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Real Weddings:

Lauren and Matthew’s NYC Wedding

photography by Heather Waraksa

Lauren grew up in the St. Louis area and Matthew grew up in Omaha. They both attended college on the east coast and eventually moved to Manhattan and fell in love with the New York city. “One of the most special aspects of our wedding weekend was the privilege of sharing our little version of New York City with our friends and family from out of town,” explains the bride. With the help Classic Events NYC they hosted a weekend of NYC fun that culminated with a rooftop wedding in Tribeca. Photographer Heather Waraksa captures all the beautiful  custom details—and a vibrant emerald palette—in these lovely images.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

I grew up in the St. Louis area and my husband, Matthew, grew up in Omaha. We both attended college on the east coast and eventually moved to Manhattan, where we fell in love with the city. One of the most special aspects of our wedding weekend was the privilege of sharing our little version of New York City with our friends and family from out of town. We hosted both our Welcome Party and Wedding on different rooftops of NYC (the NoMad Hotel and Tribeca Rooftop), which both offered a bird’s eye view of our city. The whole weekend felt like we had just met our nearest and dearest at a great restaurant for a fun night out.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

Choosing my wedding gown was the toughest selection in the process. I went to over 20 bridal salon appointments and just could not seem to pull the trigger. My family jokes that I must have tried on every gown in all of New York City. In large part, many of the gowns felt very sweet or costume-y to me, nothing really seemed to reflect “me.” After an exhausting search, a girlfriend of mine offered to make an appointment for me with the bridal consultant she had worked with at Oscar de la Renta. As soon as I walked into the store, I immediately felt more at ease with the focused selection and an aesthetic and designer that I already knew I loved. As soon as I put on the silk faille “Hayden” dress, the pieces really came together for me­ –not just for the gown, but for the whole event. The Hayden was highly tailored yet feminine, with a bit of a surprise in the back of the dress. The gown honesty felt very similar to the type of neckline and style I would wear in my normal life, which made me feel more authentic on the big day.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We held our rehearsal dinner and welcome party on the roof of the NoMad Hotel. The hotel is one of our favorite spots to grab drinks and it also happens to have a gorgeous, tented event space on the rooftop. As our wedding was held at Tribeca Rooftop, we loved having a consistent rooftop theme throughout the weekend. At the Welcome Party, we distributed a special wedding weekend goodie as a takeaway for our wedding guests. Everyone close to me knows that I drink a lot of coffee and that I love New York City, so we created a custom coffee mug with our wedding logo, which was a sketch of the city building where our wedding would take place, and filled them with a little bag of chocolate covered espresso beans and a welcome note from us. It was a special way to gift a takeaway that felt meaningful and personal, but also useful, for our guests who had traveled to spend the weekend with us (it also fit easily into their carry-ons!).

My father and I are very close and, unfortunately, I never got the chance to meet either of his parents; they both passed away before I was born. To honor them and my dad, my mom wore the dress that my dad’s mother wore to their wedding to our rehearsal dinner/welcome party. The dress happened to be a shade of green, which was a theme throughout our whole wedding weekend. It was incredibly special for my whole family to have her carry a piece of my father’s heritage into our wedding weekend.

I have been so fortunate to have a wonderful and loving family and a true support system my whole life, I really wanted our wedding to reflect those close bonds. To achieve this, our wedding was officiated by my father’s best friend since childhood. It was a very special moment for me and Matthew, but also for my whole family.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Even though Matthew and I did a first look and had already seen each other before the ceremony, I think the most memorable part for both of us was finally coming together on that rooftop. All of the stress of planning, the anxiety of anticipation, the nerves…it all melted away when we finally saw each other on that rooftop.

Tell us how you met.

How we met is a bit of a funny story. We both attended the George Washington University and both lived in an area called “Townhouse Row,” which was a row of townhouses that housed members of the Greek life system. The summer before my senior year, I was interning at a magazine and working a part time job at a restaurant at night, which left the mid-afternoon as my only real time in our room. I shared my room with a close friend, who was attending classes that summer and had a few friends in the fraternity whose townhouse was next to ours. One afternoon, I went to take a shower before my afternoon shift while my roommate was studying. I came out of the shower with a towel wrapped around my wet hair and wearing nothing but an oversized Tshirt to find a stranger sitting in my room. Alarmed, I squealed and asked who he was and what on earth he was doing there. Embarrassed, he explained that he had come over to hang out with my roommate, who had gone across the street to grab lunch. The stranger was Matt. We all had a big laugh and the rest was history!

