Let’s talk for a moment about how very awesome traditional weddings are, shall we? How they are seriously dripping in elegance and a downright sophistication that can.not.be.beat. How they feature the loveliest bride and grooms, stop-you-in-your-tracks details and moment after moment of pure, unadulterated happy. And then let’s talk about how this fabulous gem of a day from Kensington Blue Photography is all of the aforementioned with sweeter than sweet DIY stylings, pretty pink hues and a gorgeous Maritime Parc reception that is all kinds of amazing. See it all in the full gallery.
From the Bride… When Dave and I first got engaged, the only things we knew for sure were that we wanted to get married in New York, we wanted to do it on somewhat of a budget and we wanted to be as hands-on as possible to ensure our wedding was completely personal and screamed “David & Alyssa” in every aspect. Our heads were a blur when it came to the details, though. We had so may things that were special to us and we wanted to incorporate them all without making it look like a giant hodge podge.
The venue was the hardest thing to choose. We looked at Maritime Parc as a last-minute decision, but once we saw it, we knew it was the one. Set in the pretty Liberty State Marina Park, it met all our requirements- our love for great food, our love for the city, our love of the water and our love of the outdoors. The room was clean and modern, allowing us creative decorating freedom to really let the spectacular NYC views shine through. You also can’t beat a venue that is right on the water, overlooking the city, with beautiful boats docked to one side, an old train station in the middle and the Statue of Liberty to the left. Did I also mention the gorgeous willow trees?! What a dream!
With a lot of help from our loving family members, the advice of our excellent vendors and more Pinterest and SMP inspiration than I can remember we slowly began to gather ideas. The church was ornately decorated and the reception venue had the killer backdrop of the NYC skyline so we knew neither place needed a lot of decorating. The Flower Girl kept it simple, yet elegant, with bouquets in mercury containers. We also kept our own looks simple, Dave and his groomsmen going for classic tuxes and the bridesmaids wearing dresses I stumbled upon in H&M. As for me, I wanted my dress to be elegant, classic, and definitely something I could dance in! I didn’t like many of the bridal accessories I saw, so my Mom came to the rescue making me my veil and the lace top was (no one believed me when I told them this!) an H&M shirt I altered. Other than my ring, the most important accessory I had was my grandmother’s clutch I carried in her honor as she was unable to attend. And I know for David, he really enjoyed wearing his octopus (one of his favorite animals) cuff links that I bought him.
Our ceremony was very unique in that it was held in a Catholic church and performed by both a priest and a rabbi in order to encompass both of our religious backgrounds. To pay tribute to where we got engaged (Barbados), we served a special rum punch as our cocktail hour signature drink. Many of our guests were from out of town so we designed our invitations and menu cards to include an outline of the NYC skyline. We also acknowledged where we live by using figurines of New York landmarks (Statue of Liberty, a taxi, the Flat Iron building, etc) as the table markers. Our love for Scrabble knows no bounds so we knew that would make the perfect guest book and as I mentioned above, David’s favorite animal is the octopus so when we found the octopus bride and groom cake topper’s on Etsy it was a no brainer to get them.
We both have a big sweet tooth, which led to our party favors being a self-serve candy bar, with the favor jars also doubling as the place settings. It was a treat everyone enjoyed! Other things that made the night incredibly special for us included a sparkler entrance, the kissing tree, an amazing slideshow Dave’s aunt put togther and a photo prop/photo backdrop area where people had a blast snapping photos throughout the night.
To this day people still compliment us on our wedding, which makes us thrilled. But what makes us even happier is knowing that we started off our “forever” (married life) in a dream wedding, that was perfectly us, on the best day of our lives!
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Wedding Photography: Lesley Colvin of Kensington Blue Photography | Ceremony Venue: St.Paul the Apostle, New York City | Reception Venue: Maritime Parc, Jersey City, New Jersey | Floral Design: Flower Girl | Event Design + Planning: Bride + Groom | Catering + Cake: Maritime Parc | Invitations: Designed by Bride + Groom, Printed by Paper Presentation | Cake Toppers: The Crafty Button | Candy Favor Jars: Christmas Tree Shops | Candy: Economy Candy + Candy Warehouse | Photo Props + Background: DIY + Party City | Wedding Dress + Beaded Sash: Casablanca via RK Bridal | Veil: Made by Bride’s Mother | Lace Top: H&M (altered by Bride) | Velvet Sash: M&J Trimmings | Bracelet: Vintage, Borrowed | Earrings: InPink | Clutch: Vintage from Bride’s Grandmother | Shoes: Chinese Laundry | Hair: The Drybar | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: H&M | Groom’s Tux: Custom | Groom’s Shoes: Aldo | DIY by Bride + Groom: Menu Cards, Scrabble Board Guestbook, Chalkboard Signs, Kissing Tree, Glitter Jars, Photobooth Props, Candy Jar Labels, Candy Bar Decor | DJ: 2DogEntertainment