Truth be told, I sort of want to be besties with this Brooklyn bride. She’s a rule-breaker in the most stylish of ways – hosting an ALL-white wedding Labor Day weekend – and you know what? The results were crazy kinds of fabulous. Christina Szczupak tagged along for a day of organic-driven design and you can see every lovely shot from her lens right here.
From the Bride… My husband, Adam, and I met in law school. While we knew each other our first year, we weren’t particularly friendly and as our second year was getting underway, we were both seemingly on separate paths. Then, over winter break, while most people were still gone, the two of us found ourselves in the law library working on individual projects; Adam on moot court and myself – I honestly can’t remember.
What I do remember though was how funny he was; how charming and patient he was; and how diligent and dedicated he was to his work while most everyone else was still enjoying winter break. As our second semester got underway, we found ourselves hanging out in the library frequently for study breaks. Then we found ourselves sharing a late night post-study beer and maybe some dinner. I think there was a tiramisu in the mix at some point as well. Once it became clear that our current relationships were over, our dating became an inevitable end. Being in law school, we chose to keep our relationship quiet for the first few months. When a good friend of mine speculated who I was dating, she immediately said “if its Adam, they are totally getting married.”
After graduation, dating became studying for the bar together, then moving in together, then dealing with a poor economy together and then a charming engagement in Saugerties, New York. That friend of mine who “called it” was with us on our wedding day! Adam and I have had such adventures together and we’re so excited for the adventures to come!
When Adam and I decided to be married on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, I immediately wanted to throw a white party to rival P.Diddy’s. I knew that white was a taboo wedding color, but many of the magazines and blogs had shown white wedding parties and I figured why not spread the love! I would also get pumped when I thought about how incredible everyone would look in white. Despite some hesitation from my fiancee and mom, I eventually convinced them of the ingenuity of a white wedding and they agreed with some compromise.
We encouraged guests to wear white or whatever they felt best in, which they did and everyone was pleased with the outcome. We wanted the wedding to have a sophisticated and ethereal feel without being stuffy so we focused on making it feel like a garden party with feminine touches in a rustic and industrial space. We also live in Brooklyn and had the wedding in Brooklyn, so it naturally turned into a kind of secondary theme as well. In the end, I could not have imagined a more stunning affair. Our wedding planner and all of our vendors did an incredible job – the flowers, the food, the DJ, the venue – everything was perfect! I only wish we could do it again!
When I first thought about the gown in which I would be married, I imagined I’d wear something understated, feminine and wispy. I had my eye on a Rosa Clara dress that I thought was perfect; it had sheer draped fabric and piece that wrapped around the shoulders in a modest but sophisticated way. My friend’s salon carried the dress and I had planned on trying it on when my mom and mother-in-law-to-be could both be in NYC with me.
Before that would happen though, I was dying to go to the bridal salon in Birmingham, Michigan that I had passed almost every day growing up. No one finds a dress at the first store they go to though, so I thought I’d try on some beautiful dresses that weren’t quite right and call it a day. On a grey day in July, my mom, my middle sister and I walked into the Michigan salon. We picked out some dresses to try and the day got started. We soon realized, as each dress was more incredible than the last, that we may be in over our heads. We liked this about one and that about another, but as I suspected, none were just right. Based on what we’d liked and disliked I tried on one last Lazaro dress. It was truly spectacular, but my mother-in-law-to-be wasn’t with us, this was the first place we had gone and it was the COMPLETE opposite of the ethereal understated dress I had in mind.
Despite my concerns, my mom and sister urged me to agree with them that this was the dress and the next thing I knew, we walked out with the receipt to my brand new statement piece wedding dress – sans mother-in-law-to-be approval or knowledge. I’ll admit I was a little disappointed and worried that I’d made a mistake. I’ll also admit that in the months leading up to the wedding, my sister felt so guilty, believing she and my mom had pressured me into buying a dress that wasn’t “me.” I never tried on the Rosa Clara dress and notwithstanding all these original doubts – as soon as I started my fittings and when the details of the wedding started coming together, I knew that my sister and mom had been right and that this dress was absolutely the dress! The night of our wedding, while everything was beautiful, there was little that stood out more than my dress. It was unique and stunning and I truly cannot imagine being married in any other dress!
Photography: Christina Szczupak | Event Planning: Michele Westrick Of Lovely Notes | Floral Design: Fox Fodder Farm | Wedding Dress: JLM Couture, Inc | Brides Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaids Dresses: JLM Couture, Inc | Catering: Red Table Catering | Hair: Carrie Fernow | Calligraphy: Tarah Sutton | DJ: Scratch Weddings | Favors: McClures Pickles | Tuxedo: My Suit | Chalkboard Design: Mimosa Floral Design Studio | Dessert: Four And Twenty Blackbirds | Grooms Shoes: Tribut Ives Saint Laurent | Reception And Ceremony: The Green Building | Veil: Lovely Bridal Shop