvia Weinstock Florist – Lewis Miller Designs / Necklaces – Roberta Freymann / Wedding Planning – Elizabeth Allen Events

Brick is the new backyard.  Seriously, there have been so many industrial meets incredible weddings around here lately!  This New York City urban lovefest from Allan Zepeda blends the romantic and metropolitan with chic, black linens, come hither romantic florals and all set against a phenomenal, architectural wonderland.  The chic brick mania continues in the full wedding gallery.  Just remember you heard it here first!

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

Jeff is a writer and I’m a writer/editor, and we run an off-off-Broadway theater company here in NYC, so we are both very expressive, and we have a ton of amazing close friends who we were able to involve in the wedding. We wrote our own vows, used off-the-beaten-track readings with a lot of meaning to us (Hemmingway and Tom Robbins), hired a guitarist-cellist combo who played instrumental versions of our favorite songs and even arranged “our song” for me to walk down the aisle to, and used design elements that included typeface to reflect our love of the written word. My friend and bridesmaid Catherine (an award-winning book cover designer) created our invitations, my “maid” of honor Dave (who is a fantastic photographer) set up his camera and created an amazing time-lapse film of the wedding, and our wedding party and friends showed up early to decorate the venue. All of our guests (there were only 70) told us that we created an intimate, personal, beautiful day — which is exactly what we wanted.

We are producers, so we didn’t hire a wedding planner; we did it start to finish. My DIY projects included hand-sewing my veil (some of the material I used was from my mother’s wedding gown), making paper flowers for the hors d’oeuvres trays, creating combination favor boxes and escort cards, creating our “guest book” consisting of a big vase and cards along with a shadowbox sign asking guests to sign a card and drop it in, putting together displays of childhood photos for me and Jeff (replacing a slideshow), and making paper cut-out streamers to out of papers of different colors and typeface patterns (a play Jeff wrote, a book we love, etc.) to hang in the photo booth. (I can quickly create step-by-step instructions for these if you guys want them.) I also used Etsy a lot for projects I couldn’t do — from Etsy we got our bird boutonnieres, adorable cake topper, paper numbers which I glued onto cardstock for the table numbers, wooden typewriter keys I used for the escort cards, and Jeff’s custom-made cufflinks.

We used independent local vendors from Brooklyn, Queens and elsewhere around NYC who we fell in love with, and tried to stay far away from cookie-cutter wedding shops. My favorites were our florist (who created green, white, and black arrangements for us) and our DJ (who perfectly mixed indie rock in with pop favorites), but everyone  else was incredible as well. I’m listing them all at the end of this email.

Wedding Photography: Allan Zepeda / Wedding Photography (Second Shooter): Judith Rae / Wedding Venue: The Foundry / Catering: Seasons Distinctive Catering / Florals: Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design / Musicians: NY Ceremony Music / DJ: Andy Anderson / Cake: Nine Cakes / Photobooth: Shootbooth / Bride’s hair: Jennifer Lusardi

I am constantly blown away by the creativity and talent that our couples possess.  Case in point?  This New York City duo whose urban meets antiquity wedding was a full-on work of art.  From the vintage-inspired gray gown to the illustrations hand-drawn by the bride, there is brilliance and style oozing out of every inch of this metropolitan union.  Photo Pink packed the gallery with even more from this artful affair!

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

Jen and Danny were married October 9, 2010 at the Metropolitan Building in Long Island City, Queens. The Metropolitan Building is a stunning former factory bought by an antiques dealer for storage. The floors are mazes of rooms decorated with vintage one of a kind pieces of furniture and decor. It is absolutely one of the coolest places to get married in NYC. It definitely matched the bride and groom’s artsy-vintage style.

Jen wore a gray-blue 1950’s style gown with pin-curled hair and a cool vintage-style veil and Danny wore a classic black suit. All of the bride and bridal party accessories were etsy-made.

The table art and place cards were painted by the bride herself. Jen is an incredibly talented illustrator and drew 18th century characters, animals, musical instruments, and sailboats to designate the tables. A profile illustration of Jen facing a profile of Danny was used as their logo for their own table as well as on the menus and invitations.

The ceremony was performed by a close friend of the couple with many other friends taking part through readings and music. It was really unique and said a lot of about the couple and the people that care for them. The reception was an awesome party with lots of crazy dancing, speeches, and fun.

Photography: Photo Pink / Flowers: Opalia Flowers / Wedding Day Coordinator: Green Apple Weddings / Ceremony and Reception Venue: Metropolitan Building / Invitations and Placecards: Jen Hill / Shoes: Calvin Klein / Bridal party headpieces: Feathers of Artemis / Veil: Fascinating Creations / Guitarist’s Fascinator: Peacock Pixys / Dress: Kcoline by Caroline Flach / DJ: Mandy via DJ Gaza / Bakery: Karyn Kwok Kakes / Ceremony Guitarist: Jet Mullen

Welcome back! We hope you all had a lovely weekend! We do have quite a week lined up for you on The Little Black Book Blog so let’s get right to it! First from New York ~ a spectacular wedding from Exquisite Affairs Productions, a gorgeous formal ceremony and killer reception from last August. Kirsten and Chris found so many ways to incorporate their personality into the day. We’re pretty sure you’ll agree it was the perfect blend of elegance with a good dose of fun!

