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Cristina and John had a romantic winter wedding with Christmas touches. The day began in the couple’s apartment in Astoria.

Cristina shares, “Our wedding day truly was THE BEST DAY EVER. I’d describe our wedding style as romantic and elegant, with a hint of glitz. We were surrounded by meaningful people and reminders of those we wish could have been there. From the start of the day, having my family (including our “furbabies”: Chloe and Baby) getting ready with me in our first apartment together was so significant. Chloe and Baby mean the world to us and having them play around the apartment while we all got ready made the morning joyful. I love the holiday season for the togetherness that it brings and having our Christmas tree as my backdrop felt super special. For my accessories, I wore my sister’s wedding earrings and a brand new necklace my Dad gave to my Mom. I also wore my Grandmother’s wedding band on my pinky finger. It felt special to wear jewelry from all of the influential women in my life on my special day.”

The couple shared a first look outside of the Liberty House surrounded by flurries of snow!

The ceremony was warm and cozy inside the Liberty House. John walked down the aisle with Cristina’s mom.

Cristina continues, “The Liberty House is a beautiful location that overlooks lower Manhattan. We both grew up in New York City and having the skyline as our backdrop was an ode to the place that made us who we are today. The inside of our venue has large glass windows that made it feel like we were outside, despite the cold December night.
Other personalized additions to our wedding included our “wish you were here” table, honoring the memory of those who had passed and were near and dear to our hearts. We reserved a seat for John’s Mom at our ceremony, as we know she was watching over us. Our signature cocktails are drinks John and I have been enjoying for years together over date nights. Our wedding favors were ornaments to commemorate our wedding day, filled with love and representative of our favorite holiday, Christmas.
My favorite moments of the day included seeing John for our “first look.” In the 30-degree weather, my adrenaline kept me warm enough to be able to show John my wedding dress outside, in front of the beautiful skyline.
We came out for our first dance in true fashion dancing to EDM music. Our first dance was romantic and magical. It allowed us to enjoy a moment to ourselves, taking in all of the love in the room while our guests watched over us. Dancing with my Dad was also a highlight. We share similar personalities and have always been able to understand each other without saying much. As we danced, I could feel my Dad’s pride for me and I know he felt my appreciation for being the best Dad a daughter could hope for. Seeing John dance with my Mom pulled at everyone’s heartstrings. Celebrating John’s mother’s life during our ceremony honored her existence while John dancing with my Mom represented the new bond they will share as mother and son-in-law.
The thing we were most grateful for was having our living Grandparents with us to celebrate. I grew up very close to my maternal Grandparents and having them there to bless our marriage was truly a gift. John’s Grandmother played a huge role in raising him and recently turned 95. One of my favorite memories of our wedding day includes her with us on the dance floor and being the life of the party.
John and I enjoyed dancing to our favorite songs no matter where we were or what we were doing in that moment. It made us feel very present and allowed our guests to feel relaxed and comfortable to enjoy the night as they wished. The rest of the night went by so fast. Sitting at our sweetheart table gave us the chance to take it all in and appreciate everyone’s presence on our special day. We danced the night away in between trips to the bar taking shots with friends. Having all of our loved ones under the same roof felt surreal. It was absolutely a day we will never forget.”

Congratulations Cristina and John!

Check out their Central Park engagement session here.

Special thanks to the team:
Venue and Caterer: Liberty House
Venue Coordinator: Christina Hope
Officiant: Ben Hickey
Cake: Palermo Bakery
DJ/Band: Mystical Entertainment
Florist: JR Florals
Invitations: Minted
Makeup: Lucero Artistry
Hair: Susy Stylez
Rings: Friman and Stein
Bride’s Dress: Lover’s Society Wyatt Gown via Lovely Bride
Bride’s Shoes: Jewel by Badgley Mischka
Bridesmaid Dress: Amsala by Bella Bridemaids
Groom’s Suit: The Tux Shop
Videographer: NST Films
Photographer: Jessica Schmitt Photography with Eric Swartz

Caitlin and Steve were married on a beautiful winter day in Brooklyn. The day started out with a blue sky at the William Vale Hotel and ended with a magical snow for their ceremony and reception at the Brooklyn Winery.

Cailtin and Steve shared a first look on the rooftop of the William Vale. The view was spectacular and they were so excited to see each other and begin celebrating!

We arrived at the Brooklyn Winery for some portraits and to get ready for the ceremony.

The youngest guest in attendance was Caitlin’s niece–only 3 weeks old!

Caitlin’s embellished dress was so elegant–easily one of my new favorites. Caitlin, you look gorgeous!

The winery is so romantic. The couple says, “When we first set foot in the Brooklyn Winery last year we knew that was where we wanted to get married. We loved that it’s a less traditional type of wedding venue and it provides such a beautiful, intimate setting…not to mention lots of great wine!

