A New York Wedding With the Most Charming Venue
After viewing this spectacular gallery of images by Kelly Kollar Photography and the heartwarming film by McKenize Miller, I'm convinced I need a weekend getaway at the wedding's New York venue – the charming Bedford Post Inn. Complete with picturesque gardens and an intimate dining space, the Inn had just enough rooms to house the bridal party and the bride and groom's parents for the weekend. TRUE Event and Hana Floral Design complemented the setting perfectly with stunning decor and gorgeous blooms, making this fall wedding a can't miss.
From the Bride... Despite living around the corner from each other as babies on Long Island, Derek and I actually never met until we were both living in Manhattan after college. After 20+ years, our first meeting was long overdue. I knew Derek was going to be my husband on our first date, and it wasn’t much later that Derek told his family that he was going to marry me.
One Sunday in autumn 2015, Derek told me to dress up for a fancy dinner but wouldn’t reveal the destination. Surprise locations for our “date nights” were not unusual, so I didn’t ask questions. I should’ve realized Derek had a different type of surprise in mind when he took me out on the roof deck of our building – in November! His real plans became clear when he dropped down to his knee to propose. Derek must have been quite busy planning this surprise since Kelly Kollar (our photographer) was there to capture the proposal from behind a bush a few feet away. After the proposal, Derek asked me to choose the one place I wanted to celebrate our engagement to which I replied the NoMad Restaurant. The final surprise was when he whisked me away to the NoMad roof where our families (and Kelly) greeted us for cocktails followed by a private dinner in the rooftop cupola.
Derek and I spent a lot of time researching wedding venues, and we came close to submitting a deposit for one in Manhattan. Luckily for us, we didn’t commit until we visited the last potential destination on our list, the Bedford Post Inn, located one hour north of Manhattan. Touring the indoor and outdoor spaces in the crisp autumn air and eating in its intimate restaurant made us feel right at home. The Inn had just enough rooms to accommodate the bride and groom, our parents, and our wedding party on the wedding night. After we said goodbye to most of our guests after the reception, we changed into sweatpants and ended our night with chicken fingers, french fries, and grilled cheese with our parents and wedding party.
My favorite part of wedding planning was dress shopping. I took full advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by trying on as many gowns as possible! I found “the one” by Mira Zwillinger on Pinterest. After exhaustive research, I went to the only salon in the Tri-State area, Mark Ingram Atelier, that carried that particular gown. The dress was perfect, and I could tell my mom agreed when I saw tears in her eyes.
I wanted our wedding favors to be personal. As an avid baker, I decided to bake 190 chocolate chip cookies in my parents’ kitchen just days before the wedding. Everyone (and I mean everyone) said I was crazy when I announced my plans. But they all thanked me when they were able to enjoy a homemade cookie after a night of drinks and dancing.
It was really easy for me to lose sight of what was important while managing the wedding planning process and dealing with sensory overload from Pinterest, Instagram, and bridal magazines. My advice to future brides is to remember what the day is actually about – marrying the love of your life in the presence of your family and friends. All the little details made our wedding great, but ultimately, sharing our happiness as husband and wife for the first time in the company of our family and friends made it perfect.
One Sunday in autumn 2015, Derek told me to dress up for a fancy dinner but wouldn’t reveal the destination. Surprise locations for our “date nights” were not unusual, so I didn’t ask questions. I should’ve realized Derek had a different type of surprise in mind when he took me out on the roof deck of our building – in November! His real plans became clear when he dropped down to his knee to propose. Derek must have been quite busy planning this surprise since Kelly Kollar (our photographer) was there to capture the proposal from behind a bush a few feet away. After the proposal, Derek asked me to choose the one place I wanted to celebrate our engagement to which I replied the NoMad Restaurant. The final surprise was when he whisked me away to the NoMad roof where our families (and Kelly) greeted us for cocktails followed by a private dinner in the rooftop cupola.
Derek and I spent a lot of time researching wedding venues, and we came close to submitting a deposit for one in Manhattan. Luckily for us, we didn’t commit until we visited the last potential destination on our list, the Bedford Post Inn, located one hour north of Manhattan. Touring the indoor and outdoor spaces in the crisp autumn air and eating in its intimate restaurant made us feel right at home. The Inn had just enough rooms to accommodate the bride and groom, our parents, and our wedding party on the wedding night. After we said goodbye to most of our guests after the reception, we changed into sweatpants and ended our night with chicken fingers, french fries, and grilled cheese with our parents and wedding party.
My favorite part of wedding planning was dress shopping. I took full advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by trying on as many gowns as possible! I found “the one” by Mira Zwillinger on Pinterest. After exhaustive research, I went to the only salon in the Tri-State area, Mark Ingram Atelier, that carried that particular gown. The dress was perfect, and I could tell my mom agreed when I saw tears in her eyes.
I wanted our wedding favors to be personal. As an avid baker, I decided to bake 190 chocolate chip cookies in my parents’ kitchen just days before the wedding. Everyone (and I mean everyone) said I was crazy when I announced my plans. But they all thanked me when they were able to enjoy a homemade cookie after a night of drinks and dancing.
It was really easy for me to lose sight of what was important while managing the wedding planning process and dealing with sensory overload from Pinterest, Instagram, and bridal magazines. My advice to future brides is to remember what the day is actually about – marrying the love of your life in the presence of your family and friends. All the little details made our wedding great, but ultimately, sharing our happiness as husband and wife for the first time in the company of our family and friends made it perfect.