Ruffled® » elopement

A Jetsetter Elopement

Amanda — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:06:44 +0000

With all the stress that goes into wedding planning, who can’t relate to wanting to throw all planning out the window and run off for a romantic elopement? Chloe — an international fashion designer — and her new husband James did just that, flying to New York City from their home in Bali for city hall nuptials with only their chauffeur and their photographer, Alison Conklin, as their witnesses. Oh, and that amazing short wedding dress? Designed by the bride herself, of course!

From the photographer, Alison Conklin: Staying at The Crosby Street Hotel in Soho, marrying in the New York City Hall, and dining privately with one another at the renowned 3 michelin star ‘Daniel’ on the Upper East side was truly their own dream wedding. Their elopement in New York City captured what they are all about, who they are, and what their priorities are – each other. Now all they have to look forward to is a 6 week honeymoon in London, Copenhagen, Venice, Florence and Rome before returning home to face the music… but for them New York will always be where it all happened.

From the bride, Chloe: James (Australian) and I (Danish) met 7 years ago in Switzerland. Only four days after meeting we moved in together in a beautiful part of the country called Neuchatel on the French border. One of the first travel dreams we ever shared was exploring New York City together. Seven years later and almost as many residing continents, we found ourselves living in Bali where James had established his hospitality businesses. The Island is a magical part of the world and this is where James decided to drop down on one knee at the amazing Bulgari Resort, Bali.

Both of our families are spread out throughout the world; Copenhagen, London, Jakarta, Sydney and Melbourne, and we began the arduous task of planning a big wedding in James’ home town of Sydney… with the Sydney Opera House as the intended backdrop. As the plans became larger and the tasks more onerous, the fun was beginning to diminish for both us. Then during an afternoon of planning, and after a couple of quiet martinis, I cautiously (and somewhat jokingly) suggested an elopement to New York. With a smile from ear to ear James said “absolutely” and before his glass hit the table we began to plan our true dream wedding. All we wanted was to spend the day together, eating, drinking and laughing. We felt from the bottom of their hearts that we had to bring the focus back on us, regardless of what anybody else wanted and to remember what we would want first and foremost from our day and that was to celebrate our love for each other, our love for traveling, and enjoying every moment of our day with each other.

With a last minute booking of flights, cities, and amazing hotels we left for New York both totally content and overwhelmed with excitement. However, some things could not be forgotten. Both of us are particular in our own dress and style, James had his suit privately tailored while I collaborated with a local designer to design my dress, coat, and veil – with neither of us discussing the details with each other until we helped each other to get dressed just hours before the nuptials. As Lazarus Douvos prepared my hair in our amazing one-bedroom suite at the Crosby Street Hotel, Krug Champagne and letters from friends and family began to arrive, as did the last minute bouquet and boutonniere designed by the FLORA NY in Tribeca, which showcased an array of blooms representing the New York season and exotic flowers. The day earlier James had surprised me with a white Louis Vuitton handbag, personalized with my new initials, which accompanied me on the day and I surprised him with the silver Tiffany cufflinks that he wore. Both totally unplanned. I doubt that we would have felt that same kind of confidence and deep trust in each other, had we not been bound so intimately by something so grand and so totally personal. In keeping with our spontaneous and no rules outlook we requested that Alison Conklin, the person responsible for the incredible photographs on the day, be our legal witness at the New York City Hall. So the three of us, along with our remaining wedding party, Ukranian chauffeur, Walter, headed for the financial district to get married.

View all images from this elopement in the gallery

Wedding Vendors (New York City, NY):

Wedding Venue: New York City Hall / Wedding Photographer: Alison Conklin / Wedding Flowers: Flora NY / Bride’s Hair: Lazarus Douvos

© 2008-2012 Ruffled® , 2012. | Permalink | 9 comments | Posted under: Indie Weddings Alison Conklin, Bali, elopement, international weddings, New York, New York City, purple, short wedding dresses, white

Driftwood Beach Elopement

Amanda — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:14:27 +0000

I’ll admit it: I have a bit of a soft spot when it comes to elopements. This Central Park stunner from earlier this year tugged at our heart strings, and we’ve got an equally as touching event to share with you all today, from the talented Jade + Matthew Take Pictures. Our favorite little detail just has to be the three-dimensional heart-shaped kite.

From the photographers, Jade + Matthew: Raymond + Leslie are just too adorable. They created a very unique and personal elopement down on driftwood beach, which is located in Jekyll Island, GA. Raymond looked very dapper in his outfit with his Steve Harvey hat, white jacket, and rolled up jeans. Leslie was adorable in her full skirt with pockets that she made herself. Along with her jean jacket and giant hair bow. She says she is normally a dress + tennis shoe girl so she was really working those high heels! Leslie loves to do everything a little different than others and brought along a giant heart kite, cotton candy, and champagne.