From Kirsten & Chris …
One Hanson is a Brooklyn icon and as Brooklynites we wanted to find a unique spot that reflected us and our home. You can’t help but have your breath taken away when you walk into the bank at One Hanson … its soaring vaulted ceiling and its art deco style is stunning when properly lit to feature all its incredible details. We loved the idea of using the old teller windows, and check signing stations as part of our decor. We had our cocktail hour in the massive vault in the basement which a lot of our guests got a kick out of – it was so different than anything else they’d experienced! We loved that our venue gave our guests a chance to have fun in the most unlikely of spaces.

We really wanted people to walk into our wedding and think to themselves, “this is SO them!” Since our wedding venue was an old savings bank we had plenty of inspiration for decor! We had pennies in our floral arrangements during cocktail hour, had a ton of those green banker’s desk lamps, a lounge area with leather bankers couches and of course those lollipops you used to get as a kid when you went with your Mom on the way out.

One of our most vivid memories was walking into the fully decorated One Hanson for the first time before any of our guests. We both had this moment where we stood there agape at the transformation of the space. We couldn’t have imagined that everything could have come together so perfectly – and it was all to celebrate us! So cool.

Kirsten’s Dad is from Germany and is an avid flag collector…, so four flags were hung in the reception room – the German flag, Irish flag, American flag, and the bride’s family shipping company flag. The groom’s family is from Ireland… so we offered Spaten and Guinness on tap in steins and pint glasses respectively. Chris is a huge soccer fan.. and runs the Northside Soccer League in Brooklyn so having little fooseball people as toppers was one of our personal little touches. The bride’s father also presented a gift to the groom and his soccer team – a customized flag with their emblem! A very special German tradition was also included – the “bridal cup.” The bride and groom stand closely together facing each other with just enough space for the cup between them. The bride takes the smaller cup in hand while the groom holds onto the larger cup. Together, the wedding couple raises the cup up and to their lips to drink. They cannot spill a drop because if you can drink without spilling a drop, love, faithfulness and good luck will be yours forever!

We could not have done our day without Christine Viola and her team from EAP — not only was the entire day flawless, but we had SO much fun planning with her and her team. Also would love to mention John from Flower Michele who unexpectedly passed away shortly after our event. His unbelievable creativity with our floral arrangements and decor made our venue come to life in ways we could never even imagined. Carl and the Abigail Kirsch team blew us away with their most insanely delicious food and impeccable professionalism.

. . .

We always like to ask our couples if they had a “first look” session, and if so, are they glad. Here’s Kirsten & Chris’ response …  We had a first look to avoid the photographing of everyone after the ceremony. We knew that we’d just want to party! Our photographer, Stacey Ilyse, was so much fun! She made the photo shoot an absolute blast by improvising with our surroundings as we walked to and from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. We even stopped at a nearby ice cream truck! Some of our favorite pictures were ones she captured when we least expected it.

Wedding Planner: Christine Viola, Exquisite Affairs Productions Inc. / Ceremony: The Oratory Church of St. Boniface / Reception: Skylight One Hanson / Catering: Abigail Kirsch / Hair: Jennifer Brent / Makeup /Anita Nouryeh /Photography: Stacey Ilyse Photography / Cake: City Sweets & Confections / Flowers & Decor: Flower Michele / Band: The Urban Guerilla Orchestra (UGO) / Invitations & Stationery: Cheree Berry Paper / Sound & Lighting: L&M Sound & Light / Photobooth: NYC Photobooth / Transportation: Double Diamond Limos

Didn’t your mother always tell you that when you hang around happy people, at the end of the day you’ll be happier … and when you hang around grumpy people, you end up grumpy! Well, the same goes for planning your wedding. Surround yourself with folks who love what they do for a living ~ the wedding professionals who will bring all the expertise of their years and can’t keep the smiles off their faces and we guarantee, you’ll walk away with that same grin plastered across your face at the end of this momentous day! We ~ at Style Me Pretty ~ want to do just that for you! We want to surround you with some guys and gals who have devoted their lives to making brides and grooms happy ~ their own joy is infectious!! And on The Little Black Book Blog ~ we are taking just one more opportunity to showcase their work. The features on the LBB blog aren’t FOR THEM … they’re FROM THEM TO YOU! So sit back, relax and enjoy a few previews from this week’s line-up on Abby’s Little Black Book Blog!

