New York Weddings

Did you know? Garden-infused city eateries doubling as holy-cow-fabulous wedding venues are our fave. Seriously off the charts favoritism happening right here, right now because honestly, how does it get any better than urban sprawls mixed with lovely greenery and a gorgeous wedding on top of all of that? Denise Fasanello Floral Design upped the pretty factor with loads of garden-inspired blooms with just the right “fresh-picked” look and Scott Clark of The Wedding Artists Collective snapped all the yumminess with his golden lens so you my friends, can devour every last bit in the full wedding gallery.

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From Denise Fasanello Floral Design…Hilary and Patrick were living in Amsterdam when she contacted me to design her wedding flowers. She had collected the most incredible assortment of vintage dutch tea and coco tins. When she delivered them to my studio I tell you, I almost fell out of my chair. They were that great. I knew I was going to have the best time putting their flowers together. Another sweet detail and nod to their Holland connection were little wire bikes that were used to hold the seating cards. They were all made by a local Amsterdam artist.

On a most spectacular spring day they wed in the ivy covered backyard of Frankies 457, one of Brooklyn’s most beloved restaurants. But before the nuptials took place they were wise enough to stay in a great NYC hotel (the Ace) and then shoot some photos on NYC’s elevated park – the High Line. Put it all together and it makes for a very individual and special day.

Hotel: Ace Hotel / Venue: Frankies 457 / Floral Design: Denise Fasanello Floral Design / Wedding Photography: Scott Clark of The Wedding Artists Collective / Wedding Dress: Lazaro via Kleinfield / Bride’s Shoes: Pura Lopez via BHLDN / Cupcakes: Kumquat Cupcakery / Groom’s Suit: J.Crew / Groom’s Shirt: Freemans Sporting Club / Groom’s Shoes: Leffot / Wire Bikes: Local Street Artist in Amsterdam / Tags: The Bride / Placement Bags: The Bride

I’m in love with this e-session. We’re talking head-over-heels, people! This adorable couple that just so happens to include the fabulous Sarah from The Breathtaking Bride wanted to truly capture the essence of New York City and with the help of their talented photographer, Eric Laurits, they were able to do just that. Aside from the super local and no doubt delicious veggies and flowers, this e-session, sans props, is filled with so many fabulous images that it’s certain this bride and groom-to-be will look back on their time spent in NYC with big, huge, happy grins. Congrats you two! Click here for even more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…My fiancé and I are leaving New York City and wanted to use this opportunity to capture the essence of our lives in the city where we fell in love and created a life for ourselves. Our greatest memories are of exploring the green market, hanging out in our east village neighborhood, spending evenings in the west village and watching the sunset on the Hudson.

I wanted to have a gorgeously styled shoot with picnic blankets, tea cups and the like, but Eric convinced me that relationships and weddings are about people, not things.  He captured the essence of us beautifully, even without the picnic blanket.

It’s somehow a little easier to leave NYC, knowing we have this special record of our lives.

Photography: Eric Laurits

This sweet, DIY wedding proves that just because you live in a huge city, amidst all the hustle and bustle, doesn’t mean you can find a quiet retreat just a short drive away for your big day. We’re loving the quaint, country feel and of course, that cute little sheep! How could you not? The bride is a designer so it was no surprise that she created many of the elements that gave her wedding such personality like the escort cards and cake topper. InfocusNYC Photography was there to capture all the details and there’s so much more in the full gallery.

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From the Bride…After living in NYC for 4 years I finally met the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with.  We were engaged after a year and a few months of dating, but it took 2 and a half years of saving for that perfect day.  Saving, designing and preparing for the wedding took longer than expected but we couldn’t have done it any other way.  Myself being from Texas with the majority of my family still living there, I knew I wanted the day to feel like a piece of home.  Luckily, I found the perfect location 20 minutes outside of NYC at the Queens County Farm Museum.  They also recommended the perfect caterer that was able to work within our budget.  We also had a great photographer that was able to capture all of the great moments of the day. Being a designer and a natural do-it-yourselfer, I was able to keep the wedding cost down.  I designed our save the dates, invitations, and escort cards.  I even painted our cake topper.  After months of collecting antique aqua mason jars my parents found a florist in Queens to make the table arrangements, short notice nonetheless.  My now husband created the playlist for the ceremony and we had a friend recommend a DJ that made our reception unforgettable.  All of these things ended up being perfect for our day.

Wedding Photography: InfocusNYC Photography / Ceremony + Reception Location: Queens County Farm Museum / Invitations: The Bride / Wedding Dress: Vintage

Okay, I know all of you out there have seen Sleepless in Seattle once or twice and when you do, you always get the chills when they meet on the top of the Empire State Building, right? I know it’s not just me! Well, imagine getting married there, right at the tippity top, to the love of your life with the entire city of New York as your backdrop. Talk about romantic! This film by Norris Films is sure to give you the chills as well as this adorable couple pledges their love for one another.

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From Norris Films…Recently I had the opportunity to film a wedding ceremony at the top of the Empire State Building in NYC.   This is only the second time in the history of the building that a wedding was held at the observatory deck.

Wedding Cinematography: Norris Films

When modern meets New York, it’s always a match made in heaven and then when you add in a fabulously creative couple with their own Film Company and design and styling by Hatch Creative Studio, the wedding turns into a total home-run. We’re talking right out of the park, Babe Ruth style. Creativity is bursting from every little inch of this fête, including an amazing installation of paper chains, a flash mob during the ceremony and a cool as can be logo representing the water towers above STUDIO 450 where the festivities took place. Dave Robbins Photography snapped all the goodness from beginning to end and believe me, you’ll want to take a trip to the gallery for the full day. It’s New York at its finest.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…We fell in love with the venue because it was a beautiful all white space, and we wanted to embrace the stark whiteness of it, the blank canvas, but add some accents and warmth.  Lots of little candles everywhere.  We wanted to express the beauty of the urban environment, and take advantage of the rawness of the studio space in a cool industrial chic way.  But still beautiful, and a little unexpected. We wanted our guests to feel a sense of delight.  We wanted the venue to feel very New York, but “our” New York.