Although it generated some stress given the possibility that snow could cause problems for traveling guests, we could not have been happier with how our winter wedding turned out. Not only were there no travel issues, but it began to snow right as our ceremony began and continued throughout the reception. With an atrium room and large windows at the winery, the falling snow was visible all night and added an incredible, magical element to the wedding that was more than we could have asked for.

In keeping with the idea of a winter wedding, we incorporated earthy and dark colors and tried to keep our decor simple and understated. We absolutely loved the winery’s mismatched dinnerware and candles, which made each table and place setting unique. We also decided to incorporate different elements of New York City into things like the table numbers and escort board to pay homage to a city that has played such an important role in our relationship and our lives.

Above all else we wanted a wedding that was fun! We were so happy to see all our friends and family, young and old, out on the dance floor all night!”

Steve shares, “My favorite moment in a night full of amazing moments was watching my beautiful bride walk down the aisle toward me. I couldn’t help but think about how the many months of planning, the years we had spent together, and really our entire lives had led us to that exact moment, and the beginning of a new lifelong journey together. I can’t imagine being happier or more excited than I was in that moment.”

Caitlin had a similar favorite, “My favorite moment was immediately after the ceremony. Steve and I snuck away to the wine barrel room and spent our first few moments together as a married couple, drinking it in.”

Congratulations Caitlin and Steve!

Check out their Long Island City engagement session here!

Special thanks to the team:
Hotel: The William Vale, Brooklyn
Venue and Catering: Brooklyn Winery
Brooklyn Winery Coordinator: Emily Dolan-Leach
Officiant: Mark Murphy (friend of groom and bride from law school)
Cake: Tu-Lu’s Gluten-Free Bakery
DJ/Band: Sam Turner, Beat Train Productions
Florist: Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design reb.shepherd@gmail.com
Invitations: Lion in the Sun of Park Slope
Hair and Makeup: MG Hair and Makeup (Talia)
Rings: David Yurman (Caitlin); Tiffany & Co. (Steve)
Bride’s Dress Designer /Shop: Limor Rosen dress from Lovely Bride
Bride’s Shoes: Betsey Johnson
Photographer: Jessica Schmitt Photography with Eric Swartz

Carla and Ben had a beautiful winter wedding in a loft in Union Square.

Ben shares, “Our winter wedding in NYC took place at the loft space above Tarallucci e Vino, Union Square. We chose it because we fell in love with its beautiful exposed brick and huge windows. The space has a classic New York City vibe!

Our wedding ceremony was simple and intimate, with only our immediate family attending. Carla’s best friend Tiffany officiated. Our florist created a lovely arrangement of branches and candles to frame us against the brick wall.”

The couple’s unique wedding vows  included their love of playing board games together.

Ben adds, “We decided to both take each other’s name, so we are now Carla and Ben Moy-Turner. It was important to us to share the same name, but we didn’t want either of us to lose our existing name. Moy-Turner just sounds right!”

Ben continues, “After the ceremony, we made the short walk over to Union Square Park for a few outdoor photos. At this point we were ruing our decision to get married in January! In the end, braving the cold was worth it for a memorable and unique series of photos.

The reception followed soon after with dinner, drinks and dancing for 100 guests. We love Italian cuisine, and the chef and staff at Tarallucci delivered a delicious meal. Everything tasted wonderful.

Our custom cake topper featured things central to our relationship: our beloved dog Bessie; some of our favorite board games (we originally met through a group of friends who gather for weekly game nights); and a pair of passports to represent our love of travel. The travel theme extended to the table decorations and place cards. Each of the four long tables was designated as a country or region that we’ve visited, and each guest’s seat was marked with a photograph taken by the two of us. It was a fun way to share the memories we have made in our adventures!”

It was freezing out, but they were so happy, you would never know by looking at the photos!

FLO Events created a beautiful tablescape with mixed bouquets of purple flowers, greenery, berries and eucalyptus. Carla and Ben didn’t plan to be so on trend, but they ended up incorporating the Pantone color of the year–ultraviolet!

The first dance was set to the Magnetic Field’s “The Book of Love” from 69 love songs.

Congratulations Carla and Ben!

Also, check out their Riverside Park engagement here.