Kitty and Craig of Twin Lens Photography helped make Adrianne & Stephen’s New Mexico wedding a day that was the best! “Thanks to our vendors, our wedding day was a complete success. We were relaxed and because we trusted our vendors so much, we were able to enjoy our wedding day to its fullest!”

photography by Twin Lens

We have Adrianne and Stephen’s wedding from Twin Lens Photography coming up a little later this week on The Little Black Book Blog. If you’d like to see more of Kitty and Craig’s unbelievable style, take a look at their facebook page feature of this wedding!

We also have the most incredible collection of bridesmaids EVER coming up this week! From Cori Cook Floral Design ~ a rainbow of beautiful ladies and gents with flowers and smiles to nudge any one of you into that big huge grin!

photography by Laura Murray

You can see them all ~ up close and personal right here on Cori’s blog!

An excerpt from Wednesday’s feature (from Weddings by Windy) … I’m one of those people who firmly believes in fate, destiny & that EVERYTHING happens for a reason. I love retracing steps in any event figuring out “if this didn’t happen like this, then that wouldn’t have happened, etc.” I also understand, however, that not everyone is on that bus. But I think even the biggest naysayer would have agreed after seeing the shots of Katie & Lee’s October 9th, 2010 ceremony at Veritas Vineyards in Afton, VA outside of Charlottesville. We had about 90+ guests we had to transport from 2 hotels in 2 different parts of the Charlottesville area. One in the city of Charlottesville – The Marriott, and the other from the Best Western in Waynesboro, VA. Of course, the bus carrying the majority of the 90 guests coming from the Marriott… broke down prior to picking anyone up! And it happened at about 5:00 for a 6:00 ceremony! If EVER there is a reason to pay good money for a great venue, great photographers and to have a wedding planner on site – this was it. Into crisis mode we went …

photography by Worthington Photography

As with any great love story, this one, too has a happy ending. So, as they say, for the rest of the story … you’ll have to meet us back here on Wedding Wednesday!

The last LBB Blog preview we’re going to give you today is from a spectacular ~ and I mean spectacular~ wedding choreographed by the brilliant team of wedding professionals at Exquisite Affairs Productions that took place in an A. M. A. Z. I. N. G. old savings bank building ~ Skylight One Hanson.

full SMP gallery here

We’ll pick up tomorrow morning … 10-ish … with EAP’s stunning wedding feature!

Have a wonderful day!!

There are so many glamy glam details in this New York wedding that instantly captured our attention but the detail that captured our hearts? The fashion! Holy cow, the fashion, the dress, the tuxedo…we are falling for it all. And it marries so nicely with the rest of this city chic affair. DM Events lent their eye for perfect details and whipped up one fabulous party and Meredith Davenport of Christian Oth Studio was there to capture all of the gorgeous images. This is definitely a dream team and a dream wedding if we ever saw one. See more from this G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S wedding in the gallery.

see the FULL wedding here!

September weddings are usually filled with color palettes of red and orange or pink and brown, but this New York City based couple wanted to stay true to their style with shades of deep purple, magenta and black. The Palm House at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens set the glamorous tone for this city soiree!

The first step was to conquer the flowers. We knew they had to be grand, especially when you are celebrating your nuptials in the oasis of a city garden! The arrangements, by Zeze, featured lush purple hydrangeas and pink and purple roses. The bride’s bouquet was utterly stunning, filled with deep purple calla lilies and black feathers, adding another touch of glam to the evening. The botanic themed stationery from Ceci NY was the perfect complement to the nature blooms that filled the room.

Sarah and Colin knew that the key to their city affair was to keep the guests partying – and when Jason Fioto spins, it is always a party to remember! What could be more glamorous than a decadent cake and dessert bar, perfected by Nine Cakes. Attire was not overlooked by this swanky couple – they were decked out from head to toe! From the diamonds on the bride’s dress to the velvet of the groom’s tuxedo blazer – one glance at this hip couple and you know they’re made for each other!

Planning and Styling: DM Events / Photography: Meredith Davenport of Christian Oth Studio / Venue: Palm House at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens / Flowers: Zeze Flowers / Cake and Desserts: Nine Cakes / Stationery: Ceci NY / DJ: Jason Fioto of Generation Events / Make-up : Anni Bruno / Dress: Jenny Packham from Mark Ingram

Turn Loose the Art Photography just may have captured the best group shot in the history of Style Me Pretty along with a super fabulous New York City affair full of romantic candlelight, an interesting venue and spot on styling by Marcey Brownstein. All of this seems to be a recipe for success and we have a feeling you city brides-to-be are going to be bookmarking the heck out of this fete. We know we definitely are. See more of the pretty details in the gallery.

see the FULL wedding here!

