New York Weddings

Surprise NYC Engagement Weekend from Rouxby Photography

From the Bride … Going into our wedding we had three main goals in mind: (1) keep it intimate, (2) keep it laid-back, and (3) get everyone out on the dance floor. We thought that finding a venue that would meet all of our goals would be difficult, but Montauk Yacht Club screamed “casual elegance,” and could not have been more perfect. Its location on the marina also mirrored our love for the water. We have done our fair share of traveling and have always been drawn to the water, including when Pete proposed with one knee in the water in Mexico. The beautiful Farmhouse Ballroom complete with a stunning fireplace, candelabra, and Beth’s brilliant yellow flower arrangements far exceeded our expectations.

By and large, the most compliments we have received over the past three months have surrounded our ceremony. The ceremony was kicked off by my cousin who sang Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s Somewhere Over the Rainbow as I walked down the aisle. It was very important to us to have a very personal ceremony that elicited plenty of laughs. This could not have been possible without our officiant, Joanna. A friend of mine for over a decade, she put together a ceremony that was meaningful, touching, and very funny. She not only focussed on our story (15 years in the making), she emphasized the importance of our family and friends presence, our love of Montauk, and our dedication to each other. Our ceremony was so very special. Our best friend read a poem on friendship, four married couples provided words of wisdom (“Happy wife, happy life” being one of them), and Joanna asked all attendees to pronounce us husband and wife. It was so heartwarming to look out at all of our guests, and hear a booming, “We now pronounce you husband and wife.” It was truly amazing.

My something new, old, and borrowed all held great meaning. My something new was a beautiful pair of earrings received from coworkers turned family. My something old was a handkerchief embroidered with my name and wrapped around my bouquet. I received this handkerchief from my Aunt Tina who had been holding onto it for the past 30 years. It belonged to my namesake, and Tina and my father’s favorite Aunt Sally. Lastly, I wore the same barrette that my best friend, Ali wore in her hair on her wedding day two months earlier.

After the phenomenal speeches by our maid of honor, best man (one of our three), and mutual best friend, Lost in Paris started to jam out. At one point, a friend looked around and said to the groom, “You know it’s a good party when no one is sitting in their seats,” and sure enough, there was not one person sitting. The band kept the party going all night, and as our guest devoured the delicious cupcakes, we stood back, took it all in, and smiled when realizing that our night was absolutely perfect! We keep saying that we want to do it all over again. Perhaps for our 5 or 10 year anniversary? Our advice to any couple planning a wedding is to HAVE FUN throughout the process and make sure to laugh…or, you will surely cry!

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Nicole Miller

Spring 2015

Fall 2014

Fall 2015

SPRING 2016

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Ladies and gents, this is an engagement story worthy of your utmost attention. You see, not only did this soon-to-be hubby plan he picture perfect proposal for his lovely (and lucky) lady, but he also made sure the entire weekend was extra fab too. The result? A gallery from Rouxby Photography that is all around fabulous. See it all here.

From the Bride… I am so excited and proud to share my engagement with you, the most shock and awsome surprise I have ever had! In mid-January during a work trip to NYC (my fiance and I live in Columbus, Ohio), going to what I thought was a work cocktail party I opened the door to my now-fiance standing in a pathway of hundreds of tea lights to propose. After tedious planning, sending e-vites to fake cocktail parties, coordinating plans with my boss and all the parties involved, he proposed with the most beautiful yellow canary radiant cut diamond ring. Accompanied by a violist and photographer to capture all of the moments, I said “yes”! What followed after that moment, was surprise after surprise throughout the entire weekend. A four course meal prepared by a private chef at the engagement venue rounded out the night, but was the just start to the weekend.

The following day (Friday), Mike and I, along with our photographer went from site to site around New York City capturing our engagement photos. Starting in Meatpacking District at the Standard Hotel, we then walked the hi-line in 20 degree weather trying not to shiver as we posed. After a quick outfit changed we caught a taxi uptown to classic Central Park, before heading to the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn to shoot as the sun was setting underneath the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.

The details or surprises didn’t stop there. On Friday night, we had dinner reservations in the East Village to check out one of Mario Batali’s restaurants. Walking in the door, Mike turned me to see both of our families gathered around the table, meeting for the first time for a celebratory engagement dinner. Mike had arranged for both of our families to travel into the city (from Baltimore, Chicago and North Jersey) to celebrate our exciting news!

From the Proposal to all of the surprises that would occur that weekend, the entire engagement played out like a movie. I knew I had an over-the-top guy, but it was more than I could have ever imagined.

New York City Wedding at The Wooly from Alec Vanderboom

Sometimes I come across weddings that just have so much style I can barely contain myself. Weddings that introduce you to a couple the minute you sneak a peek at all their gorgeous images. Weddings just like this one captured by Alec Vanderboom and planned by La Vie En Rose Events. It’s a New York City stunner packed with personality, and you can see every stylish moment right here.

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After Wedding Inspiration from Michelle Edgemont + Brklyn View Photography

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Urban Space

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Whimsical

From the Bride… Alan and I met when we were about 12 years old – I went to an all girls school here in the city and Alan went to my “brother” school. We were friends for over a decade before we started dating, and I think that our friendship with one another really set the tone of our wedding, which was all about everyone being their best selves – feeling fabulous and relaxed and just enjoying a quintessentially New York soiree. Our invitation asked our guests to “dress to thrill”. As I wrote to my friend, “I’m not working this hard to plan a party if everyone’s going to show up in subdued outfits and make small talk all night…”

Alan and I both grew up in Manhattan, so we knew right away that we wanted to get married somewhere in the city, at an iconic and unique venue. The Woolworth Building was absolutely perfect, especially as it turned 100 years old just a few weeks before our wedding. The lobby of the building is incredibly ornate – it was dubbed “a cathedral to commerce” when it was built – so I wanted to keep everything else pretty clean and streamlined in contrast. I thought it would be interesting to use light as decoration, rather than botanicals or fabric; we had an amazing lucite chuppah and strung white bistro lights across the top and down the interior of the four columns.

