You know how people always want to know what type of wedding you’re going to have so they know what style of attire they should wear? People kept wondering that about Kate + David’s wedding, so she told them that it was a dressy-ish BBQ. We just love that, and it’s pretty spot on to what transpired come wedding day. The morning after says it all. High heel marks on their wood floors, the inside of their fridge battered in BBQ sauce, chicken wing bones scattered throughout the driveway… success!
As soon as we saw that Amy Merrick was behind the florals we knew there was going to be a swoon-worthy bouquet. Her bouquet was full of peonies, lambs ear, blueberries, and foxglove, which she foraged from Kate’s property.
One of the most special treats was having one of my parents’ best buddies drive my sister and me to the church in his beautiful vintage Rolls-Royce. When David and I first got engaged, he immediately offered his “chauffeuring” services and I didn’t truly realize what an incredible gift that was until he pulled up in the car. I felt like royalty driving to the church and spending those few surreal minutes in it with my sister, Mr. Vernon and our incredible photographer, Gary, was such a gift. Pulling away from the church as husband and wife was even more incredible in such a beautiful car!
Oh how we love a bridal party in blushes and nudes…
It was really important to us that we have the reception at our home, as it obviously holds the most meaning to us and is a place that we really love to be. In fact, that was a deciding factor in purchasing the house! But though we were so much more fortunate than so many others, Hurricane Sandy did a real number on our yard; we lost thirteen mature trees and numerous smaller ones. The night of the storm, we literally listened to trees snap and fall, hoping beyond all else that nothing would hit the house. That said, the property clean-up was really an incredibly expensive undertaking; stacked log piles stretch along at least an acre of the yard. When it was all said and done, though, even the neighbors remarked at how much better everything looked.
Kate’s bit of advice for future brides-to-be… We both wish we had hired a wedding coordinator in the end. There’s just so much going on in the days before and the day of the wedding, that it would have been so great to leave all of those loose ends up to someone else. For example, no one ever told our bartenders that the 20-odd bottles of white wine were chilling in the fridge (they were under the impression that we ran out after two bottles) and coffee was never served, despite us renting all of the china, buying the fancy coffee and having my mom schlep over her giant party coffee makers.
So true! We can all vouch for that. Wedding coordinators help tremendously, and we’ve got some fabulous ones in our Vendor Guide, so make sure to peruse their portfolios to find one near you.
For more wedding inspiration check out the Wedding & Party Ideas section of our site.
Photographer: Gary Ashley with The Wedding Artists Collective / Videographer: David’s dad / Ceremony Venue: St. Mary’s Church in Bedford, NY / Reception Venue: private home in Pound Ridge, NY / Invitation Designer: A Printable Press / Bridal Hair: Reagan Baker / Bridal Makeup: Veronica Pastoriza / Bridesmaids Hair: George Papadopoulos at Salon Kiklo / Makeup: Lauren Tomasetti at The Powder Bar / Florist: Amy Merrick / Cake: Anna Llanos at the Mothership Bakery / Catering: Dinosaur BBQ / Rentals: Party Rentals Ltd / DJ: Kenan Juska / Bartenders: Mixx Bartenders / Wedding Dress: Amy Kuschel bought at Gabriella NY / Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell for Free People / Earrings: a loan from one of bride’s bridesmaids, Michelle / Groom’s Suit: Hart Schaffner Marx and Steven Alan collaboration / Shoes: Cole Haan / Groomsmens’ Suits: Joseph A Bank / Bridesmaid Dresses: Maid of Honor dress: BHLDN; Bridesmaids: Dessy, Watters and Amsale
