Why did you choose this location for your wedding? We fell in love with the venue as soon as we pulled up to the dirt parking lot. The tour of the venue was romantic; the equestrian center with its rustic barn was a blend of vintage and elegance.
What inspired you when you were planning your wedding? All things timeless and lovely.
What was your favorite moment or part of the day? Sitting at the head table and looking out to see that we were surrounded by all our family and friends who love us.
Did you include any traditions in your wedding? Just a sprinkle of Korean tradition was incorporated into our wedding. The bride’s mother wore a traditional Korean dress and we also served Korean rice cakes during cocktail hour.
What was the best advice you received as a bride? I was told over and over again to enjoy every moment of the day because it’ll be over before I know it. Boy, was that true! Thankfully, I reminded myself to do just that throughout the whole day, and as a result, there are mental pictures that I can talk about today.
What advice do you have for other brides? Don’t spend too much time/effort magnifying details on the big day, but instead, use that energy to celebrate the start of your life with your best friend.
These photos by Meredith Heuer make me wonder: how will the bride and groom ever decide which ones to frame and hang on the wall? There are just so many frame-worthy shots from Anna and Andrew’s wedding – full of beauty, emotion, memory. All the things you would want most from your wedding photos. Let me step back and let the images speak for themselves…
On incorporating traditions: “We kept closely to the Jewish traditions. Our parents, grandparents and generations of other Jewish couples have gone through those rituals and we wanted that same experience. And we did them all: Andrew checked to make sure it was me before putting the veil over my face, I circled him seven times, he stomped on the glass and our friends and family offered seven blessings to us. And we had a killer hora.”
Anna designed the paper airplanes that were given to guests to throw at the couple once they were announced husband and wife after the ceremony (what a playful alternative to tossing rice!).
Says Anna: “We’ve celebrated every major milestone in our relationship with a Miller High Life – classy, right? Two days before the wedding, we escaped the planning chaos and drove to a random liquor store to buy High Life ponies – 7 oz. bottles that we gave to all our guests and used for the toasts (I mean, it is the champagne of beers).”
See what I mean? Nearly every single image could stand on its own. And here, some details from Anna the lovely bride:
Why did you choose this location for your wedding? Have you seen The Foundry? It’s just plain rad.
What inspired you when you were planning your wedding? We both feel awkward being the center of attention and so we wanted something that felt unpolished and rough around the edges – messy scribbles that guests drew on the tables, a tent frame without the tent, industrial lighting, Miller High Life, flowers that had opened just a little bit too far, and as little pageantry as possible. People basically went cross-eyed when I described that we wanted the look of an old shipyard – rusty metal, washed out wood, and as many neutral “non-colors” as possible, like grey and cream. Fortunately The Foundry is the perfect spot for that and everyone we worked with - our planner, florist, photographer, caterer, lighting designers – totally got it.
What was the best advice you received as a bride? It’s just a tablecloth. Meaning, ultimately, every detail won’t be executed as you’d imagined it and it doesn’t really matter (and isn’t worth arguing with your mom about). Get the big stuff right – like the groom – and trust the people you’re working with. The rest will fall into place.
What advice do you have for other brides? My best advice is to remember that your wedding is just one day. Granted, it’s a loaded day, but I wanted to look back on everything that led up to that day without feeling sheepish or over-indulgent. It’s easy to use “it’s my day” as an excuse to be a bit indulgent (or snotty!), but it isn’t worth it.
Is there anything else that helps tell the story of the day? My dad died three years ago, and so there were a lot of nerves leading up to the wedding. We wanted to remember him, without letting the whole day be overshadowed. The subtle things – I wore a pin with a picture of him as a boy on it, we were wrapped in his tallit during the ceremony, and my brothers both cracked serious dad jokes in their toasts – were just the right touch.
Tarah and Tommy’s wedding was a Gatsby-inspired affair held in two unique Gothic-style venues, and Karen Hill captured it all beautifully…
Karen Hill
Karen Hill
Tarah’s bouquet included peonies and lily-of-the-valley.