We spent the day getting ready in a suite at the Ace Hotel, eating french fries, listening to records and drinking champagne. My hairstylist, Erika, brought her little dog Betsy with her to hang out with us as well. My bridesmaids wore long “infinity” dresses by Tart in crimson, charcoal, and platinum. All the groomsmen wore grey suits, white shirts and black ties, as well as red dress socks and red digital “casio-style” watches, which Alan had given them as thank-you gifts.

At the ceremony we had a few rows of bentwood Thornet chairs and everyone else gathered around. I didn’t like the idea of being “given away” (it made me sad!) so Alan and I decided to walk down the aisle together, which turned out to be crazy fun. I wrapped my bouquet in a lace handkerchief that every woman on my dad’s side of the family has carried at her wedding, beginning with my great grandmother in Russia. My engagement ring is an art deco cocktail ring that belonged to Alan’s great grandmother, so I really felt like I was carrying our family history with me. My mother gave us a handkerchief that had belonged to her father – who I never met – in the 40’s, and we used that to wrap the glass that Alan broke at the end of the ceremony. One of our oldest friends officiated, which was really wonderful, and we had incredible musical performances from our friends and family instead of readings.

At the reception we filled the rooms with cherry blossom branches, palm fronds, potted orchids and tons of candles. We kept the food simple – lots of childhood favorites. My mom is from Montreal and Alan’s mom is Cuban, so we decided to have a smoked meat sandwiches and an empanada station. Instead of a wedding cake we had passed choco tacos, which were a big hit. Then at midnight we passed around grilled cheese sandwiches and paper cones of french fries. Drinks were plentiful – we had a full bar plus three amazing signature cocktails. The Wooly used to be a social club, and the current owner has done a fabulous job restoring it to have a great art deco vibe, so we wanted the cocktails to be strong and glamorous as well.

As little favors I had 1.25″ buttons made with vintage photos of each of our grandparents on them. We had them displayed on the bar along with short bios of each person. It was pretty awesome to see everyone wearing them – even the staff got in on it.

I bought my dress online for 60% off, but it was about 4 sizes too big for me. I had a ridiculously talented seamstress – Nayantara Banerjee (“The Williamsburg Seamster”) – who managed to remove TWENTY FIVE YARDS of fabric from the dress and it fit like a glove. Since the gown had a lot of beading at the waist and neckline I wanted my jewelry to be more simple bold and modern. My mom gave me some incredible white resin Oscar DeLaRenta earrings and I bought some vintage lucite bangles online (my shoes has lucite heels as well…I guess there was a sort of unintentional theme there).

Ultimately the day was really a lighthearted but genuine tribute to our family history and to the history of our beloved city.

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Reem Acra

Spring 2015

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If we’re being totally honest with ourselves, I think we can agree Mondays aren’t necessarily the most inspired day of the week. So when we came across this wedding after party from the always amazing Michelle Edgemont, we couldn’t help but think it may be just the ticket to pull us all out of the Monday rut. Because with vendors like Nine Cakes, Brklyn View Photography, and Love + Brain Films on board, how could it not?! Have a look at the full gallery and press “play” on the film for three minutes and twenty nine seconds of behind-the-scenes bliss.

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West Village Engagement from Brklyn View Photography

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Industrial

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Modern

From Michelle Edgemont… The inspiration for our Parisian Fete came from what happens after the wedding. Once the Bride & Groom have said goodbye to their last guest, they want to enjoy a intimate after party to celebrate with their closest friends. For us, that meant a quick clothing change, best friends and cocktails. Our gorgeous bride removes the longest layers of her tiered lace wedding gown to reveal a sweet cocktail dress. She adds a custom designed flower inspired headpiece, brightens up her makeup and switches to her party shoes. Before joining their best friends for cocktails outside on the patio, our newlyweds share a private moment by enjoying their delicious wedding cake.

501 Union was the perfect location for our shoot because of it’s modern beauty and elegance. Our color palette was a mix of light pinks, blue, teal and a hint of gold which inspired our vendors for the shoot. Michelle Edgemont created a gorgeous ceremony backdrop with layers of colored string, creating a clean but visually pleasing color story that would work with the black and white elements of the space. She teamed up with Lindsay Rae Designs, who then added the palm fronds to the structure for a little french flair. All of the flower arrangements were large to compliment the space, but she used soft, feminine flowers to offset the strong lines of the venue.

Betsy, from Ninecakes, created an elegant, sweet and romantic wedding cake. It was adorned with gold trim, handmade sugar flowers and blackberries that looked as if they were freshly picked from the garden. Our caterers, Saucy by Nature, created a menu of finger foods to be easily displayed and eaten at the bar. They only used ingredients that would be in season for a Fall wedding. A unique element of 501 Union, is that they have in-house professional cocktail “mixologists” on hand and were kind enough to create signature drinks just for our shoot.

Our stationery designer, Fourteen-Forty, created an elegant, romantic suite of paper goods to compliment our french inspired fete. She hand crafted the menus, invitations and correspondence cards with gold leaf accents. Patricia also created one of a kind Mademoiselle/Monsieur signs for our bar stools from Rent Patina, who also provided all of the furniture for our shoot. The handmade wooden “Just Married” sign by Modern Press was the absolute perfect compliment to 501 Union’s vintage car and Lindsay’s flowers in the trunk.

