Incase you wanted proof that the 501 Union is just about the coolest place to tie the knot, then let Dina and Dustin’s wedding celebration captured by Rebecca Yale Photography be all the evidence needed. Complete with a french fry bar (!!), fab florals from DESIGNS BY AHN, the sweetest fur baby AND a few carousel portraits, we’ve got it all (including those beautiful Jenny Yoo gowns), waiting for you in The Vault!
From Rebecca Yale Photography…Dina and Dustin were married on a beautiful Fall day at Brooklyn’s 501 Union. The bride and groom were surrounded by their friends and family, and their adorable fur-baby, Mochi, who walked down the aisle with the groom. The couple began their morning getting ready at the Ritz Carlton in Battery Park City where they did a romantic first look in a garden just the two of them before heading over to Jane’s Carousel in DUMBO for portraits. The couple had a traditional Chinese tea ceremony in private with their parents and the bride’s grandmother, followed by the ceremony officiated by a friend set against a backdrop installation of green, white and gold foliage and roses created by Ahn Designs. After the ceremony guests enjoyed cocktails and appetizers at the bar before a family style dinner at long banquet tables in the dining room followed by an evening of dancing the night away!
From the Bride…After a year and a half of long distance dating, Dustin and I got engaged and the countdown towards ending our separation across country began. It was decided that following the wedding, I’d relocate to Dallas. Dustin knew that moving was a big decision for me as I had lived in Brooklyn my entire life – and how hard it is to leave New York City, a place like no other. To honor that, we decided our wedding would take place in Brooklyn so that I could say goodbye.
501 Union came across my Instagram feed right before Dustin proposed. It was the first venue I reached out to as it definitely fit the look we were going for: industrial with a bit of history and a modern vibe. 501 Union was our first stop and it ended up being the only venue we looked at because Dustin said, “I can see myself marrying you here.” I wanted to roll my eyes and say that there were still other appointments. Even though I thought we should look at more places, I felt the same. It was decided then 501 Union would be the place we’d say I do.
Autumn is my favorite time of year in NYC. We chose a date in early October, which was deemed auspicious in the lunar calendar by my traditional Chinese family. As a self-proclaimed non-girly girl who tends to prefer dark monochromatic colors, we went with navy, grey, ivory, and gold for our industrial chic theme.
After checking venue off the list, we began building our D+D wedding dream team! The first member to join was the effervescent Rebecca Yale, who we both fangirl’d over after our first meeting. It was not just over her portfolio, but how at ease we both felt with her. Over the next year, Rebecca was a rainbow of a person to correspond with, and I am grateful to have built a friendship with her in that time. Dustin and I couldn’t have been more blessed to have her document one of the biggest days of our lives.
That set the tone with all the other wonderful vendors we’d come to find, and we were beyond lucky and privileged to have them be a part of our wedding day. I’d like to thank all the amazing ladies (and a few gentlemen) that Dustin and I interacted with during our wedding planning that helped make our wedding day so memorable.
Special thanks to Caroline and Holly (aka 14 carat) of Fig and Pig for answering our millions of emails; Ashley Chamblin for being an absolute coordination boss bae; Victoria and the DBA team for dealing with a bride who was very particular with flower colors; and lastly, Jennifer at 501 Union for being our wedding guardian angel. As a bride who never ended up making a Pinterest board and had the added difficulty of planning a wedding during a long distance engagement, I couldn’t have done it without you BAE-yonces. Thank you for helping create the wedding of my dreams and giving me the ultimate goodbye to Brooklyn. For it is said, by Notorious B.I.G, to “Spread love, it’s the Brooklyn way,” and it was a magical night where we were able to share our love with family and friends in Brooklyn.
Photography: Rebecca Yale Photography | Cinematography: Atomic Tangerine Film Co. | Coordination: Ashley Chamblin Events | Floral Design: DESIGNS BY AHN | Wedding Dress: Sarah Seven | Cake: Lucky Bird Bakes | Invitations: Minted | Bride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Rings: Tiffany & Co | Bridesmaids' Dresses: J.Crew | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Jenny Yoo | Catering: Fig And Pig Catering | Makeup: Anny Chow | Hair: Andy Tseng | DJ: DJ PHILMATIC | Groom's Attire: Hugo Boss | Venue: 501 Union | Bride's Band: Cat Bird | Bride's Veil: Sara Gabriel | Dog's Bow Tie: Crew Lala | Flower Girl Dress: Nellystella | Groom's Ring: Blue Nile | Groom's Shoes: Bruno Magli | Groom's Tie: The Tie Bar | Groom's Watch: Rolex | Hair Accesories: BHLDN | Photo Booth: Lumi8 | Signs and Escort Cards: Janet Yang Calligraphy | Vow Books: Seniman Calligraphy