New York Weddings

Blue Hill at Stone Farms has been on my “must visit” list since the day I was first introduced to this foodie haven and the idea of saying “I do” there gets my taste buds buzzing immediately. But add in all the floral beauty created by The Little Glass Slipper and it upgrades to one fabulously rustic wedding wonderland. Tory Williams captured it all – flowers and food – for our gallery right this way!

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From the Bride… Matt and I first met during a night out in downtown Charleston. We were both in college and met through a mutual friend. We talked, danced, and eventually exchanged phone numbers. We had our first date a couple of days later. It was the first and last time that Matt cooked for me. While the meal itself wasn’t quite memorable, this shy, cute, intelligent and sweet boy was. We have had almost seven amazing years together sharing our love for travel, sports and food. We are currently living in Boston until Matt finishes grad school in May of ’16.

The proposal happened on the night of May 8, 2015. We had tickets to go to a concert, “Of Monsters and Men,” in Boston. I was coming from work, running a bit late, so we hurried right into the venue. The night seemed nothing from the ordinary as we casually got dinner and then grabbed a night cap at a local hotel bar. As we decided to call it a night, Matt suggested that we take the elevator down. As we stepped in, Matt pressed the #17 button and dropped on one knee. I think we actually rode up and down a couple of times during the emotion and excitement, but once we finally got out he had a room booked with champagne waiting on ice. It was the best night of my life.

Photography: Tory Williams Photography | Event Planning: The Wedding Library | Floral Design: The Little Glass Slipper | Wedding Dress: Berta | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Jenny Yoo | Calligraphy: Belles Lettres Calligraphy | Lighting: Pegasus Productions | Officiant: Valerie Coleman | Ceremony Music: Devonshire Players | Venue: Blue Hill At Stone Barns | Bride's Hair + Makeup: Jennifer Leigh Beauty | Bridesmaids' Hair: Hair By Brittany | Rentals: Great neck games and productions

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Jenny Yoo

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Lesson of the day, inspiration can literally come from anywhere. Ask this beautiful bride who used the Danish word “hyggeligt” to plan this entire affair. Loosely translated, she wanted an intimate celebration complete with flickering candlelight surrounded by loved ones and boy oh boy did she nail it. Captured by Clayton Austin we’ve got every cozy moment waiting for you to fall for via The Vault!

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From the Bride…My vision for our wedding was to create an atmosphere and experience for our family and friends of hyggeligt (a Danish idea that is hard to translate in English). I studied in Copenhagen during my junior year abroad and that was the first time I was exposed to hyggeligt, which is loosely understood as comfort, intimacy, flickering candlelight, and the joy of sharing time with loved ones. We wanted the evening to have three stages: a romantic sunset ceremony, an elegant dinner party with great food and lots of wine, and then a wild dance party under the stars.  

Peach and blush are my two favorite colors so we began our color palette there. For the ceremony, our florist Ariella incorporated coral for a pop of color to keep the bridesmaids’ bouquets bright and festive in contrast to my lighter and whiter bouquet. As the last weekend of summer, we wanted the color palette to transition from more summery colors for the ceremony to fall tones for the dining room arrangements, so we incorporated darker reds and plums in our centerpieces as well. Dan is colorblind so creating contrast in our palette was a priority! To honor the harvest season, we used figs and plums and vegetables to augment our flowers. The style I imagined was a secret garden that our guests happened upon where there was a formal dinner party underway. With that image in mind, it was important to me that the flowers breathe and look natural and airy. Ariella was the perfect choice as a florist to create a chuppah and centerpieces that were elegant but captured the feeling of a garden coming to life. She also created a stunning panel of ferns and moss to add greenery and texture to our family portraits.

We were blessed with perfect weather and so our ceremony was set up outside in the courtyard at Blue Hill. Our florist, Ariella, had suggested arranging the ceremony in the round to take advantage of the expanse of the courtyard. Dan and I loved being surrounded by our bridal party seated on fabric ottomans and then our extended family and friends encircling the bridal party. For us, having the ceremony in the round brought to life the tradition of the chuppah being open and welcoming on all sides. Dan and I wrote our own vows in part based on the text of a letter my high school English teacher wrote me. I’ve kept this letter since high school because the message he conveyed in it has meant more to me over the years than I can say. We combined some of Mr. Mellonig’s words with the other pledges we wanted to make to each other. Finally, Rabbi Darcie Crystal chanted the traditional Seven Marriage Blessings in Hebrew, but we also had members of our bridal party read a modern interpretation of the blessings, coming up one at a time to read to us.  