One of our favorite parts of this shoot was the dress we borrowed from Rebecca Schoneveld. Thea, of HushedCommotion, loved this convertible gown and knew it was the perfect dress because of the clever way it quickly comes apart! Hushed Commotion and Lindsay Rae Designs collaborated to create a one of kind, hand beaded headpiece that was adorned with fresh pink peonies. The hair style created by Styles on B perfectly complimented this intricate look. Face The Day NY created our models gorgeous looks with hints of pink, gold for the ceremony and purples and blues for the after party. Additionally, Thea recently created a collection of shoe clips for Chromatic Gallerie, so we happily used two pairs of their gorgeous shoes and then two sets of shoe clips.

We were lucky to have Courtney of Love + Brain Films as a part of our team, her video perfectly captures the fun moments and details that went into this beautiful shoot!

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Rebecca Schoneveld

2017 Collection

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Hushed Commotion

2014

2015

2016

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You know what makes for a pretty amazing e-session backdrop? The West Village. It’s filled with gorgeous + fun locales (Carrie Bradshaw’s stoop, anyone?) and some of the most picturesque settings you will ever lay your eyes upon. Case in point? This beautiful gem from the ever-lovely Brklyn View Photography, an engagement sesh that seriously screams “chic” with a beyond stylish duo and moment after moment of pure, unadulterated happy. See it all right here in the full gallery.

From Brklyn View Photography… The West Village is a special place for Judy and Hai-Gi. When the happy couple started their relationship, they would go on dates in the West Village, so it was only fitting to re-visit them again for their super sweet engagement session. We stopped by Magnolia Bakery and Carrie Bradshaw’s famous stoop before heading over to Fish, which is where they had their second date. I love meaningful locations! Judy and Hai-Gi are one of the nicest, sweetest and genuine couples I’ve had the honor to get to know. They make each other laugh and are so thoughtful it just makes me smile. Luckily, we caught a few cherry blossoms still in bloom and soft pretty light for their engagement session. I absolutely love everything about their photos and am so honored to be part of their wedding day.

Photography: Jainé Kershner Photography

Oheka Castle Wedding from Amy Rizzuto Photography + Heritage+Joy

I can’t help but love every wedding that comes out of Oheka Castle. The venue is so versatile no two weddings feel the same – yet they all have that je ne sais quoi that wins me over. Take this one from Amy Rizzuto Photography. From the stunning invites from Heritage+Joy to the sunset kisses and every perfect detail in between, I am smitten.

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Luxury Venue

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New York City Foundry Wedding from Entwined Studio

From the beautiful bride… Our wedding day theme of international travel was born out of our long distance relationship, traveling between New York and England to visit each other. Since Lee is from England, we really wanted a European/Castle element to our day and since we decided to have the wedding in New York, Oheka Castle was the perfectly place. Our entire wedding took place on-site and it had the perfect ambiance of old world glamour and beautiful gardens for our May wedding.

Within the reception space, each table was named after a different place we had visited and was decored with vintage postcards that I sourced online. The greeting card box was assembled from three different suitcases stacked on top of each other with a “Cards” sign made from vintage-inspried map paper.

Additionally, the escort card table was decorated with vintage replicas of suitcases and a globe. Pictures of us from pour engagement photo shoot were place around the castle. The bride’s friend from the New Yorker Magazine also created a funny photoshopped image of the couple on the cover that originally depicted the british royal family after Will and Kate’s wedding. The new cover included the date of the couple’s wedding and was a tongue in cheek detail as a nod to the groom’s heritage.

All of the themed decor was complimented by seasonal flowers. To tie into the grandeur of castle, large table center pieces were made of pink cherry blossom branches and alternated with low center pieces of peony, roses, vintage hydrangea and orchids with tall pillar candle holders. The ceremony space was simply decorated with rose petals and tulle, with two large cherry blossom trees creating the altar. Bouquets were made of peonies and the groom wore an orchid.

The wedding invites, menus and signage also reflected the travel theme, complete with air mail border detail and location stamps of places the bride and groom have traveled, all done in cream, navy and pink color theme.

During cocktail hour, guests dined on a variety of hors devours and food stations and were offered two signature cocktails, “Blushing Bride” or “Marry Me Mojito.” Afterwards, guests were lead into the grand ballroom for dinner and dancing. The menu consisted of Baby Arugula and Endive salad followed by a choice of Grilled Sterling Silver Filet Mingon, Pan Seared French Cut Chicken Breast or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass.For desert, guests were invited into a separate room for a desert cafe as well as wedding cake with tiers of chocolate fudge and Dulce de Leche.

Rather than dress in a traditional ballgown for the castle, I wore a mermain style gown with a chapel train to add a bit of modern glamour while Lee wore a traditional tuxedo.

We chose “Kiss Me” by Ed Sheeran for our first dance. As soon as we heard the first line, “Settle Down with me…” we knew it was our song.

The most memorable part of the day was our first look. We didn’t decide to do it until a couple of weeks before hand and we were glad we decided to do it. We met each other by the grove of trees near the formal gardens. It was a windy day and my hair was blowing everywhere and getting messed up but it was emotional and beautiful and we had a chance to be by ourselves (plus the photographers).

We also had a great time in our photo booth and it is a great addition to the formal pictures we have.

When opposite styles mix and mingle in a wedding, beautiful things happen. Take this gorgeous little party at The Foundry captured by Entwined Studio for instance. It’s this lovely combination of industrial and uber romantic, which just so happens to result in a wedding worth spending some serious time with. Do so here.

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Tented Urban Space

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New York Green Building Wedding from Jillian Modern Photography

From Entwined Studio… Meghan and Jeff’s gorgeous NYC Foundry wedding was the perfect mix of industrial chic and garden softness. The ceremony was held inside the historic restored Foundry building and illuminated by hundreds of edison bulbs strung overhead. The groom’s signature Dark ‘n’ Stormy drink was the highlight of cocktail hour which was held in the adjoining greenhouse space. Dinner was served under a tent in the back, surrounded by a lush backyard garden and ivy covered brick buildings. After dinner, guests were invited back inside the Foundry to dance the night away under the edison bulbs.