View all images from this elopement in the gallery

Wedding Vendors (Jekyll Island, GA):

Wedding Venue: Driftwood Beach / Wedding Photographer: Jade + Matthew Take Pictures / Officiant: St. Simon’s Elopement

Winter Colorado Elopement

Amanda — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:05:38 +0000

There will forever be something so romantic about elopements — just the idea of one couple reveling alone in the joy of joining together for a lifetime is so touching! Kelly of Frosted Pink Weddings planned their dream celebration to the nines. James Christianson tagged along to photograph the couple as they exchanged vows, ate a peaceful meal together, and skated around Devil’s Thumb Ranch’s outdoor rink.

From the bride: My idea of romance is a private cabin for two curled up next to a fireplace under twinkly lights. I always wanted a winter wedding and to celebrate at such a magical time of year. Chad wanted to be in the mountains, so we flew out to Colorado; just the two of us. Devil’s Thumb Ranch had the perfect blend of a rustic backdrop with luxury amenities. We were lucky enough to be the first couple to get married in the newly built Yager House, let alone the first couple to elope at Devil’s Thumb Ranch.

Ella Fitzgerald was playing while I was getting ready and it set the mood for the rest of the day. It was 25º all morning, but I didn’t care at all. I just hiked up my dress and ran through the snow as we took photos. I can’t even tell you how excited we were for ice skating. The sun was setting and we had the incredible mountains (including Devil’s Thumb) behind us while we skated around the outdoor rink.

By then the temperature dropped to 9º and we ran inside to warm up with some hot chocolate. The staff was setting up our table for dinner and then our song came on, “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke. We took to the floor in a circle of peony petals and giggled about our day.

The food was incredible, we joked about how couples rarely get to eat at their own weddings while making the rounds. All four courses were served with its own wine pairing. At the end of the night we were served two petit fours in place of a wedding cake. There’s a special place in my heart for miniaturized food, so it was perfect. Everything was perfect, I wouldn’t change a thing. We spent the rest of the week exploring Colorado as our honeymoon before traveling back to New England for three days worth of parties.

View all images from this elopement in the gallery

Wedding Vendors (Colorado):

Wedding Venue: Devil’s Thumb Ranch / Wedding Photographer: James Christianson / Event Planning: Frosted Pink Weddings / Wedding Dress: Allure Bridals / Hair Accessory: Lo Boheme / Earmuffs: Flat Tail Furs / Furs and Jewelry: Vintage / Bride’s Shoes: Miz Mooz / Groom’s Suit: J. Crew / Groom’s Necktie: General Knot & Co. / Groom’s Shoes: Sebago / Wedding Flowers: Pink Posey Design / Officiant: Matt Raynek at Lyssabeth’s Wedding Officiants

Central Park Elopement

Ashley — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:49:05 +0000

When we saw this darling NYC ceremony from Mademoiselle Fiona, we just knew we had to feature it. Though the wedding had to be postponed after news of thunderstorms hitting the city, the bride was not to be deterred. Grant and Jenn’s day came together beautifully, with a set of images to swoon over.

From the bride, Jenn: Grant and I wanted to elope for several reasons. We knew we wanted to get married in New York but we knew it wouldn’t be possible for our family to fly. We told our parents about our plans and although they were initially sad (I’m the only child for my mom), they were extremely supportive. We both spent our lives compromising on so many things that for our wedding, we just didn’t want to compromise on anything – we wanted to follow our hearts and have a wedding on our terms, in our vision. Our parents, the few people who knew about our wedding beforehand, were very supportive of our decision. We also didn’t want to spend too much for just one day; it’s an important day but we felt we could make it special without going into debt. So we set a number we absolutely could not go over, and that budget was a really good guiding light. And even if money wasn’t an issue, Grant and I wouldn’t have wanted a large wedding. We wanted something intimate, unique, romantic.

As for the specific location in Central Park, we knew that we wanted to get married at Wagner Cove in Central Park because that was our special place in the park when we lived in New York. We even have our initials engraved on the wooden shelter there. Wagner Cove is a very dreamy hidden oasis from the rest of the park, and that’s the only place we envisioned exchanging our vows, right by the water. The added bonus was it was free to wed there.

