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Real Weddings:

Sanjay and Steven’s wedding at Cedar Lakes Estate

photography by Edward Winter

Where do we even begin with Sanjay and Steven’s incredible wedding weekend at Cedar Lakes Estate?? It was the first gay wedding for many of the guests and Sanjay and Steven “were determined to ground the weekend in themes that everyone could connect with: love, community, and partying very hard.” Planned by Amanda Savory Events, it’s a visual spectacle filled with gorgeous details, cultural significance, nods to the couples’ many travels and the underlying theme of bringing people together in the spirit of joy. How better to do it than joyful details including florals by Rye Workshop, a traditional Indian wedding procession, calligraphy by Mimms Cross, a cake by Momofuku Milkbar, and—of course—vibrant-hued smoke bombs?! Every last detail is captured by Edward Winter with READYLUCK and we’re thrilled to share the photos here with you today. 

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What made the wedding special and unique?

All weddings are special because they bring families together. The one additional layer of significance for us was that both Steven and I had a long, often challenging, journey to get to this point where our families could be so incredibly supportive. This was the first gay wedding for many of our guests. We were determined to ground the weekend in themes that everyone could connect with: love, community, and partying very hard.

Also, both Steven and I have lived all over the world and moved quite a lot. Consequently, we have lots of circles of friends and family dispersed everywhere that we rarely get to see together. Bringing them all together in one place – and actually having the time to spend time together during the daytime – was absolutely the most incredible rush. We hadn’t anticipated how important this factor would be until the weekend arrived.

Our wedding brought people together in a spirit of joy. Our families and friends became one big loving community.

Tell us about your tux and where/how you found it!

When picking tuxedos, we knew we wanted something modern, but not so ‘out there’ that it would look ridiculous when we looked at our photos in a decade. We also knew we wanted to complement each other, but not match exactly – which ruled out the classic black tuxedo.

We ended up finding the perfect duo of a bold blue and a midnight navy color at the Hugo Boss store in Soho, NYC.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We injected our personalities and cultural backgrounds into small moments throughout the wedding. At our ‘sangeet’ event the night before the wedding, two of our closest friends hosted a live ‘newlywed’ game that allowed our guests to get to know us a little better. We also served a fusion Indian-American South menu that evening with dishes such as cardamom-spiced fried chicken and Kashmiri style collard greens.

In lieu of a guestbook, we invited guests to share messages with us on the backs of vintage postcards of destinations that we’d traveled to together, such as Iceland, the Cook Islands, and South Africa.

Finally, for our first dance we elected to surprise everyone with a fun mashup of songs that represented where we came from (nods to “California Love” and the “Dirty South”) and where we met (“Empire State of Mind” – Alicia Keys & Jay-Z).

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Honestly, the afterparty! We loved every minute of our wedding weekend (even the rain!), but it was only after the reception that we could totally let loose. Ironically, the afterparty was the one event that we planned the least and so it was the most thrilling for us to experience it with no expectations.

For our afterparty, we moved over to a venue called The Treehouse where our friends danced into the night on an outdoor patio while our DJ pumped out our favorite 90s tunes accompanied by live Indian Dhol players. It was so exhilarating to have all of our favorite people celebrating with us in one place.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Despite an explicit verbal agreement that neither party would pop the question until they had dated for at least two years, Sanjay proposed on a private lagoon voyage in his 100th country (and Steven’s 25th), the Cook Islands, just shy of the second anniversary of their first date. Steven immediately accepted and then promptly proceeded to dance uncontrollably. Some might say the surprise had been ruined when the captain of the boat winked at Sanjay and loudly announced that a bottle of champagne was in the cooler as he dropped Steven and Sanjay off on a private island, but then again, when has a chilled bottle of champagne on a private island ever ruined anything?

Photography: Edward Winter / READYLUCK // Event planning: Amanda Savory Events // Flowers: Rye Workshop // Stationery: Suitesmith // Location & catering: Cedar Lakes Estate // Calligraphy: Mimms Cross // Cake: Momofuku Milkbar // Officiant: Rvnd. Mary-Rose Engle of Engle Heart // Music: DJ Rishi of Silk Events (sangeet baraat ceremony reception); Suit & Tie of Élan Artists // Rentals: Patina Rentals (furniture & lounge) // Sherwanis: Maharani Fashions // Grooms’ tuxedos: Hugo Boss // Grooms’ bowties: Sarar // Steven’s shoes: Hugo Boss // Sanjay’s shoes: Calvin Klein // Cake topper: Etsy // Dance instructor: Alan Watson Easy Wedding Dancing // Horses: Echo Lake Stables