Planner: Classic Events NYC // Photographer: Heather Waraksa of The Wedding Artists Co. // Florals: Designs by Ahn // Stationery: 1440 // Wedding Venue: Tribeca Rooftop // Rehearsal Dinner Venue: The NoMad Rooftop // Gown: Oscar de la Renta // Cake: Nine Cakes // Lighting: AV workshop // Video: NST // Rentals: Party Rental // Ceremony Musicians: Julliard // Band: Hank Lane // Beauty: Face Time Concierge

 

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Real Weddings:

Margaret and Clay’s Southern Garden Wedding

Photography by Davy Whitener

Margaret and Clay’s stunning southern estate garden wedding took place on the property of both the bride’s parents’ and grandparents’ homes. Margaret grew up across the street from her grandparents and the charmed childhood inspired the gorgeous wedding day planned by Mariee Ami Ami  with abundant florals designed by In Bloom and perfectly captured by Davy Whitener. Read on for more of the love, heartbreak and joy that went into the couples breathtakingly beautiful day.

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Growing up across the street from your grandparents isn’t something most families experience, but this was the only upbringing that Margaret knew. Spending her childhood running back and forth between her home and her grandparents’ allowed her imagination to run wild as she saw the endless possibilities in these places. This experience made decision-making much easier when it came time for Margaret and Clay to choose where they would be married. They aptly chose for their ceremony to be in the backyard of Margaret’s parents’ home followed by an elegant reception in the backyard of her grandparents’ home.

When planning began, Margaret’s family was thrilled about the wedding and her grandparents were especially excited to immediately begin taking on projects to get their home ready for the celebration. Margaret’s grandparents have always had a special place in her heart because they played such a large part in her life, so she was ecstatic they would be part of the planning and her big day as well. The bride’s inspiration was pulled from the overall style of both homes and her desire to bring a real connection between the ceremony and reception. A watercolor of the bride’s home on the save the date was the perfect piece to set the tone for the entire wedding and many other classic southern themes were seen throughout the weekend.

Heartbreak overcame this family when Margaret’s grandfather fell ill during the planning and ultimately passed away before the big day. An immense void was felt by all, but when Margaret and Clay’s wedding day came it was evident he had a hand in the beauty of it – the perfectly manicured lawns, fresh potted window boxes, wrought iron gates and traditional beauty of the family’s spaces were a big part in the design of the wedding and it was all perfectly executed just as if he had been there to make sure of it himself. After a beautiful ceremony, the wedding party was led to the reception by a second line band which really got the party started. With the setting of his home surrounding the celebration, Margaret’s grandfather continued to shine down on the day as the happy couple danced into the night with their loved ones. The elegance of the evening concluded with the bride and groom departing in an antique Rolls Royce to begin their life as husband and wife.

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Photographer: Davy Whitener // Planning, Design and Paper: Mariee Ami Ami // Floral Design: In Bloom // Dress: Oscar de la Renta // Hair and Make-up: Celine Russell // Cake: Barb’s Cake // Tent and Rentals: Pre Events // Specialty Rentals: Please Be Seated // Catering: Shindigs // Videographer: Film Poets // Band: Atlanta Rhythm and Groove // Get Away Car: Coats Classic Cars // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

 

Real Weddings:

Cynthia and Sean’s Festive Bay Area Soiree

Photography by Meg Smith

Eat your heat out Gatsby. Cynthia and Sean’s “festive old-world soiree” is absolutely dazzling and totally the kind of energy we’re looking for right now. Coordinator, planner and florist, Isabella Sikaffy at Florabella Studios, is a one-woman magic-maker who transformed the Bay Area private club into a seasonal vision and deco-inspired dream. Oh, and we’re also totally mesmerized by Cynthia’s stunning Oscar de la Renta gown. Lucky for us, Meg Smith, was on hand to capture all the details is these beautiful images.

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How did you meet and become engaged?

