It’s always a given that a wedding captured by Jen Huang will indeed be gorgeous. But this nautical infused installment of a fellow wedding photographer Bride is blowing our minds. And really it leans more towards elegant and classic with a hint of modern but still has that seaside feel. From pastel blooms by Blade NYC to loads of pretty ocean views, see it all unfold right here.
From the Bride… Brian and I grew up one state away from each other, but our lifestyles felt worlds apart. What is most fun to me about a wedding day is the beautiful blending of two groups of family and friends who have all supported us from day one. It was important to us to combine these two amazing circles in the best way we knew how…. by taking the elegance of New York and my Greek traditions and mixing them with the laid back vibe of a New Jersey beach town. Larchmont Yacht Club was perfect because it was close to my childhood church and it had an open-air reception with a view of the water filled with millions of sailboats. Plus there was a canon at the end of cocktail hour. We can’t forget that.
As a wedding photographer myself (Love & Light Photographs) with a love for graphic design and styling, I had so much fun trying to marry these two points of view. The invitations by Smock really illustrated this with the gorgeous foiling on the invitation surrounded by a whimsical font in a soft “dusty shale” color. The bridesmaids dresses in dusty shale was the inspiration for everything. Anne from Blade NYC worked so closely with me to create the gorgeous flowers for the day. She understood my vision perfectly. I had this notion that nothing said understated elegance like a single stem flower (such as the gorgeous dinner plate dahlia) in a bud vase. For a year I collected these bud vases from anywhere and everywhere to create this look, and Anne pulled it together perfectly! She even tied a piece of my mother’s wedding dress around my bouquet for a personal touch.
The farm tables were the center point of the reception room and it fit the entire wedding party. It was so great to be surrounded by our friends during the reception. I want to thank my Mother and Grandmother (Yiayia) for helping me find the perfect fabric in the exact dusty shale color in a pattern similar to a Greek key! It was in the discount bin at Calico Corners just waiting to be scooped up and loved! We shipped the fabric to Florida and my ‘Yiayia’ hand sewed the runner for me in record time. My mother made the matching pillows for our Bride & Groom chairs. My dear friend Elizabeth created the name cards for the farm tables with gorgeous watercolor, and we made it cheeky by writing all of Brian’s funny nicknames for our friends. It was important to us to still have fun and keep it light because all of our friends have such a great sense of humor!
Every little detail of our wedding day was thought out with love. My mother, aunts and I created little boxes tied with gold twine containing the Greek tradition of “Koufeta”. I created tags on Moo.com to explain the tradition behind them. The “Let’s Eat!” menus and wedding programs were designed by me and printed by our dear friend Ellen. The amazing seating chart signs were created by Katie Fischer Designs – I still have one framed and hanging over my desk! My mother handmade the envelopes of lavender that said “Toss me!” Coming out of the church to all of our family and friends waiting to toss lavender was definitely one of my favorite parts of the day. For wedding party gifts, we gave all the guys Sperry boat shoes and the girls received custom clutches from Etsy which I filled with Stila lip gloss, macaroon pill boxes, and Hanky Panky underwear. I gifted the mother of the bride and groom a Wedding Chick’s handkerchief with a thank you note to each of them. I hope all these details show that just because a lot of our wedding had a touch of DIY does not mean it can’t look elegant and put together.
The day was not complete without our band, Twilight, which was playing all of our favorites such as Billy Joel, Queen, and Frank Sinatra. At the end of the night I surprised Brian with doughnuts from his favorite little shop down in Lavallette, NJ called Donuts Plus. The shop owner drove all the way to New York and back just so we could have freshly baked doughnuts on every table. Our wedding day was incredibly sentimental and just FUN. Brian and I have never smiled so much, and we danced the entire time. Thank you to everyone who made this day so special. I get teared up just thinking about it.
I also want to thank Jen Huang and Melissa Kruse for the wonderful opportunity to have our day captured by both your unique eyes at different points of the day. It was a dream come true as a photographer myself to have you both there!!!
Photography: Jen Huang Photography | Floral Design: Blade Floral and Event Designs | Wedding Dress: Lusan Mandongus | Cake: Sweet Lisa's | Invitations: Smock | Ceremony Venue: Greek Orthodox Church Of Our Savior | Reception Venue: Larchmont Yacht Club | Bride's Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids Dresses: J.Crew | Makeup Artist: KD Studios | Hair Stylist: Alyse B Salon | Band: The All Stars | Grooms Attire: Indochino | Bridal Shop: Be Unique Boutique | Bridesmaid Clutches: Vincent V Designs | Groom's Shoes: Navy/Tan Sperry Topsiders | Handerchiefs: Wedding Chicks | Invitation Shop: Yes, I Do! Exclusive Invitations And Unique Gifts | Seating Chart: Katie Fischer Design