Kerri and Jeff planned their wedding in the exact opposite way all their friends did. They found a unique venue, a four-story townhouse at the edge of the West Village and Meatpacking District in NYC. They planned their timeline around an evening ceremony, with guest looking down from the balcony surrounding the entire townhouse. Later in the evening the ceremony space became the dance floor, DJ-ed by a club dj rather than the typical wedding entertainment. Also, rather than a traditional sit-down meal for dinner, they provided tray-passed tapas and mini meals throughout the evening. As an homage to Halloween, they provided opera-style masks for their guests to wear during the reception. One other very cool thing? Bono of U2 fame ran into them at the Standard as they were leaving to walk over to 632 on Hudson!

Photographer: Turn Loose the Art / Event Designer & Catering: Marcey Brownstein / Hotel: The Standard / Venue: 632 on Hudson

I am loving this stunning bouquet, I am loving this darling couple and I am loving the industrial oasis that is The Foundry for a venue. That’s a lot of loving for a Tuesday, and it was all captured by the talented Karen Wise. A terrific blend of culture and style, it’s one of those weddings where it seems as though New York City was an honored guest, and for good reason! There is so much inspiration in this wedding for the industrial loving brides out there, and it’s all wrapped up in one full gallery of fabulous images.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

From the Bride…It was a year ago this month that Matt proposed.  One would think that after dating for five years that I would know exactly what I wanted. There was no question that I wanted something smaller than the traditional Indian wedding and that we needed to incorporate parts of both of our cultures. We realized quickly, that if were going to have people make the trek to New York (I am from California and Matt is from Illinois), we better have a fantastic venue, great food, and lots of dancing.

Once we walked into The Foundry, everything fell into place. The venue is beautiful, an industrial oasis just outside Manhattan.  Its architecture and ambiance speaks for itself. We used their suggested vendor list and quickly recruited the dream team that would help make our wedding the most memorable day of our lives.  We needed to find a DJ that could easily transition between the horah, bhangra, and west coast rap.  The answer—DJ Gaza. As a good friend said months later “the best wedding DJ ever.”  My feet still hurt from dancing the night away.

Our caterer, Yen Ngo with Real Food Catering, not only designed a wedding menu that met all of our needs, she was, for all intents and purposes, our wedding planner. She helped our ever-evolving vision come to fruition (including indulging us in our hot sauce station).  She also introduced us to our florist, Melarosa, who knew exactly what I meant when I said I wanted flowers that I could not buy at the corner store and a focus on texture.   The bouquet could not have been more perfect.

Finally, Karen Wise, the amazing photographer. I wanted someone who still worked with film and knew that The Foundry was not an easy venue to shoot and shoot well.  She made it look easy and made everything look beautiful. We look through our pictures and still cannot believe how she captured our special day.  We did not have a videographer, but I can feel the moment we were pronounced husband and wife and the emotion in my father’s speech just from looking through the hundreds of amazing photographs. Thank you, Karen! Wedding planning is far from easy in a place like New York City. With a patient groom and fabulous vendors (and the internet) you can have and do anything you want and truly make your wedding your own.

Photography: Karen Wise / Flowers: Melarosa / Event Design/Planning and Catering: Yen Ngo, Real Food Catering (Indian Food-Chola) / Ceremony and Reception: The Foundry / Invitations: Bride and Groom / Bride Shoes: Butter / Grooms Shoes: Allen Edmonds / Bride Dress: Melissa Sweet / Groom Suit: Ermenegildo Zegna / DJ: DJ Gaza

This has to be one of my most favorite ceremony locations in a very long time. I mean, what screams romance more than being surrounded by stories at the Othmer Library in Brooklyn? Infused with Brooklyn style and the fun personalities of this dynamic duo, this fantastic celebration shot by Wedding by Two and planned by Bespoke Affairs captures all that is fabulous about the beautiful borough. It will take more than a New York City minute to soak it all in, so do yourself a favor today and set aside some time to dive into the full gallery.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

From Bespoke Affairs…Such a fun wedding to work on! The couple are adorable Brooklynites, so every aspect of the wedding was infused with a little bit of brooklyn flair. The ceremony was held in the stunning Othmer Library at the Brooklyn Historical Society. The groom’s father who is a Judge in Brooklyn officiated. Bride works for Temptu, so I knew the makeup styling would be perfection!

After the ceremony guests were transported to the Brooklyn Waterfront for the reception at Bubby’s Pie Co in Dumbo. They’re wedding day was also the same day as the Dumbo Arts Festival. There was street vendors, clowns and tons of onlookers. Such fun energy surrounding the day. Even when a little kid dropped an entire chocolate ice cream cone down the back of the brides ML dress, everyone keep smiling. Thank goodness I had my emergency kit on hand and fixed the dress in no time! Poppies and Posies did a stellar job with the floral design and all of the props as you can see! Weddings by Two…INSANELY TALENTED! Laura bring vintage cameras with her as well to capture the day.