After we signed our marriage license and ketubah, the bridal party walked through Blue Hill’s kitchen to avoid being seen by our guests who were already seated in the courtyard for the ceremony. Blue Hill has a beautiful tradition that everyone in the kitchen stops to salute the bride and groom as they walk through by banging their pots and pans and cheering. The noise was profound and carried such enthusiasm and encouragement. Dan and I were incredibly touched by this gesture made by complete strangers who were already working so hard to make our day special. Of all the crafted details, Dan and I really enjoyed the process of designing our wedding invitations and other wedding paper created for us by Bianca of Little Miss Press. Our save-the-date featured Blue Hill’s flower cart and Bianca helped us create ceremony fans to serve as programs. I love texture and ribbon and even spied some on Bianca’s Instagram that I loved, so our program fans and our escort cards were tied with different types of textured metallic ribbon, which for me added that special touch.

My mother selected my gown and I selected hers. With almost all of the other details for the wedding, I had a very clear vision of what I wanted, but when it came to my dress I really struggled to make my selection. In the end, I chose my gown because I loved the thin layers of the tulle, the lightness of the dress, and the tone on tone beading. The dress was appliqued and beautifully beaded with pearls so the dress sparkled without having any sequins. I still look at my dress and the matching veil all the time! Dan and I also spent quite a bit of time deciding on the flavors for our wedding cake. I think the cake tasting was the absolute highlight of the wedding planning experience for Dan and he spent much time and energy on it, even organizing a cake tasting 30th birthday party for me so our close friends could come to our apartment to taste cake and vote on their favorite flavor combinations. Of course, our friends all went rogue and wrote in their own combinations, so we did not have much help in making our final selection, but we did have fun!

My best advice is to rely on people who you know are reliable. Be honest with yourself in identifying who among your friends and family are interested and well suited to helping you on your big day. If there are little details that are incredibly important to you (a specific photograph or retrieving the broken glass), but that can be easily forgotten by you in all of the excitement, communicate them ahead of time to your most trusted bridesmaids, friends, or family members. Those individuals really want to be helpful and it will take the pressure off you to remember every little last thing and just enjoy the moment, because it goes by so fast and there are no do-overs!

Photography: Clayton Austin | Cinematography: Phil Wall Productions | Event Planning: Soraya Weddings | Floral Design: Ariella Chezar Design | Wedding Dress: Carolina Herrera | Cake: Sugar Flower Cake Shop | Invitations: Little Miss Press | Bride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Rings: Marisa Perry | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Plum Pretty Sugar | Band: Elan Artists | Venue: Blue Hill At Stone Barns

With all the details that go into planning a wedding, we can’t imagine pulling together a day this beautiful in just 4 months. But that’s not the only remarkable thing this couple did, they also managed to keep it a secret! These guests were in for quite a treat when they arrived at New York’s Blue Hill Farm. With stunning florals from Rountree Flowers and Erik Ekroth capturing every lovely detail, we are in love with this surprise affair!

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From the Bride … Surprise! When our small group of friends and family arrived in the silo area of Blue Hill at Stone Barns on September 26, 2014 to celebrate our engagement over an intimate dinner (and wine, lots of wine), however, they had no idea that in less than 30 minutes, they would bear witness to the most memorable moment of our lives: the moment we said “I do!” Our experience shows that you really can plan a dream wedding in 3 months … while moving across the country, starting a new full time job, and keeping it all a big secret!

Ever since Dave planned our first “mystery date” we have taken every opportunity to surprise each other with fun dates ranging from special dinners, to baseball games, to road trips out to the lavender fields in Long Island. We’ve had so much fun surprising each other (and getting surprised!), that it was only fitting to turn the tables and work together to surprise our friends and family. Further, by keeping it a surprise, Dave and I could make our special day entirely our own, not worrying about the well-meaning friends and family members who many times want to insert their own opinions into the planning process.

Only my mother and father knew! They both did a great job of keeping mum and, to be honest, I never could have pulled off such a magical wedding without everything my mom did to help. She even had a few surprises for us up her sleeve in terms of décor, but stayed very true to keeping everything in line with what we had envisioned. The wedding was a surprise to everyone else, even my brother, my closest girlfriends, and Dave’s family and friends.