On the roof of the venue (Studio 450) there are two giant water towers, and water towers became a design element that we used in our Save The Date, Invitations, Website, our ‘logo,’ and embossed by hand on the cover of our programs. It’s hard to explain why we like watertowers so much — style, functionality, and unexpected beauty.  They invite you to look up, and once you do, you see the city in an entirely new way.  There’s a metaphor in there for marriage somewhere!

The paper chain idea was to make a beautiful mess of paper chains behind the ceremony space. We like the symbolism of the chains, joining links, as we join our lives together, as a couple, but also with our family and community. But we also liked the idea of taking a very common and humble material like paper and transforming it into something unique and beautiful.  Barb and Nelson took this little seed of an idea, and transformed it into an incredible installation that far exceeded our expectations.  It wasn’t just a backdrop for our ceremony … it became part of our ceremony.  It became a representation of our community, and all the different friendships and relationships that had collectively brought us to this moment in our lives. What started as design idea has now taken on a life of its own.  After getting married we formed a production company together: Paper Chain Productions.  The name now represents to us not only our wedding, but our partnership, our connected community of friends and family, and the idea that you can build something beautiful and inspiring, from a simple scrap of paper.

We were engaged for a year and a half, which is a super long time to be in the ‘planning stage’ of a wedding.  By the time the wedding rolled around, we felt pretty planned out!  So we decided it would be fun to have a moment of ‘planned spontaneity’ during our wedding ceremony, and we invited our lovely and fearless friends to help us execute it. Two days before the wedding we sent out an email to a group of our friends, asking them to participate in an impromptu performance smack in the middle of our ceremony.  We didn’t know what to call it at the time, but a ‘flash mob’ comes close.  We didn’t ask anybody to rehearse, and we had no idea how many of our friends would actually participate, let alone if the idea would work.  But that wasn’t the point.  The point was to do something fun, and utterly in the moment.  It was wonderful, and is one of our favorite memories of the day.  At the end of the readings, a friend stood up in his chair, and belted out “It don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that swing.” Followed by 15 or so of our friends standing up and joining in “Doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah!”  This happened twice, and the entire thing lasted maybe 30 seconds.  It was perfect. Looking out to see our friends and relatives bravely standing up and “doo-wah-ing” and dancing their hearts out, seeing the surprised and delighted looks on every one else’s faces, and hearing the explosion of laughter…it was such a sweet release, and connected everyone with each other for the more serious moments that followed.

Wedding Planner: Just About Married, Rebecca Joyce / Event + Floral Design: Hatch Creative Studio / Wedding Photography: Dave Robbins Photography / Photo Booth: We Love Photobooths / Invitation Design: Mother of the Bride / Officiant: Friend of the Groom / Ceremony + Reception Venue: STUDIO 450 / Lighting: Lightworks Interactive / Catering: Marcey Brownstein Catering + Events / Wedding Cake Decor: Hatch Creative Studio / Hair + Make-up: Face Time Beauty Concierge / Wedding Dress: Saja Wedding / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Ring Box: Bride’s Great Great Grandfather’s Snuff Box / Logo + Map Design: Mark Stinson (Groom’s Step-Brother)

This charming Garrison soiree is about to brighten your Monday morning with a whole bundle of lovely details, including a vibrant yellow and blue color palette, beautiful blooms by Bridal Flowers Exclusive and some beyond breathtaking views of the Hudson Valley.  (Seriously… Check out that ceremony set-up!)  And with an entire gallery overflowing with brilliant images by Ulysses Photography, I just can’t stop swooning over all of this pretty.  So, start your week off right (very right) and join me in the gallery for every amazing moment!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride… I was never one of those girls who’d been dreaming about my wedding day since age 10, so I had nothing in mind for the big day when I got engaged. While my fiancé and I love a good party and host plenty of them at our apartment, we realized our wedding would be a celebration for our family and friends. We tried to focus on the necessities that would make the day urbane to us as a couple: a beautiful view, good food, good music and bright colors. Most of all, when I looked at my wedding album, I wanted to make sure the images were timeless. I’d been perusing wedding blogs as soon as I got engaged and found that many of the images appeared trendy. I saw a lot of photographs that produced images with a smoky, vintage look or a fishbowl roundness to them.  I wanted to make sure the one thing I took back from the day—the pictures—would be clean and focused on the moments of the day.

I’d picked The Garrison for our venue easily after looking at a handful of places in the area. I liked the clean, open feeling of their space. I wanted to be away from New York City where we live to allow for a slower-paced day. My mother, soon-to-be mother-in-law, and I looked around the room at the Garrison and instantly knew all of our friends and family would feel comfortable spending the day there. The view really made it stand apart from the rest.

From the jump, Jenni and Ulysses at Ulysses Photography were incredibly responsive. Jenni answered all our questions easily and promptly, and their experience spoke for itself. At the end of big day, I was most pleased with Jenni and Ulysses. They are so wonderful as a team and really got to know us beforehand through email and our engagement photo session.  On my wedding day, I was overwhelmed with all sorts of emotion: nervousness, excitement. When it came time for our private photo shoot, I couldn’t believe the day was actually happening and needed a moment once I saw my groom. Jenni and Ulysses were so patient. Jenni even gave me a pep talk about all the little things that were floating around in my head and distracting me. Above and beyond the call of duty!