Photography: Weddings by Two / Cinematography: Justin Stanley / Flowers & Event Design: Poppies & Posies / Event Planning: Adrienne Colosimo of Bespoke Affairs / Prep Location: Nu Hotel / Makeup: Temptu / Ceremony Location: Othmer Library Brooklyn Historical Society / Reception Location: Bubby’s Pie Co / Invitations: Papermade Designs / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / School Bus Rental: Island Charter / Vintage Car Rental (66 Chevelle) and car styling: Merci New York / Dress: Monique Lhuilier

It’s time to begin another week-long journey in wedding wonderland! Perhaps you are even off today and get to enjoy today’s journey in your PJ’s, coffee in hand!. PJ’s or not, we’ll start the day off in the inspiring city that never sleeps. When two talented NYC landscape architects decide to tie the knot, you just know it will be stylish and sophisticated. Personal and intimate, this wedding, beautifully captured by Megan Greenlee Photography, embraces the wonderful blend of the couple’s love of nature and their city life. I must say, it’s definitely darling. Want to get your week off to a fabulous start? Be sure to check out the full gallery of beautiful images.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

From the Bride…Our wedding developed after we visited some traditional venues, and some not so traditional venues, in the New York City area as well as in some of our favorite family destinations. After considering a few of these locations, none of them were really us. We met in the city and it turned out that we were most comfortable planning an event close to home, so we started looking locally. That’s when we started to research the Jefferson Market Garden. It was where we met for one of our first dates and we loved that it was such a welcoming, but intimate space, in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. We’ve always enjoyed the outdoors and it gave us the kind of exposure to nature that we wanted for our ceremony, but within walking distance of our home. It sinuously blended our lifestyle with our inherent love of nature.

Once we settled on the garden, we set out to find a reception venue that was consistent with the small-scale, intimate theme. We knew we didn’t want a blowout wedding, but an event where we knew each of our guests on a personal level, and would have the opportunity to interact with them. While shying away from the time consuming reception traditions, we decided to do a cocktail hour where our guests could mingle and a sit down dinner that allowed for close, easy conversations. Eliminating the cake cutting, first dance and bouquet toss, etc. we were afforded the opportunity to share our evening with the ones we love.

Photography: Megan Greenlee Photography / Ceremony: Jefferson Market Garden / Reception: Bar Blanc Restaurant / Cake: Bar Blanc Restaurant / Coordination: James Norton (Day-Of Event Coordinator) / Hair and Make-up: Bride and Sister of the Bride / Bride’s Dress: Paloma Blanca / Bride’s Shoes: J Crew / Flowers: Bloomster Floral Design / Music: Venus Ensembles (Ceremony) / Invitations: Bella Figura / Rings: Arthur Groom & Company / Groom’s Suit: Jack Victor / Groom’s Tie and Accessories: Barneys New York

You know how some people are ridiculously good looking? That is definitely this gorgeous New York couple who held their equally gorgeous engagement session around Central Park. They frolicked, they picnicked, they gazed into each other’s eyes and Judy Pak captured it all perfectly. See more of this NYC beauty in the gallery.

see more of this gorgeous shoot here!

I did an engagement shoot for Natalie and Donnie in November 2010 at Central Park in New York City. We were so lucky as the weather was unseasonably warm that day…60 degrees in November! Natalie is a Ph.D student at Columbia and Donnie works in Finance. They will be getting married later this year.

Photography: Judy Pak / Location: Central Park, New York

Today ~ all the elegance a wedding should be … the church, the gown, the maids, the accessories … the shoes (!) … everything! This blending of two cultures from Ulysses Photography is all that and oh-so-much-more!

I would describe our wedding as combining ‘traditional elegance’ with a ‘cultural’ spin. When I envisioned my wedding, it always took place in the Fall, in a church, followed with a reception at a grand castle. The time of year and reception setting became the easier to execute, since the man I fell in love with and decided to spend the rest of my life with is Jewish. Matt understood how important the Church aspect was to me, and we agreed early on that if we could find a church that would allow both a priest and a rabbi, and if we found a rabbi that would come to that church, we would have our ceremony in one.

Interfaith weddings are still not for the faint of heart. It was very important that the church we picked be the kind of sacred space that would not make any guest (or family member of ours) feel uncomfortable. We were so lucky to find the nicest and most welcoming church ever, the Reformed Church of the Tarrytowns. They were happy to allow us to bring in both a Catholic Priest and Rabbi. I was able to track down the priest my family loved, who had been at my parish when I was making my earlier sacraments, and he was more than happy to be part of the celebration. We then met with several rabbis until finding one whom we felt had the same feeling about interfaith marriage as we did. The church itself was built in 1837, and it’s simplicity was everything we had hoped for. Our ceremony included a unity candle lighting, a katubah signing, breaking a glass and a bagpiper (not only am I Catholic, but Irish Catholic). Our priest opened with the best line of the day, how we were uniting two families and two religions, but that we all had one God.

