Spring in New York City at the Foundry With Pops of Color Galore

The design of the wedding was the thoughtful balance of classic elements paired with fun and vibrant pops of color and entertainment. The unique stationery suite set the tone for the event - from the moment guests received the lazer cut, letterpressed save the dates, they knew something memorable was in store for this wedding. The invitation was a masterpiece of artistic techniques combining die cutting, laser cutting, embossing, and calligraphy to create a multilayered floral bouquet for each guest to unwrap. The layering of colors, textures and smells continued throughout every detail over the course of the wedding weekend. A Muguet Dyptique candle in every space made sure we not only saw and touched spring but smelt it as well.

When they first started dating, the bride and groom lived on opposite ends of Boston. So on their early dates, they would meet in Back Bay, splitting the distance between where they both worked and lived. At the end of the night, they would walk to the Arlington T station where the bride would get on the bus to go home and the groom would get on the train back to his apartment. As the weeks went on and this tradition continued, they would tell each other how they hated the Arlington T station because it meant the end of a fun date together. Cut to three years later, they now are living together and one night, the groom asks the bride if she wanted to go down to Back Bay like old times. They go and before dinner, walk by the Arlington T station. He says ‘do you remember how much we used to hate being here?’. She replies ‘Yes’ and suddenly he stops, bends down on one knee, and says ‘Well hopefully this will make this place a better memory…’. He presents the ring and the question she was always hopeful for since falling in love with him - ‘Will you marry me?’. She says ‘Yes!’ And now, when they walk by Arlington T station, they smile at the memory.

The bride wore Mira Zwillinger’s ‘Karla’ gown with a gorgeous custom illusion neckline and cap sleeves. From the moment she tried on the gown at Mark Ingram Atelier, she fell in love with its beautiful A-line silhouette, delicate floral appliques and sparkle, and ethereal train. From the initial sketch hand drawn by Lihi Zwillinger to the first look with her groom, the gown was executed to perfection, and made the bride feel her most elegant self on her wedding day.

The bride knew that she wanted her bridesmaids to wear a dress that made them feel comfortable and beautiful, as well as reflecting their individual personalities. Apart from specifying floor-length and a floral pattern, the bride welcomed a variety of colors, fabrics, and silhouettes. Her bridesmaids each selected an array of colorful patterns and designs that perfectly depicted flowers from a garden with delightful shades of pink, peach, green, and blue.

Knowing that the bridesmaids dresses were going to be the eye-catchers with their colorful beauty, the groom and groomsmen went for traditional streamlined notch lapel black tuxedos with classic white dress shirts and patent leather shoes. The formal black-tie ensembles on the grooms party, contrasted with the vibrancy of the bridal party, was striking.

The bride and groom knew the infamous wedding trope, ‘nobody ever remembers what they ate at a wedding’ and were determined to prove that wrong. As soon as they were introduced to Acquolina Catering, they were confident that they would be successful. For cocktail hour, guests sipped on His&Her signature cocktails, His a classic Moscow Mule, Hers a ‘garden’ margarita inclusive of tequila, cucumber, lemon juice, mint, and snap pea. There was also a refreshing mocktail appropriately called ‘Lilac Bloom’ composed of fresh ginger, lemon juice, spring water, and lilac blossom.. The guests also enjoyed an extensive charcuterie table fit for Tuscany along with passed hors d'oeuvres inclusive of crab cakes, roasted duck on a sesame crostini, lobster salad in a blue corn chip basket, cherry tomato napoleons with goat cheese and basil, caviar with creme fraiche on a potato chip, and the classic crowd pleaser, pigs-in-a-blanket. Dinner was a three-course meal consisting of an artichoke and avocado salad, a bowl of lemon risotto, and a choice between branzino or filet mignon. And the dessert extravaganza was so magical that it needs its own feature! Acquolina’s attention to creative detail in their plated presentation, impressive diversity of ingredients in every course, and thoughtful ability to personalize the menu to the couple’s liking was the perfect recipe to ensure that no guest at this wedding will forget what they ate there.