The general décor was to be simple as we are as a couple. The details seemed to fall together. I wanted pears to be on display, as my new last name, Hruska, meant pear in Czech.  I picked three wicker baskets that matched the wooden tables at the Garrison to hold a few pears. We also included two images of pears on either side of the guest names on our escort cards. In memory of my cousin Samantha who had passed away in the time I got engaged and married, I had two sunflower arrangements, as they were her favorite flower. She was so excited when we got engaged and I needed to have a visual reminder of her. To spruce up the table settings, our dear friend and artist, Emily Nagle, created custom images of places Mike and I had been to in our relationship and planned to go to on our honeymoon. She designed our save-the-date, so we wanted to tie the feel of her artwork into the day itself. For music, we picked DJ PQ, who was recommended by the DJ at a friend’s wedding where I had danced all night. We wanted to make sure the dance floor was packed because we both love to dance. His mix cd was right up our alley. It contained a majority of the songs I’d been compiling to play at the wedding anyway!

Thankfully, everything went off without a hitch. All of our gut reactions proved solid. Our vendors helped make the day just as special as everyone who attended. I can’t describe the feeling of looking out into the crowd as you prepare to say your vows and knowing that all the hard work (prepping for the wedding and nurturing your relationship) is fully supported by those staring back at you.  Utterly priceless. Make the day what you want by surrounding yourself with good people. That’s my wedding motto!

Wedding Photography: Ulysses Photography / Flowers: Bridal Flowers Exclusive / Location: The Garrison / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Wedding Dress: Enzoani / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Make-up: Jill Imbrogno / Hair: Diane, The Garrison Salon / Wedding Cake: The Pastry Garden / Artwork: Emily Nagle

We have a double wammy of Engagement goodness today. First, are the undeniably gorgeous images of one super cute couple and their jaunt through Central Park as seen through the lens of James Christianson. Next up on the love parade is a stop at The Carlyle for more engagement shoot goodness and a little added swankiness and then the culmination…a really awesome film. Yep folks, that’s how they do it in New York. See it all here!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

And as if this engagement session weren’t completely gorgeous on its own, it also has a little partner in fabulosity. Meet the cutest film shot by Kevin Von Qualen…

From James Christianson Photographer…For Courtney & Cesar’s engagement session, we enjoyed a leisurely afternoon stroll through Central Park as well as a stop by the historical Cafe Carlyle and Bemelmans Bar where the couple had their first date. The Cafe Carlyle and Bemelman’s Bar are located within the historical Carlyle Hotel which housed Richard Rogers as their first tenant and showcases the beautiful art of Ludwig Bemelmans on the walls (artist of the popular children’s books, “Madeline”).

Photography: James Christianson Photographer / Cinematography: Kevin Von Qualen

I could NOT be more excited to share this fabulously whimsical wedding captured by Katie Osgood. Seriously, there are legit ants in my pants. Well, not legit – but let’s just say I did a little jig at the sight of each and every image. So it shouldn’t be a huge shock when I promise this soiree provides a huge dose of happiness wrapped up in one pretty little post. Jimmy Choos, TOMS, glitter and confetti – ladies and gents, does it get any better? After looking at all the party perfect pretty in the full gallery, I think you would agree with me that it indeed does not!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…My vision started with the concept of the New York skyline. I use to sit by my office window and as summer turned to winter and I remember these beautiful sunsets. The grey buildings turned to indigo and the different colored hues of orange, peach and mauve just made my day at work feel so much better looking out the window. The metallics represented the city lights and the fun that would start once my day of work was over, meeting friends for a great meal and a fantastic cocktail!

The geometric centerpieces not only showed a relationship to the ceiling panels in the reception hall at Maritime Parc but also to downtown Manhattan and how from any angle you look at NYC it will always be beautiful.

Wedding Photography: Katie Osgood Photography / Assistant Photographer: Heather East / Wedding Videography: Visualanties / Floral Design: In Bloom New York / Confetti: Confetti Systems / Venue, Catering + Wedding Cake: Maritime Parc / Event Planning, Place Cards + Table Numbers: Lara Kahn / Graphic Design: Miss Pickles Press (design) / DJ: Jeffery Tonnessen / Cake Topper: Confetti Systems / Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss / Bow Tie: Charvet / Wedding Dress: Paloma Blanca / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo + TOMS

From the moment I first laid eyes on the Metropolitan Building, I was hooked. The urban feel of the space, the cool vintage curiosities, the way it translates into a wedding venue… pure heaven. And with a DIY couple and a dream team of vendors on board including Documentary Photographer Minnow Park and Portrait Photographer Connie Wang, day-of-coordinator extraordinaire Talida Bakes and a slew of yummy treats courtesy by Nine Cakes, this wedding is sky-rocketing to the top of our favorites list. And talk about DIY queen, the lovely Bride made her very own dress. Yep, that gorgeous frock is 100% handmade by the Mrs. Ok, now I am officially impressed. See it all in one pretty spot!

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From Talida Bakes…As a close friend of the bride, I knew Cheryl and Joe’s wedding would be great. Cheryl is a “Jill of all trades”, as she can make anything and everything herself. Cheryl and Joe were married last September at the beautiful Metropolitan Building in Long Island City, where they created the most tailored and romantic setting for a wedding. There was hardly a thing in the room that wasn’t made by Cheryl, Joe, or one of their friends.

It was the ultimate DIY wedding since Cheryl sewed her own dress. Being in fashion, she had such a specific dress in mind that making it herself was really the only option. It took her 3 months, but she had the dress of her dreams. She also made the gorgeous necklace she adorned, as well as the jewelry worn by all the bridesmaids. And the bridesmaid dresses were bought from J.Crew, but Cheryl customized the dresses according to each girl’s style. Cheryl’s coworker tailored Joe’s suit for a perfect fit, and they recruited menswear line 3sixteen to design custom ties for the groomsmen.

Friends helped gather bottles over the months to contribute to the gathered look of the centerpieces. Cheryl purchased vintage wooden spools from eBay for the escort cards and spooled them with thread in their wedding colors. The favors, jars of button shaped chocolates, were lovingly made by Cheryl and friends. And on top of all this, Cheryl herself designed the entire suite of wedding stationery.

