It may only be mid-January, but this Brooklyn fete has me daydreaming of warmer spring days to come. Planned by Viva Max Weddings and featuring some pretty fab LBBers (including Wythe Hotel, Jackie Schneider Beauty and 74 Events) it’s a fete that is absolutely bursting at the seams with blooms by Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design and dotted with city skyline views like this. Thanks to a guy + a girl photography‘s stunning work behind the lens, we can soak in the warmer season to come in The Vault!
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From Viva Max Weddings… Before throwing themselves into wedding planning, Taylor and Dan prioritized two things: to have a wedding that was uniquely theirs – true to their style, their relationship, and the things they love – and to throw a killer party for their friends and family. The level of personalization for their wedding was intense – from a bee motif used throughout their décor items from molded butter to stationery, R2D2 cake toppers (a nod to their love of Star Wars), and a monogrammed corn hole board (a homage to their college football tailgating days at Boston College)!
The couple had a full schedule packed for their wedding weekend, as Dan’s family flew in from Minnesota. Rehearsal dinner was at Tavern on the Green in Central Park, and the Minnesotans had a special Hudson River tour on a historic boat the morning of the wedding for the ultimate New York experience. Taylor started her day at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, with her bridesmaids (and a bridesman!) getting back massages from a masseuse throughout the morning. Dan and his guys were at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott, where their gifts from the couple were funky socks that matched each groomsman’s personalities.
Taylor and Dan tied the knot at the Brooklyn Botanic, with their friend Brennan Carley officiating. Guests sipped signature cocktails with bee-motif’d cocktail stirrers as they signed in on Jenga blocks with advice for the couple. The color palette was also super complex – mint, grey, ivory, black, and gold throughout, with pops of color in light pink champagne glasses, contrasting brights in bouquets, and deep hues of purple and burgundy in the centerpieces. Taylor and Dan’s attention to detail and creativity came together for a spectacular and unique wedding that nobody is sure to forget!
From the Bride… Prior planning the wedding, before I got immersed in all the amazing, fun decor details and vendor choices, my two biggest priorities in my vision were that Dan and I had a wedding that was uniquely ours – true to our style, our relationship and the things we love, and that we threw a killer party for our friends and family. I wanted people to walk in and think – this could only be Dan and Taylor’s wedding.
My color palette was a bit all over the place. I incorporated soft greens, and mints, grey, and ivory with black and gold details at the reception, through our table top decor, alongside various pops of color throughout the event that primarily came from the flowers, which truly were a focal point of the wedding. The flowers pulled in deep purples and reds, grey roses and even some flowers that were truly almost black. The bridesmaids bouquets incorporated yellow and orange hues, with funky feathers, which were one of my favorite details! I never envisioned having such a colorful wedding (I basically have an entirely black and grey wardrobe), but once I started picking decor and flowers, I realized that’s what really felt right! We also had beautiful light pink glass champagne glasses that were served with champagne or mint / cucumber seltzer water, given to guests as a welcome cocktail before the ceremony – we got a lot of compliments on that fun color detail!
We had a lot of unique and DIY details. R2D2 cake toppers (Dan and I both love Star Wars), a bee motif that was present throughout the wedding (a bee was on our monogram that we used on napkins, invitation suite, etc) and we also used bee butter molds alongside honey comb at each table for guests to eat with their bread! We had two games of corn hole at the cocktail hour to pay homage to our college football tailgating days at Boston College and fun signature cocktails!
My favorite moment (other than marrying my best friend) was cutting the cake. Even though people were watching, it felt like a more intimate, fun moment that Dan and I enjoyed together during an evening that’s filled with a lot of mingling and chatting with guests!
My flowers were absolutely out of this world. I still gush about them and day dream about them. I knew that flowers were going to be extremely important to me during the planning process, and my florist really delivered. They set the tone for the decor and vibe that I wanted – a true mix of elegant and whimsical. When I first walked into the room before the ceremony, they took my breath away. I wanted texture and color to be paired together in a way that was truly unique – and I think the flowers definitely accomplished that! Throughout the cocktail hour there were beautiful smaller arrangements and lanterns scattered around the space, the escort table arrangement was stunning, and all the bouquets were absolutely stunning alongside the sea foam-y color of the bridesmaids dresses. The groomsmen boutonnieres were so unique and fun! Our floral ombre on the cake is probably another favorite detail of mine. It was totally dreamy…
The gown I ended up buying was the 3rd dress out of 8 that I tried on. I immediately fell in love with it – I knew right away that it was my dress. I wanted something classic, with a bit of sexiness. I went into my dress appointment at Kleinfelds with an open mind and I couldn’t have imagined a better dress for me!
Our wedding favors were mini bottles of mango habanero jelly from Shelbourne Farms in Burlington, Vermont. Dan and I took a long weekend trip to Burlington last year to celebrate our anniversary we visited Shelbourne Farms on a beautiful, chilly sunny day. We ended up in the gift shop stuffing our faces with their home made mango habanero jelly on crackers for about 15 minutes, and bought a ton to bring home. We loved it, and thought it would be a fun, unique gift that people would actually want! I wanted our favors to be useful – or edible.
One piece of advice that I would give brides-to-be: Take in every moment of your special day – from the minute you wake up until the minute you go to sleep. Take it all in!
Photography: a guy + a girl photography | Event Planning: Viva Max Weddings | Floral Design: Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design | Wedding Dress: Pnina Tornai | Cake: Patina Catering | Invitations: GubbaGumma Studio | Shoes: Manolo Blahnik | Bridesmaids' Dresses: BHLDN | Hair & Makeup: JACKIE SCHNEIDER BEAUTY | Calligraphy: maggie burdge | DJ: 74 Events | Groom's Attire: Hugo Boss | Hotel: Wythe Hotel | Wedding Venue: Brooklyn Botanic Garden | Hair Piece: jennifer behr | Rentals: Octavia & Brown | Wedding rings: Peter Germano
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