 

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Real Weddings:

Marilyn and Victor’s Wedding in Paris

featuring Sandra Aberg Photography

Marilyn and Victor wanted a personal celebration—one that was true to who they are as a couple—so they threw a cocktail party for 150 in Paris! With the help of planner and creative director Xenia Motif they celebrated their love with a town hall ceremony followed by a reception at La Cartonnerie, Paris. Light shone down through the glasshouse ceiling of the organic setting and decor included garden roses and lots of greenery by Studio Ohlala. Our favorite details are—hand down—the bride’s Hermione de Paula gown, the traditional French croquemboucheat wedding cake and the views of Paris in the stunning portraits by Sandra Aberg Photography.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

prom the planner: I was really excited to be on board of this project, as everything about this wedding seemed unique to me. I’ve done many classic destination weddings before, but Marilyn and Victor wanted theirs to be very personal and very true to who they are as a couple, what they like, and their connections in life. So throwing a cocktail party for 150 people in Paris sounded like it!

Everything — from the choice of venue, food decision to the bridal gown, — everything was dictated by what the couple liked, not by wedding conventions.

Growing up in 7eme arrondissement, Victor knew that they have to get married in the townhall of that district, especially with it being so close to the Eiffel Tower — Marilyn’s favourite place in the city. And it worked out perfectly!

Following that, the cocktail party was hosted at an old cardboard factory loft in the center of Paris. Decorated with garden roses and lots of greenery, the setting was organic, reminiscent of autumn garden blooms, at the same time giving way to the venue itself to shine properly with its vintage props, glasshouse ceiling and incredible wood.

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

The story of Marilyn’s gown is truly one of a destiny. We were looking at a few different options, and Marilyn wanted an unconventional gown, not white (as white was planned to be worn for their second religious wedding in Swiss Alps). We were looking for something playful, elegant, and a little sexy, and then one day we came upon Hermione de Paula creation. We knew it was THE DRESS right away just by looking at Marilyn — she was radiant! Subtle hand-made floral embroidery, golden accents, playful sheer inclusions — it was just perfect both for morning civil ceremony and for a party at night!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

First of all, it was hosted in Paris — the city of Victor’s birth, and Marilyn’s favourite city to visit.

French and American references were here and there in food and entertainment. Starting with an Oyster bar, the dinner then transitioned into a multi-cultural pass-around menu, with delicious things like southern waffles with corn and avocado, pulled pork buns, Asian dim-sums, and so much more.

Entertainment of choice for the night was an incredible lounge live band, followed by a Vinyl Bar, where guests could select their favourite tune, new or old.

A surprise for the bride was an old French tradition of ‘brioche dance’, where the bride and groom are to sit on the delicious French pastry and all guests shall dance around them.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

I think I will get it right if I say that the whole day was memorable! But one great highlight was the brioche dance mentioned earlier — bride and all guests were utterly amused and had an amazing time dancing around the high bread, before turning to the underground ‘dance cave’ for the actual party!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Marilyn and Victor met one serendipitous night at a pub in Central London and never parted since!

The proposal happened at a small resort town in Swiss Alps (where the couple later hosted their second wedding), when Victor arranged a morning hike in winter with their St. Bernard dog (who Marilyn loves!). Everything was going according to the plan, and Victor knelt down proposing. Marilyn happily says yes and takes the ring, when the dog pulls on her, and the ring gets dropped into the snow!

Planning and creative direction: Xenia Motif // Photography: Sandra Aberg Photography // Flowers: Studio Ohlala // MUAH: Onorina Jomir Beauty // Venue: La Cartonnerie, Paris // Bridal dress (Paris): Hermione de Paula // Catering: Charlotte Puckette // Live Music: Reyko // DJ: Dance Police

 

Real Weddings:

Courtney and Patrick’s Yountville wedding

featuring Kristine Herman Photography

Courtney and Patrick’s wedding at The Estate Yountville checked all the beauty boxes—stunning scenery, relaxed elegance, lush florals and greenery—but it’s the stunning bride and beaming groom that truly shine. Kristine Herman Photography perfectly captured the radiance and joy of the “50/50 couple” (read on about their sand ceremony) in these images of their big day coordinated by Brannan Events with florals by Julie Stevens Design.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

Patrick and I wanted all of our family and friends to get to know each other before the big day, so in the days leading up to our wedding we organized wine tasting adventures and a get together in Yountville’s Veteran’s Park where all of our guests gathered, and strangers turned into familiar faces. Everyone on the dance floor knew each other, that was so special to us!