Not only did Cheryl and Joe have the eye for designing their entire wedding, but they had so many friends help pitch in to make the day happen as they dreamed. When asked what was the best part of the wedding, they said, “What made our wedding most meaningful was having so many people help out and share the day with us. We really couldn’t ask for better friends and family.

Venue: Metropolitan Building / Wedding Dress + Jewelry: Cheryl Szabo / Hair: Kenneth Salon / Groom’s Suit: J.Crew / Groom’s + Groomsmen’s Ties: 3sixteen / Documentary Photographer: Minnow Park Photography / Engagement + Portrait Photographer: Connie Wang Photography / Wedding Cake: Nine Cakes / Caterer: Fallier Catering / Day-Of Coordinator: Talida Bakes / Flowers: Hanaeflora

Okay, so this is like every girl’s dream come true in the form of an inspiration shoot by the talents of Scott Andrew Studio and Tracy Taylor Ward Design. They decided to collaborate on something different and that something turned out to be this modern romantic tale of two people, away for a weekend in the city and a surprise engagement and wedding. Imagine you wake up in the morning to a gorgeous ring and the love of your life asking you to marry him that very day. And he’s thought of everything: your dress, your jewels, your flowers and shoes. I know, can you even stand it! I think you’ll agree with me when I say that this photo shoot is beyond gorgeous and romantic. And there’s even more in the gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Tracy Taylor Ward Design…When Adrienne from Bespoke Affairs and I decided that the time had finally come to get together to produce an inspiration shoot befitting our timeless, romantic and modern ideals of love, it was only a matter of minutes before we knew exactly what needed to be done. We wanted to flip the notion of a traditional wedding on its side and break out of the box, so we decided to show what a proposal-cum-elopement (which could also translate perfectly into a vow renewal) might look like! We thought that a morning wedding (a “wakeup wedding”) would enable our couple to take the entire day thereafter to rejoice in the beauty of their newlywed bliss … And wouldn’t the voyeur in all of us enjoy a sneak peek into what could go on after-hours?

The plot reads as Anderson Parker has just proposed to Kylie Wilson. Upon arriving in New York City for a weekend away together Anderson asks Kylie to “marry me today,” and luckily for him, Kylie has eagerly accepted. Anderson has already coordinated all the wedding details in advance so that every aspect of the day will be a starry-eyed surprise and breathtaking reveal for Kylie; from her bridal gown and jewels, to the table scape, to a wedding breakfast tasting menu, all the fun and romance in store is beyond her wildest expectations. She knew he was a romantic, but he has TRULY blown her away.

I wanted the decor and styling to reflect the feeling of everything being “perfectly undone” and to portray the couple unwinding layer by layer. From the lush and flowing flowers falling off the table set for two, to the couples hair and attire gradually unraveling throughout the day, my goal was to show how natural beauty radiates from everything… Especially when you’re in love, having fun and allowing yourself to let go!

Wedding Photography: Scott Andrew Studio / Event Planning: Adrienne Colosimo of Bespoke Affairs / Event Production, Florals, Styling + Graphic Design: Tracy Taylor Ward Design featuring Tracy Taylor Ward (design), S.Kendall Bradford (florals), Haley Lieberman (styling) + Paper with Benefits by Matthew Carrigan (paper goods) / Venue: Eventi Hotel / Hair: Styles on B / Make-up: Sally Duvall / Wedding Dress + Veil: Junko Yoshioka / Suit: Zara / Undergarments: Kiki De Montparnasse + La Perla / Jewelry: Kate Spade + Judith Jack / Bride’s Shoes: Nicholas Kirkwood / Forks: Pretty Paris / Plates + Goblets: The Creme / Petit Cakes: Lolly Love

A big thank you to Joshua Zuckerman Photography for sending this pretty as can be rooftop bea-u-u-u-ty our way! And I mean a BIG thank you! I don’t think I’ve stopped swooning over all the details since the moment I saw the very first picture. Actually I know I haven’t because that first picture was of the stylish bride’s snakeskin loubies she wore to marry her handsome hubby. SO fabulous. It’s New York rooftop done oh so right and there is even more in the full gallery of images!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Joshua Zuckerman Photography…Erica and Craig wanted a fun New York style party for their wedding. They chose Center 548, a new venue in the trendy meatpacking district of Manhattan. (Their wedding was the first one at Center 548). The rooftop made for a dramatic urban backdrop for the ceremony while the all white loft interior was a calming light-filled refuge for the reception with big windows to take in the city views. To keep the décor soft and pretty, they kept the color-scheme white but used soft green accents to make the room feel fresh and spring-like.

To add variety to the couple’s portraits, we took pictures at The W hotel where they got ready, and then on the streets for a gritty city element and then a few in the gardens near the West Side highway. Immediately after the ceremony, the couple took a few minutes inside the reception area for a few more photos. Erica’s gorgeous dress by Junko Yoshioka was a dream to photograph with its rich textures, details and softness. Later in the evening Erica changed into a chic gown by Ralph Lauren. The cake, a mad hatter theme, was one of the best I’ve seen. Their wedding was definitely a party – with everyone dancing from the start of the reception till the end of the night. Erica’s parents were very involved with planning the details of the wedding and they did a fantastic job.

