[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]We wanted natural/neutral tones: whites, beiges, pale pinks and corals, and sage green. And added touches of gold to make it more elegant.
[/field]
[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]Our vision for the wedding centered around having a romantic, elegant wedding with elements that highlighted the natural beauty of the rocks and the ocean surrounding us. We wanted our wedding to feel intimate, even though we had around 100 guests attending. We pictured a ceremony by the ocean, with natural florals surrounding us, while a string quartet played our favorite songs that defined us as a couple. We always envisioned a candle-lit dinner with long wooden tables and lights strung overhead, so that we were able to be amongst all of our closest friends and so all of our guests felt like they were a part of our family. Lastly, we always imagined an epic dance party–with an epic DJ that matched the party mood![/field]
[field title=”Proposal Story”]”When thinking through the details of a proposal, my [Andrew’s] intent every step of the way was to make everything personal to us. Our NYC apartment (as I imagine is the case for many couples) is a bedrock of our relationship. We live in her dream area, which we were only initially able to do because we moved in right in the middle of COVID. Best of all, our makeshift rooftop has a 360 degree view of the city and provides one of the most stunning perspectives of New York that I’ve seen. I have had several friends rent out NYC rooftops with jaw-dropping backgrounds, hire photographers and come away with the most beautiful photos of their big moment. Fortunately, I was chatting with a neighbor on our building’s stoop who mentioned that the “alarm” on the roof entry door had not been operable for years. That conversation led to a light bulb moment where I realized that I could fly her best friends to New York, hide them on the roof to serve as photographers and get down on one knee with the Freedom Tower in the background. The rest, as they say, is history. Her friends made it onto our roof with professional cameras, the weather cooperated, she cried, I cried, and we came away with perfect photos (including our dog) that capture the moment where I proposed to my best friend in our favorite place! She claims she knew ahead of time, but no one believes that!”[/field]
[/section]
[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]
[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]
[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]
[/board_carousel]
[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]Rachel: “I always knew I wanted a form fitting dress, but was unsure of what the fabric or details of the dress would look like. When I began the dress-searching process in New York, I knew I wanted to go to Berta to try on their beautiful intricately designed dresses, so I set Berta as my first appointment. I quickly fell in love with the second dress I tried on. My gown was a form-fitted dress, with a corset-like top, containing a sheer, low back, and a skirt that flared slightly past the knees, leading into a long train. The dress was a nude base, beaded throughout, with white french lace detailing along the body and the train. I paired the dress with a simple cathedral length veil.”[/field]
[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]The wedding was black-tie optional, with an emphasis on black-tie. I wanted my bridesmaids to look sophisticated and elegant, but I wanted them to feel like the most beautiful and comfortable versions of themselves. I asked them to wear a floor-length black gown choice and they each picked a dress that matched the vibe perfectly.[/field]
[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]To match the attire and the bridesmaids, the groomsmen were all asked to wear a black tux.
[/field]
[/section]
[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]
[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]
[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]
[/board_carousel]
[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]With our guests coming all the way to Italy, we knew we would be serving top notch Italian food and cocktails. The starter was a carne salada with grana cheese flakes. The first course (and the crowd favorite) was busiate alla norma, a local durum wheat flour pasta with eggplant, tomato sauce, salted ricotta and basil (a Sicilian speciality). Lastly the main course was a Sicilian roll of veal, breadcrumbs, parsley, extra virgin olive oil and garlic, with baked potatoes. To make sure the energy stayed high throughout the night we offered cocktails at all times consisting of a variety of spritzes, gin lemon cocktails (a bride and groom favorite), and, of course, unlimited shots of limoncello![/field]
[field title=”Florals & Decor”]To create a unique, understated but original setting, that is both simple and striking, we focused on classic delicate and neutral florals, like ivory, linen, light toffee and a touch of marigold, paired with natural greenery. Our ceremony floral arrangement was meant to be natural and wild, looking as if nature was embracing us as we stood before our friends and family. The wedding bouquet featured beautiful florals of all sizes with many layers and textures.
We focused less on decor, as we wanted our decor to accentuate the scenery. We put the most
emphasis on the lighting of the table: a canopy of cascading lights above the tables creates a starry night and along with hundreds of candles to create a warm, inviting environment. [/field]
[field title=”Wedding Cake”]We wanted the cake to be simple, white with a few white floral decorations. The cake was a white sponge with chantilly cream and wild berries. Guests were then able to eat at the dessert buffet comprised of typical Italian desserts such as tiramisu and pistachio tortes.[/field]
[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]Throughout the ceremony and cocktail hour, we hired a string-quartet to play instrumental versions of contemporary music. I walked down the aisle to “Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay and to this day I tear up when I remember the strings starting the song. My husband and I walked back down the aisle to “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra–an ode to our home and where we have built a life together. Lastly, our first dance song was the song “River” by Leon Bridges–a song that we constantly listened to together when we first met.
[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #1″]Dance Cave: We were so lucky to reserve our venue for so many reasons, but probably the most underrated one was the dance cave that opened right onto the ocean. When planning our wedding, almost everything led to the same conclusion, which was that we needed to blow people away with the dance floor setting. Upon seeing it for the first time in a pre-visit to the venue, the only answer was to find a DJ that could take the roof off the place. Fortunately, DJ Asad understood the assignment perfectly and brought unbelievable energy. Rachel and I were the first people on the dance floor, every guest (ages 21 to 65, and everywhere in between) shortly followed, and nobody left until the lights came on at 130am. All credit to the venue and caterer, who had the brilliant idea to put a bar at the entrance to the cave. At one point, Rachel’s father-in-law ordered a round of 30 shots. At another point, wine bottles were being passed around the dance floor. I’m still smiling thinking about the energy that you get from 100 people all putting everything they have into one insane moment where the only thing in the world that mattered to those people was what was going on in that cave. I would give anything to go back to that moment and feel those emotions just one more time![/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #2″]We left our dog Rigging back home in New York so we incorporated her into our wedding by printing her face on the beer koozies served during cocktail hour. [/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #3″]The ceremony was held by our dear friend, and the vows were so personal and heartwarming that not an eye was left dry! [/field]
[/section]
[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]
[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Reception”]
[/board_carousel]
Photography: Larisa Shorina Photography | Event Planning: Laura Bravi Events | Floral Design: Manuela Motisi Floral | Wedding Dress: Berta | Invitations: Minted | Catering: Pito Cateting | DJ: NAQ Entertainment | Wedding Venue: Tonnara Di Scopello | Beauty: Bezal