R A C H E L & R Y A N
F R O M T H E B R I D E …
The Meeting…
After attending college in Philadelphia at the same time and subsequently moving to Los Angeles at the same time, we never crossed paths until I accidentally showed up at a new job at the wrong time (HR mistake). Funnily enough, we had both returned to our hometown of Philadelphia after bad breakups. Ryan had started a day prior to me, and trained me that day. We hit it off after we realised how much we had in common! Not only had we unknowingly followed each other around the country, but we also have birthdays exactly three days apart (I was actually supposed to be born on his birthday!). We found this amusing and it began our friendship.
Love…
Ryan and I were friends for about a year until our romance began. I knew he had a crush on me (he used to leave me mix-tapes and candy at work), but I was seeing someone at the time (it was not a good match). For whatever reason, I couldn’t get him out of my head and decided to take a chance! Things got serious pretty quickly. For our very first Christmas together, Ryan surprised me with a trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. We had never traveled together before, but the trip was incredible. At our last dinner in the French Quarter, we had decided that we were serious about committing to one another.
The Proposal…
A little over a year later, Ryan woke me up at 4AM, blindfolded me and threw me in a taxi. I knew he had a getaway planned, but had no idea where we were going. When I realised we were going back to New Orleans I was so excited. He booked an incredible hotel, The Saint, a few blocks from the French Quarter. The day of the proposal was spent at the Audubon Zoo and marveling at the beautiful old homes nearby (I am obsessed with old homes and love the South in general). When it was time to leave for dinner, I got a call from the front desk saying there was a delivery for me and that I needed to come downstairs. In the lobby, our bellman delivered a letter in a red envelope. It was a love letter from Ryan. The last line of the letter read: ‘I only have one last thing to ask…so if you are ready come back to room XXX”. I am a fast reader, so obviously he was not prepared for my arrival back in our hotel room so quickly…he had lit candles and burned himself in the process…the rest was a blur, but it was magical. The next day he surprised me yet again with a road trip to Memphis, TN, where the rest of my family was waiting (my dad lives there). The last leg of our trip was spent at The Gastonian, a beautiful bed and breakfast in Savannah, GA.
Wedding Style…
Being a wedding photographer myself, I had seen so many ‘themed’ weddings and knew that it wasn’t for me. I knew that I wanted a soft, romantic yet timeless affair; I didn’t want to look back at photos in 40 years and wonder why I chose a particular colour or trending style. We decided on a palette of soft blush, nude and gold, but focused mostly on the decor and an overall feeling. Sequin linens from La Tavola, an ombre aisle of rose petals, and handmade blush curtains for the ceremony (made by my mother in law) were a few standout items. The reception was tented, which gave me a clean palate to work with. Gold table vases went well with our florals (pinks and blush); babies breath was used heavily; I chose black goblets to contrast with the softer table decor (a last minute decision). My bridesmaids wore dresses of their own choice (it had to be nude, light pink, with some metallic or sparkle) and carried simple bouquets. Our guys wore classic blue suits with black skinny ties. Ryan wore a custom tuxedo from Indochino (it was navy and black). I scoured Etsy for one of a kind items, and relied on BHLDN for other decor! We had custom calligraphy for many items in the tent and I spent hours pinning our name cards into Asian Pears for the escort table. My father in law was able to get 200 pears through work, and I had painted card stock tags that were then given to the calligrapher. It was time consuming but worth it.
Ceremony…
Neither Ryan nor myself are religious, but our families are. We Incorporated elements from Judaism (breaking glass), but only because we liked the meaning behind it. We wrote our own vows and really made our ceremony about us. Our puppies, Olive and Cudi, were walked down the aisle by a close friend, and a reading from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin was given by another friend. Everything was outside, which was nice because we had perfect weather.
The Venue…
We booked Crossing Vineyards very early on and never truly considered another venue. We wanted a venue that would allow everything to be in one spot, and Crossing Vineyards supplied that for us. The grounds are beautiful but intimate, and they have an amazing bridal suite! Our reception was in a large, white tent that luckily had a cement floor (I’ve experienced a grass floor in a storm and didn’t want to chance that).
The Dress…
I got my gown at Kleinfeld in New York on a whim. I went with my mother in law just to ‘see’ what they had, and ended up falling in love with a blush pink Jim Hjelm trumpet style gown with a sweetheart neckline. It had intricate lace, which was classic, but the color was unique and very ‘me.’ I am petite and wanted something beautiful, but also sexy! My mother in law made a gorgeous cathedral length gown to match, which was very dramatic and lovely. The gown echoed our feelings about what we wanted our wedding day to feel like - a beautiful outdoor affair that was neither fussy nor over the top.
The Flowers…
We focused on blush, pink and white florals (I like ombre) because they looked really nice with our gold accents. My girls had bouquets of simple Astilbe Flowers, and the boutonnieres were succulents. Again, I wanted a classic design but nothing stuffy or boring.
Photography…
We found Lindsay pretty early on - she was the only photographer we spoke with, and we are glad! We did an engagement session with Lindsay in NYC during a rain storm, and knew that she would be great on the day of the wedding if we had bad weather, which relaxed us. The images turned out beautifully and they are plastered all over our home. It was great to have somebody as talented as Lindsay capture our wedding, but what made hiring her even better was having a friend there who made us feel comfortable and at ease throughout the day.
Honeymoon…
We rented a private villa in Bora Bora for 10 days.
Wedding Day Highlights…
Our first look! I replay it in my head over and over again. We got to spend some time alone prior to the ceremony and it didn’t at all take away from him seeing me walk down the aisle.
Advice…
Ryan and I made it a point to make our wedding day about us - first and foremost. Being in the industry I got the unique opportunity to know exactly what I didn’t want on our wedding day - it goes by so quickly and nothing makes me more sad than watching a bride be unhappy on her wedding day because she has to fulfill somebody elses’ wishes. This applies to the day itself, but also to choosing a gown, decor, venue, etc.
Photographer Lindsay Madden Ceremony & Reception Venue Crossing Vineyards Winery Bride’s Gown Jim Hjelm, Kleinfeld Groom’s Attire Indochino Groomsmen’s Attire Jos A Bank Cake Crossing Vineyards Winery Celebrant Eric Wilden, Water Lily Weddings Florist Beautiful Blooms Stationery Antiquaria & calligraphy by Lettering by Liz Entertainment Pulse Entertainment Transport Sterling Limo Hair & Makeup Jessica Spina Perez of Your Day, Your Way
MW x