When I first sat down with this gorgeous wedding from Jillian Modern Photography, I was in absolute love. The style, the spunk – the perfect mix of modern and inviting, it’s basically SMP gold. But then I read the description, and I realized this wedding has so much more depth than that. That all the perfect details almost didn’t happen because of Hurricane Sandy, and when it all did come together, these two newlyweds only cared about one thing – marrying each other. And that ultimately makes me love this wedding even more. See why here.

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Fall Weddings

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Yorktown Heights Orchard Engagement Session from Lindsay Madden Photography

From the Bride and Groom… We met one summer at Philadelphia University where we both went to college. We lived in garden apartments across from each other and on the last day of school, Graham’s friend shouted to Melissa as she was walking home. He told her to come up and hang out – and Melissa met Graham. That Fall semester, we both happened to be studying abroad in Rome, Italy where we fell even more in love. The rest is history.

When planning our wedding, we wanted the wedding to represent us as a couple. We are not the traditional type – we wanted something unique and modern but also warm and inviting. Inspiration came from our passions. Graham designs beautiful installations, so of course we wanted him to create something for our space. Melissa loves to paint so she wanted to make the space bright and cheerful with her artwork. Graham is an idea man, his designs are big and his ideas even bigger. Melissa loves the details. She could sit for hours painting flowers or practicing calligraphy. We wanted to combine our strengths to create a space where our family and friends would feel welcome and reflect our passions.

The fact that our wedding was the week of Hurricane Sandy was quite unique. We had been planning the wedding for over a year and a half. Just 5 days before the wedding, Sandy hit NYC and NJ. It was devastating to see the destruction that Sandy created in NY and NJ. Having no power in downtown Manhattan for the entire week was an extreme challenge. Our caterer could not get the food she ordered, and her kitchen had no power. Our rings were stuck at the jeweler. Some of the bridesmaid dresses were stuck at the tailor. How would we get flowers? Our officiant and photographer were stuck in California. On top of this, there was a gas shortage. How would guests get to Brooklyn? The tunnels and some bridges were closed. Subways were not running. Many of our guests had severe damage to their own homes, or no power. At one point in the week, Melissa really wanted to give up. How could we be having a wedding during all of this? Our family and friends were so supportive and figured out a solution to every problem we had. They went above and beyond to help ensure this wedding would happen. We are so grateful to them for everything they did this week. The wedding turned out better than it ever could have been. It was a day filled with love and joy – and gave everyone a reason to celebrate during a harrowing week.

DIY and handmade elements…
-Our sculptures hanging above the bar: Graham designed and built
-Lasercut wood panels: Graham designed and created
-Save the Dates: Melissa hand-painted each one and made a stamp out of her calligraphy
-Invitations: Melissa hand-painted the design and had them professionally printed. She did the calligraphy for the envelopes as well.
-Menu Cards: Melissa hand carved stamps, and menus – one for each guest.
-Escort Cards: We found old tickets to a boxing match at an antique store. They were a beautiful shade of blue and blank on one side. Melissa did the calligraphy and used washi tape on plexi glass to create a seating chart.
-Notebook Favors: Melissa hand-carved a pretzel stamp (a nod to their Philadelphia and NYC background). She stamped a mini Muji notebook for each guest.
-Bride and Groom Signs: Melissa hand-painted on kraft stock.
-Card Box: antique metal box, Melissa painted cards onto the inside.
-The Bosco: the BEST photobooth.

Food Choices (which, by the way, was AMAZING!): a cheese + bread charcuterie station, tomato soup shooters with grilled cheese, Samosas, Maryland crab cakes, a seasonal flatbread station with fresh herbs, a fried buttermilk chicken station with brussel sprouts and roasted fingerling potatoes, a make-your-own shrimp taco bar (with guacamole, pico de gallo, black beans, spanish rice), and sliders (beef and black bean). Late night snacks included quesadillas. Desserts were Pumpkin and Apple pies with fresh whipped cream plus Blue Marble Organic Ice Cream (pumpkin, pistachio almond, vanilla and chocolate choclate chip served out of a cute little cart.) Our Signature Cocktail was a Dirty Martini, Melissa’s favorite drink. Graham loves Black label. We also had PBR and Natty Bo (and full bar). For favors – Bosco photobooth pictures and Muji notebooks!

Music:
Processional- Big Wheels by ELO, Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis (for Melissa walking down aisle)
Recessional- Going up the Country by Canned Heat
Grand Entrance- Foxey Lady by Jimi Hendrix
First Dance- Don’t Worry Baby by The Beach Boys

The Most Memorable Moments:
From Melissa… Walking down the aisle with my Dad. Seeing all of our family and friends, and of course Graham. It was the happiest moment of my life.
From Graham… Our “first look” when I saw Melissa in her dress. She looked so beautiful! It signified the beginning of the wedding for me.

Advice:
Melissa’s Advice – Keep it all in perspective. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the details, but just remember why you are really planning this awesome wedding – to marry your best friend and spend your lives together. If that remains your number one priority, you will have a beautiful wedding regardless of what goes wrong the day of.
Graham’s Advice – Unexpected things may happen – roll with the punches. Don’t over-plan and leave room for the people to make the experience.

Question to the Newlyweds from Jillian Modern, photographer: If you could go back and do it all again, what would you change (if anything)
Answer: not one thing

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Saja

2014

2015

2013

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I’ve got just about the prettiest thing ever for you today, courtesy of Lindsay Madden Photography. It’s an engagement session that is sweet, romantic, soft, and beyond beautiful… featuring two of the cutest love birds you’ll lay eyes on today. If this doesn’t brighten your morning tenfold, nothing will.