We met at a friend’s dinner party in New York City the day after Valentines Day 2014. It was a snowy night in the city and both of us came close to bailing on the party and staying in. Glad we didn’t! How and when did you get engaged? (Include month and year) Labor Day weekend 2018, we were vacationing on the Amalfi coast. Sean rented a boat for the day, we both love being on the water. We had just hopped back in the boat from a swim in the sea, and he caught me by complete surprise by proposing as we sailed through the “Love Arch” rock formation off the coast of Capri.

Why did you pick the venue? What did you most love about it?

Sean grew up going to this club, so it has special meaning to him. The club itself is a stunning and stately venue at the site of one of the original country estates of the Bay Area. We knew we wanted a formal winter wedding, in a place that could accommodate both indoor and outdoor activity. Between the gorgeous house and lush grounds with a view of the Bay, the club was perfect. To seal the deal, we had recently decided to settle in the area, so it made perfect sense to invite friends and family to our new hometown for the celebration.

What was your vision for your wedding?

Given the date around New Years, and majestic venue, we envisioned a festive old-world soiree – like Gatsby! Glamourous and classy, with some unconventional twists.

What was the planning process like?

Isabella Sikaffy at Florabella Studios spent quite a bit of time upfront getting to know us as a couple and talking about our vision for our wedding. Once we honed in on what we really wanted, she went to work checking availability and pricing of everything from venues to vendors. Then she came back to us with two proposals for options that we not only loved, but that she knew we could pull off. We chose New Year’s in Hillsborough! One of the wonderful things about working with Isabella was that she’s not just a planner and coordinator – she’s an incredibly talented designer. She created a comprehensive design proposal of the entire weekend, then sourced and coordinated every element of the event from linens and glassware to entertainment and photography. We loved exploring possibilities then seeing even our craziest ideas become reality. For us, planning was a fun adventure.

 

Ceremony and reception décor:

We chose to go with lush tropical greenery – ferns and palms everywhere, even hanging from the ceiling. With lots of candles, of course. The only splash of floral color was the bridal bouquet of red roses.  The décor had an art nouveau feel, with deep jewel toned velvet linens and lounge seating, with gold accents.

How did you personalize your wedding day to reflect who you are as a couple?

We wrote our own vows, which was daunting at first, but turned out to be so much fun and made the ceremony so special and personal. We chose the brother of the bride to officiate the wedding. Having an officiant to who knew us so well made for an extra special personalized ceremony with an element of good humor.

 

Any anecdotes from the dress-shopping experience?

This was the first dress I tried! 2 days and 100 dresses later, I went back to where I started. I’m short, so I knew I needed something minimal, not too heavy. But I also wanted some drama. This dress was perfect! It was simple and sleek in the front, with a wild ruffle down the back. I tried on dozens of gorgeous gowns and could have been happy with many of them. But my dress was the only one that screamed my name. I just felt like myself in this dress.

Special memories, stories, or details from your wedding day:

Not only were Sean’s vows incredible and touching, but he memorized every word! Even though we planned the wedding and knew exactly what was coming, the whole atmosphere and event felt magical with surprises around every corner.

If you could offer one piece of wisdom to couples currently planning a wedding, what would it be?

Relax, have fun, make it exactly what YOU want.

Photographer: Meg Smith // Coordinator/Planner/Florals: Isabella Sikaffy at Florabella Studios // Venue: Private Club // Videographer: Elysium // Officiant: Richard Maus (brother of the bride) // Bridal gown and Veil: Oscar de la Renta // Bridal Stylist: Julie Sabatino, The Stylish Bride // Makeup: Lisa Louie // Jewelry: Jennifer Behr earrings and hair comb // Shoes: Jimmy Choo // Groom’s attire: Traditional Custom Tuxedo from Trumaker // Music (ceremony and reception): Rhythm Collective, and other entertainment from Elan Artists // Accommodations: Fairmont San Francisco

 

Real Weddings:

