Ruffled® » New York

Central Park Wedding Inspiration

Amanda — Wed, 23 May 2012 21:32:00 +0000

This past April Jen Huang invited to speak at her NYC workshop, talking about our submission process and ground rules for submitting to wedding blogs. Along with a dream team of local New York pros, the photoshoot came out as pretty as it gets. Central Park in spring is gorgeous – perfect inspiration for a wedding. And in case you were wondering just how gorgeous, here are some images:

View all images in the gallery

Wedding Resources:

Photography: Jen Huang / Tzo-Ai’s Dress: Saja / Tzo-Ai’s MUA: Kerry Makeup / Tzo-Ai’s Bouquet/Bout + Large centerpiece: Saipua / “LOVE” Bunting: Figs and Ginger / Sarah’s Dress: Lovely Bridal / Sarah’s MUA: KerryMakeup.com / Sarah’s Engagement Styling: / Brilliant Events / Sarah’s Headband: Jennifer Behr / Sarah’s “The Luckiest” Signage: Paperfinger / Super 8 video: Jon Schienberg

Chic Brooklyn Wedding

Amanda — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:12:39 +0000

I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Brooklyn, and this wedding straight from AGAiMAGES reminds me why I’ll always be in love with its relaxed, chic charm. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that The Green Building is one of my all-time favorite venues! And how great is bride Laura’s über-sleek gown from Lovely Bridal Shop?

From the photographers, Aga and Marcin of AGAiMAGES: Laura and Greg live in and adore Brooklyn. It’s a no-brainier that they picked their wedding to happen in this oh so New York borough. From the location to the decor; everything was carefully chosen to compliment their relaxed, rustic, homey Brooklyn lifestyle. The Green Building is an amazing location with brick walls, wood and low hung chandeliers with a bit of industrial feel to it. Laura soft, feminine dress from The Lovely Bridal Shop was accented by beautiful flowers. Due to the fact that both Laura and Greg are in the food industry; this part was important to them. Laura being a pastry chef; instead of one big wedding cake, ordered five cakes in various amazing and wicked flavors such as pistachio with rosewater butter-cream and fresh raspberries!

View all images from this wedding in the gallery

Wedding Vendors (New York City, NY):

Wedding Venue: The Green Building / Wedding Photographer: AGAiMAGES / Wedding Planner: Shana Sperling Events / Wedding Dress: Lovely Bridal Shop / Makeup: Pam Lugo / Hair: Tamara New York / Wedding Flowers: Peartree Flowers / Wedding Caterer: Frankies / Wedding Cake: Nine Cakes / DJ: Popshop / Rentals: Broadway Party Rental / Officiant: Rev. Alma Daniel

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

Cozy Brooklyn Winter Wedding

Amanda — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:02:31 +0000

It’s no surprise that we love when stunning wedding photos are accompanied by even more incredible video footage, and that’s exactly what we have with Lauren and Bennett’s wedding from Christina Szczupak. These high school sweethearts (awww!) put their creative minds together, along with the help of their families, to throw together an affair that left no detail-oriented stone unturned. Trust us, you’re going to want to curl up on the couch with a good cup of coffee to catch their highlight film from Tree of Life Films at the end of the feature!

From the bride: I saw The Green Building on Refinery 29 months before we got engaged and bookmarked it! Once we got engaged, we toured it right away, and had the venue booked within 5 days. It was near our apartment in Brooklyn, in the very cute neighborhood of Carroll Gardens. We loved the romantic feel of it, and their willingness to go with any vendors.

Inspired by the exposed brick, tin ceilings and chandeliers at the Green Building, we went for a romantic vintage look. Since it was in February, we wanted a warm, cozy feel complete with flannel napkins and lots of candlelight.

Many of the decor was handmade including the cake toppers that were hand carved by the bride’s father, the flannel napkins that were created by the groom’s mother, and the bride’s bouquet and boutonnieres created by the brides mother.

Any advice for brides planning their weddings now? Stay calm and remind yourself that you only get to do this once. Enjoy every minute and be sure to incorporate plenty of personal, sentimental touches. It’s you & your fiance’s day!