Karen Hill
Karen Hill
Karen Hill
Karen Hill
Karen Hill
Karen Hill
The cocktail hour took place outside the chapel in the courtyard immediately after the ceremony.
Karen Hill
Karen Hill
Karen Hill
Karen Hill
The table numbers were a special DIY by the bride. Says Tarah, “I am an art advisor and studied art history, so I incorporated my love of art in the table numbers. I found paintings by famous artists that depicted couples or images of love, and each table number had a different painting for its background.”
Karen Hill
Karen Hill
Tarah and Tommy had a small cake for cutting, plus tiers of cupcakes.
Karen Hill
Karen Hill
Why did you choose this location for your wedding? Tommy and I really wanted to get married in New York, even though his family is from Indiana and my family is from Pennsylvania. New York is where we met and where we call home. We wanted the convenience of a hotel venue but the charm of a more unique venue, and The Desmond Tutu Center was our perfect venue – it’s also a hotel, and we really wanted something easy for our guests. The reception took place in the Refectory which is a beautiful Gothic style hall inside the Desmond Tutu Center. Also, I always dreamed of getting married in an old church that felt intimate. The Chapel of the Good Shepherd was everything I have dreamed of and more. It’s a Gothic-style chapel that was built in 1888. Plus, Tommy and I first met on the street just three short blocks away from our venue!
What inspired you when you were planning your wedding? Even though the setting of our wedding was surrounded by Gothic architecture, I kept going back to The Great Gatsby for inspiration. I envisioned having a party that felt like that it could’ve taken place in the 1920s.
What was your favorite moment or part of the day? I loved everything about the ceremony. I loved walking down the aisle. I loved standing up at the altar with my husband to be. I sitting behind the altar and watching the sun shine through the stained glass windows. I loved kissing Tommy for the first time as my husband. I loved walking out of the chapel with Tommy as husband and wife into the seminary’s courtyard while the Meetles played I Want to Hold Your Hand.
What was the best advice you received as a bride? To take a moment during the day of the wedding and to watch what’s going on around and you, to really stop and savor the special moments. It all goes by so fast.
What advice do you have for other brides? If you make sure you’re having fun, then most likely your guests will be having fun with you, so try not stress on the day of and truly enjoy it. Things will go wrong, and it won’t be perfect, but they are all minor in retrospect, so don’t have a meltdown. It’s not worth it.
If eloping to Paris is a dream of yours, then you are going to love Naomi and Jeremy’s intimate and elegant wedding as much as I do. And if you don’t dream of it yet, I have a feeling you will by the end of this post. (Also, don’t miss the full gallery for tons more gorgeous photos from Audrey of One & Only Paris Photography.)
The story of Naomi’s dress is wonderful: “My dress is a Pricilla of Boston sample that still has the pattern and numbered tags sewn in,” says Naomi. “My mother found it in a thrift store in California for $30 about a year before I was even engaged. She mailed it to me and I knew right away it was The Dress.”
On her bridal bouquet Naomi says, “We ordered my bouquet from a flower shop around the corner from our apartment in Paris. The shop owner did not speak any English, so I just pointed to flowers I liked. I was thrilled with the end result!”
The lovely Naomi shared some words about her elegant and unique wedding, and why she and Jeremy decided to elope to Paris.
Why did you choose this location for your wedding? Neither Jeremy or I had been to Europe previously, and Paris was at the top of our travel list. We ended up having our symbolic ceremony in the gardens of Notre Dame Cathedral, which is significant to us for its permanence and beauty. Really anywhere in Paris would have sufficed, though.
What inspired you when you were planning your wedding? The way we planned our wedding wasn’t exactly tradtional. My mother was a wedding planner for years when I was growing up. After helping her plan so many weddings, picking out flowers and table settings was nothing new or magical for me. When I started to plan my own wedding, the idea of plunking down my savings for chair rentals and tents did not seem like it would make me any more married or more happy. I asked Jeremy, “What would make you feel married?” Thus we arrived at Paris.