Wedding Photography: Joshua Zuckerman Photography / Bridal Gown: Junko Yoshioka / Bride’s Second Dress: Ralph Lauren / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Headpieces: Basia / Earrings: Garraud / Groom’s Suit + Bow Tie: Ralph Lauren / Groom’s Shoes’s + Shirt: Paul Stuart / Invitation: Arzbberger / Hair: Ana Cruz / Make-up: Keri Berman / Lighting: L&M Sound & Light / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Flowers: Chestnuts in the Tuileries / Caterer: Great Performances / Wedding Cake: Sugar Flower Cake Shop / Music: East Coast Band of Sam Hill Entertainment / Wedding Videography: Fred Marcus / Venue: Center 548

When the love is strong and great between a couple a little rain, even a downpour, won’t sour their wedding day.  Such was the case for these soul-mates who had a completely breathtaking wedding despite the weather.  Old world charm meets whimsical elegance is the perfect theme that was used as inspiration for all the sweet details.  Style Art Life not only helped with some of that great style but is responsible for the gorgeous photographs as well.  See them all in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Style Art Life…Dana knew the moment she saw Carl walked into the restaurant she was working at, that he was the one for her and “called dibs on him” amongst her colleagues. Timing was too soon when they first dated and had to bring the young relationship to a halt.  Flash forward 10 years, Dana ended up in California while Carl remained in NY. Despite the many relationships that came to pass, Dana always knew Carl was the one. One evening, Dana took a leap of faith and placed a phone call to him. After their first weekend visit, Carl knew Dana was it for him and took a leap of faith 6 months later to leave NY for California to be with her. Their old past had become their charmed future.

Inspired by the concept of old meets new (like their relationship), Dana wanted to have a feeling of old world charm mixed with a  spirit of whimsical panache. Dana wanted an event that was intimate, more like a dinner party. Before Dana had even picked her venue, she knew she wanted me to photograph her day and in helping with the event styling. Dana not only loved my photography work but my personal wedding style which she had seen on SMP. She used that as a jumping off point to begin planning her own sweet & whimsically charmed affair. Dana & I became friends through the planning process as I became her sounding board, as well as offered to scout out a beautiful “getting ready” location like the Cromwell Manor where we ended up.

Dana chose Brotherhood winery for its history and claim-to-fame of being America’s oldest winery. The winery has a hauntingly elegant wine cellar where dinner was held over long Tuscan style tables. Burlap details were contrasted with metal lanterns which illuminated the cellar lined with 100-year-old wine barrels. Seating charts were written on a slate board matching the slate numbers on the table.  Dana also became very familiar with the Etsy online market as she found hand streamers, antique spoons for accents, personalized cufflinks as gifts & even someone to make a sign “I call dibs”. For their photo booth, a Polaroid camera along with whimsical props were set out for guests to leave a picture & note in the guest book. To embrace Dana’s Italian heritage, she had a frosting-free cannoli cake made. For her dress, it was another “Carl moment” after she tried on the Jim Hjelm dress, no other one compared.  Though she initially purchased a different dress, her heart eventually brought her back to “the one”.

It was important to Dana to have an outdoor ceremony. Though plans were thwarted by heavy rain with no backup plan, the groom came up with a charming idea to have the ceremony under a tree that was thick enough to keep most of the rain out as guests gathered under an adjacent deck awning to watch. Dana walked down the aisle to the song “Marry Me” by the band Train which couldn’t be any more apropos if you listen to the lyrics. Though it turned into a rain drenched evening, the love between Dana & Carl beamed with sunshine through the dreary downpour.

Wedding Photography: Twah Dougherty of Style Art Life / Floral Design: Fleur-Di-Re / Ceremony + Reception Location: Brotherhood Winery / Invitations: Debbie of Wrapsody Invitations / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Wedding Dress: Jim Hjelm / Hair: Jennifer Dillan / Make-up: Amanda Hudziak / Charm for Bridal Bouquet + Cufflink Charms: Kristin Victoria Designs / Wedding Cake: Defilppis Bakery / Thank You Bags: Papermoon By Kat / Caterer: Wayne Hall / I Call Dibs Sign: Sarah Phillips of Cardboard Sheek

Happy Friday, lovelies! We’ve got quite the pretty wedding for you this morning filled with sweet, personal touches. My favorite has got to be the escort cards. The bride, a huge lover of Starbucks decided to share her love with all the guests and put a giftcard inside an envelope which was then tucked into boxes made to look like old library card drawers…remember those days of the card catalogs? Then the drawers were filled with fresh coffee beans. What a super cool way to make a personal statement and who doesn’t love Starbucks? FS Photography and McKenzie Miller Films were there to capture all the special moments and details. Click here for more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

Tissue alert! Take a moment to view this sweet film by McKenzie Miller Films!

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From the Bride…Choosing The Loeb Central Park Boathouse was a no-brainer for us. Being in Central Park, its location was just too perfect to pass up. With that settled, we decided to style our wedding so that it complimented the venue’s contemporary feel while also adding in a modern twist. With our wedding being in the summer, we took advantage of the lively bright colors that we were surrounded by and chose a sunny yellow to be our main color. Instead of choosing complimenting colors, we worked in tones, yellow tones. The best way for us to emphasize that was with our flowers. We loved our flowers and spent a lot of time figuring out exactly how they should look. We figured that this was a great way for us to meld the classic and the modern, so we had them in a new uniform version of apothecary bottles; each table had its own cluster topped off with a mini chalk board table marker in an industrial metal frame.

Since we wanted our wedding to really say something about us as a couple, we made a lot of the details ourselves. We had two large chalkboards of which we painted in our yellow tones and distressed and used for photo opportunities, these made happy photos even more fun. For more practical reasons, we built a large gift box and wrapped it in beautifully contrasting, fun patterns so that guests would easily be able to drop off their enveloped gifts. Perhaps our favorite hand crafted element was our guest book. We wanted guests to be able to give us thoughtful notes without having to rush, so we purchased a leather notebook with handmade heavy weight paper and sporadically added some photos from our engagement shoot throughout its pages. Each page also had eight photo corners on it. We then stamped individual notecard sized pieces of card stock  with the note: “to the happy couple…”. Each place setting was then topped with this card and a black Le Pen…the guests were able to figure out what to do from there. This was so fun! And now we have  a guest book that feels like a time capsule from our big day. We love it!

Our last major touch was our wedding favors. As Michelle is a bit obsessed with Starbucks, we figured we would share that element with our guests. We put a Starbucks gift card in its own envelope for each guest. These doubled as escort cards as we labeled each envelope with the guest’s name and table number. We placed these in boxes that we embellished to look like old library drawers and were filled with coffee beans. The overall look was so us. Everything came together so perfectly. Those little touches not only meant a great deal to us, but it really helped our guests to get enveloped by the experience. It truly meant the world to us to see how happy our friends and family were.