Annie and Mauricio wedding at The San Francisco Ferry Building

photographed by Meg Smith

Native San Franciscans, Annie and Mauricio, celebrated their love and their hometown with a fabulous affair at the The San Francisco Ferry Building. Seriously guys—magical from beginning to end which finished out with a late night dance party under the gorgeous historic architectural features of the iconic landmark. The Black Tie event was planned by First Pick Planning with florals by Michael Daigian Design, and Pretty Please Bakeshop cake, Mariachi Estelar band and it’s all captured in these breathtaking images by Meg Smith.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

Being both born and raised in San Francisco we wanted a wedding that spoke to the city that we love, and get out of your average ballroom. We chose the San Francisco Ferry Building because it’s quintessential San Francisco (having been in the city since the 1800’s) and has a magical feel to it with the high glass domed ceilings and the mosaic tile floors complete with a California state seal. As a bonus, it’s also one of the only venues in SF that allows you to host events until 1am and we love a good late night dance party!

To honor such a beautiful space we felt that Black Tie dress was the only way to go. We kept the decor elegant and romantic with lots of white flowers, rich green foliage and hundreds of white candles to compliment the beauty of the building.

Even though we are both from San Francisco we were raised with different traditions. Mauricio’s parents are from Nicaragua and El Salvador and Annie’s family is Armenian. We wanted our wedding to celebrate both cultures as well as things special to Mauricio and I as a couple.

As a nod to Mauricio’s Latin culture we had an 11 piece mariachi band, an oversized papel picado art installation and table numbers, pink Himalayan sea salt shot glass as seating cards and gifts, sipping tequila and lots of reggaeton music and dancing.

As a nod to Annie’s Armenian heritage we performed an Armenian crowning tradition in our ceremony, served a Mediterranean menu starring the best lamb we’ve ever had, layers of almond and apricot preserve in our wedding cake and got the entire crowd involved in some Armenian circle dancing.

For some smaller personal touches we sewed buttons from my mother, grandmother and great grandmother’s wedding dresses into the ribbon of my bouquet. Mauricio and I also sipped on the tequila we bought in Tequila, Mexico days after we got engaged, the bottle had been engraved with “Riveras 2018” and we waited until our wedding day to open it.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

After going to 8 different wedding gown stores, I was beginning to lose hope of finding one that I really loved. After venturing out to Walnut Creek, I lucked upon an Alon Livné White Trunk Show at Le Soie Bridal. The second I put his first dress on I was obsessed, and I was able to work with Alon Livné White to custom-make the dress adding a few features so it was absolute perfection. The lace and beaded detailing were exquisite and beyond having several layers of fabric it was so light and comfortable. I wish I could wear it every day.

 

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

It’s nearly impossible to pick just one as the most memorable part. One that we both like to reminisce on is the feeling we had when we first saw our reception space. After our ceremony, we had cocktail hour outside in front of the ferry building during sunset, then our 11 piece Mariachi band played and led us, followed by our guests, back up the grand staircase and into the reception mezzanine. Seeing how it had all come together left both Mauricio and I speechless. You spend so much time planning, but you never really know how it will turn out. Everything had come together perfectly, actually, way better than we possibly imagined it would. I can only describe the feeling as pure magic. The papel picado, the candles, the flowers, the music, it was a moment I treasure deeply. And Meg being the most incredible photographer she is, captured a photo of the reactions on our faces that was one of our favorite photos of the day, as the emotions just pour through the picture.

 

 

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

How we met: We both were born and raised in San Francisco. In 2016, I introduced one of my brother’s high school friends, Tim, to one of my best friends, Lauren.  Tim and Lauren became a couple and during a summer weekend up in Tahoe, they introduced me and Mauricio who is Tim’s best friend. Tim and Lauren were married almost a year before us, and we live within 10 minutes of each other.

How we became engaged: My family has spent Christmas down in Mexico for the past 15+ years so in December 2017 we decided to bring both families together and had Mauricio’s parents down in Puerto Vallarta with us. On Christmas Eve, after spending the best day out on the water on my favorite boat cruise – swimming, dancing, eating and drinking – and catching the end of a Niners game on TV, the two of us went to sit on the beach to watch the sunset and Mauricio proposed. I was not expecting it as I was all sandy and salty but it was perfect. Then we got to spend Christmas day celebrating with our families.

Annie + Mauricio | Ferry Building SF Wedding from Kyle Henry on Vimeo.