While Dave and my father welcomed our guests, I “hid” upstairs in the HayLoft bridal suite, which had a little window from which to see everyone getting off the shuttle. Somehow Dave managed to play it cool (it was my exceptionally emotional father about whom we worried the most!), saying hellos and making introductions before leading everyone outside. A surprise to us, my mom worked with a calligrapher in North Carolina to design a special font for our big day, using that design to create chalkboards welcoming our guests and letting them know what was about to take place! Looking back, they really made the wedding. Beyond letting guests know what was coming, the font and style set the mood for the evening – rustic and laidback, but at the same time adding a level of detail that demonstrated that, despite being a surprise and taking place only 4 months after getting engaged, our wedding was by no means thrown together as an afterthought.

Photography: Erik Ekroth | Floral Design: Rountree Flowers | Wedding Dress: Olia Zavozina | Ceremony Venue: Blue Hill At Stone Barns | Reception Venue: Blue Hill At Stone Barns | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Boots: Frye Boots | Hair / Makeup: Margie Bresciani | Music: Venus Ensembles | Programs: The Paper Source | Wooden "Surprise" Signs: Country Outfitter

Love stories like this one always get me. High school sweethearts, partners in crime tying the knot in such a stylish way might just be my achilles heel. And when such a duo ties the knot at a place like Blue Hill At Stone Barns with Erik Ekroth behind the lens, Matthew Robbins working his design magic, Daughter Of Design making sure everything went off without a hitch and Valerie Barnes capturing everything on film – it just doesn’t get better. See more here.

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Steve and I grew up in New Jersey together and began dating in high school at the young ages of 16 and 17. We went to different colleges, and found that while the long distance between Pittsburgh and Connecticut was hard, it ended up strengthening our relationship. Although we dated since we were young, much to our family and friend’s confusion, we did not rush to the altar! We took our time, followed our own hearts and did what made sense for us. The timing of Steve’s proposal felt just felt right. He planned a romantic day at my family’s country house in Connecticut. We cooked dinner together, and sat down afterwards to have a glass of my favorite dessert wine. With Romeo (our dog) sitting nearby Steve told me, “Romeo has been wanting me to ask you something for a long time.” With that he took out the ring and proposed. I was shocked and elated, and apparently, so was Romeo because he began sprinting around the backyard! It was beautiful and memorable, and so US.

The outpouring of love and support is what we remember most from our wedding day. People from so many aspects of our lives gathered together in a fairy tale setting to celebrate our long love, and we felt like the luckiest people in the world. Matthew Robbins Design did an incredible job creating the atmosphere we dreamed of; we loved the vibrant autumn palate that embraced the season without bringing in the typical browns and oranges associated with the fall. We loved the lantern pathways, copper tones, and all the details down to the single stem of blue delphinium that lay on each napkin. The overall warmth and lushness of the design encapsulated our love so well. We will always treasure our wedding day, and are so grateful there are photos and a video to relive the experience whenever we want!

From Valerie Barnes…Because the history of the Barber family at Blue Hill at Stone Barns dates back three generations, I thought shooting some good old fashioned film for Jessica and Steve’s wedding would perfectly capture the spirit of the place and enhance their film. Film gives a texture and look that video can never provide (although they keep trying!). Since Jessica’s aesthetic and mine meshed perfectly, she resoundingly applauded this idea. You will recognize the film by the scenes that show black bars on the top and bottom of the frame.

Photography: Erik Ekroth | Cinematography: Valerie Barnes Film | Cake: Blue Hill At Stone Barns | Invitations: Regas | Makeup: Saible Monique Malamud | Hair: Siobhan Benson | Band: Hank Lane Music | Venue: Blue Hill At Stone Barns | Bridal Gown: Monique Lhuillier | Day Of Planning: Daughter of Design | Design & Floral: Matthew Robbins

Blue Hill at Stone Barns happens to host some of my favorite fêtes. With the perfect mix of farm and chic, the venue has a blend of charm and elegance that is unmatched. And the couples that flock to its gorgeous space? They always seem to be effortlessly stylish.Well, this duo, falls oh-so-comfortably into that category. Their wedding (complete with meaningful and beautiful florals from Colony Florist) was a perfect reflection of their stylish ways, and thanks to W Studios New York you can see every last bit right here.

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From the Bride… We met 7 years ago in San Francisco. At the time I was working for a media company and Viva was working at a start-up. We were great friends, but the timing wasn’t right. We always kept in touch and last year Viva moved out to Greenwich and proposed. Now we run our start-up Powhow together.