The reception that followed at Sleepy Hollow Country Club was all that dreams are made of. Originally a private mansion of the Vanderbilt family, the clubhouse includes all the amazing original details with high ceilings, Tiffany windows and so much more. It is set on a hill overlooking both the Hudson River and their beautiful golf course. The October 9th date allowed for cocktails to be held outside overlooking the fall foliage until sunset, when our guests moved into the grand dining rooms. The escort cards they picked up were cut-out leaves and in keeping with the Fall theme, we offered hot apple cider to our guests, and their parting favors were candy apples. My father in-law opened the reception by cutting celebratory challah bread for our guests, followed by a blessing from Father Mark and a welcome from my Dad.

It was also very important to me that all of the details of the day remain elegant and timeless. Our invitations were classic ivory with black script and a hint of gold trim, my Monique Lluhlier gown was demure from the front but daring in the back. From the 1964 Rolls Royce to the clubhouse decor, I wanted people to remember a day that will never seem out of style.

I look at the amazing pictures today and would do anything to go back and do it all again. It was truly the most magical day of our lives. Every piece fit together perfectly. I found our photographers, Jenni and Ulysses, on Style Me Pretty this summer. They have taken the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen. Matt and I had met with many photographers last winter and had put down a deposit with someone that did not work out. We were panicked and doing as much online research as possible, as pictures were one of the most important elements of the day for me. It must have been meant to be that we found them, as you will see that our pictures are exquisite. They literally danced circles around everyone else we met with. I have Style Me Pretty to also thank for that!

Photography: Ulysses and Jenni – Ulysses Photography / Ceremony Location: Reformed Church of the Tarrytowns / Reception Location: Sleepy Hollow Country Club / Bride’s dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bride’s shoes: Christian Louboutin / Bridesmaids dresses: Priscilla of Boston from Bella Bridesmaid – Bridal jewelry: Earrings – David Harvey Jewelers (Darien, CT), Bracelet – A.E. Betteridge Jewelers (Greenwich, CT) / Hair & makeup: Michiko Boorberg / Florals: Carol Kelly / Stationery: Invitations – Write On (Larchmont, NY), Escort cards Fat Cat Paperie (Center Moriches, NY) / Cake: Lulu Bakery (Scarsdale, NY) / Band: Steve Delisi Band

This past summer Sharrone and her team at Fiore Films created a Hot Shot film for Cara & Lance to screen on their wedding day. What makes this such an aprapos short film to feature today is that Lance proposed to Cara on the bridge in Central Park, NY … and now they have a tradition of staying at The Plaza Hotel every Valentine’s Day! So we’re hoping they’re there … and we’re hoping they re-live this exhilarating experience over and over again …

Never seen one of Sharrone’s Hot Shot Films? You’re in for a REAL TREAT!

Cara & Lance Hot Shot from Fiore Films on Vimeo.

From Sharrone … What an amazing time we had! Our good friend Steve from Cinci (Studio Z Films) came out to join us and rocked the steadicam! Special thanks to Josh as well. We were so happy to be a part of this special shoot and Cara & Lance’s amazing wedding. Congratulations you crazy cats!

Hope you’re having a lovely first Valentine’s Day as newlyweds, Cara and Lance!

“Forget dark chocolate and oysters. If you want to get in the mood, pop in a Fiore Films flick”
– Event DV Magazine

We are going to keep you going right through this gorgeous Wednesday with a city chic affair in New York. All of the best spots in NYC are covered with this fete – we are talking the subway, Central Park, a reception at One if by Land, Two if by Sea and all of it captured beautifully by Gulnara Studio. See what all the fuss is about in the gallery where there are even more gorgeous images oh so perfect for a little evening looky loo.

click here for the FULL wedding

From the Bride… Shane and I share a keen interest in history, especially that of our home, New York City. Our reception venue (the restaurant One if by Land, Two if by Sea) is in a historically significant building– it was once the carriage house of Aaron Burr, and is allegedly haunted by his daughter Theodosia, who perished at sea under mysterious circumstances. We chose the restaurant for its food and atmosphere, but were delighted to learn it had such a storied past. When we realized that our ceremony location– the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Riverside Park– and reception venue shared a vaguely nautical theme, we went with it, ultimately ending up with something that felt true to our style: locally-inspired, old-timey and a little offbeat.

With help from our wedding party and friends, we DIY’ed most of the décor items from the chuppah to the table runners, many of which were pieced together from flea market finds (the guest book, for example, was a repurposed scrapbook from the 1876 Centennial Exhibition I picked up for $5). Making invitations and paper goods for the wedding was a blast as it involved looking through lots of old newspapers for inspiration and gave me an excuse to learn how to do letterpress printing at a local studio (thearmnyc.com), and also an occasion to have our friends over for an evening of wine and collating.

We knew we wanted to get married in the fall, but mid-November is a weird transitional time for flowers, and as a gardener I tend to want to use materials that are in season locally because it feels more authentic. The boutonnieres are blue spruce and ornamental cabbage, and my bouquet included the same blue spruce– which a family member cut from her garden–and lambs ears and artemesia we’d grown on our balcony (not pictured–the terrace in the photo is actually the home of a friend who generously offered it to us as a staging area). The floral containers came from eBay– we snagged a lot of old amber medicine and chemist bottles for their beautiful labels, and my intrepid fiance and matron of honor cleaned some pretty frightening looking (and aromatic) residues from insides.

