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Real Weddings:

Cindy and Jake’s wedding at Greystone Mansion

photography by Kristina Adams Photography

Jake and Cindy’s wedding planned and designed by Milk Events is soft and romantic and totally dreamy. Set at Greystone Mansion with florals by City Flowers LA and two gorgeous gowns, the day is something to dream about and it’s all here in these stunning images by  Kristina Adams Photography

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From the bride: Our story began in beautiful sunny California when our paths crossed on that fateful day when Jake was on holiday. The moment we met, we knew there was something special. With Jake in the Big Apple and myself in the Golden State, the idea of a coast to coast relationship was a challenge we faced head on because we knew it will be worth it. The real possibility of happily ever after with Jake came along when my dream of becoming a NYU grad student because a reality and off I went to NYC! Five years later, we got to celebrate our forever love in the state we fell in love with the people we love most.

For our wedding, we wanted to celebrate our coast-to-coast love. What better way to celebrate than making a full circle by coming back to California with New York City style. Our “California meets New York” theme naturally came to light by combining elements from our beloved home states to create a feel for our guests that provided a “relaxed but timeless” vibe. We brought in classic New York elements of traditional elegance, chic, sophistication into a very laid back, outdoor, sunny, charming Californian venue all with hints of modern elements.

Photography: Kristina Adams Photography // Planning and Design: Milk Events // Floral Design: City Flowers LA // Stationery: Milk Events // Venue: Greystone Mansion // Videography: Emma Lynn Cinema // Ceremony Gown: Vera Wang // Reception Gown: Kitty Chen // Hair and makeup: Sherilyn Beauty // Rentals: MTB Event Rentals // Catering: Silver Services // Photo Booth: Pixster Photo Booth // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

 

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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

 

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:

Sara and Paul’s English Countryside Wedding

photography by David Abel Weddings

Two worlds blended together English-born Paul wed his American bride, Sara, in a setting fit for royalty. Friends and family traveled from all over to a weekend of celebration planned and design by Chancey Charm. Dover Hall and its English Countryside vibes set the tone for the events which included a sophisticated rehearsal and elegant wedding celebration showcasing “the couple’s unbridled love and refined style.” So many gorgeous details and an emerald green palette delight in florals by Tierra Floral Events, custom printing by Minted and desserts by Sweet Fix. Indulge yourself in all the customized details and stunning setting in these gorgeous images by David Abel Weddings.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

Two worlds blended together as the English born groom wed his American bride in a setting fit for royalty. Friends and family traveled from all over to celebrate the union over a wedding weekend. The sophisticated rehearsal and wedding day were so beautifully designed and incorporated every element to showcase the couple’s unbridled love and refined style. The royal beauty of it all started with the elegantly appointed rehearsal dinner set in the Formal Dining Room of the Estate where guests shared an intimate dinner; enjoying wine and spirits all the while preparing to send the couple off to their wedding day with a gift of love and admiration. The wedding day was full of classic but modern English details. The couple had an unexpected second ceremony (that the bride describes below) with close family as well as a grand ceremony with all of their guests. The old world charm was beautifully curated in this wedding.

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

I wanted a timeless gown that I would look back on 50 years from now and still find elegant and classic. The drama of the train, with the buttons all the way to the hem, is my favorite part of the dress. The off-the-shoulder sleeves felt romantic, and there was even a bit of architectural design in the boning that felt really beautiful. I hope it is a piece that I will be able to pass along to a daughter one day, should she want to wear it. The very first time that I went dress shopping with my Mom, we went to a sample sale, and my Martina Liana gown was actually the very the first dress that I pulled. I fell in love with the gown, but wanted to make sure that I tried on every silhouette and style so that I *knew* this was the one. We went to a couple of other DC based bridal boutiques, and finally decided to work with the team at Elegance by Roya Bridal Artelier in Tysons Corner, VA.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

During our venue search, we decided not to do a British wedding in Paul’s home country of England, but we both absolutely fell in love with Dover Hall and its English Countryside vibes. We loved that guests would feel like they were being welcomed into our English country home (I wish!). We added little touches here & there that made the day feel more personal to us, our families, and our 6 year love story.

Between Paul and I, we only have 1 grandparent that is still with us, and he was unable to travel for the wedding from England, so it was important that we recognized our families past & present. We included wedding photos from both of our parents, and all 4 sets of grandparents, creating a family tree style display with everyone’s wedding photos.

Paul is a die-hard Tottenham Hotspur fan, so we had a custom wax seal created with their team logo for our escort cards. We utilized the Hotspur logo again in the bar area with custom gold mirrored drink stirrers as well. Anyone that knows Paul, knows that we would have some recognition of the Spurs! Paul & the rest of our male family members watched the team play that morning – thankfully they won!

Our two pups, Aspen & Karlos, mean the world to us, but they were unable to be at Dover Hall on our big day, so we included a custom cocktail napkins with their likenesses. I was really happy with how these turned out – they’re just so cute!

Instead of a traditional guest book, we had our friends and family sign a personalized globe that we can display in our home.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

We had a bit of a hiccup during the day where our officiant was held up in awful traffic. What could have been a big issue actually turned into a lovely situation where we had our big, indoor ballroom ceremony under the stunning fireplace with all of our guests, as well as a beautiful, intimate ceremony outside in the courtyard.

The owner of Dover Hall was so gracious and stepped up to read our ceremony script so that our timeline for the day was not drastically thrown off, and none of the guests had any clue! After the priest arrived, while our guests were enjoying cocktail hour, he performed the ceremony for us with just our immediate families outside in the courtyard. The weather was amazing for an August day in Virginia! There were fewer nerves the second time around! It was an lovely reiteration of our vows and special to have that moment with just our families as well. It’s a unique story to be able to say we were married twice in one day!

How we met.

We met on eHarmony, but neither of us actually made our own dating profiles. Both of us had friends make the profile for us, and I was Paul’s first date, and he was my second date. We’ll have been together for 5 years coming up on Nov 26. We’re both supportive of each other’s dreams and aspirations. We’re both close with our families. We have two dogs that we adore and we’re looking forward to starting our life as a married couple and building on this life that we have together.

How we became engaged.

We were in England for Paul’s family vacation at a place called CentreParcs. We were staying in little cabin homes by a lake and on the Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend, we went for a walk around the lake. There’s a picturesque little bridge over one of the inlets of the lake & Paul proposed there. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. The he quickly ushered me off the bridge when other people were around because I was crying! We went back to the cabins & Paul’s whole family was there to celebrate with us.

Photography: David Abel Weddings// Professional Event Coordinator: Chancey Charm // Floral: Tierra Floral Events // Custom Printing: Minted // Venue & Catering: Dover Hall // Cinematographer: White Flair Productions // Hair: Amber Mortimer // Makeup: Katie Dietz // Bridal Gown: Martina Liana Elegance by Roya // Wedding Shoes: Jimmy Choo // Groom’s Suit: Indochino // Cake/Cupcakes: Sweet Fix // Celebrant: Father Jim Balija // Band: East Coast Entertainment Klaxton Brown // Ceremony Musician: RVA Harpist Christina Thomas // Transportation: Winn Bus // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box