Blue Hill was an obvious choice for us. It was a place that we could go to and enjoy walks or dinner after our wedding day. We didn’t want to get married in a hotel room or a place that we would never go back to. The setting is also so beautiful and the food is amazing. Every dish was farm fresh! We wanted to do something special for our friends and family. For them to savor every bite and have happy hearts and happy bellies! They also did an amazing job doing a wine pairing for each of the dishes.

Also, the staff at Blue Hill is amazing. They helped us at every stage of the planning and made everything very simple. On the day of the event, we felt so taken care of and the staff was extremely professional. They helped us create the perfect casual, but elegant evening.

Our florist was Callie Craumer of Colony Florist in Greenwich, CT. Viva used to send me flowers from Callie when we were dating so it just made sense that she would do our flowers. She’s also the author of “The Art of Giving Flowers” so she helped us pick flowers that would tell a story. I love the freesia boutonnieres that she created for the groomsmen. Every time I smell freesia I think of my husband on our wedding day.

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Wedding Photography: W Studios New York | Floral Design: Callie Craumer of Colony Florist | Wedding Venue + Catering: Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, New York | Wedding Dress: Vera Wang | Shoes: Christian Louboutin | Groom’s Attire: Ralph Lauren | Hair: Alexandre Choudry of Frederic Fekkai, Greenwich CT | Makeup: Frederic Fekkai, Greenwich CT | Bridesmaids’ Dress: J Crew | Flower Girl Dress: Jacadi | Band: The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn

Pay close attention brides-to-be because this wedding is filled with so many wonderful touches, touches that you’re guaranteed to want to infuse into your day like a rock collection guest book, personalized rubber stamps that addressed all the envelopes and then doubled as a wedding favor, and lots of black and white photos of the couple’s parents and grandparents on their wedding days to honor the tradition of marriage. I’m in love with the entire sentiment of this wedding and the images by Studio Foto are beyond gorgeous. See it all right here!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… It all started on the playground of Coleytown Elementary School in 1982. My first memories are of Nathan in third grade running in the school halls and my mom (a teacher) yelling at him to slow down! We were always around each other but never had talked long enough to really gotten to know each other … insert a pause of 20 something years… Our romance began at Compo Beach (the rocky side) in the summer of 2010 when a trip to the beach turned into eight hours of sharing. Almost immediately, we realized the connection we had and how much we had in common. Our friends were all shaking their heads seeing two friends that they had never pictured together but realizing how much sense it all made. Then 11 months later on Memorial Day 2011, Nathan proposed on the playground of Coleytown Middle School under the window that had once been my mom’s classroom.

I had always knew I wanted to have us do our photos before the ceremony, but that’s really more because of wanting to get them “out of the way” and feel less rushed during the party. I didn’t know it was going to feel as intimate and special to have just the two of us have a moment together instead of seeing each other for the first time at the ceremony. I loved having that time alone together before the wedding. It eased my nerves, and it also carved out a special time together that we would never had shared together if we hadn’t done first look photos. My surprise for Nathan was that I had taken his suit jacket and had a monogram of our initials and the date set in a heart sewn into the inside lapel. When we saw each other dressed, he was able to show me his excitement over the monogram surprise.

In having a wedding of with 62 guests, it was very important to me that all of our guests feel the intimacy of the moment. There were many traditional “obstacles:” we were raised in different religions, my parents are divorced and my mom is deceased, etc. We had selected a very small wedding party of two bridesmaids and two groomsmen. However, we were able to take these obstacles and embrace them wholeheartedly. The connection started with the fact that our shared best friend, Kate, was not only a bridesmaid, but her father was our officiant. We have both known Jim since we were 15 years old. Jim’s business, Ceremonies without Boundaries, is just that. Jim was able to combine my Jewish faith, Nathan’s Christian faith and our shared interest in Native American spirituality and customize a ceremony highlighting beautiful traditions from all. When faced with how I would walk down the aisle (a big consideration when you are a child of divorce, have a close step-parent and have lost your mom), I had my dad walk me down the aisle and had my step-father wait at the first row. When we reached him, I hooked my arm into his and when Jim asked, “Who gives this bride?” I had both my dads say, “We do.” We used a piece of my mother’s wedding veil to wrap our hands in the “blessing of the hands.”

We had a custom rubber stamp made for each couple invited to the wedding with their name and address. That stamp was then used for the Save the Date, the wedding invite, the place card for your table and the guest gift. It was a personal touch that wound up not only being unique but cost-effective! We had black and white photos from all the generations before us on their wedding days set up in Lucite frames around the place card table to honor our families and the tradition of marriage. Parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. It was very meaningful to have them displayed and was very cool to see the styles based on the generations. Instead of a traditional guest book, we had a box of rocks and asked our guests to write us inspiration, advice, etc. on the rocks. They are now displayed in a bowl on our coffee table and it’s fun to be able to go through them anytime. It is a sculptural way to enjoy your guestbook!