I couldn’t bring myself to wear a veil, so I did the next best thing and made a hairpiece that incorporated a piece of lace from my mother’s veil. The cameo is from an earring I found at a flea market. Two days before the wedding, short on something blue, I serendipitously discovered the brooch with blue bells that belonged to my late grandmother, which I pinned to the inside of my dress. What we liked best about the wedding is that it was so close to home– we were married by a friend, in a public park a few blocks from where we live, after which we took the same subway we take every day to get to the reception. It was a celebration of our life together, and an invitation to our loved ones from near and far to be a part of it.

Photography: Gulnara Studio / Ceremony: Riverside Park at 90th Street, NYC / Reception: One if by Land, Two if by Sea, NYC / Wedding Day-Of Coordinator: Vanda High Events / Floral Arrangements: Spencer Merolla with Elaina Pennola / Officiant: Benjamin Maron / DJ: Party Up Productions / Ceremony Music: Phillip Racz / Pianist: Joe Rubenstein / Stationery: Spencer Merolla, The Bride / Cider: Fairway Market / Gown: Melissa Sweet / Bridesmaid’s Gowns: Jenny Yoo / Makeup: Mariella Smith-Masters / Hair: Sherry Stinger

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Bridesmaid

Jenny Yoo

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Two of my most favorite artists in the world – Saipua and Anna Bond of Rifle Design – created a crazy beautiful masterpiece out of this New York wedding from Weddings by Two and Always a Bridesmaid.  The delicious arrangements of white and peach blossoms in mercury glass vases and Rifle Design’s signature dreamy paper goods are just a match made in wedding heaven.  I don’t think the Bowery Hotel has seen a more romantic evening!  There is more from this dream team in the full wedding gallery!

Click here to see the full wedding gallery!

When my now-husband and I started planning our wedding I never, for one second, thought a volcanic ash cloud would define the day. But thanks to Eyiafjallajokull’s enormous cloud of ash, 33 of our guests flying from London to New York City were left on the other side of the Atlantic. Fortunately, there is YouTube. The best man, stuck on the other side of the pond, organized a lunch to celebrate our wedding – everyone dressed in their wedding best and filmed a touching toast that was later aired at our reception.

Ash aside, the day was magnificent. All the beautiful details we planned came to life, and we had such an amazing time, we now plan to hold a ‘blessing’ in London for all the guests who could not make it.  Fast forward to after the wedding, and we were left trying to find accommodations for the UK guests who were told by various airlines that they might not be able to fly back to London for three weeks.

Meanwhile, my husband and I were packing up our New York City apartment as we were about to embark on a year-long, around-the-world adventure. I almost can’t believe we pulled it all off!

Wedding Photography: Weddings by Two / Cinematography: Sweet Pea Studios / Flowers: Saipua / Event Planning: Always a Bridesmaid / Ceremony Venue: All Soul Church / Reception Venue: Bowery Hotel / Invitations: Anna Bond Rifle Design / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Dress: Anna Maier~Ulla-Maija

Debjani and Sandeep were married this past spring at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in New York City in what can only be described as a magnificent ceremony. With the fabulous Karen Wise there to capture the beauty, these memories will surely awe every single one of you!

See the entire gallery here!

Karen has sooooooo many more amazing images on her blog!

From the beautiful bride … Sandeep and I met as freshmen at Cornell and were friends until we began dating our senior year. We were long distance for a long time, during which I lived in Virginia, Maryland, DC and Connecticut. Sandeep was always in New York. I finally moved to New York in 2007 after I finished grad school and Sandeep finished law school. We were engaged in Sept 2009. Sandeep had planned to propose on a drive up the California coast, but he had to cancel that trip because I had to fly to Paris for work. So Sandeep flew out there to meet me for a long weekend instead. He spent his first night in Paris scouting spots to propose. We went to dinner on a Friday night and then walked by the spot along the Seine where he had planned to do it, but teenagers were hanging out there, listening to reggae and smoking pot. So he walked us by his back-up spot, but a group of people were burning garbage and fighting there. (He swore later that these spots were much more romantic on Thursday night.) We ended up walking by the Louvre, and with all his plans up in smoke (no pun intended) he surprised me by I.M Pei’s pyramid in the Louvre courtyard. It was late at night and we were the only two there.