Matt and I went to Loyola College in Baltimore together and we met our Junior year. We started dating our Senior year and after five years together Matt asked me to marry him. He proposed at the apple orchard down the street from my house called Wilkens Fruit and Fir Farm. He said he picked the location for our proposal because it was a place that we always looked forward to visiting each fall for apple picking and it is such a lovely backdrop for such an important moment between us (and they also have delicious apple cider doughnuts). He also knew that he wanted us to be close to our family so we could immediately share the news with them and celebrate together right after- and celebrate we did! Celebrating that night with our families was the perfect way to end our perfect day. When it came time for us to pick a location for our engagement session we knew right away that we wanted it to be at Wilkens- it was a special place for us and we couldn’t have asked for a more gorgeous backdrop!

Photography: Lindsay Madden Photography | Christina's Dress: Urban Outfitters | Christina's Hair: Continental 109 in Bronxville, NY | Christina's Shoes: J.Crew | Location: Wilkens Fruit and Fir Farm

Poughkeepsie Wedding from Isabelle Selby Photography

Three things I love more than anything? Winter, darling DIY detail and crazy gorgeous duos in love (but of course). So when those three awesome ingredients combine in a drop-dead gorgeous Poughkeepsie wedding, you can bet your bottom dollar that I am one excited lady. Especially when that drop-dead gorgeous wedding happens to be filled to the brim with yummy homemade desserts, a coffee barn and one amazing image after another captured by Isabelle Selby. See them all in the full gallery.

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Fall Weddings

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Weddings in Historical Venues

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Vintage

From the Bride… As soon as were engaged, I began my wedding planning with the ever-so-fabulous Pinterest! Well, maybe I had a “party” inspiration board before the engagement… shhhh.

What did brides do before the days of wedding blogs and Pinterest?! Having these sites made planning a breeze! I knew that we wanted an off-season wedding. We both love the cooler weather and we were on a budget. We were able to have things that we would not have been able to have had, say, going with a September wedding. I envisioned the wedding a few different ways – rustic, romantic, with a vintage glamour. It sounded much harder than it ended up being to incorporate these three very different themes. We began with the reception site, Locust Grove. This was the first and only place we looked at and I knew right away it was for us when I saw the rustic, yet simplistic feel of the space, as well as the grounds.

Next came the dress. I wanted something vintage-style, yet glamourous. Again, I chose the first one I put on! I knew it was for me, it was every detail I had ever dreamed of in one dress!! I then spent time finding fun vintage pieces to match, such as the earnings and a fur wrap. Lastly, we decided with the flowers and decorations to go soft and romantic, that’s where we came up with the pink and gold theme.

I wanted the entire event to feel personal, every little detail to have some meaning. Because the space was so simple we were able to bring detail in ourselves to give it that personalized feel. From the menus to the flip flop basket to the photobooth to the DIY “made with love” granola, we were able to do everything ourselves. I wanted everything to have some little story behind it. For example, the bride and groom cake topper were actually salt and pepper shakers from my mother’s collection that I had always adored. Our flowers were done by a flower shop that is very dear to our hearts. They work out of a storefront which my parents had “Three Behr’s Sweetshop,” which was a dessert haven. My parents had this shop when I was just a baby and there are pictures of them working and me strapped to their chests. So I guess I was doomed to be a sweet tooth even before I could speak. Moving on, everyone who knows Andrew and I, knows we love to eat! Especially coffee and dessert!! We discussed dessert options for hours and came to the conclusion that we personally tend to miss cake/coffee at all the weddings we attend due to the fun we are usually having on the dance floor. Henceforth, our reasoning to have dessert, candy, and coffee to go. For the coffee bar we personalized to go cups and used our favorite local coffee from Coffee Lab Roasters. For the candy bar we had hand-stamped goody bags, which brought back childhood memories of birthday parties my mother put on for me.

Then the dessert bar. Again, we wanted this to feel homemade and personal and because of my great love for baking, I wanted to give back to all our loved ones who were there to celebrate with us. My mother and I made most of the items and then had a few special guests who brought their specialty dessert! You know the one you look forward to every year at family/friend gatherings!? Now I saved the best for last…. the cake and cupcake tower!! Again, we wanted things portable for our guests to be able to package up extra goodies to take home with them. My talented sister made my dream wedding cake, lemon cake with cream cheese frosting. So simple, yet sinful! We had this as our cut cake and the cupcake tower consisted of the same cake. And what could be better than a room full of desserts and candy? Well I’d say a room full of desserts, candy, and a photobooth! Our amazing photographer offered this option which we knew would be a hit. We ordered props from etsy and our fabulous photographer had guest cards created which included the link to view the pictures. And she added a little surprise to the back of each card, each card had a different picture from our engagement shoot!

Overall, the day was even more perfect than I could have hoped and dreamed it would be. My little bit of advice to brides to be is to give yourself plenty of extra time the month leading up to the wedding to deal with fix-ups! I’ve heard this advice myself and being Type A thought, “oh I got this, I don’t know what they’re talking about.” But really, please give yourself some extra time… it’s important. As we all know, things come up in life unexpectedly at times, so If you are super lucky and don’t run into any setbacks, that’s wonderful! You now just have extra time to unwind, get some extra beauty sleep, and prepare yourself for the best day of your life!

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Wedding Dresses

Tara Keely

Fall 2016 Collection

Spring 2017 Collection

Fall 2017 Collection

Spring 2018 Collection

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Menswear

The Tie Bar

Spring 2015

Spring/Summer 2015

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New York City Elopement from Carmen Santorelli Photography

If you’re going to elope, there is nowhere more romantic than New York City. Just ask these two Aussie love birds who flew all the way to the Big Apple to tie the knot. And Carmen Santorelli Photography is here to show us just why that was the best decision they ever made.