We had a sand ceremony symbolizing our 50/50 commitment to each other. Courtney’s dad once told her at the beginning of our 8 year relationship that, “A relationship only works if each person is putting in their share, it has to be 50/50!”

Patrick and I went around the entire wedding party table at our wedding dinner and said a special something about all of our bridesmaids and groomsmen. we wanted everyone to know why those people are so special to us that we asked them to witness and stand by our side on our wedding day.

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

I wanted a modern, form fitting long sleeve lace dress and searched far and near to find it! We went to Chicago where my mom, sister, grandma, aunt and now mother-in-law first shopped for my dress. We didn’t walk away with anything, so when I got home to San Francisco, we went to several more shops and finally found my gown at Sarah Seven which is literally a 5 min walk from my house. My gown is called the Venice, but like all Sarah Seven dresses it was made custom. I added the Del Mar Skirt, a scalloped V back and buttons along the zipper on the back. The one request from my husband was an open back! He was happy!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

My cousin, Andrew Raponi, who is one of my best friends (we’re only 6 months apart) played an acoustic version of “perfect” as we walked down the aisle.

Both of my parents said “We Do” when our officiant (my uncle Tom Raponi) asked “who presents this woman”.

For our first look, we were in the middle of a vineyard, and it felt like we were the only two people on the planet! Our immediate families were able to peek through the vines and we all celebrated with a champagne post after, in flute glasses my parents gifted us right then with our C/P logo on them.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Walking down the aisle with my dad! I’ve been dreaming of that day my entire life; well at least from the first time I saw Father of the Bride. In fact, the movie had quite a significant role in our wedding. It was mentioned in my Dad’s rehearsal dinner speech where he reenacted the first scene when Steve Martin does his monologue and it was also mentioned in my vows to Patrick.

Our grand entrance into the Barrel Room for our first dance! Our coordinator had our wedding party create a tunnel for us to go through on our way in, where we found a live saxophone player playing along to our favorite song. We did not rehearse it, but it went perfect! We nailed it!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

8 years ago, Patrick and I meet in entrepreneurship class in our last year, last semester in college at the University of Colorado in Boulder, CO. On the first day of class, we had to go around the room and say something interesting about ourselves and I said that I circumnavigated the world on Semester at Sea. After class Patrick called me out and said that I didn’t go on SAS because he just went and I wasn’t on his boat! Turns out, he went on the Fall semester and I went on the prior Spring semester boat. The following Friday night, we crossed paths at a bar, danced the night away and have been by each other’s side ever since! After college, we both moved to Denver and had a blast living with our best friends, going out and exploring the city together. About four years ago, we moved to San Francisco to further our careers and fell in love with the city and wine country!

About a month ago, Patrick proposed on the beautiful island of Kauai. We did an intense, 15 mile in/out backpacking trip along the Na Pali Coast, one of the hardest things we’ve ever done. We hiked along the coast and ended at Kalalau Beach where we camped for two nights. The second day, we were basically the only ones on a mile-long beach exploring, soaking up the sun and having the most unforgettable day. That night, we ate dinner early to watch the sunset, and Patrick brought a drone with him to “capture the moment” little did I know. He was playing around with the drone and I was getting annoyed that he wouldn’t sit down and watch the sunset with me. When he got the drone in the perfect spot, he asked me to come try and fly it, handed me the remote and then asked me to turn around. I threw the remote when I saw him on his knee! It was magical, pure magic. We barely slept that night we were so excited, but had to get up early the next morning to hike back and were planning to relax at our resort for the rest of the week. When we arrived to the resort, we pulled our Jeep into the valet circle and when I got out of the car my mom’s head poked out from behind a pole, then my dad’s then Patrick’s mom and dad. They came all the way to Hawaii to surprise me and spend the week celebrating with us!

Photography: Kristine Herman Photography // Coordination: Brannan Events // Florals: Julie Stevens Design // Signage and Invitations: Bloom and Buzz // Venue and Catering: The Estate Yountville // HMU: Style Bee // Dress: Sarah Seven // Shoes: Badgley Mischka

 

Real Weddings:

Jillian and Tim’s wedding at The Cleveland Museum of Art

photography by Lauren Gabrielle

Jillian had this to say about her wedding to Tim at The Cleveland Museum of Art,”It was a place that I always went to as a little girl and being able to marry the man of my dreams there was inexplicably unique and special.” It was also exceptionally gorgeous! Planning, design and coordination was by Kirkbrides, with voluminous florals and greens by HeatherLily, stationery by Blue Envelope Boutique and cake by Luna Bakery. Jillian’s Monique Lhuillier could not have been more fitting for both the bride, and the event, but it’s her gigantic smile that’s the winning feature. Lauren Gabrielle‘s images perfectly capture the joyous day and we’re thrilled to share them!