Photography: Karen Wise / Location: Angel Orensanz Foundation, Lower East Side, NY / Band: Dexter Lake Club Band / Video: Hart Pictures/ Chef: Jehangir Mehta of Graffiti restaurant/ Deb’s Sari: Simran, a sari boutique shop in New Delhi/ Dress Designer: Angelo Lambrou, a wedding dress designer in the East Village. He used saris and fabric from New Delhi and Binny Fashions, a store in Edison, NJ. Having worn her family’s traditional red sari for the ceremony, Deb picked saris (and flowers for her hair) that were traditional to Sandeep’s family for her reception dress. / Flowers: L’Atelier des Fleurs / Hair and Makeup: My Hair and Makeup/ Invitations, menus, programs, card table poster and all other printed items: custom designed by the couple (except for the save the date which was from a photo that Karen shot at their EShoot) and printed at Boxcar Press, the Center for Book Arts and Kinkos / Groom’s Indian clothes: Om Sari Imports in Murray Hill / Day-of Coordination: Sonal J. Shah Events/ Lighting: Roberto at Angel Orensanz

New York City plays host to some of the most drop-dead gorgeous weddings we come across and when those weddings are held on the rooftop of the Gramercy Park Hotel, lets just say it is a full on swoonfest up in here. This complete dream of a day was photographed beautifully by KT Merry and the gorgeous doesn’t stop there. It is woven through the fabulous flowers by Saipua and in the glamorous J. Mendel wedding gown and on into the gallery where there are a ton of lovely details to pore over.

see the rest of this rooftop gala here!

There is something about a gorgeous New York City wedding that makes everyone’s heart do a little flip. Perhaps it’s the timeless feel of the city, the excitement that floats through the New York air, or the facts that it is the fashion capital and simply romantic. Pola and Oliver, both originally from Germany, fell for New York’s charm many years ago.

Their ceremony took place at the architecturally grand St. Paul’s chapel of Columbia University and featured a gospel choir that sang from the chapel’s balcony. After an exit with cheering family and friends the couple chose a NYC Taxi Cab to drive them from their ceremony to the Gramercy Park Hotel, which can only be described as True Blood meets European flair. The exclusive venue played host to their rooftop terrace reception and cocktail hour 16 floors above the city boosting amazing views. The cocktail hour was chic romantic with the amazing Bon Musique singing in French under hundreds of light bulbs. Pola and Oliver shared an intimate dinner with their guests and enjoyed speeches in English and German before dancing the night away under the stars and enjoying cupcakes from Crumbs Bake Shop. The entire affair was elegant and so perfectly New York.

Photography: KT Merry / Ceremony Venue: St. Paul’s Chapel of Columbia University / Reception Venue: Gramercy Park Hotel / Band: Bon Musique / Makeup: Sofia Beskasnova / Hair: Alesha Oak / Cake and Cupcakes: Crumbs Bake Shop / Flowers: Saipua / Wedding Gown: J. Mendel / Headpiece: Twigs & Honey / Bracelet: Oscar de la Renta / Groom’s Suit: Tom Ford

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KT Merry Photography

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We often comment on the bride’s  beauty and style, and this bride is by no means an exception (hello! wellies!), but I am quite smitten with the attire of the groom.  I love his quirky Paul Smith shirt and tie and the whole ensemble perfectly compliments this colorful and unique wedding by 4Eyes Photography.  They also have a goosebump-inducing story that will warm your heart.  Go check out the full gallery for even more inspiration!

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

Heather and I were originally planning to marry in Oaxaca the summer of 2011. A place that is near to my heart. However, everything changed very suddenly when my dad who had been fighting cancer for ten years, began developing complications from 5 surgeries and too many doses of chemo therapy. His body was starting fail. He was only 64.

Heather and then scrambled to change our wedding date to ASAP 2010. We both loved my father and could not… would not get married without having him there. We had no idea where to look or how we would even accomplish the task given it was already February of 2010 and our proclivity towards the unconventional. We are not traditional in anyway but we are also not untraditional. A weird mix, I know.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns is heather and my favorite restaurant, so it was natural that I would take her there for Valentine’s Day. It goes without saying but I’ll say it anyway, we had an amazing meal and an amazingly romantic valentine’s day complete with a take away gift from blue hill of milk jam and mini panettone in a sweet little valentine’s box.

As we walked out to the car past the warm bar and through the open court yard, we said to each other at the almost the same time, we should have our wedding here. Our hearts leapt and flipped with excitement. Our search was over and it was setting that so naturally us.

I could not have asked for a more beautiful wedding or a more beautiful bride. It was truly imperfect and beautiful and I believe everyone there was as touched by the warming atmosphere of openness and love as we were. The only thing that would have made it better was if my dad could have been there- though, I think he might have been. A red-tailed hawk appeared in a tree above us as soon as we began sharing our vows and sat there for the entire ceremony. Blue hill was a buzz at its appearance.

Photography: 4Eyes Photography / Wedding Venue: Blue Hill at Stone Barns / Flowers: Sandra Clothier / Wedding Dress: Angel Sanchez / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Groom’s attire: Paul Smith / Make up: Kim Do / Hair: Stacy Pitt / Music: Coletcho featuring Elenora Bientini