Have you ever been in love with a bouquet? I have… and it’s this breathtaking number created by Anthology Studio. A perfect mix of modern and classic with bursts of vibrant purple hues, it’s one of the dreamiest bundles of blooms you will ever lay your eyes upon. Also dreamy? The wedding behind the bouquet, this upstate gem from Bailly Photography. It’s DIY paper goods meets a breathtaking ballroom reception meets a whole lot of rainy day pretty. See it all in the full gallery.
From the Bride…Bryun and I wanted our wedding to be modern with some vintage touches mixed in, like my birdcage veil that I hand-sewed (I swear, I made and remade that thing about five times), an heirloom bracelet passed down from my grandmother that I wore as an anklet, and modern stationery and flowers. Since I do some graphic design work for my job, I was really particular about the stationery and fonts. We made our save the date postcards, invitations, ceremony programs, menus, favors and table numbers. I even constructed a light box in my living room using a desk light and a sheet of acrylic to be able to hand address the invitations.
The minute we walked into The State Room in downtown Albany we knew that it was the venue for us. Not only was it symbolic because we began our relationship just a few doors down in an office building on State Street, but also because the venue was classic – exactly how we would describe our wedding. The most important thing to us was that we would look back in 25, or even 50 years, and still say, “Wow, that was a classy affair!”
Since I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to planning events and activities, I knew that I would take no chances with an outdoor ceremony or reception. This paid off because we woke up to tornado warnings and predictions of torrential rain for the afternoon. I kept joking with the photographer that I expected him to take a photo with a funnel cloud in the background. Did I hope for rain on my wedding day? Heck no. We had three different locations lined up to shoot photos between the ceremony and reception, all of which were outdoors. But as it turned out, it not only rained on my wedding day, it poured. I know some brides would freak out in this situation, but that’s just not my style. I was determined to stay calm and roll with the punches.
Thankfully, our photographer knew of a great spot where were would be primarily covered from the elements but would still give some natural light and the historic backdrop of downtown Albany. As it turns out, the rain was a blessing in disguise. Since we only did photos in one location, we were able to get back to the cocktail hour of our reception and actually eat and drink and spend some relaxing time with our family and friends before we made our grand entrance into the ballroom. Later in the evening when everyone was dancing the night away, the photographer asked if we would step outside for some photos in the rain, sans umbrella. At that point, I figured why not? I’m so happy that we just went with it, and trusted his judgement, because we ended up with some beautiful photos surrounded by rain drops.
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Wedding Photography: Bailly Photography | Ceremony Venue: Westminster Presbyterian Church in Albany, New York | Reception Venue: The State Room in Albany, New York | Wedding Cinematography: NuVue Cinema | Floral Design: Anthology Studio | Bakery: Coccadott’s | Wedding Invitations: Michael’s | Wedding Dress: Mon Cheri | Bride’s Shoes: Glint | Groom’s Attire: Henry A. Davidsen | Hair+ Makeup: True Grace Makeup