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Elegant De Seversky Mansion Wedding from Brklyn View Photography

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City Hall

From the photographers… Ben and Melinda left sunny Sidney, Australia, and traveled across the world to get married in NYC. They had the sweetest little ceremony at City Hall, where Melinda’s childhood friend join them as a witness, and then we captured their joy and love all over NYC.

Photography: Carmen Santorelli Photography

This wedding right here? It’s exactly why I love New York weddings. It’s sleek + sophisticated, chock-full of heartwarming moments and overflowing with that garden party meets traditional style I simply love to see. In other words, it’s pure perfection with an added dose of floral awesomeness from Blush Designs and a NYIT De Seversky Mansion setting that is simply breathtaking. Oh, and the beautiful gallery captured by Brklyn View Photography? Amazing. Join me there for all of the pretty.

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Ballroom Weddings Estate Weddings

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Classic Weddings Romantic

From Brklyn View Photography… The NYIT De Seversky Mansion was the perfect location to celebrate Tiffany and Cliff’s modern, romantic and elegant wedding. Tiffany wore a stunning Mark Ingram Atelier wedding gown that her mother hand-beaded just to give it that extra sparkle. It took her almost two weeks to complete! Throughout the day, it rained on and off but once Tiffany started to put on her wedding dress, the sun came out to say hello. It was also just in time for their sweet & stunning First Look. Cliff looked as dashing as ever in his tuxedo and wore his lucky beaded bracelet just for the days festivities. During their ceremony, the sun came back out to fill the garden room with a kiss of light, and it felt as if they were being blessed at the very moment they became husband and wife. During their reception, Cliff sang two songs to his lovely wife as a special gift just for her. The newlyweds danced the night away surrounded by their friends and family. I’m so thrilled I could be there and capture their wedding day for them. It was truly a magical celebration! Congratulations Tiffany and Cliff!

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Bridesmaid Dresses

Dessy

Bridesmaid 2014

Women's Tuxedo

Tuxedo

Fall 2014

Spring 2015

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Brooklyn Wedding at ICI Restaurant from Melissa Kruse Photography

These two are adorable. A fact I learned when we featured their uber-darling, smile-infused engagement session last year. It was a happy-fest I just couldn’t get enough of, much like their sweet, sweet Brooklyn wedding captured by Melissa Kruse. And guess what? You’re about to fall head over heels in love, too. Because this is a day that is chock-full of joyous moments, darling DIY details and an entire gallery of lovely right here.

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Brooklyn Backyard Wedding from Isabelle Selby

From Melissa Kruse… It finally came! The day I have personally anticipated since my cousin first walked through the front door of my apartment saying, “This is ‘California.’ He’s just a friend from work.” I didn’t know much about him yet. I didn’t even know his real name. But I knew they were meant to be together.

In just one night I could see the way he looked at her. The way she lit up whenever he returned to her side. The way he anticipated her every move… and begrudgingly left the party without her when I insisted she stay behind for a cousin-only sleepover. Their first official date wasn’t until two months later, but I feigned girly surprise when she “revealed” to me that they finally went out for a pre-meditated dinner for two.

As for their destined big day, every last impecable detail was imagined, created, and coordinated by the bride herself in the ultimate DIY fashion – and with remarkably calm elegance at that. From their white-washed wonder of a venue, iCi Restaurant in Forte Greene Brooklyn, to the champagne inspiration all around (the girl loves her bubbly… I can attest to that!), the day was light, bright, and so incredibly happy. Thirty five of their closest friends and family lept at the opportunity to fly from all corners of the world and lend a hand in any way they could to create a celebration of their love that would be just as warm and festive as they are. And I had the joy and honor of being one of them. Attending as both guest and photographer, it was amazing to be a part of this special day and be by their sides every step of the way.

This is the story of a fun-loving girl from Escanaba, Michigan and a super super sweet boy from Brazil, fated to cross stars in New York, one of the biggest cities in the world…

Key DIY elements:
-Escort stones created by the Bride
-Message Books and Guest Book Tree: Concept by the Bride
-Ring Pillow: Handmade by the Bride’s Grandmother
-Invitations, Save the Date, Menus + Signage: Designed by Bride’s friend, Assembled by the Bride
-Peony bud vase centerpieces, table arrangements, + paper garlands assembled/arranged by Bride’s closest friends + family
-Maid of Honor’s (Groom’s Daughter) hair styled by Bride’s Mother
-Groom’s Cufflinks: Custom-designed by Bride (to celebrate New York living combined with his Brazilian roots)

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Nicole Miller

Spring 2015

Fall 2014

Fall 2015

SPRING 2016

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You know how they say you can buy fashion, but you can’t buy style? I think weddings are sort of the same way. No matter how much you prep and plan, spend and splurge, a great wedding really comes down to the bride and groom behind it — couples like this Brooklyn pair who add that unspoken cool factor from start to finish. (And of course, having incredible vendors like Isabelle Selby and Jove Meyer Events doesn’t hurt one bit either!) Catch every second of this style-infused affair right over here.

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Whimsical NYC Wedding at Battery Gardens from Twah Dougherty

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Modern

From the Bride… We really could not have asked for more from our wedding day. Flatbush Farm was a gorgeous venue, complete with a brick and ivy- covered backyard that lent itself well to the relaxed atmosphere that we wanted. They supplied the food and drinks, so we had an amazing dinner without having to deal with a caterer. The day before the wedding was cold and rainy, but we lucked out with warm and sunny weather. Live music seemed to follow us throughout the day, from the Shins rehearsing next to our hotel as we got ready to neighbors playing music from their back patios as we ate dinner. One of my favorite things about the wedding was how much our community was intertwined with the details: my ring and shoes were Julians grandmothers, my brother designed our ketubah, a friend designed our programs, my friends and I made the centerpieces, and both of our families contributed recipes for our cookbook favors. Each of those details, and many more, will always remind us of our wonderful friends and family.

