This next wedding might be a little awkward for me. Because the level of girl crush I have right now is absurd and rather than obsess over the wedding as a whole, I’m basically just obsessing over the bride. Because I love her. A lot. Don’t get me wrong, the boy is darling too (like seriously dreamy) but the bride. She’s like Hepburn good. And the photography by Clean Plate Pictures was like a match made in wedding heaven. It’s almost too pretty to be true. Just don’t forget to check out the full gallery so you can see all of her equally lovely friends and the crazy amount of joy that came out of this wedding.
From the Bride… Derek and I met years ago at a bar during my college years. He was a DJ, I was a waitress, and the rest is history. After 6 1/2 years of dating, he finally worked up the courage up to ask for my hand. One Sunday he dragged me through the streets of Williamsburg for hours in the scorching heat. Apparently, was looking for a secluded spot to pop the question. ;) The day we got engaged, we happened to walk by the Brooklyn Winery on our walk back home. There was a party going on, and the outdoor space looked just gorgeous. I remember looking over at my new fiance and whispering, “Wouldn’t it be awesome if we got married here?” Six months later, we did!
Having little time and resources, we decided to keep all of our arrangements as simple as possible. The beauty of the Brooklyn Winery and the reason why they were such a great fit for us is their ambiance. We knew we wouldn’t need to add much to the space to make it feel perfectly “us.” Flowers were the only decoration we brought in that was not part of the winery setup. Sarah Bedford, our flower artist, is such a genius. We just asked her to improvise, and the flowers came out incredibly beautiful. I’m glad I didn’t give her much direction because I could not have come up with what we got! The ceramic vases that lined the tables were hand-made by two of my best friends! We were so lucky to have such amazing creative people on our side, helping to pull all the pieces in place. Last but not least, my stylist Nackie and makeup artist Danielle really worked their magic to make me look and feel like a superstar. Everyone at The Parlour (where Derek and I both get our hair done) was so amazing with suggestions and ideas. The manager, Jessica, basically planned out the entire event for us. We were both so clueless and eager to take suggestions. Good thing the ladies at The Parlour really know their stuff! In fact, the veil designer, the florist and even some of our desserts were all friends recommended by The Parlour. Yay for keeping everything local AND beautiful!
Dessert was definitely the thing I was looking most forward to. My mom made our wedding cake, which was a version of my favorite Russian cherry cake I’d been obsessed with since childhood. We rounded out the dessert bar with cookies and bars from different Brooklyn vendors and even brought in our own ice cream scooper! The ice cream sandwiches from Ample Hills Creamery were to die for! There were a few elements Derek and I decided to make ourselves. We wanted to keep things simple, but personal at the same time. The first thing we did was create our invitations. I designed the wording, and ordered stamps. Then I hand-painted all the cards, and Derek stamped the info. It was a fun project, but it ended up taking up more time and energy than either of us thought possible. Derek had sore hands from all that stamping for days! My favorite part of the preparation was when Derek and I worked on the favors we gave out at the party. Derek made mixed CDs with our favorite music, which we individualized for each guest, and the CDs doubled as table number assignments. Going through all the music was really fun, and I got to enjoy many live mixing sessions as I was prepping all the labels. Our photographer, Erica was SUCH a joy to work with. We are usually very awkward on camera, and having her by our side really put us at ease. She knew exactly how to make us comfortable, and the best part? We never felt like we had to “pose.” The entire day was just magical, all thanks to the people we had by our side. We are immensely grateful for all the amazing people — vendors, friends, and family — who helped make our day as wonderful as it was! Being able to share our special day with all the people we love most in this world was an amazing experience, one we will never forget.
Wedding Photography: Erica of Clean Plate Pictures / Wedding Venue: Brooklyn Winery in Brooklyn, New York / Floral Design: Sarah Bedford of Bedford & Co. / DJ: Ryan of Party for a Lifetime / Wedding Invitations + CDs: DIY by the Bride & Groom / Ceramic Vases: Made by Friends of the Bride / Wedding Cake: DIY by the Bride’s Mother / Ice Cream Sandwiches: Ample Hills Creamery / Wedding Dress: Sarah Seven via Lovely Bride / Bride’s Veil: Faeth Millinery / Hair + Makeup: Nackie + Danielle of The Parlour Brooklyn / Groom’s Suit: My.Suit / Rings: The Clay Pot