Special thanks to the team:
Venue(s): Tarallucci e Vino arranged for Third Floor Loft of Home Studios at 873 Broadway
Coordinator: Basia Biddle of Tarallucci e Vino
Officiant: Tiffany Sameyah Sankari (friend of the couple)
Caterer: Tarallucci e Vino, www.taralluccievino.net
Florist: Caroline Groppe of FLO NY
Cake: Milk Bar
Cake topper: Keren Becker
DJ: Enrique Colon of BTL DJs
Photo booth: Teho Yoo from Amazebooths www.amazebooths.com
Invitations: Minted
Hair and Makeup: Talia of MG Hair & Makeup
Rings: Brilliant Earth
Bride’s Dress: Purchased from ModCloth made amazing by Bevin Dillon
Bride’s Shoes: Corso Como
Jewelry: hair comb: YunBoutique ; Belt: FashionaryDesign
Photographer: Jessica Schmitt Photography

Snow! Christmas! And lots of love! Sarah and Will had a beautiful, elegant, winter wedding with just the right touches of the holiday season. Sarah got ready for the day at the couple’s home in Alexandria, Virginia.

The ceremony took place at the Falls Church Presbyterian in Falls Church, Virginia. The stone church is surrounded by holly bushes and the grounds were covered in fresh white snow.

A sword arch is a special military tradition that requires the couple to kiss in order to pass under each set of swords. The tradition is meant to salute the newly married couple.

Sarah shares, “We chose to do a December wedding because that was the timeline our lives was leading us towards and we both love the holidays and liked the idea of capitalizing on the excitement and joy of the season. That said, we deliberately sought to go light on Christmas up until the reception, that way we could have some pictures and memories that weren’t entirely associated with Christmas!

I went to college in Scotland and we both have Scottish heritage so the thistle between all of the bouquets and boutonnières seemed appropriate. Another common theme in the flowers was the boxwood, which was included in honor of my dad (who loves and collects boxwood). We also weaved William’s family tartan into the aesthetic too, using it to wrap the bouquets, boutonnières, and for the flower girl sashes—I even had my shoes covered in it!

William added, “Sarah made me special chocolate chip cookies for the wedding reception (because I love her cookies and she spoils me!) but they were accidentally delivered to me early before the ceremony. While this was slightly distressing to Sarah when she caught wind of what happened, they were actually the perfect sugar pick me up that I needed to make it through the ceremony.”

William shares, “Our reception was at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington. We chose the club for several reasons. Growing up, I spent a lot of time there because my dad was also in the Navy and he was stationed in Northern Virginia for most of my childhood. When Sarah and I started dating we began going to the club together more and more and it quickly became a special place for us as a couple. Also, when we decided on December we gravitated towards the club because it looks particularly awesome at Christmas time.”

Sarah adds, “When it came to the reception we completely embraced Christmas! The club made that easy though since they had decorated for the season already with garland and Christmas trees everywhere. For the centerpieces we had boxwood wreaths and hurricanes with cranberries in water and floating candles. We had the guests take the wreaths for their doors at the end of the reception which was pretty fun! My favorite touch though was that we put together stockings for all of the kids who came and hung them on the fireplaces for them to open after dinner.”

Sarah and William danced their first dance to “Sleep on the Floor,” by The Lumineers.

The club looked particularly beautiful with all the Christmas decorations.

A blessing was said before dinner and then Sarah and her dad and William and his mom shared special parent dances.

The cake topper was custom made by the groom’s sister to represent the couple’s childhood stuffed bears that they both have to this day.

At the end of the evening guests were given little carol books and asked to join the bride and groom in the main lobby to sing some of their favorite Christmas songs. It was such a sweet and unique way to end the evening!

Congratulations Sarah and William!

You can also check out their engagement photos here.

Special thanks to the team:
Church: Falls Church Presbyterian
Reception Location: Army Navy Country Club, Arlington
Day-of Coordinator: Kim Trombly
Flowers: The Virginia Florist, Alexandria
Cake: Sweet Ladies Bakery
Music: Bryan George Music
Bride’s coat: Kim Trombly
Hair: KC Felton
Makeup: Conceptual Beauty, Christin Birckhead
Photography: Jessica Schmitt Photography with Eric Swartz

Judy and Mike are one of those awesome couples you see laughing at each other in a bar and think, wow they are so happy in love.

I met them in the Lower East Side for their engagement session, but first we stopped by some fun street art on Mott Street by JGoldcrown.

Mike wasn’t lying about the coffee, coffee, coffee…

Judy shares, “Our wedding will be on Friday, September 16th, at MyMoon in Williamsburg. The ceremony will be held on the outdoor patio, followed by dinner and dancing inside. The venue has lots of dark wood, exposed brick, and amber lighting. The party will continue at Drexler’s on the Lower East Side.”

Happy Engagement Judy and Mike!

Credits:
Bleeding Hearts street art by JGoldcrown
Photographer Terry Richardson street art by Bradley Theodore
Mike’s Clothing:
Jacket: Burberry, Shirt: Uniqlo, Beanies: Urban Outfitters, Jeans: DSTLD, Boots: Timberland
Judy’s Clothing:
Coat: TNA, Shirt: J.Crew, Necklace: J.Crew, Cream beanie: Pinkyotto, Gray beanie: Urban Outfitters, Boots: Timberland