Venue: The Loeb Central Park Boathouse / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Wedding Photography: FS Photography / Wedding Videography: McKenzie Miller Films / Floral Design: Lenox Hill Florist / DJ: DJ Dan Chavez of Scratch Events / Event Planning + Design + Invitations: The Bride + Groom / Wedding Cake + Desserts: Mark Joseph Cakes / Bridesmaid Dresses: Pricilla Of Boston / Jewelry: Vera Wang

I am fairly certain that if you looked up the word “glamorous” in the dictionary, you’d find a photo of this stunning bride, with a subsection for her glorious Reem Acra gown and TO DIE FOR necklace.  And you’d also find every. single. amazing. image of this elegant New York City soiree as captured by Lauren Gabrielle Photography, because if this wedding isn’t the definition of glamour, I don’t know what is.  From the breathtaking location to the sweet pink blooms by Bridal Flowers Exclusive and some killer Badgley Mischka heels, this is most definitely one love story that I never want to end.  And with every exquisite detail planned and designed by Pasha Events, there is SO much more fabulous for us to devour in the gallery.  Join me there for even more!

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From the Bride… I started my wedding planning by selecting three words that I wanted our wedding to embody: Sophisticated-New York-Elegance. When my then fiancé and I threw open the doors of the Nave at the Riverside Church, we knew we had found our venue. Everything about the Nave screamed Sophisticated-New York-Elegance. And when we acted out our first dance in the reception room of the Riverside Church, we knew we didn’t have to look any further.

While I was head-over-heels in love with the Reem Acra gown I wore and the jewelry I selected, the best part of our wedding day was feeling the love Alex and I had for one another resonate among our closest family and friends. I truly believe the love and happiness everyone felt was palpable that night. And for that, we are eternally grateful to our family and friends for helping making our special day the happiest day of our lives.

Wedding Photography: Lauren Gabrielle Photography / Wedding Cinematography: Affordable Videographers / Flowers: Bridal Flowers Exclusive / Event Design + Planning: Pasha Events / Ceremony + Reception Location: The Riverside Church of New York / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Wedding Dress: Reem Acra / Hair + Make-up: Natura Spa

Some people have the most adorable props for wielding at their engagement shoots and other people have things like the New York City subway and the Brooklyn Bridge to accompany their e-session along with a whole lot of love which really you can’t beat. Plus, the FAB-U-LOUS images by Taylor Lord Photography need no introduction. They are simply that stunning and they are awaiting your adoration in the full gallery. Click away!

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From the Bride…Chris and I are getting married in Austin, but we live in NYC and wanted to be sure our life in New York was included in our wedding in some way. We thought the best way to do that was to take our engagement pictures all over New York so we could include iconic locations as well as places that are special to us or unique to the city.  Our photographer, Taylor Lord, flew up for the weekend from Texas and graciously agreed to spend an entire day with us trekking around New York and taking pictures all over the place.  We had an amazing time with her and think we got some really great pictures in the process.  It was so great to be able to capture what our life is now because we know it will change so much in the future.   We absolutely cannot wait to see how she captures our wedding day!

Photography: Taylor Lord Photography

Joe Elario Photography sent this gorgeous Saratoga wedding our way and I must say, I’ve always been a huge fan of that lace Monique Lhuillier number. It is practically a classic now and the Bride completely rocks its socks off. It also happens to pair nicely with all of the lovely, vintage details and romantic blooms fashioned by Fleurtacious Designs. But the kicker? That would be the centerpieces, a.k.a the most creative use of cake stands to date. We are definitely storing that genius detail in our arsenal of entertaining ideas. Grab a comfy seat and head into the gallery for loads more. You won’t want to miss a second of this beauty.

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From the Bride…We were engaged on a Monday night.  Joe and I drove north after work from Albany to Saratoga where my mother had invited us up to barbecue.  Everything about the night was ordinary.  I became a little anxious as Joe kept slowing down and making stops, since I had told my mother we would be at the house by 6.  Little did I know what was in store.  Joe missed the left to my parent’s house and then missed a second possible left.  I became even more anxious when instead he made a right and parked in downtown Saratoga Springs.  Since we were late, my stubbornness had me refusing to get out of the car when Joe said he wanted to show me something.  After going back and forth, he decided this was the perfect place to propose, and asked me to marry him right there in the parking lot.  I was completely surprised and ecstatic!  The night ended with a champagne toast and dinner with our parents and my great-aunt at our favorite restaurant in Saratoga (they’d been in on the plan all along, alas the barbecue was not to be).  The drive home was consumed by phone calls to friends and family and sharing my wedding ideas with Joe.

With Joe’s support and input along the way, we went for a classic vintage feel with inspiration from Saratoga, NY (the horse racing capital), from the dress to the table settings and decor.  We chose a neutral palate with soft pink and yellow color integrated throughout.  One inspiration found us at a local junkyard where we found two old doors. My father cleaned them up and assembled rows of nails to hang escort table cards.  Hung by an ivory ribbon, small good horseshoes dangled with a tag featuring each guests’ name and table number.  Our hotel welcome bags were brown burlap with an ivory horseshoe painted on, filled with all local goodies (Saratoga water, Saratoga potato chips, handmade soap in the shape of a horseshoe).  To go with the vintage and Saratoga theme, the invitations were ivory cardstock with a gold edge and a gold painted horse and carriage carrying a bride and groom at the center. We sent the save the dates in the shape of a paper airplane saying “Hold your Horses, and the Date.”