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What made the wedding special and unique?  

Our wedding day was phenomenal – filled with so much joy and love. Being able to have our wedding at the Museum was a dream come true. Celebrating in a place that hosts some of the world’s most treasured pieces of art felt surreal. It was a place that I always went to as a little girl and being able to marry the man of my dreams there was inexplicably unique and special. For our guests, we wanted them to feel transported, like they were somewhere completely outside of Cleveland.

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

My gown! One of the great loves of my life! I had seen a very beautiful bride wear the gown with a tulle skirt overlay. I was in love with how ornate the beading was, but without too much glitter or sparkle. I hunted it down and identified it as the Gwyneth by Monique Lhuillier. We went to the boutique in New York City and tried on about 5 different gowns, the Gwyneth being the first. All of them were stunning, but nothing seemed to compare to the first one. I really and truly believe it was meant to be. I wanted a dress that was timeless and whimsical, but still modern and showed some curves (I knew my husband would appreciate that as well). I couldn’t have been more thrilled with how it came out. It was a dream.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?  

Tim and I wanted everyone to be connected during the ceremony (our Cantor kindly asked for everyone to put away their cell phones, nothing irritates me more!) and let loose during the reception. We knew from the start that we wanted black tie (the venue almost demands that given its imposing nature), but we wanted the opposite of a stuffy, formal affair. We brought in an amazing vendor to string the dance floor with bistro lights to create a truly romantic ambiance as the sun went down; outside, but inside was a common mantra. Plus, it was a perfect alternative to a stark dance floor. Instead of flowers during the cocktail hour our florist created huge, gorgeous urns of olive branches and eucalyptus to create a more modern, Tuscan feel. Those were centered on the charcuterie and cheese displays. I also brought in vintage compotes in a deep amber color and requested the Museum recreate our favorite bar nuts from a whisky and rye bar where we live in Washington, D.C. These were the centerpieces on the cocktail tables, a little something different than bud vases.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The ceremony, 100%. I will never forget the smell and sounds during our ceremony. I’m a firm believer in signs and serendipitous moments. While Tim was reading his vows he recited a poem by George Gershwin: “Birds love and bees love and whispering trees love/And that’s what we both should do”. A honey bee came into the Chuppah at the exact same moment that Tim said that line. Since a Chuppah symbolizes the four corners of our home that we will create together, I firmly believe the bee was coming to bring sweetness into our home, our marriage. I guess I’m a bit sappy like that.

Tell us how you met and became engaged. 

We met on Tinder! We went on our first date to a pizza place outside of Washington, D.C. in a quaint neighborhood called Old Town Alexandria. I ate nearly all of the pizza. I think Tim was too nervous. We fell in love about 5 months later. Tim proposed 3 years later at the same restaurant. He had a HUGE bouquet of my favorite flowers (lilies) on the same table where we sat during our first date. He got down on one knee and after regaining my composure, I realized that our parents were watching us from the steps up to the second level of the restaurant. I almost fainted…I was completely in shock, utter disbelief. It is one of the greatest days of my life to date.

Planning Design and Coordination: Kirkbrides // Photography: Lauren Gabrielle // Floral Décor: HeatherLily // Stationery: Blue Envelope Boutique // Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Cleveland Museum of Art // Bridal Dress Designer: Monique Lhuillier // Hair/Makeup: Cleveland Makeup Artistry Karin Dodge // Cake: Luna Bakery // Lighting: Rock the House // Linens: L’Nique // Videography: Just Hitched Wedding Films // Band Cocktail Hour Music: TCB through Cleveland Music Group  // Transportation (guest shuttles): A1 Mr. Limo // Transportation (bridal party): LED Luxury Line

 

Real Weddings:

Sarah and Bryan’s wedding at Greyfield Inn

photography by Amy Arrington

Bride Sarah fell in love with Georgia’s Cumberland Island years before her engagement to Bryan, and knew it was the perfect place to invite their friends and family from around the world to celebrate their wedding. The couple hosted the weekend  at Greyfield Inn, a romantic historic property with breathtakingly beautiful grounds. Their personalized events included special details nodding to the bride’s Scottish heritage and a muted white color palette that let the beauty of the surroundings shine. Amy Arrington was on hand to capture it all and we’re excited to share the lovely images with you today!