Wedding Photography: Paul + Krystal of  Studio Foto / Wedding Venue: Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, New York / Floral + Event Design: Hatch Creative Studio / Officiant: Rev. Jim Francek of Ceremonies Without Boundaries / Wedding Cinematography: Jeremy White of T.Fairfax Films / Catering + Wedding Cake: Blue Hill at Stone Barns / Wedding Invitations: Marcella Kovac of The Bananaland / Music: Karlus Trapp Trio of John Ragusa Music / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier “Calista” via The Plumed Serpent Bridal / Bride’s Veil: Sara Gabriel “Mackenzie” + Custom Lace via The Plumed Serpent Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Nina via Zappos / Bride’s Shoe Clips: Sofisticata / Bride’s Jewelry: Family Heirlooms / Hair: Meskerem West of Niko Niko Salon / Makeup: Joanne Salerno of Elixir Spa / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Amsale via The Plumed Serpent Bridal / Groom’s Attire: Gucci via Jeffrey / Groomsmen’s Attire: J.Crew / Rings: Lily Hackman of Liso Jewelry

Just when I thought it wasn’t possible for me to love Blue Hill at Stone Barns any more than I already do, along comes this darling affair captured by Sara Wight Photography to send my heart into serious overdrive.  The vibrant color palette, dazzling lace Birnbaum & Bullock gown and breathtaking garden setting is the epitome of everything I ADORE about this sweet Hudson Valley venue – charming, enchanting and simply breathtaking.  Click here for more.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… Pierre and I met in a restaurant, so I suppose it was only fitting that we marry at one as well. It’s incredible to think how far we have come since then, and I think our wedding summed up our relationship perfectly. Pierre now works as a pastry chef, and I now work at the James Beard Foundation, so it goes without saying that food has always played a major role in our lives. When we first drove up to Blue Hill at Stone Barns, we both knew immediately that this was where we wanted to get married. Situated in the heart of the Hudson Valley, Blue Hill is a truly special place unlike any I’ve seen before. Chickens scamper about the property (and they’re not shy), and flourishing fields of fruits and vegetables surround an inviting stone farmhouse that houses the restaurant.

Once we were able to settle on a date in early September, the rest of the planning fell into place beautifully. Since our wedding would be the first time our families would meet (Pierre’s entire family lives in France), we knew we wanted to keep the wedding intimate so that everyone would be able to get to know each other. Our ceremony took place in a small, stone-walled garden overlooking the farmland. Rachelle Garniez and her quartet played a lovely accordion-and-acoustic guitar rendition of “Storybook Love” from the Princess Bride (one of my all-time favorite movies), and one of my dearest friends sang “What a Wonderful World” during the ceremony. Afterwards, we enjoyed cocktails and canapés as the sun set, and we then sat down to a five-course meal made with ingredients fresh from the farm. Pierre made our wedding cake himself, and although he was somewhat reluctant to bear the added stress of assembling the cake only minutes before our ceremony began, in the end it was the perfect ending to our evening, dancing the night away to “La Vie en Rose.”

Photography: Sara Wight of Sara Wight Photography / Wedding Venue: Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, New York / Floral Design: Sandy Clothier Flowers / Wedding Invitations: Bella Figura / Wedding Programs: Wedding Paper Divas / Band: Rachelle Garniez Quartet via John Ragusa Music / Officiant: Paul Sittenfeld, A Family Friend / Wedding Dress, Veil + Lariat Necklace: Birnbaum & Bullock / Hair + Makeup: Kerry-Lou Brehm / Earrings: Nadri / Shoes: BHLDN / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew / Groom’s Suit + Tie: Hugo Boss / Groomsmen’s Suits: Zara

This sparkly stunner of a dress had me at hello. Actually, the entire wedding did. Captured beautifully by Heather Waraksa, this wedding is just (seemingly) effortless perfection and plays off the backdrop that is Blue Hill at Stone Barns beautifully. It’s bursting at the seams with not only well thought out details, but also the obvious love this couple has for each other – which as you all know is my favorite detail of all. For even more be sure to check out the full gallery of images, and because I promise you want to see this all come to life, stick around for the video by Hello Super Studios.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

A promise is a promise – Hello Super Studios take it from here!

