Sometimes, it’s the quietest of moments. The sweetest of sentiments. The simplest of celebrations…that make for the most beautiful weddings on Style Me Pretty. And this New York City wedding, photographed to utter perfection by Sean Kim, is nothing short of lovely. And who would have thought that it was a budget friendly affair with details, touches and style for days tucked into each and every corner by Pickles and Pies. This, my lovelies, is pure pretty. Click here to see much more.
From Pickles and Pies… The wedding of Romney Piamonte and Rick Walburn had so many personal touches, and it was one of the smallest budgets I have seen in awhile (for NYC). It started at $7,000, but we spent around $10,000. We got really creative, crafted almost everything and called friends to lend a hand. Rick and Romney are both creative people — Romney was a professional stage actor and singer, now turned dentist, while Rick plays in the orchestra for various Broadway shows. They had strong inclinations and opinions as to what they wanted, just no idea how to execute or fully realize them under such tight budgetary constraints.
The ceremony, cocktails and lunch were held at Bottino Restaurant in Chelsea, NYC. It is a tiny space, so creating a different and appropriate setting for each was a challenge. Romney handmade the table runners, and together we crafted about 70 white yarn balls by hand with Elmer’s glue, yarn and mini beach balls for the decor. The succulents were purchased off the internet in bulk, and we hit up New York’s Flower District for the rest of the flowers, which I put together. Since most of the budget was going toward food and drinks, I needed to find ways to personalize the wedding at a low cost. So I created a “logo” for the couple and put it EVERYWHERE! I custom designed and made the menus to be stylish and personal. The couple really didn’t want a traditional guest book, so we created “Anniversary Jars” for years 1, 5, and 10 and asked the guests to leave a note or wish in them that wouldn’t be opened until that specified anniversary. I think the BEST personal touch were the favors. Romney commissioned a friend who is an artist to make a cartoon photo of Rick, Romney, and their adorable dachsund, Hans. Romney had the art printed at Staples, then covered 75 chocolate bars he bought at an outlet store. Speaking of Hans … he was missed. Because the wedding was in a restaurant, he was not allowed in, so Hans was found in “doll form” which became the ring pillow.
The ceremony was performed by friends, which made it so special. The grooms were walked down the aisle by their mothers, and Romney’s nephew was the ring bearer. After the ceremony, I had made a video of a collection of photos the grooms gave me of their life together that I projected on the wall in the cocktail room, which started playing right as they were making their way down the aisle. It was sentimental to the couple, but a treat for the guests and family. The surprise of the wedding was when Romney sang to Rick with the help of a friend on guitar. He sang a beautiful song in Tagalog (Filipino) because while Rick has heard Romney’s beautiful voice many times, he had never sung a song just to him. Not a dry eye in the house. Sean Kim was the perfect photographer for this day. He started at The Dream Hotel Downtown, where the couple decided to stay for their wedding weekend, and followed the grooms all the way to their wedding. I think he truly captured the excitement and love this couple has on the way to their ceremony together. I feel this wedding was everything it should be. Full of love, full of style and low on cost.
Wedding Photography: Sean Kim / Wedding Venue + Catering: Bottino Restaurant in New York, New York / Event Styling, Planning + Floral Design: Pickles and Pies / Wedding Cake: Willy Alverez (ginrez@aol.com) / Music: Friends / Ukuele: Marie-France Arcilla / Accommodations: Dream Downtown