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

The picturesque, protected Cumberland Island provided the most amazing environment for our wedding, I fell in love with the island the first time I stepped foot on it to go camping years back.  The wild horses, untouched beaches, and no one else around for miles made it the perfect place to share with the people most important to us. The atmosphere of Cumberland Island and Greyfield Inn feels like a step backwards in time, isolated from life’s usual distractions. It was a weekend to focus on being together with our favorite people from all over the globe. The Greyfield Inn, built by the Carnegie family in 1900 and converted to an inn in 1962, hosted our guests in addition to our rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony and reception. We had the entire inn to ourselves, and the charm and romance of Greyfield paired with the hospitality of the staff was unforgettable. Chef Whitney Otawka and beverage director Christopher Becerra worked with us to create amazing tasting experiences all weekend long. The whole experience had so many personal touches, we couldn’t have been happier with how the whole weekend went.

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

I had no preconceptions when it came to wedding dresses; I had not dreamed of a specific wedding dress so I went into wedding dress shopping with an open mind. Not being the biggest shopping fan I was a little overwhelmed by the choices at first. However, I do love to dress up and love classic lines and a touch of vintage. I tried a number of classic ballgowns on and they looked beautiful but they didn’t seem in fitting with the outside wedding we had planned. I headed to Bridals by Lori in Atlanta as they have such a wide selection and pulled tons of gowns with nothing seeming to be quite right. Then I described our wedding setting and one of the assistants went to grab a couple more dresses. Once I put on the dress I knew it was the perfect one for the day and venue. The beautiful embroidered pattern running down the skirt reminded me of the Spanish moss hanging from the trees on Cumberland Island. I remember Skyping my mum back in the UK to tell her I had found the dress and tearing up a little.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

The rehearsal dinner menu had a British twist through out (I moved from Scotland to the USA in 2009), we had posh fish and chips and then sticky toffee pudding for dessert. We were able to customize all the food and wine selections, and our favorite cocktails were handcrafted for our guests. The ceremony was performed by a dear friend of the groom and we worked with him to plan the entire ceremony and wrote our own vows. The weekend definitely felt like it was designed for us. It was great that we had the entire Inn to ourselves and our wedding party. There were so many small wedding details too that were personal from my family’s tartan on my dad’s tie to the horseshoe that I carried for good luck – a tradition from back in the UK.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

It’s almost impossible to narrow down; we had a whole weekend of memories with the most incredible people, some we hadn’t seen in years. Almost all of our guests were from out of state or out of the country – we were honored to have so many guests make the journey to Cumberland Island. But the most memorable part of the weekend has to be standing in front of all of our family and friends watching the love of my life starring right back with a big grin promising to spend the rest of his life with me.

Tell us how you met and became engaged?

Both of us had been encouraged by friends to try this new dating app that neither of us had heard of, but I think everyone has heard of Tinder by now! But when our friends introduced us to the app it hadn’t been out that long and everyone was just learning how entertaining it was to swipe left or right. Bryan was a day trader and I was a research scientist and I can’t imagine how our lives would have crossed path without this app. When we went on our first date he was certainly more interesting and animated than any other guy I’d met.

With our engagement I think Bryan had a challenge trying to catch me off guard, I’m not great with surprises. He knew I was maybe on to him and we had a trip coming up to Rome which I thought was an obvious choice. So he caught me off guard one night as I returned home from work. I hadn’t a clue what he had planned, all I knew was he kept calling to see why I was running so late that day. When I opened the door I saw rose petals leading throughout the house and I just stopped everything to register what was happening. As I walked in I saw photos strung through the house, chronologically displaying so many fantastic moments of our times together, then balloons, more petals and roses, and at the end my boyfriend all dressed up and smiling from ear to ear!

Photographer: Amy Arrington // Flowers: Island Flowers and Garden // Stationery: Minted // Venue: Greyfield Inn // Hair and Make-up: Kristen Waiting, Helmet Atlanta // Dress Designer: Eve of Milady / Bridals by Lori // Bridemaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo / Bella Bridemaids // Cake: Tamatha Cain Choux Cake Studio // Groom: Ralph Lauren Purple Label Saks Fifth Avenue // Music: Music by Pegge, Pegge Ealum // Engagement Ring and Wedding Band Vintage Setting: I. Switt Fine Antique Silver & Jewelry Philadelphia PA