From the Bride… My whole intention was to let the beauty of Blue Hill stand out. We used the tree that was behind the chuppah as the inspiration for our invitations and everything sort of came from that. That’s why we picked the color scheme of greens, whites and some greys- to blend in with what was already there.

The circular chuppah was made for us, as I originally wanted the seating to be set up in a circle, but the space didn’t allow it. I liked the idea of being surrounded, so we did it with the chuppah. Our cake was by Ron Ben-Israel and we were totally into the tilty-ness and imbalance. Everything we chose we aimed to have just a little less traditional and more fun for our guests.

We were banking on the weather being clear and we totally lucked out that day. Chris’ mom had passed away a few months before and we had put her on”weather duty” so we like to think she came through.

Wedding Photography: Heather Waraksa / Wedding Cinematography: Hello Super Studios / Floral Design: Jeff Conti of Pinewood Farm / Event Design: Jeff Conti of Pinewood Farm + The Bride / Event Planning: Exquisite Affairs Productions / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Blue Hill at Stone Barns / Wedding Invitations: Spark via The Wedding Library / Bride’s Shoes: Guiseppe Zanotti / Wedding Dress: Jenny Packham / Feather Bolero: Cassin / Hair: Stacy Pitt of StylesOnB / Makeup: Sally Duvall / Wedding Cake: Ron Ben-Israel

Welcome, welcome to the launch of Style Me Pretty New York! We are started the pretty party with a wedding that you are SURE to melt over. I can’t tell you what I love more – the blending of cultures in this wedding or the blending of rustic meets complete and utter drop dead gorgeous elegance. That drop dead gorgeous elegance stuff gets me every time, and when you throw farm animals into that equation, well you have a gush fest. This wedding of a duo originally from worlds apart was brought together beautifully at Blue Hill at Stone Barns by the creative vision of the bride and the talents of Hatch Creative Studio.  And of course, there is more gush fest goodness in the full gallery.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… Mark and I are originally from half a world apart from each other (Mark is from Nevada and I am from Hong Kong), so from the beginning of our wedding planning we knew that most of our guests would be out of town, and even out of the country! The priority for us was to have our guests feel that they are an important part of the wedding. Having lived hectic lives in New York City, we wanted a wedding that wasn’t exactly in Manhattan. Our vision was inspired by a late summer night in the garden, picnic with old books under large trees, and rustic country elements. Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Westchester NY, a 40 minute drive from Manhattan, couldn’t make a better choice for us. Ultimately, we just wanted a small celebration with 72 guests, eating the most amazing farm fresh food and enjoying an intimate night with everyone. The goal for us was to create one-of-a-kind wedding elements that our guests could take home as keepsakes and treasure after the wedding.

Instead of hiring a wedding planner, I did my own planning and utilized Etsy as a source for most of my wedding vendors (I have 30+ etsy transactions as proof!). With this, not only was I able to create keepsake items by hand (save-the-date, ceremony programs, menu envelopes), but our wedding budget opened up for a few splurges that we would cherish forever, such as our one of a kind vintage hanky invitations, an old time jazz band, my Monique Lhuillier gown, and an amazing floral and decor designer to help realize our vision of a rustic style wedding.

On the day of our wedding, window panes in the atrium were filled with rows of hanging single bud flowers in vintage medicine bottles. The outdoor seating aisle was lined with flower filled garden lanterns. Vintage lace decorated gates led to a pathway of vintage picnic blankets with books and flowers heaped on atop. We said our vows under a vintage reclaimed chuppa. The escort card area that separated the ceremony and cocktail spaces was created with reclaimed wooden containers, bottles and jars with wedding favors (egglings) wrapped in drawstring hemp bags, adorned with hand-sewn lace. Pig and sheep figurines, sourced from ebay, were spray painted in cream and used as place cards, placed on top of home-made kraft menu envelopes. The pig and the sheep theme also appeared on the wrapping envelopes of our wedding invitations. They are actually our Chinese zodiac signs, understood by only those who would have known!

