Sometimes I come across a wedding that simply makes me stop in my tracks. A wedding that is so beautiful, so well thought out I can’t help but set aside some time to revel in it all. This is just such a wedding. Captured beautifully by Sarah Postma Photography at the magical Oheka Castle, every detail is not only a reflection of this love-struck couple but it also a very good reason to get swept up in it all. Which you can do right here.
And you simply can’t miss their film from McKenzie Miller…
From the Bride… Perhaps it’s because I’m a writer and I’ve always appreciated symbolism, but it was really important to me that the details of our wedding be infused with meaning and help tell a story about ourselves and our relationship. Although neither myself nor my husband were particularly crafty before our big day, we ended up creating many of these personal touches together and it turned out to be a great bonding experience (I know, I am incredibly lucky to have found a guy who was not only involved in wedding planning, but also sat for hours assembling confetti packets for our ceremony!).
I met my husband, Jesse, through mutual friends at a concert in Central Park, so our wedding took on a loose Central Park theme. The stunning formal gardens at our venue, Oheka Castle, were designed by the Olmsted Brothers, sons of Frederick Law Olmsted who created the layout for Central Park. We stuck to whites and greens for our flowers to give it a lush park feel and topped our cake with bride-and-groom birds purchased on Etsy that resemble glamorous pigeons. Even my dress featured a French floral lace, which tied in nicely with the nature motif, although I admit it was the unique fabric and unparalleled fit of the gown that made me choose it in the first place!
Since I work for Time Out New York, I am constantly dragging Jesse all over the five boroughs to do all of the fun things my magazine—a weekly guide to New York City—covers. We wanted our escort and table cards to reflect how our relationship developed in NYC, so we had a graphic designer friend, Ryan Adair, design MetroCard escort cards and corresponding neighborhood table cards that resemble subway signs. All of the tables were named after neighborhoods Jesse and I have been to together, and the back of each card displayed a memory that we shared in each area. Jesse is an anesthesiologist, so as a nod to his profession I created a sign for our guest book that asked attendees to “write a prescription for a happy marriage.” A portion of the proceeds from our favors (heart-shaped Linzer tart cookies and chocolate chip cookie brownies from Baking for Good) benefited Doctors Without Borders.
Finally, we both wanted to incorporate our family into our wedding, in both literal and less obvious ways. Jesse’s grandfather, a Lutheran minister, did the opening and closing blessing at our. We also displayed wedding portraits from all of our immediate family members (reaching as far back as Jesse’s great grandmother!) in the entryway at our reception. As for the more subtle nods, I had ordered a custom tea towel calendar from Etsy embroidered with a heart around our wedding date, but since my wedding didn’t have a rustic feel, I had my grandmother adhere it to a ring bearer pillow she sewed using silk dupioni left over from my cousin’s communion dress. My maternal grandfather passed away two years ago so my florist weaved two rosary bracelets he bought me during a trip to the Vatican onto my bouquet. Not only did I feel like a part of him could be there to walk me down the aisle, but one of the bracelets happened to be blue.
While all of our planning and hard work certainly paid off (even distant relatives in attendance said they got a great sense for what we’re like as a couple!), all of those wonderful details would be fuzzy memories if they weren’t captured so beautifully by our photographer, Sarah Postma, and our videographer, McKenzie Miller. They were both so unobtrusive and yet their work allows us to relive the best day of our lives in such a special way!
Wedding Photography: Sarah Postma Photography / Ceremony Location: St. Edward Confessor Church in Syosset, New York / Getting Ready + Reception Venue: Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York / Wedding Coordinator: Cloud Nove Events / Wedding Cinematography: McKenzie Miller / Floral Design: Murphy & Company / Wedding Cake: Oheka Castle / Cake Topper: Purple Madison / Music: Times Square Orchestra / Wedding Invitations: East Six / Escort Cards + Table Cards: Ryan Adair / Favors: Baking for Good / Ring Bearer Pillow Custom Tea Towel: Giggle Room /Wedding Dress: Anna Maier Ulla-Maija “#3407” / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaids’ Attire: Bari Jay / Bridesmaids’ Robes: Pretty Plum Sugar / Mother of the Bride’s Attire: Oscar de la Renta / Groom’s Attire: Baldwin Formals / Hair: Candice LaRocque / Makeup: Divine Artistry