View all images from this wedding in the gallery

Be sure to watch their video by Tree of Life Films:

DIY Projects:
- My mother made my bouquet and the boutonnieres.
- My dad hand-carved the wooden dove caketoppers.
- The groom’s mom sewed the flannel napkins and the faux fur stoles.
- My parents brought the wood & birch pieces from Minnesota.
- The groom’s grandpa made the caramels and snack mix.

Wedding Songs:
We really mixed old and new favorites, and resisted using any traditional wedding songs.

Wedding party processional: Nina Simone “Seems I’m Never Tired of Lovin’ You”
Bride processional: Cat Power “Sea of Love”
Recessional: Black Keys “Everlasting Light”
First dance: Black Keys “Dearest”
Parent dance: John Lennon “Stand By Me”
Last song: Magnetic Fields “Nothing Matters When We’re Dancing”

Budget Breakdown and Tips:
We definitely spent the most on catering, rentals, and alcohol. We were able to bring the price down a bit by nixing steak or seafood. We kept to seasonal, warm, wintry foods. We also saved some money by not having a full bar– just beer, wine and prosecco. Our guests definitely didn’t miss the hard alcohol and the food turned out amazing! We also kept the price down a bit by incorporating many DIY elements and buying some once-used products off Ruffled’s Recycle Your Wedding and eBay.

Wedding Vendors (Brooklyn, NY):

Wedding Venue: The Green Building / Wedding Photographer: Christina Szczupak / Wedding Flowers: Bride’s mother and Lillian Wright of Mimosa Floral / Chalkboard Art: Lillian Wright of Mimosa Floral / Wedding Dress: J. Crew / Bride’s Sash: Ivy & Aster / Bride’s Hairpiece: Tessa Kim / Bride’s Jewelry and Purse: Bride’s grandmother / Groom’s Suit: Tommy Hilfiger / Bride and Groom’s Rings: Habib Samuel / Faux Fur Stoles: Handmade by Groom’s mother / Hair and Makeup: Annamarie Tendler / Wedding Caterer: Naturally Delicious / Cupcakes and Wedding Cake: Baked / Bird Cake Topper: Handcarved by bride’s father / Plaid Napkins: Handmade by groom’s mother / Vintage glass bottles: Bride’s parents’ / DJ: Coleen from Sugartown Industries / Graphic Design: Erin Sporer / Photobooth: Shootbooth / Videographer: Tree of Life Films

1930s Art Deco Wedding

Amanda — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:07:32 +0000

Get ready, because this wedding from Love Me Do Photography is some serious Art Deco glam awesomeness. This is a great example of how you can take a classic color scheme – crisp black and white – and use it in a modern way. Brittany and Pat added a tiny touch of sparkly throughout their wedding day, and the mix of glam and rock ‘n roll is a picture perfect recipe. We’re going gaga for Brittany’s Lazaro gown!

From the bride: We chose 24 Fifth because of its Art Deco feel and sunken dance floor. This space used to be the ballroom for the old 5th Avenue Hotel which was built in the 1920s. The building is now apartments but they’ve kept the ballroom. I really wanted our guests to feel like they were in an old supper club which technically, they were! We then chose the church because of it’s location and history as well. It’s the oldest Catholic church edifice in Manhattan.

I made my bridesmaids’ feather hair clips and necklaces with vintage dress clips I bought on Etsy. I really loved getting all the photos of our grandparents together and hunting down these antique frames to put them in. None of them are with us anymore so it was a way of having them there. In the same respect, my bouquet was filled with old pins from my mother’s side. I had hat pins from my grandmother as well as my grandfather’s TWA pins. He was an airline mechanic for them for 30 years.

Everyone knows the actually GETTING MARRIED part is pretty incredible but I have some runner-ups. Walking into the venue and seeing what I had been working so hard on for the past year come to fruition was overwhelming. I cried very happy tears. Also, one of the best parts of a wedding is having all your favorite people in one room. We had friends and family from all over the world (including Australia!) fly in for us. It wouldn’t have been the same without each and every one of them there.

Anything else you’d like to add? I can’t say enough good things about Etsy. I had only recently started buying from there before planning the wedding and it was mostly just for vintage clothing. It then became a part of my wedding planning obsession. Everything from the invitations, to bridesmaid presents to my after party dress was bought through Etsy! I may or may not have made over 40 purchases through them. The customer service you get through the sellers is better than you’d get through any brick and mortar retailer.

View all images from this wedding in the gallery

Wedding Vendors (New York City):

Ceremony venue: St. Joseph’s of Greenwich Village / Reception venue: 24 Fifth / Wedding Photographer: Love Me Do / Wedding dress: Lazaro / Groom’s suit: J. Crew / Hair: Alissandra Hipona of High Horse Salon / Makeup: Jackie Schneider / Wedding flowers: Pristine Events / Birdcage veil: AgnesHart / Wedding shoes: Milk and Honey / Bride’s clutch: vintage / Invitations: Hello Love Boutique / Labels: IvyPink / Escort cards: SpectacularStuff / Cards, banner: FlapperGirl / DJ: Hi Society Productions

We love when we catch our vendor guide members gracing vendor lists in our features! Hi Society Productions DJ and Love Me Do have our Blue Label vendor guide stamp of approval.

Multicultural New York Wedding

Amanda — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:01:31 +0000

This stunning couple is all over the map, quite literally. The groom, Oliver, was raised in Singapore with a German background, while the bride, Maria, was raised in Pennsylvania with a Ukrainian background. Whew. Both are extremely close to their families, and wanted to infuse their day with personal ancestral details. From framed photographs of close family to custom cake toppers with miniature versions of a German-clad Oliver and Ukrainian Maria (and with a bonus bonfire to end the evening), I’d say they definitely achieved their vision. A special thank you goes to Nelson Hancock of Weddings By Two and Lauren Sozmen of Loli Events!

From the planner, Lauren of Loli Events: Maria and Oliver really wanted to host a fabulous dinner party followed by dancing and through out everything weave in their personality. As guests entered the beautiful and slightly mysterious Foundry they were greeted by a bed of moss covered in vintage keys each with their names and table number for the dinner later. The intimate ceremony took place in the courtyard on a warm fall evening as the sun was setting. Cocktails and dinner was filled with the couple’s favorite food.

After dinner guests went into another room where a table was cover with bite size desserts. For the cake the couple had a custom cake toppers one of a Ukrainian girl and the other of a German boy both resembling them quite well.

After lots of dancing, their guest were handed a candied apple as they left each with a calligraphied message from the couple. This was appropriate because of the season but also because their first date was making an apple pie, so apples always hold a happy place in their hearts.

View all images from this wedding in the gallery

Wedding Vendors (Long Island City, NY):

Wedding Venue: The Foundry / Wedding Photographer: Nelson Hancock of Weddings By Two / Event Planner: Loli Events / Wedding Dress: Nicole Miller / Wedding Flowers: Poppies and Posies / Wedding Caterer: Michael Stuart NY / Wedding Cake: Nine Cakes / Calligraphy: paperfinger / DJ: 74 Events / Makeup: Sharon Becker

Michael Stuart NY is a member of our wedding vendor guide Blue Label.

Blue Hill Farm Wedding

Amanda — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:24:21 +0000

Eunhee and Joshua’s wedding was a long time in the making. When Hurricane Irene came along this past August, it put a kink in their wedding plans, to say the least. The two rescheduled their wedding for October, and looking at these photos from Brian Wright of The Brothers Wright, you’d never know the plans were ever any different. To make light of their change of plans they titled their wedding as “Hurricane? What Hurricane?” and incorporated the inside joke on their paper goods.

From the bride, Eunhee: I started shopping for my dress 4 months before the wedding. I enjoy shopping when it’s for leisure, but when I have something specific to get, I procrastinate due to dread. Initially, I wanted a tee length baby blue dress, but my mother was not having that. She said “if you wear anything else but a long, white dress, I’m not coming.” I found my dress after only going to one other store. The consultant picked out all these typical dresses-strapless, mermaid style. Although all those styles are quite lovely and stunning, I just didn’t feel like me. I didn’t think it reflected my style or personality. I saw a dress at the corner of my eye, a high neck 1950s inspired gown, and said “I want to try this on” the sales lady looked and me and said “trust me, you don’t want to try that one. for one it’s a size 10, and secondly, that dress has been here for 5-6 years and not one soul has tried that on. it’s old fashioned, and you are too young for that.” I totally understood where she was coming from, but I do believe no one knows what you like and your style more than you. I tried it on, and fell in love immediately. I love details and for me, details are everything. I loved how when right amount of light hit the top of the dress, it looks like this beautiful necklace, and how the bottom was finished with a thick off white ribbon, keeping with the 1950s inspiration. It didn’t come with a black sash. I envisioned it with a thick, silk black sash to break up the dress, so it’s not just one long white thing. Also, the sash helps to keep a nice balance between the top and bottom textures.

We pretty much made everything other than the food. Joshua hand drew and painted the invitations. We folded over 1,000 cranes for good luck (but then Hurricane Irene came!); made the pendants and wrap for the mini honey favors; made the canisters and filled them with mini bubbles for the chairs; made bubble signs. We took a bunch of polaroids throughout our wedding planning and hold punched them and strung them on the branches along with other memorable photos, including photos of our family.

Any advice for future brides? Pick a photographer that you can 100% trust and feel connected to. Brian and Brandon got us right away-our style, our desire for something with whimsy, depth and of course, a great eye for details. The Photos reflected Joshua and I perfectly. It was like “this is totally us. This is totally what we look like.” It was kind of creepy, but in the kindest way ;-) When our August 28th wedding was canceled, they were already in NYC, so they suggested a bridal/faux wedding shoot, where Joshua and I would wear our formal attire and take photos on the farm. Brian and Brandon were so generous in heart and spirit. We were able to walk the farm, enjoy the craziness of all that was happening. Because a hurricane was on its way, the sky was amazing! It was light pink, purple… I’m still left breathless when I think about that sky. But honestly, I really don’t think any other photographer could have taken their place. Everything about your wedding will fade including your own memories, which will get cloudy over time, but photos are these physical wonders that recreate those memories for us. Choosing the photographer that you feel the most comfortable with would be our number 1 thing, even more important than the venue, dress, etc.

View all images from this wedding in the gallery

Wedding vendors (Pocantico Hills, NY):

Wedding Venue: Blue Hill Farm / Wedding Photographer: The Brothers Wright / Wedding Dress: Vintage Novia D’art / Bride’s Black Sash: Mokumba / Bride’s Earrings: Museum of Modern Art / Bride’s Shoes: Butter / Beaded Purse: Lost and Found Vintage / Bride’s Hair: Cowlicks Japan / Bride’s Makeup: Space Salon / Groom’s Suit and Shirt: Bespoke by Brooklyn Tailors / Event Coordinator: Estelle Sibermann / Wedding Flowers: Sandy Clothier / Wedding Cake and Catering: Blue Hill Farm

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

New York City Winery Wedding

Ashley — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:53:56 +0000

We just totally love how many personal details bride Renee was able to inject into her big day. The couple’s cake topper was the same used by the groom’s parents, there were family inside jokes littered throughout the decor, and there were wedding portraits from various generations scattered throughout the reception venue. So sweet! Thank you to photographers Turn Loose the Art for the sharing these images!

From the bride, Renee: We wanted a rustic city chic wedding with personal elements incorporated throughout. We wanted to find a venue that incorporated our personality and where guest felt they were really part of the celebration. Elements like vintage seltzer bottles, wooden high ceilings and square tables made the venue feel unique and intimate. The color scheme reflected the colors you’d find in an Indian Summer sunset with elements of early Fall coming through. There was a mix of raw elements like the burlap table runners against the white linen table cloth and the beautiful flower arrangements in mason jars that gave the venue a polished yet accessible and intimate feel.

There was no specific theme, even though wine was a given direction. Some elements were very reflective of the venue we chose, like our invitations, menu cards and place card holders. But other details reflected the colors and elements that we wanted to include in our day. Some things I was very specific on, like having all the guys in grey tuxes. But for the girls, I wanted them to pick out their dresses so that each dress reflected their personality and style. They had to stay in a color range but other then that, had free range. Plus I got to go shopping with each of them and make a great day out of it. All the girls ended up getting one shoulder dresses, except for my maid of honor who was strapless. When you put the dresses together all the colors worked great.

We had lots of DIY! We hand tied the programs with ribbon to save on assembly costs. I bought vintage handkerchiefs online and put them in a basket with a sign that read “for your happy tears”. The place card holders were made from recycled wine corks that friends and family saved all year. The extra corks were used as accents on the tables. The wine labels were designed closely with our venue and their in house designer.. We named our homemade wine “curly tail red” which represents a family joke. Each wine was carefully selected for our cocktail hour wine tasting. The wine tasting also included a stand for our homemade wine four guests to sample along with the other wines showcased.

I searched forever for white small gourds that were placed on each table along with the flowers. The white gourds represented the September month but the white color still had a feeling of summer. We wanted to showcase our grandparents’ and parents’ wedding pictures and placed the frames in front of a window along with our guest book and framed wedding poster (a gift from my bridesmaids). I gave each parent a handkerchief with a special note along with the wedding date as a special keepsake. Our cake topper was actually my husband’s parents cake topper from their wedding 41 years ago. They said it would give us good luck… let’s hope so!

My husband’s dad sang us an Elvis love song that we danced to which was really special. He was such a hit that guests clapped him on for an encore song! We also had an Italian singer from Naples come in and perform classic Italian songs like “mama” that The groom and mom danced too along with fun dance songs we all danced too. Having those moments in our reception added to the uniqueness of the day.

Any advice for brides planning their weddings now? Follow your gut! Everyone will have an opinion. When I told people my bridesmaids were wearing different colored dresses, I got strange looks. But don’t let someone else’s vision or opinion affect yours. It’s your day and that means you can do what you want, because whatever you do reflects you and your personality and that’s what matters. There is no right or wrong as long as you follow your heart and everything will come together perfectly in the end.

View all images from this wedding in the gallery

Wedding Music:
First Dance: “Something,” The Beatles
Father/daughter Dance: “Summer Wind,” Frank Sinatra

Wedding Vendors (New York City, New York):

Ceremony Venue: Regina Pacis Roman Catholic Church, Brooklyn / Wedding Venue: City Winery / Wedding Photographer: Turn Loose the Art / Wedding Dress: Ivy and Aster, “In Bloom” / Bride’s Sash: Untamed Petals / Bride’s Shoes: Ivanka Trump / Wedding Hair: Mark McAlpine / Wedding Makeup: Lynette Broom / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: BCBG, Alice + Olivia, and Tadashi / Wedding Flowers: Jerome Florists / DJ: Scratch Weddings / Wedding Desserts: Momofuku Milk Bar / Videographer: Wellspun Weddings / Transportation: Settembre Limo

New York Picnic Wedding

Amanda — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:11:23 +0000

Delia and Jeff’s wedding is jam packed with DIY. Along with lots of little handmade details, the rain and the stories they have to tell are really what makes this wedding so sweet. Shot by Boston photographer Channing Johnson, this woodsy New York wedding will have us pinning from end to end!

View all images from this wedding in the gallery

We had always envisioned people lounging around on blankets, playing cards and field games, dancing and frolicking, but we also wanted to balance the casual vibe with a sophisticated look.

Any advice for brides planning their weddings now? Something will always go wrong – be prepared ahead of time to laugh it off! When things get tough, it’s so easy to forget the real reason you’re arranging those flowers, baking those cupcakes or packaging your favors. You’re getting MARRIED- and that’s an awesome thing on its own.

Delia also shared the ups and downs of having a DIY wedding, as well as all of her insights and lessons learned on her blog.

Wedding Songs:

Processional: “You and I” by Ingrid Michaelson
Recessional: “Skin of Our Yellow Country Teeth” by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Wedding Vendors and Venue (Salt Point, New York):

Venue: Salvato Mill / Photographer: Channing Johnson / Florist: DIY with flowers from Fifty Flowers / Wedding Dress: handmade / Crown: handmade by the bride / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo heels, Christian Louboutin flats / Bridesmaid Dresses: handmade by the bride / Groom’s suit: Ben Sherman suit, Banana Republic shirt / Groomsmen Ties: Penguin / Caterer: Rossi’s Deli / Wedding Cake: DIY / Wedding invitations: DIY using paper, envelopes, stamps and prints from Paper Source and Paper Presentation; Jeff Hinchee designed and screen printed the vintage image on the front of the booklet