I knew we would have a large wedding, but wanted to ensure that all felt like it was a small intimate affair.  The ceremony was conducted by a Cantor who we know very well and was religious, yet beautifully personal and featured participation by several guests.  The aisle was lined with small gardenia trees and the Chuppah was made from birch wood.  Although we were in a tent for the ceremony, I wanted it to feel like our backyard. The celebration continued in a gorgeous tent where tables were decorated with cake plates for the flowers to rest and beautiful, colorful china.  Our family and friends barely left the dance floor.  The perfect day ended with a trolley ride back to the hotel to continue the celebration with family and friends.

Wedding Photography: Joe Elario Photography / Wedding Cinematography: Al Woodard Films / Event + Floral Design: Fleurtacious Designs / Ceremony + Reception Location: Saratoga National Golf Club / Invitations: PaperDolls of Saratoga / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier via Kleinfeld Bridal

When your brand new sister-in-law is the fabulous Raina of Raina Dawn Events, you’re going to have a fabulous wedding – no doubt about it. The proof is in this New York Botanical Garden affair – it’s gorgeous. Raina was able to work with her new sister-in-law to create the wedding of her dreams, and I’ll admit – it’s been the wedding of my dreams since I first laid eye on the soiree, captured by Carrie Rodman Wedding Photography. I bet it will even grace a few of your dreams tonight – especially after checking out all the stunning deets in the full image gallery!

In order to make it easy for our family and friends to attend our wedding, we chose to get married in New York.  We both live in New York City and Rick’s family and some of my family are in metropolitan area, and all of our friends are here, so it was very easy for us to decide on a location right outside the Manhattan.

We wanted a venue that would provide an elegant and formal atmosphere with a traditional ballroom and amazing food.  We also wanted a place provided an opportunity to take amazing pictures.  We found that at The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, New York.

We decided on a very formal, black tie, and elegant wedding.  Rick left most of the wedding planning up to me and his sister.  He only had a couple requests, one of which was for a red velvet wedding cake.  When it came to reception papers I chose a company recommended by my sister in law and professional wedding planner, Raina Dawn Events, called Haute Papier.  The menus they did added an accent flare to the table by using a scripty font in purple againstan ecru card stock with a damask theme. I used this same design for the programs, table numbers, and seating cards.

When it came to photography we chose the photographer who shot our surprise engagement and did such an amazing job that we hired her for the wedding.  She put the extra time and attention into the pictures and they turned out amazing!

Thanks to my amazing sister in law and wedding planner, I had a 33-page itinerary that included everything from the menu, contact numbersfor all the venders and bridal party, and an extensive timeline.   I allotted extra time in the timeline to minimize the stress on my wedding day and to account for the unexpected. Therefore,the day ran smoothly and on time.  Rick and I wanted to enjoy our cocktail hour and, since we have to see each other before the wedding in the Jewish tradition, we took pictures before the wedding.

I was told that something unexpected will always happen and to be prepared for it. That one thing that stands out was that the two people I asked to sign my katubah didn’t arrive in time. One of the individuals accidentally went to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens instead of the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. When he arrived at the wrong destination there was a wedding and they were about to sign the ketubah. He told them he was there to sign the ketubah and they ushered him immediately in.  Not until he looked at the name imprinted into the yameka did he realize he was at the wrong wedding.  Needless to say, he didn’t make it in time for my ketubah signing.  These events you can’t predict, so we found two other jewish guests to sign the ketubah.  A story we will always laugh about in years to come!

When I think back on our special day there were so many memorable moments!  The ceremony by far was the most memorable moment for me.  Since I was a child, I imagined myself walking down the aisle and right before the doors opened, I still, couldn’t believe it was happening.  I just tried to take in that moment as best as I could and as I walked down the aisle,  I just gazed into Rick’s eyes.  I felt like I was floating down the aisle with my mom and dad guiding me.  It was completely surreal.

Another moment I’ll never forget was the ceremony kiss.  Our rabbi told us to practice, so we would know what appropriate and would prevent an awkward moment. Rick and I didn’t practice or discuss the topic much before the event, so we winged it.  Rick took control and it was the best kiss and an amazing moment full of emotion and elation.  Those emotions came out in the kiss and it was perfect!

Then of course there was the first dance.  That was an intimate momentthat we could hold each other and allow the events of the day to sink in. We spoke without others around, and kissed like no one was watching.

The night went by fast, so when I had the dance with my father, it was very touching between the two of us.  It was at that moment that it set in- this was my wedding and I’m was finally married to the most amazing man!

Photography: Carrie Rodman Wedding Photography / Cinematography: The Bleu Studios / Flowers: Lucy Wu Floral Design / Event Planning: Raina Dawn Events / Ceremony Location: The New York Botanical Garden / Reception Location: The New York Botanical Garden / Invitations: Judy Paulen Designs / Reception Papers: Haute Papier / Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Dress: Pronovias / Entertainment: NYC Swing / Hair: Davide Torchio Salon

Now, this is how I like to start my Monday.  In fact, I wouldn’t mind starting my every day just this way… With a nice cup of coffee, sunny skies and gorgeous image after gorgeous image of this lovely New York City affair by the ah.ma.zing Karen Wise.  Yep, sounds pretty good to me.  And you’ll be sure to agree with me once you jump right into this lovely soiree, complete with some of the most beautiful florals I have ever seen by Rountree Flowers, a breathtaking location, a brilliant purple color palette and a stunning Vera Wang gown.  Yes.  Please.  With every detail designed and executed by the genius that is Stellina Events, this is definitely one wedding that I’ll be revisiting time and time again.  So, sit back and stay awhile… There is a whole gallery full of pretty to enjoy!

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From the Bride… Grady and I knew from the start that our wedding didn’t need to be nor should it be perfect.  Life is messy and unpredictable, and only in the chaos of it all can you step back and gain some clarity about what the priorities are.  Like almost everything in our relationship, we knew we would have to do things a bit unconventionally for our wedding.  Our daughter, Eva, was 17 months old when we got married.  Because of this we wanted our wedding to be an intimate affair – an opportunity for everyone we love to be together, celebrate with one another and meet our daughter. We decided to have our wedding in New York, where we both had lived and where my family currently lives.  When we chose our venue, we were living in Chicago and in the process of moving to Portland, OR.  So, all wedding choices would need to be made from the gut with little time to mull things over.  Having a baby helps with that process!