Wedding Photography: Erik Ekroth / Floral & Decor Design: Hatch Creative Studio / Wedding Venue: Blue Hill at Stone Barns / Wedding Invitations: Bird & Banner / Wedding Band: John Ragusa Music / Wedding Cinematography: Barnaby Draper Studios / Makeup: Maral Balian of Warren Tricomi Salon / Hair: Stacy Pitt / Wedding Cupcakes: Billy’s Bakery / Calligraphy: Heather Burns of Perch Papiers / Vintage Postage Stamps: Verde Studio / Wooden Table Numbers: Liz Artistry / Wooden Guest Book: Bragging Bags / Wedding Program Design & Assemby: The Bride / Wedding Program Printing: Baumbirdy / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Bride’s Hair Piece: Jenny Packham / Bridesmaid Dresses: Sarah Seven + CLF by Claire La Faye / Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Custom / Groom’s Cufflinks & Stud Set: David Yurman / Groom’s Bow Tie: Brioni / Groomsmen Ties: The Hill-Side / Pocket Square: Vintage / Wedding Favors: Eggling

We often comment on the bride’s  beauty and style, and this bride is by no means an exception (hello! wellies!), but I am quite smitten with the attire of the groom.  I love his quirky Paul Smith shirt and tie and the whole ensemble perfectly compliments this colorful and unique wedding by 4Eyes Photography.  They also have a goosebump-inducing story that will warm your heart.  Go check out the full gallery for even more inspiration!

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

Heather and I were originally planning to marry in Oaxaca the summer of 2011. A place that is near to my heart. However, everything changed very suddenly when my dad who had been fighting cancer for ten years, began developing complications from 5 surgeries and too many doses of chemo therapy. His body was starting fail. He was only 64.

Heather and then scrambled to change our wedding date to ASAP 2010. We both loved my father and could not… would not get married without having him there. We had no idea where to look or how we would even accomplish the task given it was already February of 2010 and our proclivity towards the unconventional. We are not traditional in anyway but we are also not untraditional. A weird mix, I know.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns is heather and my favorite restaurant, so it was natural that I would take her there for Valentine’s Day. It goes without saying but I’ll say it anyway, we had an amazing meal and an amazingly romantic valentine’s day complete with a take away gift from blue hill of milk jam and mini panettone in a sweet little valentine’s box.

As we walked out to the car past the warm bar and through the open court yard, we said to each other at the almost the same time, we should have our wedding here. Our hearts leapt and flipped with excitement. Our search was over and it was setting that so naturally us.

I could not have asked for a more beautiful wedding or a more beautiful bride. It was truly imperfect and beautiful and I believe everyone there was as touched by the warming atmosphere of openness and love as we were. The only thing that would have made it better was if my dad could have been there- though, I think he might have been. A red-tailed hawk appeared in a tree above us as soon as we began sharing our vows and sat there for the entire ceremony. Blue hill was a buzz at its appearance.

Photography: 4Eyes Photography / Wedding Venue: Blue Hill at Stone Barns / Flowers: Sandra Clothier / Wedding Dress: Angel Sanchez / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Groom’s attire: Paul Smith / Make up: Kim Do / Hair: Stacy Pitt / Music: Coletcho featuring Elenora Bientini

So today is good for so many reasons. The obvious, it’s about to be the Fourth of July! Which means hot dogs, potato salad, backyards and fireworks. Can’t beat that. BUT, it’s also great because we are announcing the winner of the Bluefly Giveaway! It took a while to go through the entries and find a perfect fit, but we are excited to reveal the lucky girl or boy later today.

Ok, back to the cute, cute nautical inspired wedding that we are featuring.

More from the lovely and HUGELY talented Candice Dowling, the planner behind the day…

The tablescapes were gorgeous and filled with SO many details. We used navy linen as a base, and brought in beautiful beech wood chiavari chairs with white pads from Party Rentals, Ltd out of Greenwich. Centerpieces were of one tall, French galvanized bucket filled with white peonies, ranunculus and hydrangea. They were fluffy and tightly filled — so gorgeous! There were three satellite arrangements of yellow and white gerbera daisies in smaller galvanized buckets. Each bucket had the same yellow and white polka dot grosgrain ribbon from Kim’s bouquet wrapped around them. The taller, French galvanized buckets had thick red grosgrain ribbon.

Each place setting had a rattan charger with an accompanying blue polka dot plate and clear glass saucer for the chilled gazpacho, all rented from Party Rentals, Ltd. Their navy napkins were rolled and tied onto them was a menu “tag”, which we created in the round. It had a seersucker boarder and a cute little yellow grommet, tied together with white grosgrain ribbon. Each guest received a cute little galvanized bucket filled with red Swedish fish. We created red and blue favor tags with lyrics to their first dance song by U2 and tied it on with red grosgrain ribbon.

Each table was named after a New England town that held special significance to the bride and groom. Places like Westport, Newport, Nantucket, Block Island, Bar Harbor, Mystic…. we even inserted the GPS coordinates of each location onto their table sign. A fun little detail we carried throughout the event — like on the custom stamp we made for their invitations!

