This fabulous fete from Clary Pfeiffer has a moody kind of romance that has my heart all aflutter. The ridiculously gorgeous blending of vintage glamour with a soft, yet rich palette is timeless to say the least. And as the Bride so fittingly put it, it’s Victorian meets Razzle Dazzle and it’s oh-so-good. From the lush, burgundy dotted bouquets by Belli Fiori to the Bride’s ballroom perfection Pnina Tornai dress, you can see it all here.
From the beautiful Bride… How We Met: When Joe was a senior at Clayton, Vanessa was a freshman. Joe’s classmate and pal was Vanessa’s brother Christian so Joe was familiar with the Puzder family, including Christian’s cute, younger sister, Vanessa.
Joe graduated from Clayton High and years later, ended up working for Uncle Sam as a member of the U.S. Army and the elite 82nd Airborne. Meanwhile, Vanessa moved on to college where she majored in Fashion Design and then headed to New York City to begin her career. Fate may be delayed but it will not be denied.
A chance meeting in St. Louis many years later at Café Manhattan got the ball rolling. The chemistry was there and both knew it. The casual relationship seeded in high school now quickly bloomed into a solid, serious friendship. They shared thoughts and dreams together and it became obvious that the friendship was maturing into love.
Then came trips to New York and then to Dallas and back to New York and then to Dallas until finally, on a crisp Saturday afternoon in February, in Cape May, New Jersey, Joe asked “Will you mar…”—“Yes” came Vanessa’s answer as she grasped the ring and fit it perfectly upon her finger. And then embracing her man, moved their dream into reality.
The Look: Vintage Timeless Glamour – I loved the idea of a lace dress with sleeves because it is so romantic and classic, it is what both my Grandmothers wore when they were married, but I wanted to include some sparkle, so Pnina embroidered Austrian Swarovski crystals all over my bodice and veil.
Vision for the day – Victorian meets Razzle Dazzle, I love vintage and Victorian everything, so that set the tone for the ambiance. I wanted it really dark and romantic with tons of candlelight and soft romantic colors like pale pink, white and rose gold. Everything had a Victorian ambiance from the ceremony to the small details on the place setting. Even though I saw samples of the floral, linens and other rental items throughout the planning process, I had no idea what exactly it would look like! I knew I needed to have a great photography/videography team to capture every little detail. Clary does great work with film and going back looking at my pictures I am so happy to see the vision I had over a year ago truly came to life in the pictures, not to mention she got everything!
Special touches: Personalized hand monogrammed menus for each guest, Victorian fainting couches framing the dance floor, Gluten free dessert table, Photo Booth, hydrangea table runner, monogrammed everything( strawberry preserves, drink stirrers, napkins, hand towels etc), custom maps for out of town guests. Joe really wanted to have cigars for guys. Having a great band was important because Joe and I have a unique style of music that you don’t always hear at weddings. Larry King Orchestra managed to play the Imperial March from Star Wars for Joe, my brother got to play the guitar to Are You Gonna Be My Girl and my dad sang Johnny Be Good, they accommodated everything we asked for and made it personal for us!
Favorite things: One of my favorite things about the wedding was hiring a planner because I did not live in St. Louis. Kristin and I worked great together and she helped make the experience fun. From the moment I walked into the Missouri Athletic Club I felt like I was reliving my childhood dreams of what my wedding day would be like, I couldn’t think of a better place to have my reception. I love that we decided to get married in February too! We wanted a winter wedding and in St. Louis the weather is so unpredictable, luckily it was a beautiful day! One thing I am happy to talked Joe into doing was dance lessons, it was great to be twirled around in my wedding dress with my husband, I couldn’t stop smiling, I felt like I was living in a dream…
Photography: Clary Pfeiffer Photography | Videography: Poetic Productions | Event Planning: Kristin Ashley Events | Floral Design: Belli Fiori | Wedding Dress: Pnina Tornai | Stationery: Cheree Berry Paper | Ceremony Venue: Our Lady Of Lourdes | Reception Venue: Missouri Athletic Club | Jewelry: Huffords Jewelery | Makeup: Hale Koa phineas Estate | Hair: DanielleStyle | Band: Larry King Orchestra | Ceremony Music: Rosewood Ensemble | Transportation: Best Transportation | Dessert Station: Missouri Athletic Club | Lighting Design: Exclusive Events, Inc | Rentals: Aries Company