Spring in New York City is a magical time of year for weddings. The blooming flowers, fresh, crisp air and sunny skies make for one seriously stunning backdrop, if you ask me. And when you pair up all of that lovely with a traditional Battery Gardens affair chock-full of whimsy, it’s a special type of magic that fills our hearts (and our galleries) with pretty. See every beautiful moment captured by Twah Dougherty right here in the full gallery.

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Classic Weddings Whimsical

From Twah Dougherty… Sarah & Nick had a whimsical city wedding full of personality in Manhattan’s downtown Battery Park. This fun-filled couple effortlessly incorporated an offbeat combination of yellow, grey & purple with hints of red throughout their event which were indicative of their fun personality. Sara was able to find Toy Story figurines on ebay of Buzz Lightyear and Hamm to represent the funny nicknames they call each other. The couple honored their families by incorporating a traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony which followed after their Classic American ceremony in one of Manhattan’s historical churches. This couple also let their personality shine when they decided to take dance lesson to surprise their guests with a fun coordinated first dance.

From The Bride… When Nick and I decided to get married, we wanted a fun-filled Spring wedding for our closest friends and family. During the wedding planning process, we searched high and low to find the best vendors that shared our passion and sentiments for our big day. We were thrilled to find people that are so passionate about what they do and went out of their ways to make our wedding special.

Yellow is my favorite color and it is such a great hue to compliment a Spring wedding. I drew inspirations from various wedding blogs and spent countless hours of research to find perfect and affordable pieces to suit our wedding decor. My mother and her friends also provided invaluable assistance by tailoring my dress, and designing/making the flower girl’s dress, as well as my veil and hair accessories. My DIY pride and joy was our cake topper, Buzz Lightyear and Hamm from Toy Story. Nick looks a lot like Buzz and its my nickname for him. Hamm was a natural fit since I’m such a piggy for any culinary treats. I found the two toy figurines from Ebay and dressed them up with a bowtie and tulle veil. It provided a personal and light-hearted element to the cake and the wedding.

The weather on our wedding day could not have been more perfect and it helped to set the overall mood for the night. It was the perfect evening with lots of dancing and laughing with all our guests. Our vendors went above and beyond our expectations and helped us execute the vision that we imagined. We were so lucky to have such an amazing group of family, friends, and vendors that made our night so fun and memorable.

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BHLDN

Bridal 2016

Bridal 2019

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Southampton Wedding from Images by Berit

Brides who think outside of the box in the most gorgeous ways are ladies I can adore. Take this bride, for instance. Her wedding took full advantage of her stunning home and Save the Date created a soiree around a harvest theme. Totally something I’ve never seen before, but totally something I love. Images by Berit was on hand to capture the whole beautiful day, and we can’t thank Berit enough for sending them our way!

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New York City Engagement from Lauren Gabrielle

From the photographer… Lilly and Niklas had a beautiful, hot summer day for their backyard wedding in South Hampton, NY. It was important to them to be surrounded by the place, people, and things they love most. They had a beautiful clear top tented wedding reception in their backyard, and used local produce and resources. Lilly chose a ‘harvest’ type of theme for her decor, using local organic vegetables and beautiful tree branches for her table decor. When she and Nik first moved into together in their home in South Hampton, they planted a group of birch trees in their backyard that they knew would some day be a part of their wedding – and it was! We took most of the family photos by these beautiful trees. The weekend ended on a beautiful note at Lilly’s Aunt’s home for a home made brunch.

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Angel Sanchez

Falling in Love 2015

Spring 2016

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Carolina Herrera

Spring 2015

Spring 2016

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Lauren Gabrielle is getting our Friday off to a seriously stylish start with this New York City engagement session, and I owe her a big, fat thank you for it. It’s better than a cup of coffee (and that’s saying something), and the perfect jump-start to my day. Each image is a lovely look into just how much this couple adores each other, and I honestly can’t think of anything better than that. See it all here.

From Lauren… Stacey and Andrew have lots to thank their friends for. They both grew up in different cities of Ohio, went to separate colleges, and ended up working in different states, so the odds of them meeting were not very great. But thanks to Stacey’s college friends who happened to also be Andrew’s best friends from high school, the couple was strategically introduced and sparks flew. At first it was a long-distance relationship with Stacey in NYC and Andrew in Dallas, but thankfully Andrew was able to relocate to New York and now they are happily engaged! We enjoyed taking photos on a beautiful fall day in NYC and visited a few different spots including Central Park, Lincoln Center, and a friends rooftop in Chelsea.

Photography: Lauren Gabrielle Photography

Hudson Valley Wedding from Style.Art.Life Photography

If there’s one thing I can get behind, it’s a Hudson Valley wedding. It plays backdrop to some of the most stunning “I dos” we ever come across, and this one from Style.Art.Life? Well, let’s just say it’s one for the books. Hitting all the right notes thanks to bloomage by Lee Vazquez Floral Design, believe me when I say you’re gonna want to spend some time with this pastel pretty. Get started right here.

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Hotels + Resorts Weddings

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Rustic Vintage

From Style Art Life...So thrilled to share this elegantly Woodsy wedding that took place at The Garrison in the Hudson Valley of New York. Set among a hilltop overlooking the Hudson River, Eunsu and Chris did a beautiful job incorporating natural details to effortlessly blend in with the woodland environment where they got married.