About Jenn’s wedding dress: We had about three months to plan our wedding and trip to New York. Two of the most important things for me were finding the right wedding dress and the right photographer. I knew it was going to be a bit challenging for me to find the right dress because I didn’t want a traditional wedding dress and I was on a tight budget. After a disappointing online search for vintage or vintage-inspired dresses, one day as I was crossing the street in my neighborhood, I saw a taupe colored evening gown hanging in the window at a used clothing store called Take 2 by my apartment and so I went in. The lady told me I wouldn’t fit it because it was a size 12 (I’m a size 4) but I felt compelled to try it on, and as expected it was huge on me, sagging down, there were holes and rips everywhere, but Grant’s eyes lit up when he saw me in the dress. We both saw the beauty and potential in that dress and so I bought it despite the flaws. I didn’t care that it was a Badgley Mishka evening gown, I just loved that it reflected my style. My wedding dress was not perfect (the beads started falling apart on my wedding day), and I understand some brides would probably freak out about that or wouldn’t even dare wear the dress. But what attracted me to the dress initially was that it had an air of old world glamour and I knew that not every bride would have it. To me, the dress is intricate, delicate, refined but a bit rough around the edges, and it was a bit of a pain to fix, but it was completely worth it. I had some family and friends who weren’t so happy when I told them my dress is a taupe color since they all said “but you should wear white or ivory” but as a bride you have to wear what reflects your personality and personal style, and this dress was it for me. Since we were going to be walking around all day, I wanted to be comfortable so I wore an old pair of comfortable gray shoes I’ve worn for many years.

Some advice from Jenn: It’s really important to work with people who not only have a great portfolio but have an easy-going attitude and are just simply nice. On the night we had to change the wedding date, both my photographer and videographer kept emailing words of encouragement like “don’t worry about a thing” and “it’s no problem for us.” You have no idea how much that meant to me because I would have spent all night feeling bad that I had to trouble them, but those emails they sent me put me at ease. Just keep in mind that something will go wrong on your wedding day, and it’s good to be mentally prepared for that ahead of time. But the most important thing to remember is that even if everything doesn’t go according to plan or how you envisioned everything lining up in your head, it’s okay because when you exchange vows with your best friend, all the negative stuff just melts away and you will find a bright, perfectly imperfect perfect day.

View all images from this wedding in the gallery

Wedding Music:
First Dance: “Harvest Moon,” Neil Young

Wedding Vendors (New York, NY):

Wedding Venue: Wagner Cove, Central Park / Wedding Photographer: Mademoiselle Fiona Photography / Wedding Videographer: Madison Waters / Dress: Vintage Badgley Mischka, Take 2 (Seattle WA) / Dress Alterations: Misook Chung, Superb Custom Tailors (Seattle WA) / Officiant: Beth Lamont, Wedding Your Way New York / Wedding Flowers: Wholesaler at Manhattan Flower District

© 2008-2012 Ruffled® , 2012. | Permalink | 22 comments | Posted under: Indie Weddings Central Park, city weddings, elopement, gray, gray wedding dress, Mademoiselle Fiona Photography, New York, New York City, vintage wedding dresses, Wagner Cove

A Big Sur Elopement

Amanda — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:30:21 +0000

I have to admit – when I saw this gorgeous couple and such amazing location, I knew this would be an inspirational photoshoot. Much to my delight, this elopement shot by Evynn LeValley Photography is nothing short of a beyond stylish and genuinely sweet down-to-earth celebration. Ursula looked amazing in her wedding gown and flower halo, channeling a modern-day, bohemian Bridget Bardot. See more images in the gallery.

From Ursula, the bride: We decided to elope because for one we were on a tight budget (saving up to buy our little dream home), but we still wanted to do something really special. We wanted our wedding to be original and something that would reflect us. It wasn’t going to be a typical wedding by any means. We knew it had to reflect our love for nature, animals, water and our artistic vintage style. I made Oskar, our dog, a ring pouch out of one of my dad’s old deer hides (he passed away just 3 years ago in August) and my husband’s puca shells from an outrigger race he won in Hawaii. My bouquet was put together by both of us gathering flowers along our way to Big Sur, and wrapped in vintage lace. We stayed in an incredible vintage Airstream completely refurbished on top of a ridge in Big Sur.

We choose Big Sur because we knew it would be a remote quiet place where we could enjoy the enchanted forests and untouched raw beauty. Funny thing is neither one of us has ever stayed in Big Sur but knew it was the only place for us. Every bit of eloping was beyond perfect for us. It is a storybook unfolding. The photos reflect us and so perfectly!