What was your favorite moment or part of the day? One of my favorite moments was walking around the grounds of the Louvre with my husband just after we were married. The grounds were eerily empty, and it felt like a moment outside of time.
Did you include any traditions in your wedding? There were no specific traditions in our symbolic ceremony in Paris. When we returned to the states we had a party for family and friends, which was held at the same venue where Jeremy’s parents were married. We surprised everyone and had our civil marriage ceremony that night.
What was the best advice you received as a bride? To listen to your betrothed. Anyone can have a wedding, but in the end what kind of marriage do you want?
What advice do you have for other brides? There is no right way to get married. There is only what is right for you and your partner. Look at your financial situation, look at how you want to share your day and why. A big factor in our own decision to elope was that both my family and Jeremy’s had celebrated large family weddings within the past year. Our wedding wasn’t going to serve as the only time to see distant relatives for the next decade. It was nice to have the freedom to do what we wanted without any family pressure.
Do you have any budget tips for other brides? What do you want to spend your money on? All of the trappings in the world don’t necessarily make the wedding. Your friends and family really just want to see you happy. If for you that means flowers and ballrooms, go crazy. But if you worry guests might doubt your style or creativity by the look of your flower arrangements, then how well do they really know you?
Is there anything else you’d like to share about the day? After our wedding ceremony we had dinner at Laperouse, one of the oldest restaurants in Paris. The food was amazing, but I think the private dining cabins were our favorite part.
It is just pouring rain here today, so I thought we could all use a little touch of sunshine in the form of this darling backyard wedding…
Pam Cooley
Pam Cooley
Pam Cooley
All of the stationery items were designed by the groom.
Pam Cooley
Pam Cooley
Pam Cooley
Pam Cooley
Pam Cooley
Pam Cooley
Pam Cooley
Badminton and bocce ball were set up for guests to enjoy. Music was kept pretty low-key to allow for talking and visiting.
Pam Cooley
Pam Cooley
Pam Cooley
Dinner included bacon-wrapped apricots, barbecue sliders and pumpkin soup shots.
Pam Cooley
Pam Cooley
Pam Cooley
Pam Cooley
Pam Cooley
Why did you choose this location for your wedding? Though we live in Kansas City, we are both from Illinois and our families still live there. Since family is so important to both of us, we couldn’t imagine our wedding without them and were worried some wouldn’t be able to make the trip to Kansas City. We are both architects, and appreciate the history and style of the late nineteenth-century Pettengill-Morron House Museum. We also have a hobby for collecting vintage and antique items, so the characteristics of the interior décor fit us well. As soon as we saw the venue and property we knew it was perfect for us.
What was your favorite moment or part of the day? When we receded from the ceremony and were alone for just a moment, we both broke down with tears of delight and held each other tightly. We were overcome with joy and love, and will remember that moment forever.
Did you include any traditions in your wedding? We didn’t get caught up in traditions. It was important for us to do whatever felt natural, and not forced. I did wear my mother-in-law’s pearl necklace that has been in her family, we exchanged gifts before seeing each other, and had our guests send us off. My mother gave me a pearl bracelet with the intent of starting a tradition, and that I would share it with my future daughter on her wedding day.
What was the best advice you received as a bride? I didn’t receive a lot of advice regarding the wedding, but instead about marriage. Our pre-marital sessions with our Pastor, and advice I received from women who had been married for many years were more beneficial to me.
What advice do you have for other brides? Go with the vendors you feel most comfortable with. Chances are that your instincts will play to your favor. This may mean not going with the most advertised or marketed vendor, and doing extra research. A few of my vendors did not have websites, or had never done a wedding before but they fit with our personalities perfectly.
Is there anything else that helps tell the story of the day? We wanted the overall feeling of the day to be relaxed, fun and comfortable. We set up badminton, croquet and bocce games for guests and wanted the music to be romantic and soft so people could talk over it. The whole day felt intimate and personal – exactly how we imagined.