From the Bride…Chris and I got engaged at the top of the Bear Mountain hike in the Hudson Valley, on a sunny spring day. When we started wedding planning, we knew we wanted to get married at a venue that would provide us with the same feel as our engagement spot (bright, warm, woodsy and outdoors), and also set the tone for a relaxing, fun wedding. The Garrison, a 5-minute drive from Bear Mountain, was the perfect place for us.

Once we decided on The Garrison, it was easy to choose colors and styles to complement the natural, lush backdrop of the Hudson Valley in the springtime. We went with mint bridesmaid dresses, grey suits, and peachy pink flowers to contribute to the soft and warm feel of the venue, and added some splashes of color with coral peonies (my favorite!). Very little dcor was needed since the floor-to-ceiling windows brought in the colors from the outdoors and provided spectacular views of the sunset.

Our wedding day turned out to be the most beautiful spring day. Chris and I exchanged vows in front of the pergola in the Ceremony Garden, and then had an amazing time celebrating with our family and friends. All our vendors were phenomenal, and we would recommend them wholeheartedly especially our photographer Twah and our DJ Mario!. We are grateful to everyone for a truly unforgettable wedding day.

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Wedding Dresses

Pronovias

ATELIER PRONOVIAS

PRONOVIAS

Dancing Lights, Cruise Collection

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Greenwich Village Wedding from 4 Eyes Photography

These two have a story that is all but conventional, so it was no surprise that their wedding was no cookie cutter affair. It was, however, beautiful and filled to bursting with so much heart. Lucky for all of us, the talented 4Eyes Photography was on hand to capture every sweet emotion from the intimate day.

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Camp Wedding at Full Moon Resort from Cassi Claire Photography

From Rupert & Kellie… Meghan and David are aid workers in Afghanistan and flew back for their Greenwich Village wedding. They got ready at The Bowery Hotel, walked over to Washington Sq Park for photos and then ceremony at Jefferson Market Gardens. The entire wedding party then walked over to the intimate reception on the rooftop of BoBo – a converted 1830’s Greenwich Village brownstone.

From the Bride… David and I are aid workers who recently finished up a 2 year stint in Afghanistan. We met 3 years ago in Kyrgyzstan, a small country in Central Asia, where we were both working after a revolution that occurred in the spring of 2010. We met at a mutual friend’s apartment in Osh and hit it off, and the rest is history! We fell in love in an unusual place, to say the least, but it’s fitting for both of us. In our line of work, we travel around the world and it was important for both of us that our partner had the same worldview. During that first year we spent a lot of time in Osh, Kyrgyzstan hiking, exploring and getting beers at the one good bar in town. After our time in Kyrgyzstan together, David went to Washington, DC to start his MBA and I began working in Afghanistan. He couldn’t visit me there, so we met up in the US and around the world during the next year, and kept up with daily Skype calls. He proposed in March 2012 in Sri Lanka, as we were hiking up Little Adam’s Peak. It is a fantastic country to visit and a trip that we will always remember.

In June 2012 David moved to Afghanistan to start work as well, and we lived together there for the next year. After our engagement we didn’t feel the need to wait too long to get married. We were planning a wedding from afar, as we wanted to get married in the US, near where we both grew up (David is from RI and Meghan is from NJ). We knew we wanted to have a small wedding with just our immediate family and oldest friends – we ended up having just 35 people at the wedding and no bridesmaids or groomsmen. We also wanted to do something centrally located for our family and friends (we don’t really have a home base in the US) and ideally wanted to have the ceremony outdoors. We both love NYC so thought it would be the perfect location. We searched and found the Jefferson Market Garden, which is gorgeous, intimate and in a great location. The restaurant where we held the reception, Bobo, is just down the street from the garden. The staff there was very accommodating and we even had a Skype call from Afghanistan with the manager, Grace, to iron out the final details. It is in a old brownstone in the West Village and they have a really nice outdoor garden/roof deck where we had dinner and drinks. It was overall a very fun, relaxed and intimate day. It was just what we wanted!

We didn’t really choose any wedding colors and didn’t put much thought into a theme, but I would say that our wedding ended up as an elegant garden party vibe. I love flowers and our florist did an amazing job. Flower Girl in NYC used all white flowers with touches of green. It was all very simple and elegant.

David and I have never been into the idea of a big, elaborate wedding. We were married by a close friend of David, and we wrote the ceremony ourselves and wrote our own vows. We chose readings by Khalil Gibran and the Grateful Dead (David’s favorite) and our older brothers did one reading each. My wedding band was not yet finished at the time of our wedding, so I used my grandmother’s wedding band as a fill in. We decided to walk each other down the aisle, because we felt that it was important to start our married life together that way.

I’d have to say that our favorite memory is when we walked each other down the aisle. It had rained all morning and we were actually a bit worried because we didn’t really have a back up plan. But then it suddenly cleared up in the early afternoon and it was a gorgeous, not too hot August day. We remember the grass being really green, the flowers looking beautiful and our friends and family waiting for us at the end of the aisle. It was a very intimate and personal ceremony and it was my favorite part of the day.

I love so MANY of the photos! Kellie and Rupert were great to work with and did a fantastic job. I love the photos of us sitting in the big chairs in the Bowery Hotel, where we stayed before and after the wedding. And a lot of the pictures from the ceremony turned out great. There are also some nice shots from Washington Square Park. I love that there were not many posed shots, but the photographers captured a lot of the emotions from the wedding.

We gave all of our guests small gifts from Afghanistan and a card thanking them and telling them how much we love them.

When summer camp style mixes and mingles with a touches of glamour, I can’t help but take notice. How can you possibly ignore all the sweet details sitting pretty in these images from Cassi Claire? I definitely wouldn’t want to, because between the pretty florals by Jaritas and the sweet setting of Full Moon Resort – it’s safe to say I’m smitten. See it all here.

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