See all images in the gallery

Wedding Vendors (Big Sur, California):
Officiant: Soaring Starkey / Photographer: Evynn LeValley Photography / Dress: Donna Karan Collection / Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti

Retro 1970s Elopement Shoot

Amanda — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:57:57 +0000

I know it’s going to be a good day whenever we get to share images from Megan W Photography, styled by April Foster Events. This vintage 1970s inspired elopement is yet another glorious collaboration between the two. April designed everything from the paper goods to the book chandeliers. Brooke’s dress is from J.Crew and Chase’s wardrobe is from Broad Ripple Vintage. You bet there is many more images to see in the gallery!

View all images in the gallery

Waterside Malibu Elopement

Bethany — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:18:12 +0000

Occasionally it’s so nice to see a wedding stripped down to the bare basics — this Malibu wedding consisted of only the bride and groom, the officiant, and the wonderful Adam George of Embrace Life Photography to document the day’s events. Before heading off to their honeymoon in French Polynesia, Taylor and Chris tied the knot on a private beach, free to celebrate the day however they wished. There are more adorable photos to be seen in the gallery!

From the bride, Taylor: We wanted an easy and fun day that really felt like us! No pressure, no stress, no drama which eventually lead us to having no guests – not even our own parents! Despite hundreds of loving friends and family members who were thrilled to celebrate with us, Chris and I decided to get married just the two of us and go on the honeymoon of a lifetime! We planned the honeymoon first – 3 weeks in French Polynesia; Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Moorea! Once we had those details nailed down – we planned our wedding. From Boston, our flight path had us stopping in LA on our way to Tahiti. Since we wanted to get married in the US we figured we’d spend the night in Santa Monica, get married on the beach in Malibu, grab a tasty dinner and leave the next afternoon for our trip. So we did just that!

The looks for our wedding kind of walk on the beach meets cocktail party. Casual, but not carefree. Chic, but not too dressy.

Any advice for brides planning their weddings now? Don’t take it too seriously – it’s supposed to be fun not something that feels like work! If you ever find yourself not having fun, stop and re-evaluate and don’t be afraid to make a change.

View all photos from this wedding

Wedding vendors (Malibu, CA):

Wedding venue: El Matador State Beach / Photographer: Embrace Life Photography / Wedding flowers: Fleurs du Jour / Wedding dress: Helmut Lang / Wedding shoes: Michael Kors / Groom’s suit: J. Crew / Stylist: Amanda Lyn of THe Harolt Salon / Transportation: Crown Limousine LA / Wedding officiant: John O’Conner

Long Beach DIY Wedding

Vintage City Hall Wedding

Bethany — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:22:27 +0000

We’re smitten with this city hall wedding captured by Jerry Yoon Photography. Although they married by themselves in San Francisco, the bride made sure to have a gorgeous vintage wedding dress that reflected her obviously stunning style. Their portraits and their day are sweet, simple, unique and utterly classic. Congratulations, you two!

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© 2008-2012 Ruffled® , 2011. | Permalink | 19 comments | Posted under: Vintage Weddings baby's breath, California, city chic, elopement, ivory, Jerry Yoon Photography, San Francisco, vintage wedding dresses

Chic Manhattan Courthouse Wedding

Bethany — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:10:59 +0000

Trent Bailey Photography sent us this sweet snippet of summer by sharing the chic courthouse wedding of David and Raena in NYC last summer. Could this bride be more adorable in her Betsey Johnson dress? And those flowers… oh, those flowers from Poppies & Posies are just be-yond. All the more proof that weddings come in all shapes and sizes, but little, sweet touches help to make any special day all the more lovely.

Wedding Vendors (New York, NY):

Photographer: Trent Bailey Photography / Cocktail location: Gramercy Park Hotel / Bride’s dress: Betsey Johnson / Bride’s shoes: JCrew / Florals: Poppies & Posies

Trent Bailey Photography is a member of Blue Label.

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© 2008-2012 Ruffled® , 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Posted under: Indie Weddings bouquets, city chic, courthouse, elopement, green, Manhattan, New York, NYC, Peach, pink, Poppies and Posies, Trent Bailey

Brunch Courthouse Wedding in NYC

Bethany — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:00:56 +0000

Anybody planning a wedding knows that the purpose of the day (marrying your love) can easily get lost in the fuss of flowers, guests lists and red tape. However, a lovely wedding isn’t solely based on all the details. Instead, it’s found in the exchange of one’s vow for another to honor, love, and cherish. Today’s elopement has the best of both worlds: a simple union of two people in love and a little brunch reception with sweet design details. Big thanks to Jennifer Sosa for the fantastic photography!

View all wedding photos

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