Guests dined on chilled gazpacho, surf and turf with filet mignon and lobster tail with steamed red potatoes and corn on the cob. There were even toothpicks on the table for pickin’ corn out of your teeth! The entire event was catered by the Club’s restaurant, Riverview Restaurant. Chef Danny and his team did a fabulous job!

More on the way!

to see the full gallery, click here!

I am really excited about today’s featured affair for two reasons. The first is that it just happens to be the perfect way to kick off Fourth of July weekend! And second, it was sent to us by a wedding planner whose work is forever charming and stylish, Candice Dowling of Jubilee Events.

Photographs are courtesy of Kelley and Todd Whittaker (website coming soon)

More details from Candice…

After their beautiful ceremony at Assumption Church in Westport, Matt and Kim went to the spot that was very meaningful and sentimental to them. A place where they spent many nights watching the sun set as a couple. They love Combo Beach in Westport and try to visit at least once every weekend during the summer months. Her love of rowing and his love of the water really drew them together. After the ceremony, Kim took off her gorgeous veil and pinned a fabulous little white flower in her hair. Doesn’t she look STUNNING?

The reception was held at the Saugatuck Rowing Club in Westport. The views? Stunning. It was obvious to them that it was the perfect location, which would marry her love of rowing and his love of the water. Guests were greeted on the blue slate patio overlooking the Saugatuck River and the docks that lead out into the water. They enjoyed Matt and Kim’s signature cocktail, the Pimms Cup, served from large sea glass canisters into high ball glasses which were garnished with a lemon wheel, cucumber spear, and a seersucker swizzle stick. Heaven.

We displayed escort cards on a red linen wrapped cork board with some retro metal pushpins. It was perfect! We also had custom napkins, swizzle sticks, and coasters made for the event. The beautiful calligraphy was done by Lisa Ridgley of Pen and Ink Calligraphy out of Westminister, Maryland. I LOVE Lisa. She is so good to our brides and does AMAZING work!

to see the full gallery, click here!

Holly Andres and Paul Rich sent us today’s featured wedding from Blue Hill at Stone Barns, NY and we just have to show you the fine images of the food first!

Here’s Janet and Ethan’s menu …

Greenhouse Greens and Herbs ~ With this morning’s farm egg
Asparagus Soup ~ American sturgeon caviar, mushrooms
Alaskan Halibut ~ Pistou of spring vegetables
Loin of Lamb ~ Quinoa, cracked wheat, spring parsnips

Is this not incredible??

On his blog, Paul said that he was walking around the exterior of the buildings to catch some evening shots of the property when he came across one of the chefs kneeling in the garden. Paul asked him what he was doing. The chef replied that he was “working on the asparagus soup going on for the wedding meal inside!”

This is such a gorgeous site for a wedding! Gourmet … Green … Simple charm …

Congratulations Janet and Ethan!

Paul Rich and Holly Andres are a husband and wife team based in Portland, Oregon. They work with their brides and grooms to capture the moments that are unique to each wedding. As you can see from the images above, they are story-tellers! Their personalities and talents award them with the highest praise from one and all!

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

This just happens to be one of my favorite weekends of the entire year, so I thought I’d be just touch cheesy and feature a couple of absolutely fabulous red, white and blue affairs! The weddings themselves are all about the chic and are sure to inspire you no matter what your color palette happens to be.

Up first, a fabulous nautical inspired wedding that the forever talented Candice Dowling of Jubilee Events sent me…

photography by Whittaker Photography

From the lovely Candice…

Matt and Kim were married on May 30th, 2009 at 2:30 in the afternoon at the Assumption Church in Westport, Connecticut. Immediately following, guests enjoyed a gorgeous preppy and nautical inspired fete at the Saugatuck Rowing Club in Westport. Kim and Matt were an amazing couple to work with! At our initial meeting I knew we’d be a good match — they wanted a preppy, tailored, and nautical wedding in blue and yellow with pops of red.

Matt and his Groomsmen wore gorgeous seersucker jackets from Brooks Brothers with a navy brooks brothers tie and khakis. The groom wore a head of ranunculus as his boutonniere and his groomsmen wore a single yellow rose.

Their delicious cake was made by Sweet Cakes out of Fairfield, Connecticut. Suzette did a fabulous job bringing Kim and Matt’s vision to life. The guests REALLY enjoyed the cake and complimented on how delectable it was!

So much more on the way!

to see the full gallery, click here!