The natural beauty of the venue with its bountiful ivy scaling the red brick facade allowed each space to distinguish itself from the other and create special moments throughout the event. The ceremony was a springtime inspired lush garden, with heaps of local lilac lining the aisle and filling the room with the scent of spring. The altar was a stunning backdrop of abundant pinks, purples, and blues with rich green ivy accents framing the window as sunlight peered through to illuminate the space. The dinner tent had a cozy, elegant, residential feel with soft gauze panels blowing in the breeze, embroidered cloths draped over the tables and vibrant pops of color from the magnificent flowers and seasonal fruit. All accented by the magical glow of the candles that lined the tables. The dance area was filled with candles, dramatic floral sequined tablecloths and dangling disco balls to bring the party home. And to cap off the ‘New York in Spring’ spirit of the wedding, the couple had floral sunglasses for everyone to wear while dancing the night away!

‘A Simple Cake’ provided a three-tiered white buttercream creation with a rustic linear design adorned with their favorite florals from the event. The flavors were a combination of the bride and groom’s favorites, including a tier dedicated to a lemon scented cake with mixed berry compote and a classic dark chocolate cake with vanilla bean cream. It was equally decorative and scrumptious.

One of the first topics that the couple bonded over was their love of music - the groom was a music major in college and the bride has had a lifelong love of Broadway musicals. With collaboration from Element Music Group, they were able to create two distinct musical vibes for the wedding day. Ceremony The couple opted for traditional Romantic-era classical music played by a cellist and harpist for the processional. As the wedding party walked down the aisle, the musicians played ‘Sicilienne in E-Flat Major’ by Maria Theresia von Paradis, followed by the bride’s entrance to ‘Le Cygne’ by Camille Saint-Saëns. A joyous rendition of Natalie Cole’s ‘This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)’ played as the bride and groom shared their first kiss and recessed as husband and wife! Reception The couple’s first dance was to ‘’Till There Was You’ in the style of Rod Stewart from one of their favorite musicals ‘The Music Man’. The bride danced with her father to the Beatles’ hit ‘In My Life’ and the groom danced with his mother to the Louis Armstrong classic ‘What A Wonderful World’. Then, the party really began! From the first song, Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ to the last song, ‘(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life’ from ‘Dirty Dancing’, Element Music Group’s band, the incomparable and talented London West, was inarguably the highlight of the guests’ experience of the night.

Special Detail #1 - Personal Vow Books The bride and groom knew early on that they would compose personal vows to one another. Their words were then safeguarded in custom embroidered vow books that were emblematic of the contents inside. The covers crafted by Bespoke Designs included icons of the cities where they met (Boston), where they love to travel to (London), where they were to be married (New York), and icons of what they are passionate about (music), what they love to do together (jog), and of course, what they love to eat together (ice cream).

Special Detail #2 - Guestbook Experience In lieu of a traditional guestbook, the bride and groom were inspired by their friends’ wedding the year before, and their own affinity for journaling and written keepsakes. They invited guests to share pearls of wisdom and advice to read on upcoming milestones in their marriage, including special wedding anniversaries to the arrival of their first child. The bride and groom have displayed these meaningful boxes in their home and look forward to reading them in the years to come.

Special Detail #3 - Dessert and Van Leeuwen Truck With the bride and groom’s love of dessert, a combination of traditional wedding cake, special sweet treats, and ice cream made for a delicious interlude to the evening. The dessert station was unforgettable featuring a plethora of sweet options, such as fresh raspberry cocoa tarts, lemon domes with a sour cherry compote, opera cake with cappuccino and chocolate ganache, chocolate profiteroles, lemon meringue tarts, and classic chocolate chip cookies and brownies. This was then complemented with a selection of ice cream flavors and toppings from Van Leeuwen parked right outside the venue to cap off a magnificent celebration.