We picked our venue after only one visit.  The Lillian Goldman Stone Mill at the New York Botanical Garden and the in-house caterers, Abigail Kirsch, were the perfect match for us.  The setting was spectacular – an old stone mill on the banks of the Bronx River in a lush and wooded area.  We had only heard rave reviews about the food and planning that Abigail Kirsch provided.  With the venue and caterer settled upon, we knew we were going to use the photographer (the lovely Karen Wise) and DJ (Small Change) that Grady’s brother and sister-in-law used for their wedding.  Because planning was no simple task living on the opposite coast, in a new home with a little baby, we hired Amanda Diamondstein-Cieplinska of Stellina Events to help find some of the vendors and orchestrate the day’s events.  It was a life saver having someone in NYC locating these vendors for us and making sure everything went seamlessly on the day of our wedding.

The ceremony was beautiful and truly captured the essence of our relationship.  Our wonderful officiant, Cantor Micha’el Esformes, led a rich and meaningful experience that brought everyone into the moment through his words and music.  We stood underneath a chuppah, wedding canopy, that Rountree Florist helped us to envision and bring to life; standing there amongst our families and the pictures of our loved ones who couldn’t be there, Grady and I vowed our love for each other.  This was the most important detail of the whole wedding – to remember all our loved ones and to join our two lives and two families.

Wedding Photography: Karen Wise Photography / Wedding Planning, Design + Styling: Stellina Events / Floral Decor: Rountree Flowers / Venue: The New York Botanical Garden, Lillian and Amy Goldman Stone Mill / Catering: Abigail Kirsch / Wedding Invitations: Studio Olivine / Wedding Gown: Vera Wang / Hair Stylist: Renee Serra / Make-up Artist: Hiroko Takada / DJ: DJ Small Change / Transportation: Silver Star Limousine

This is a tale of a gorgeous, GORGEOUS Bride and her equally handsome Groom exchanging vows in a breathtaking locale in New York. On paper, it sounds like a complete dream and in reality, it’s even more so. Readyluck snapped some amazing imagery for us to drool over and if you can manage to pry your eyes away from the perfect little Monique Lhuillier number, you’ll fall even more in love with every understated yet ever so elegant detail. So sit back, get cozy and spend some time exploring all the fabulousness in the full wedding gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Readyluck…In May I headed an hour outside of New York City to photograph Chloe and Mike’s wedding at Chloe’s parents house.  I met Chloe last year while on assignment for the London Times.  The Times commissioned me to photograph Chloe upon the release of her first book, “Wild Romance,  A Victorian Story of a Marriage, a Trial, and a Self-Made Woman”.  She spent a year living in London researching and writing her book and we met shortly after her return to Washington D.C.  Chloe and I worked wonderfully well together and shortly after our portrait session, she contacted me to see if I would be interested in photographing her wedding.  I was thrilled!

The wedding was everything I thought it would be and more.  Both Chloe and Mike’s clean sophisticated style were present in everything from her lovely dress by Monique Lhuillier from Mark Ingram  to the finest table details.  Wedding planner, Michelle Meltzer, was on top of everything and did a fabulous job with the design of the wedding.  The catering, done by Susan Lawrence, was some of the best I’ve tasted, not to mention the presentation and organization was top-notch.

Wedding Photography: Readyluck / Location: Private Residence / Floral Decor: The Green Vase / Catering: Susan Lawrence Catering / Lighting: Frost Lighting / Tent: Stamford Tent / DJ: DJSeek10, Masika Henson / Ceremony + Cocktail Music: Raya Bass Band / Hair: JD Bowers of Tosler Davis / Make-up: Mary of Tosler Davis / Wedding Coordinator: Michelle Meltzer / Transportation + Valet: World Class Parking / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier via Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier

New York City was just MADE for engagement sessions or at least it seems that way when you lay your eyes on a fabulous shoot like this. Lucas Tingle + Melissa Howlett of Winding Violets had us at Hello with all of these pretty images and Central Park, the Highline and the fabulous citiscapes of NYC are but an added bonus. Get your Big Apple lovin on in the full gallery!

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From Winding Violets…Kristin and Matt have been living in New York City for 3 years; they are the perfect New York City couple: smart, sexy, & sophisticated. Both Kristin and Matt moved to the city independent of one another, him from Connecticut & her from a small town in Ontario, Canada (Kingston).

Kristin and Matt met in New York and fell in love with each other and the city. They now live together on the Upper East Side near Central Park. Central Park has special significance for Kristin and Matt, as it was the site of their first date. Matt thought it would be a romantic idea to take Kristin skating on Wollman Rink. They spent a lovely evening circling Wollman with the city lights filling the Manhattan night’s sky. Matt did walk away a little emasculated, as Kristin has done some competitive figure skating in her past, so she showed him up a little. He should have known better though, taking a Canadian skating?

Following Central Park, we visited The High Line for sundown. The High Line is a relatively new feature of the great City of New York. Chelsea doesn’t have a proper green space, so the city thought it would be a great idea to renovate the old elevated train line that runs through Chelsea into a boardwalk/park. The High Line over looks the Hudson River and runs from 30th to 13th on the lower West Side. They maintain some terrific details that subtly remind the visitors of the train line that once ran where they now walk. Next time you’re in New York City, make sure to visit The High Line for yourselves it’s quite beautiful.

Photography: Winding Violets, Lucas Tingle + Melissa Howlett / Locations: Central Park + The High Line / Her Shoes: BCBG / Dress: Calvin Klein / Necklace: Tiffany & Co. / Earrings: DeScenza Diamonds / His Outfit: Astor & Black / His Shoes: Cole Haan / Watch: Citizen