Photographer: Meg Smith // Planner: First Pick Planning // Florist: Michael Daigian Design // Venue: The San Francisco Ferry Building // Wedding Dress: Alon Livné White // Cake: Pretty Please Bakeshop // Catering: Paula LeDuc // Mariachi Band: Mariachi Estelar // Videographer: Hitmaker Films  // Tux: Tom Ford

 

Real Weddings:

Allie and Tim’s wedding at Laguna Gloria

featuring Julie Wilhite Photography

Allie and Tim’s Austin wedding weekend was a “celebration of family, friendship and love.” Held at  The Contemporary Austin Laguna Gloria, the ceremony capitalized on the the lush gardens of the location with graphic white florals by Wild Poppy and pops of green in the tablescape accents. Keeping the color palette simple created an edited elegance that we’re totally loving and you can see all the details in these images by Julie Wilhite Photography.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

Tim and I are both from Kansas, and most of our guests traveled from the chilly Midwest so we wanted to make the weekend feel like a fun vacation. From the welcome party at a hip East Austin watering hole on Friday, to the champagne toast during the ceremony, and Rainey Street brunch for the Sunday farewell, everything was a celebration of family, friendship and love.

We especially cherish the ceremony & reception venue, Laguna Gloria. Not only is it one of the most stunning wedding venues in Austin, but it’s also a museum and sculpture garden that we can enjoy anytime we want.

Because of the naturally beautiful setting, we wanted to keep the décor and florals to a minimum, opting for a white, cream and green color palette with natural wood elements and romantic lighting. And having just our siblings as the wedding party made the ceremony feel intimate and special.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

I knew I wanted a simple gown with unexpected details, but I truly had no idea how many options there could be! After dragging my mom, sister, future mother-in-law and future sister-in-law to five bridal shops in one day (I do not recommend this), I finally found the perfect THEIA gown from Unbridaled in Austin – an ivory crepe mermaid gown with Chantilly lace long sleeves and back.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We enjoyed adding little touches of Austin where we could as a nod to our adopted home. The welcome bags included local favorites, including iced coffee from High Brew, Tito’s vodka and Topo Chico sparkling water, along with a personalized cup, bottle opener and weekend events schedule.

For the reception food, we knew we didn’t want the typical rubber chicken wedding food – especially because Austin is known for having an excellent food scene. Local Asian-fusion restaurant Peached Tortilla was the one and only catering tasting we went to, and we couldn’t have been more pleased. Our guests were raving about the wasabi mashed potatoes for weeks!

Because neither of us are big cake people, we opted for an ice cream sandwich cart from Baked Bear as dessert, and then surprised our guests with late-night Torchy’s tacos (an Austin fave) to end the night.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Having dated for 8 years before we got married, Tim and I were no strangers to each other’s family and friends. But having them all together in one place to celebrate us was overwhelmingly moving. The entire day (and weekend) was everything we wanted and more.

To end the night, everyone remaining on the dance floor joined in an all-ages passionate sing-along of Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” followed by a sparkler send-off. It was magical.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Tim and I met through my sister, Morgan, in 2010 in Lawrence, Kan. I had just graduated with my bachelor’s degree and Tim had completed his first year of law school (he and Morgan were in the same KU Law class). Most of our eight-year relationship was long-distance (KC>Lawrence, KC>Singapore, Austin>KC) as we pursued graduate degrees and career passions. Tim moved to Austin in 2016 and proposed in July 2018 at his alma matter, the University of San Diego, overlooking San Diego Bay on a weekend trip to California.

Photography: Julie Wilhite Photography // Wedding Coordination: Lovely Day Events – Clarissa Melendez // Florist: Wild Poppy // Getting Ready Venue: The LINE Hotel // Venue: The Contemporary Austin Laguna Gloria // Hair & Makeup: Katy Reddell // Bridal Gown: Lauren by Theia // Bridal Boutique: Unbridaled // Bridesmaids: Show Me Your Mumu // Grooms Suit: Knot Standard // Groomsman Suit: The Black Tux // Ceremony Music: Terra Vista Strings // DJ: DJ Gatsby // Officiant: Rev. Sheryl at Short & Sweet Weddings // Rentals: Whim // Lighting: Ilios // Dessert: Baked Bear