Here are the boutiques I went to in NYC:

Mark Ingram Atelier - This is where I found the one! If you’re interested in seeing a certain designer, I suggest calling ahead to see if they have a trunk show coming up. This way, you can preview the latest collections that aren’t in stores yet!

Spina Bride - This showroom is SO beautiful! It would be hard to try on a dress in this boutique and not feel beautiful.

Bridal Reflections - This is where I thought I’d find my dress! It was definitely helpful knowing ahead of time which boutiques carry certain designers. They have a great selection of Galia Lahav.

Other boutiques that were on my list: Wedding Atelier, Monique Llhuillier, Grace Loves Lace, L’Fay Bridal, Bergdorf Goodman

P.S. Don’t worry, none of these photos are of my dress! :)

Xo Corey

November 2021: 7 Months before the wedding!

In the movies, creating your wedding registry is portrayed as this romantic, effortless process where you and your husband-to-be peruse the aisles of department stores, scanning as you go. But as many other brides will tell you, that is far from the reality of registry creation.

Of the two of us, I am definitely the one who is more passionate about interiors. With the exception of a few random items for which Brian will have a strong opinion (i.e. a basket that serves no purpose), he pretty much lets me take the lead on design and trusts my eye. That being said, he had no interest in romantically scanning the department store aisles for our registry as I had envisioned. So...I enlisted the help of my future MIL! Tip #1) Creating a registry can be overwhelming, so find someone who has similar taste for you to bounce ideas off of. Bonus if they can come with you to appointments!

Initially when I thought about our registry, I didn’t want to include much. We had recently moved in together prior to getting engaged, so we had already purchased a lot of the “typical” registry gifts. But the more that I looked around, the more I started to look at creating our registry a bit differently. Tip #2) If you’re like us, don't be afraid to branch out with non-traditional choices, like a beautiful set of luggage, a honeymoon fund, or an experience gift. I’m obsessed with the vintage feel of this luggage from Bric’s-it’s the perfect gift to take you from the honeymoon to all your future travels as a married couple! I included the cream set for myself and the black set for Brian.

Tip #3) The registry is also an opportunity to upgrade pieces that get a lot of everyday use, especially in the kitchen. Think: an ultra luxe coffee machine, a matching set of coffee cups (because if you’re like us, you have a LOT of mismatched cups), or a fresh set of bakeware. We loved this nonstick gold set from Williams Sonoma, especially the pizza pan!

Tip #4) Lastly, the registry is a great time to start thinking about future entertaining needs. Maybe you only have enough dinnerware for 6 guests, but want to be able to host 12 in a future home. We were missing a great cheese board and some key serveware pieces. Overall, I wanted to incorporate touches of natural, woven elements to bring a little bit of that relaxed Hamptons feeling to NYC, but not too much where it feels out of place in our city apartment, like this chip and dip and these coasters.

Tip #5) My biggest piece of advice is to have fun with it! And don’t choose items just because you think you’re supposed to-focus on things you will actually use as a couple! Happy shopping!

Xo Corey

December 2021: 6 Months before the wedding!

Picking a wedding photographer is one of the most important aspects of planning your wedding. After the cake is cut and the band goes home, photos let us relive the most special day of our lives over and over again.

We chose our photographer, Stephanie Sunderland, for a few reasons. First, her photos are beautiful. I found her on Instagram and was so impressed by her photography style. Second, our first conversation was easy and relaxed. I sensed she would be a calming presence on our wedding day. Finally, we had our engagement shoot with Stephanie and I’ve never seen Brian more comfortable in front of the camera. He actually enjoyed himself, which was unexpected for someone who notoriously hates photos.

I sat down with Stephanie for a little Q&A on ALL things wedding photography, including her tips for finding the best lighting, where she finds inspiration, and her advice for brides-to-be: