Suzana and Frank’s wedding including all the trappings of a super stylish, yet crazy fun party: a Mariachi band, party hats, a taco cart, lots of yummy cocktails, good food and music! Combine that with one of our fave venues: Marvimon, and the stylings of wedding designer Sweet Emilia Jane and you have yourself an absolute win–especially considering photographer Chris Howard was on board to capture all the gorgeous action! We know you’re going to love this fashion inspired bride and the super modern art deco wedding that the duo threw for friends and family!
What made the wedding special and unique?
It meant the world to us to have all the people we love in one place. I am originally from Southern California and Frank is from Massachusetts but we met and live in NYC. Because of the distance between our hometowns, our wedding was the first time our families, including parents, had ever met. This was initially a major source of anxiety for us! Turns out my big, crazy Latin family and his small, sweet New England family not only hit it off but many have since stayed in touch. It’s truly amazing what a mariachi band, an awesome DJ and delicious cocktails can do for uniting family and friends!
Tell us about your gown and where/how you found it!
First stop was Vera Wang’s NYC flagship store. It is an experience unlike any other and the gowns were exactly what I was looking for; unique, detailed and full of different textures and lace. I wasn’t quite sure how I’d pick just one. Eventually I narrowed it down to Lindsey and a whole new hunt for a gold belt began. Gold was one of the central colors of the wedding (and of my life overall!) Surprisingly, gold is not as common in wedding accessories as it is in my life. I ran all over NYC and Los Angeles searching for something that might work. In the end, Vera Wang once again came through and found me the perfect gold, sparkly belt. It not only fit my dress and but felt so cohesive with our overall design decor. There’s certainly a reason Vera Wang continues to be such a staple in the wedding industry.
What were some touches added to make it personal?
Instead of having a traditional ceremony performed by a priest, we asked a dear friend, Meghan, to marry us. She was the wonderful lady who originally introduced us and was the ultimate crusader for our relationship during our 5+ years of dating. Meghan put together the most heartfelt ceremony using her personal knowledge of each of us and the development of our relationship. It was one of the best decisions we made.
We also asked our dear friends, Michael and Lindsay, to design our stationery suite. It was quite the adventure diving into the world of choosing colors, fonts, finishes and gold foil to bring our modern take on art deco aesthetic to life. They were so great about listening and understanding what we wanted. The results truly represented us and the fun, glamorous setting we wanted to convey to our guests. Also, as if delivering our dream stationery wasn’t enough, Mike and Lindsay purchased the printing plates from our Save the Dates and had them set in a beautiful frame as our wedding gift. Is that the coolest gift you’ve ever heard of? We think so.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
Every. single. minute. We curated our guest list to truly represent our nearest and dearest. It made every encounter with our guests a moment of utter joy and excitement. If I had to choose one single moment, it would be walking down the aisle and seeing Frank. We’d planned this day for so long and everything was going according to plan, I was ready to go. However, as soon as I linked arms with my mother and father and saw Frank at the end of the aisle, the tears and nerves took over. It was clear Frank was in a similar state when he took my hand and the ceremony began. But in that moment, standing together in front of all our loved ones, the nerves and tears washed away. Being with him is my ultimate happy place and nothing felt better than knowing we were about to begin the rest of lives as husband and wife.
Tell us how you met/proposed!
The proposal came at the end of a day of shopping in which Suzana found a ring she loved in an antique jewelry store, Frank secretly purchased it kept it tucked into his jacket while they roamed the city the rest of the day, and unable to wait to propose to her with the ring, he ran out to grab champagne and flowers and came back and surprised her with it that night.
Vendors: Photography: Chris Howard // Planner and Designer: Sweet Emilia Jane // Caterer: whoa nelly // Beverage Service: Pharmacie // DJ: Lady Sinclair for Haute Mobile Disco // Florist: The Little Branch // Makeup: Delilah Beauty // Mariachi: Mariachi Mexico de Noche // Rentals: Classic Party Rentals and Arcadia // Linens: La Tavola // Transportation: CoolRide // Valet: Jeffrey Valet // Venue: Marvimon