Before we dive into our next perfect wedding by Christian Oth, I wanted to let all of you wedding junkies know that we’ve got some of the pics from the Today Show Wedding and we’ll be updating throughout the day. Click here to see all of the fun!
Now, if I had to make a list of my top five favorite venues around the country…Blue Hill at Stone Barns would be at the top of the list. It’s a blissfully gorgeous place and when Christian’s team gets an opportunity to photograph a wedding there, you can pretty much bank on perfection. This one, photographed by Shawn Connell for Christian Oth, is not only beautiful…it’s thoughtful and elegant with a focus on handcrafted details and a layering of beauty. Click here to see even more.
click here to see the full wedding gallery!
Matt and I are well known amongst our friends and family as “good hosts”. We love to cook, eat, and spend quality time with the people we care about. Matt is the savory cook, and I am the baker, and so it makes for a good pairing when there is a celebration to plan or even when there isn’t we always seem to come up with an excuse for a party. When we got engaged (in Central Park during an unexpected torrential thunder and lightening storm… oh wait that’s another story), we knew immediately that we wanted our wedding to continue this tradition of showing love thru food and thoughtful attention to detail. We wanted our guests to feel cared for from the moment they opened their Save-The-Date to again months later when enjoying their wedding take-away of Northwood Apiaries wildflower honey.
From the beginning it was also important to us that we work with people whose crafts we admire and respect and to allow them to showcase their own skills and artistic view points. We are both artists; he is a Graphic Designer and I am a Fine Artist who works (mostly) on paper. We didn’t want to redesign or mold a space to fit a theme, instead we wanted a place that already prioritized what we were looking for: amazing food set in the romantic outdoors. Serendipity was on our side when the only day available at Blue Hill at Stone Barns was a year to the day from our engagement. Blue Hill’s sense of responsible and sustainable farming and cooking combined with their staff’s incredible quality of service and care made for a seamless experience. It actually felt like they read our minds at varying times, which is a unique and rare quality, and much appreciated.
The planning process flowed easily from this point. I didn’t want the restriction of having to choose one or two “wedding colors.” Instead I wanted the palate to highlight and explore the relationships between the different elements of the wedding: intimate romance, elegant gardens and farms, with a soft but clean edge. We chose to work with Matthew Robbins in designing the flowers and décor because I had long coveted his aesthetic talents and exquisite color sense.
One of the most fun parts of planning our wedding was working together as Bride and Groom to-be on all the design details. And while I put more than my two cents in, Matt designed EVERYTHING that got printed for the wedding. The Save-The-Date dish towel was one of our favorite pieces because it highlighted what was to come: a food-centric, festive wedding with a reusable purpose. We purchased the dishtowels from Ikea and had them silk-screened with Matt’s design, and then with the help of my friend Brita (who also happens to be an event designer, we packaged them up in parchment tissue and brown paper boxes I got from Uline and tucked a letter-pressed accommodations card inside (see unveiling here).
The inspiration for the design motifs of the invitation suite stemmed from a combination of flowers found in Blue Hill’s gardens and vintage European type ornaments. Matt worked with the Brooklyn-based letterpress company, Sesame Letterpress, to get the tight registration needed for such detailed lines and varying type. We kept the cost of the invites down by only using two colors and by assembling them ourselves.
As for the wedding itself, we had the very best time imaginable. We worked with our officiant to customize and write our ceremony and vows because while neither of us is traditionally religious, we wanted a spiritual and personal ceremony. It was first and foremost that we include Matt’s son, who was our ring bearer extraordinaire. We also wanted to pay tribute to the joining of our families who have offered us such incredible support. I think the photographers, Shawn and Meredith, tell the story of the wedding day with perfection and captured everything from loving glances to the dip of our first dance to the full moon. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat and I wouldn’t change a single thing!
Venue/Food: Blue Hill at Stone Barns / Photographers: Shawn Connell of Christian Oth Studio / Flowers and wedding planner: Matthew Robbins Design / Graphic Design: Matthew Poor / Calligraphy: Ann Vollum / Letterpress: Sesame Letterpress / Cake: Ron Ben-Israel / Wedding Dress: Christos by Amsale / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Bridesmaid dresses: Alix & Kelly / Hair: Corey Henderson (my hair stylist for 10 years!) / Make up: Deborah Altizio / Music: John Ragusa Music / Officiant: Shauna Kanter Weddings / Cinematography: Film Jones